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

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I realise we're heading for another schism here, but no, no and a thousand times no to Tony Pulis.

Same here. The Plus style and the Lambert style seem very similar to me.

Indeed, the big difference is only one of them knows what he's doing, the other just makes it up as he wobbles along.

[Villa in Denmark]

Poster Eigentor, whom I respect and whose posts are always balanced and fair, clearly indicates the seriousness of the problem we face, namely that there are those who consider Lambert to be not all that bad and because those who appointed him can point to fans who want him to be given more time they will take the easy short term way out and stick with him.

Guilty as charged, because I really do go around thinking that there are worse managers than Lambert, and -- should Lambert leave -- that Lerner is capable to hire someone of them. I'm not sure if there is much point in changing managers before the ownership issue is resolved. The only thing we could realistically get from a change is a short-term boost, and then more of the same. I think the case for stability is better, for now. However, we need to start picking up points soon.

We need to start picking up points now.  I posted on the "Is this season?" thread, if you take the last 19 league games as a base line (14 points), even if we start picking up points at a 50% higher rate than we have over that period, we'll struggle to get past 35.

[Meanwood Villa]

We can't begin that process mid-way through a season because we'd end up going down for sure probably. We've got to get organised, motivated, survive in the short term. Get to a level of consistency where we can be comfortable, keep hold of our better players. Then either this summer, or the next one we appoint someone like Koeman, who will install a footballing philosophy at the club and start getting us to play the right way. Someone who will use the budget we have to buy footballers. Quality with potential. Someone who can make us cope if we have to sell our better players.

Koeman's doing well, but he wasn't the one who instilled their current footballing ethos. It wasn't even Pochettino who did that. It started under Nigel Adkins. Who's currently in mid-table Championship obscurity with Reading. Just goes to show how little sense football makes...

Interesting point about Southampton managers. Adkins and Pochettino both replaced popular incumbents who it could be argued didn't deserve the sack (bizarrely one of those was Pardew, imagine,  him popular)
What the board were wise to do is identify the right manager for that point in time and get him no matter what.  They look to have done it again with Koeman albeit having their hand forced this time.  So much for stability eh?

[Legion]

Ha! https://vine.co/v/OOFnlTh2zxi

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

I'd kill for Moyes as our manager right now. I'm not thrilled by him and would obviously prefer a "modern" manager (like Tuchel or someone), but at the same time, you've gotta remember it's Lerner doing the hiring. One person I absolutely do not want is Pulis.

This is all pointless anyway. Lambert isn't going anywhere soon.

[paulcomben]

I realise we're heading for another schism here, but no, no and a thousand times no to Tony Pulis.

Same here. The Plus style and the Lambert style seem very similar to me.

Indeed, the big difference is only one of them knows what he's doing, the other just makes it up as he wobbles along.

It is 'rydym yn mynd eto' in Welsh, apparently. Or 'We Gower Again'.

[Lee]

I realise we're heading for another schism here, but no, no and a thousand times no to Tony Pulis.

I would have also said that a few years ago, in fact would have turned my stomach.

Now I would have him like a shot, instead of the present incumbent. That's how desperate our situation is I feel

[aj2k77]

I'd kill for Moyes as our manager right now. I'm not thrilled by him and would obviously prefer a "modern" manager (like Tuchel or someone), but at the same time, you've gotta remember it's Lerner doing the hiring. One person I absolutely do not want is Pulis.

This is all pointless anyway. Lambert isn't going anywhere soon.

Moyes is in a different league to Lambert. He might have been found out at the very top level, but we are nowhere near that and he'd do a job here. Top 8 9 times, a top 4 finish, he's better than O'Neill and would spend less money. At the very least we would be a lot more organised and have a game plan that revolves around a bit more than let the opposition have the ball.

[curiousorange]

The desire for Pulis smacks of short-termism for me. People seem to think he'd willingly step aside once we are secure in the league, but that's ridiculous. A battling style might work initially, but he'd come in on a stupid contract, and we'd have two or three years of route one bollocks and a squad full of six foot thugs and snidey wingers. Fans are panicking and I understand why Pulis seems like a good fit after his work with Palace, but if it doesn't work, we're left with the same one-dimensional football we despised him gor at Stoke.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I realise we're heading for another schism here, but no, no and a thousand times no to Tony Pulis.

I would have also said that a few years ago, in fact would have turned my stomach.

Now I would have him like a shot, instead of the present incumbent. That's how desperate our situation is I feel

Same here, Lee. We really are "desperate" and the longer we go on without a change, the less chance the new man will have to keep us up. JP's suggestion of a contract until the end of the season seems the sensible way to go. Hopefully we can then regroup and bring in somebody for the long term

[aj2k77]

Wouldn't it be nice to have teams come here though and not look forward to it. Rather than it be that way for the fans.

I'd rather we aimed higher than Pullis anyway but Lamberts getting to the point of being detrimental to the team.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

The desire for Pulis smacks of short-termism for me. People seem to think he'd willingly step aside once we are secure in the league, but that's ridiculous.

We need a short term solution. If he only has a short term contract, he'll have nothing to step aside from just a very healthy bank account, a better reputation and the gratitude of thousands of Villa fans.

[walsall villain]

The desire for Pulis smacks of short-termism for me. People seem to think he'd willingly step aside once we are secure in the league, but that's ridiculous. A battling style might work initially, but he'd come in on a stupid contract, and we'd have two or three years of route one bollocks and a squad full of six foot thugs and snidey wingers. Fans are panicking and I understand why Pulis seems like a good fit after his work with Palace, but if it doesn't work, we're left with the same one-dimensional football we despised him gor at Stoke.

Well if in the short term I don't have to watch yet more away fans going bonkers with joy then that's fine. It all depends on the level of danger you sense we are in. I think it's at tipping point and we actually need a short term fix before we can start thinking about longer term goals.

[curiousorange]

If you're Tony Pulis, and Villa come begging, you're hardly likely to say "yeah, i'll help out for a few months while you're looking for a better option." You'd demand a proper deal, surely?

[walsall villain]

If you're Tony Pulis, and Villa come begging, you're hardly likely to say "yeah, i'll help out for a few months while you're looking for a better option." You'd demand a proper deal, surely?

4 years is a our new norm