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

[Des Little]

We are in November, frigging November, as it seems that we in the mindset of hoping that we can remain in this league.

To have to even be contemplating this shit is disgraceful. Shameful and disgraceful.

I think its excessive to say shameful or disgraceful due to the fact there was another team sunderland that lost 8-0 and akso despite the tough run oif games villa didnt disgrace themselves.I hear what your saying and take the point as nevertheless 16 th place  is the current situation but not in the relegation zone or bottom of the league. I could concede that the small amount of goals thus far is not satisfactory but this means it can improve and increase as can see that goals are needed. I think the next 4 or 5 matches could surprise some people on here.

I hope to God you're right, however even you must admit that we are in some shit state right now.  And we've been riding our luck for three seasons.  That is simply not good enough.

[JUAN PABLO]

Has it gone yet

International break

No stress this weekend at least

[VancouverLion]

We are in November, frigging November, as it seems that we in the mindset of hoping that we can remain in this league.

To have to even be contemplating this shit is disgraceful. Shameful and disgraceful.

I think its excessive to say shameful or disgraceful due to the fact there was another team sunderland that lost 8-0 and akso despite the tough run oif games villa didnt disgrace themselves.I hear what your saying and take the point as nevertheless 16 th place  is the current situation but not in the relegation zone or bottom of the league. I could concede that the small amount of goals thus far is not satisfactory but this means it can improve and increase as can see that goals are needed. I think the next 4 or 5 matches could surprise some people on here.

Yipeee we're not bottom of the league FFS!!!! how the mighty have fallen, what an absolute joke!!

[richard moore]

We are in November, frigging November, as it seems that we in the mindset of hoping that we can remain in this league.

To have to even be contemplating this shit is disgraceful. Shameful and disgraceful.

I couldn't agree more andy, although even then I think you are being  a trifle conservative. I think it's worse than that

[claret and blue blood]

If we had lost those games against the top 6 sides going down fighting and pushing them to the limit to earn their wins I would make allowances for the difference in class of the sqads but they didn't have to get out if second gear.We then followed those games up by performing even worse against sides in a poor to awful run of form and got beat even easier.How anyone can cone on here and defend the manager's ability to get the maximum out of the players available is beyond me .Only the two apologists who have strangely appeared on here of late spouting lines which Lerner or that mouthpiece the General would have been proud of can possibly try.

[edgysatsuma89]

If his purchases were actually any good, then there would be other 'key players' to fill the void, but they're largely poor (and largely playing elsewhere). Cue budget reply.

Or forming Bomb Squad 2.0 (Okore)

No one would argue that injuries have had an effect on the team, as they would with any team, but what is not mentioned is that players that HE has purchased even if on a free, we still have wages to cost in, are not good enough to step up, even on a temporary basis.

How many players have we injured at the moment, possibly about the same amount of players HE bought that are out on loan, as he has deemed them not good enough, add to them the likes of Joe Cole who with good reason he does not play, but HE brought him to the club.

If as believed that until the arrival of Fox, Lambert had complete control of the footballing side i.e. purchases,talent spotting, his purchases at a time when we all seem to agree, there is a very limited and shrinking budget, have not proven very effective, add this to a continual perception from the outside looking in, that once an argument, disagreement has taken place with a player, they seem to disappear into outer space (Okore), that alone should see him get the boot, if money is tight, it needs to be spent wisely.

This is a good point that people miss when debating the fact we have had key players missing. If his purchases were actually any good, then there would be other 'key players' to fill the void, but they're largely poor (and largely playing elsewhere). Cue budget reply.

We bought Kozak as cover for Benteke, you can't really legislate for having them both crocked. Similarly, being a centre half at Villa seems to almost guarantee being injured. Then there is Delph, our most important player crocked again. It is only the clubs with really deep squads who can get through that without it having a detrimental impact.

There might be plenty to criticise the club for but we have undeniably been extremely unlucky with injuries to key players.

I agree we've been relatively unlucky with injuries (thems are the breaks), but what isn't unlucky is our lack of any half decent cover (bar Kozak, who we still don't know how good he is, although i liked what i saw). That's his fault in my opinion, even with a 'reduced' budget.

[silhillvilla]

It will be bordering December and we have just five league goals . 5.
That is beyond relegation form. If there is such a thing.

[ez]

Has he gone yet?

It seems to be my first thought every Monday morning for a good while now.

[adrenachrome]

I can't see him turning it around, given how long he has already had. Can you?

Exactly. And no.

I agree, and increasing numbers of supporters are coming to realise that those in power at the club do not consider that PL needs to turn it round at all. He is doing very well by keeping us in the Prem on a tight budget until we are sold. The drop in season ticket sales should have flashed severe warning signals on their radars but they have just taken it in their stride and carried on regardless.  I would not be at all surprised if they have budgeted for the fall in support.

