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

[Steve67]

Relegation will do that for them Comrade. Tom Fox can simply sit back and watch it happen in that case!! See it drawing to its inevitable conclusion without lifting a finger.

[brian green]

What does the old hymn say? probably known by heart by those Wesleyan lads who met under the gas lamps. "Lead kindly light, amid the circling gloom". The only flicker of kindly light I see is the falling home gates. The club is being crushed by the bankers and accountants. They know nothing about football or football fans and care even less. But they do know about numbers. They worship at the altar of numbers. Show them the number 25,000 then show them the number 40,000 and the light bulb over their heads switches on.
Without being political, but I can be if provoked, it is like David Cameron and the floods. A great big unspinnable reality.
It is through number crunching that Randy Lerner will have to face up to the true magnitude of the calamity inflicted on the club by his unthought through dumping of the club.

[aj2k77]

His vaunted transfer record,barely over two years later and out of 15 players he bought 9 are no longer at the club, 1 is nearly out of contract and 1 is barely in the squad. That leaves Benteke, Okore, Westwood and Kozak that will still be here next season, for £40m that is not a good outlay.


El Ahamadi - Sold
Lowton - Loan
Vlaar -
Bennett - Loan
Benteke -
Bowery - Sold
Westwood -
Tonev - Loan
Sylla - Loan
Bacuna -
Helenius - Loan
Okore -
Luna - Loan
Steer - Loan
Kozak -

[not3bad]

Although it doesn't exactly redeem Lambert's record, there are extenuating circumstances regarding Helenius.

[supertom]

Lamberts not really done Bacuna too many favours. Leandro had a fairly good first season in fairness and looked like he could develop (as either a wing back or winger). But Lamberk has pull the handbreak on Bacuna.
For a young player, having to play out of position for large chunks of his first year, 5 goals was a good return. But utlimately I think he'll end up on the next bomb squad. It wouldn't surprise me if he was sent on loan around january.

[Dave]

Article spot on apart from the bit about us being run like a business. That should say a very badly run business .

That's a good point actually.

"For as long as the club is run the way it is, like a business, operated and motivated by calculated business decisions..." I'm not sure there has been anything calculated about how we've been run for a while.

[supertom]

Article spot on apart from the bit about us being run like a business. That should say a very badly run business .

That's a good point actually.

"For as long as the club is run the way it is, like a business, operated and motivated by calculated business decisions..." I'm not sure there has been anything calculated about how we've been run for a while.

Yes. Operating a business mostly reliant on drawing in spectators, and then running it in such a way as to drive away those spectators certainly isn't a well run business. In fact Randy's running the club into financial suicide at the moment. Relegation is an inevitability. Maybe not this year, but quite possibly the next. That'll cost us a hell of a lot in TV revenue.

[Steve67]

Article spot on apart from the bit about us being run like a business. That should say a very badly run business .

That's a good point actually.

"For as long as the club is run the way it is, like a business, operated and motivated by calculated business decisions..." I'm not sure there has been anything calculated about how we've been run for a while.

Yes. Operating a business mostly reliant on drawing in spectators, and then running it in such a way as to drive away those spectators certainly isn't a well run business. In fact Randy's running the club into financial suicide at the moment. Relegation is an inevitability. Maybe not this year, but quite possibly the next. That'll cost us a hell of a lot in TV revenue.

This is why I question what Tom Fox is doing about the situation. Hopefully just weighing things up before making some robust choices about the near future of the club, for the medium to long term. In other words, sorry Paul, but it's not really working is it?

[Clampy]

Article spot on apart from the bit about us being run like a business. That should say a very badly run business .

That's a good point actually.

"For as long as the club is run the way it is, like a business, operated and motivated by calculated business decisions..." I'm not sure there has been anything calculated about how we've been run for a while.

Yes. Operating a business mostly reliant on drawing in spectators, and then running it in such a way as to drive away those spectators certainly isn't a well run business. In fact Randy's running the club into financial suicide at the moment. Relegation is an inevitability. Maybe not this year, but quite possibly the next. That'll cost us a hell of a lot in TV revenue.

This is why I question what Tom Fox is doing about the situation. Hopefully just weighing things up before making some robust choices about the near future of the club, for the medium to long term. In other words, sorry Paul, but it's not really working is it?

But it's not Tom Fox's club though is it? Correct me if i'm wrong but i'm not sure he'd be allowed to sack managers without Randy's say so.

[Steve67]

Correct Clampy, but surely Mr Fox would have a say? He holds a very important role.

[cheltenhamlion]

Tom Fox has nothing to do with playing matters. Randy is the only person who gets a say on people getting the boot. He does recognise that he is going to struggle to up our off field income if the on pitch product is sub standard, however.

[not3bad]

Correct Clampy, but surely Mr Fox would have a say? He holds a very important role.

It's something that's impossible to quantify until after the event thought isn't it?  For all we know Fox is calling Randy every day and saying get rid, but he doesn't have the last word so we'd never know.

[Clampy]

He'll have an advisory input of some sort maybe but i'm not sure why people are expecting him to waltz in and make decisions on coaching staff.

[saunders_heroes]

The more of his achievements I see the more I am convinced we are done for. Can't anyone in charge see that we are only heading one way?

When we appointed Tom Fox I had hopes we were getting a man who meant business in a holistic sense. Sadly it's another false dawn. He appears limited in footballing knowledge and another Lerner stool pigeon.

What would you have expected him to do in the two-three months that he's been in charge?

He isn't an idiot. He's watched the games. He surely must see that we are fucked if we don't change this manager soon? Or is that not what Chief Execs do these days - act in their businesses best interests?

We'll find out what he's like in January. Let's see if he's talked Lerner into parting with the cash to keep us in the league. He talked of Lerner's getting back his love for football back when he was appointed and we'll soon see if they were just hollow words.

[mr underhill]

every day that passes with Lambert still in charge provides the answer and it ain't blowin' in the wind, my friend.