The Paul Lambert thread - poll reset after our capitulation to Hull

[Richard E]

Pullis wouldn't last a year at Villa.

Given how long Lambert has been given I shudder to think what a catastrophic job Pulis would have to do to last less than a year.

[claret and blue blood]

It's my birthday on Boxing day, we've won once in the last thirteen years ( Everton at home 4-0) last year's defeat to Palace with that late goal that flew in from outside the box typifies the misery of  Villa at Christmas.

[rob_bridge]

Pullis and Moyes would be a significant step up from this clown.

It wouldn't be pretty but it wouldn't be any less pretty. And it would certainly be more effective.

Beggars can't be choosers.

[supertom]

Pullis wouldn't last a year at Villa.

Given how long Lambert has been given I shudder to think what a catastrophic job Pulis would have to do to last less than a year.

He may have a differing of opinion on the clubs running with Lerner. Ultimately it's what saw him leave Palace after such a good job.

I've come to terms with the fact that making this club pretty to watch, which aside from fits and spurts, it hasn't been for nigh on 20 years, is going to be a hard process which needs a change of ownership. In the current regime however I'd settle for ugly, if that were to be effective. Pulis would make as effective.

You could say he's a long term sort of manager, or you could so he is, only in the right circumstance. Would we be right? Under Lerner, I think he'd get fed up and walk. But I still think he'd give us a go, for at least the rest of this season. That would be enough to have us turn the tide and get on an upward trajectory I think.

My worry regarding Lerner is, he's now got a manager who abides by the way he needs to run this club. Someone who's happy to do the job tasked to them, on the budget. Lambert is a chancer and he is out of his depth at a club this size, even if he and Lerner seem determined to bring us down to the levels of the Palace's, Wigans etc of this world. Treading water. Bobbling at the low end of the Prem. You might keep bobbing, you may well fall through the trap door when you don't expect it. Lamberts a yes man. He's the polar opposite of Martin O Neill who Lerner gave carte blanche. That didn't work. Houllier had his own way of thinking and could do so on a budget, but even so, I don't think Lerner would have kept him on, regardless of the heart issue. Ultimately they would have butted heads. McLeish had to go.

Lambert fits in perfectly with how Lerner wants us run, so regardless of horrible form, perhaps even relegation, I'm not sure Lambert will get fired. He just goes on about his business, doing the job at hand. Off the pitch matters, and budgets etc, Lambert's doing a good job. He's adhering totally to what the owner wants and not kicking up a stink. On the pitch, quite obviously, he's doing a piss poor job, but on the pitch matters little to Lerner, so long as we remain self sufficient.

[CJ]

A couple of days before the Citeh game I suffered a subconjunctival haemorrhage, which sounds and looks worse than it actually feels. Today I've had another one. This is firm and incontrovertible proof that watching Villa under Lambert is literally causing my eyes to bleed

[Monty]

I remember vividly how awful Stoke were under Pulis, not just stylistically but kind of morally too. They were a fairly violent team as well as an ugly one, not in a clumsy, wild way, but in a kind of horrible, sadistic, almost concentrated way. Add to that the behaviour at corners, the treatment of creative players (whatever happened to Tuncay Sanli?), and just how pleased Stokies I know were to see him go, and I can't quite believe people are forgetting all that was so nasty about his Stoke team because he had one good year.

[Chris Smith]

I remember vividly how awful Stoke were under Pulis, not just stylistically but kind of morally too. They were a fairly violent team as well as an ugly one, not in a clumsy, wild way, but in a kind of horrible, sadistic, almost concentrated way. Add to that the behaviour at corners, the treatment of creative players (whatever happened to Tuncay Sanli?), and just how pleased Stokies I know were to see him go, and I can't quite believe people are forgetting all that was so nasty about his Stoke team because he had one good year.

The things that sticks in my mind of that team was the drawn out ritual of the long throw. If the ball went out of play anywhere in the final third, play would stop for a couple of minutes while the centre backs trundled forward and the ref never did anything about it. Then, if the ball was surrendered to the opposition a foal was immediately committed to prevent a break. It was the definition of anti-football. That kind of time wasting and cynicism at any other  point would have been dealt with by the ref but for some reason it never occurred to them to do anything

[andyh]

I remember vividly how awful Stoke were under Pulis, not just stylistically but kind of morally too. They were a fairly violent team as well as an ugly one, not in a clumsy, wild way, but in a kind of horrible, sadistic, almost concentrated way. Add to that the behaviour at corners, the treatment of creative players (whatever happened to Tuncay Sanli?), and just how pleased Stokies I know were to see him go, and I can't quite believe people are forgetting all that was so nasty about his Stoke team because he had one good year.

Absolutely, totally!!

[villasjf]

And Pullis did a MON in walking out.

[Steve67]

I would hope that Tom Fox would have a stronger say in who would replace Lambert, given he's more of a football man than Faulkner ever was, the next appointment might actually be ok. Equally, given the dreadful job Lambert has done, Pulis, Moyes etc all would almost certainly be a step up, however long they'd last. Enough of this shit, Lambert out.

[brian green]

Problem is we are between two horrible alternatives.   Do we start to win ugly or do we continue to lose pathetically.   If it meant that every now and then my 200 miles round trip to home games was rewarded with a win of any kind, I would hold my nose and endure Pulis.

Of course we all long for a young, insightful, articulate, forward thinking, approachable, charming, sensibly dressed manager to replace Lambert but it is not going to happen.   Nobody talented would want us as we are, up for sale, want away owner, subsistence finances, cowed and demoralized players, cowed and demoralized supporters.

Thus there are only two ways ahead, more of the same or bring in a tough bastard in a red Ferrari to clean the blood and brain tissue out of the car.

[silhillvilla]

If we lose today and he isn't sacked I would be staggered .

[Richard E]

If we lose today and he isn't sacked I would be staggered .

I think you need to brace yourself to be staggered!

[Clampy]

Pulis in the short term would be fine but long term I can't imagine it would do much for the attendances.

[villasjf]

I would hope that Tom Fox would have a stronger say in who would replace Lambert, given he's more of a football man than Faulkner ever was, the next appointment might actually be ok. Equally, given the dreadful job Lambert has done, Pulis, Moyes etc all would almost certainly be a step up, however long they'd last. Enough of this shit, Lambert out.

Wasn't Fox here when Lambert got his 4 year extension?