At this time retaining  top flight status is a must. I would suggest the next 4 or 5 matches and also the next 10 will give a real indication of where we are with things in relation to league position. I think being patient and supporting the players at least is always a good move. There seems to be a disparaging opinion of the current manager and custodian yet lest we forget they are doing things to keep a stable club steady within the premier league. The next transfer window and period of games could provide some real interest and impetus to the season. I would like to think Villa will re think stratergies come next summer when top flight status is secured. We can point to clubs in seasons past who made changes in the summer, Stoke or West Ham, to provide the necessary changes to move a club forward.
If there can be acceptance of how the current situation is then there can be an understandable support to the club, management and players. Everyone us entitled to opinion I feel some perspective is needed to understand the position Vila find themselves in.
I certainly think the next 4 or 5 won't be the same as the 5 after Liverpool win. Can look at the next 10 matches and compare and contrast how it goes with the first 10 and there we will see a difference .

Fair enough, all things considered.  15 games on, we will certainly know a thing or two more about a thing or two.

In the meantime and probably way beyond, PL is going nowhere, so your advice to get behind the team will resonate with most fans. 

[footyskillz]

Any manager will succeed or fail due to ,in part, the efforts of others.However I could hazard a guess if  the points total being achieved was falling below required standard then perhaps , and to the relief of some fans , its recognised that changes in management would be made. I would guess that expectation differs between some supporters and those involved directly with the club. Provided villas points average remain at a certain and respectable level and milestones or targets reached then the performances , which ideally should reflect results , aren't top priority. Lambert knows what's expected, keeping the points average,  and based on say the next 4 to 5 matches and then 10 incorporated there really isn't an argument on what's expected as its clear what level is needed. At thus time it can be immensely frustrating on expected team performance progress that's not being made priority with  the determined focus on achieving a suitable league position. The hope is of course performance will be progressive linked to the points being achieved by winning matches.

[Gareth]

Perhaps I'm being harsh but I don't see what giving unconditional love and backing to the team has achieved thus far...Lambert is allowed to change his ethos why can't the fans? A bit of tough might make a few of them grow up a bit.  If the game v Southampton pans out to form then a venomous atmosphere should help express dissatisfaction over apathy.

[pauliewalnuts]

Any manager will succeed or fail due to ,in part, the efforts of others.However I could hazard a guess if  the points total being achieved was falling below required standard then perhaps , and to the relief of some fans , its recognised that changes in management would be made. I would guess that expectation differs between some supporters and those involved directly with the club. Provided villas points average remain at a certain and respectable level and milestones or targets reached then the performances , which ideally should reflect results , aren't top priority. Lambert knows what's expected, keeping the points average,  and based on say the next 4 to 5 matches and then 10 incorporated there really isn't an argument on what's expected as its clear what level is needed. At thus time it can be immensely frustrating on expected team performance progress that's not being made priority with  the determined focus on achieving a suitable league position. The hope is of course performance will be progressive linked to the points being achieved by winning matches.

No offence, but I struggled to understand a word of that. It reads a bit like a long, improvised, off the cuff excuse for the manager.

What I did understand, and disagree with, is that the idea of another 4 or 5 matches needed to judge, when added to the last ten or so we've already seen.

What about the last two years when he has failed to improve us at all?

I don't know what measure the club use as to what is acceptable and what is not, but I am pretty positive that, for over two years under this manager, we keep on putting together extended runs where we break pretty much every undesirable record going, and then come the end of the season, we finish about 15th.

If that is in line with anyone's expectations of the club then that is fine, they've just clearly got much lower expectations than most of us.

[Deano's Mullet]

It will be bordering December and we have just five league goals . 5.
That is beyond relegation form. If there is such a thing.

We haven't scored in front of the Holte yet. When was the last time we started a season so and went so long without scoring at the Holte?

[brian green]

Has anybody else noticed that footyskillz posts seem to be being edited at source?  Some of them are full of spelling, grammatical and syntactical errors but other posts like the long hymn of praise to Lambert above are seamless, mistake free pro club propaganda.

His/her initial posts were typical troll stuff but the appearance of footyskillz and westley at this time with insufferable defence of the indefensible makes me wonder if they are wind-up merchants making mischief or something new and more sinister.  Like the bookies employ and fund rampers to influence betting patterns.
l am afraid I do not agree that "the vast majority of the fans" want to get behind the team. The vast majority of the fans want one thing. They want Lambert replaced, four year contract or no four year contract.

[cdward]

Has it gone yet

No, Lambert is still manager