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

[Ian.]

I've given up on the whole should he stay or should he go debates.  He ain't going anywhere, win or lose?  So all I want is some consistency, some wins, some goals and some belief before a match that we'll do our very best to get a result. If he can turn it around great, if not, well I don't know.

[paul_e]

The expectation thing gets on my tits with people from other clubs and in the media suggesting Villa fans expectations are out of line.  in the last 25 years we've averaged top 6, any other club with that record would expect to be up around there every season and not be given shit for it but for some reason we get told that we should accept being a bottom half club with good grace and stop whining like the moaning little brummie's we are.  I expect top 8 every season, even if I know we're not likely to get there, anything less than that means we've had a poor season, much like manu or arsenal would find not being top 4 to be a terrible return and chelsea and Man City are disappointed if they don't win something and Liverpool are disappointed that this isn't 'their year' again.

it may get on yout tits but expectations are out of line, sorry its fact. Any reasoned commentator will tell you thats true. And its just illogical - we don't invest anywhere near as much as the following, nor have we done so for many years (MON oversaw the last bastion of that era) - Chelsea, Man C, Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham so we certainly have no right to expect to be in that company on any regular basis. So we basically expect to win the 2nd tier of the Premier League every season - even when we invest nowhere near as much as most in the 2nd tier - go back on this thread and look at the facts - we were outspent by 9 of the remaining 14 clubs this summer.

I am not a Lambert apologist, nor am I happy with half the shit that has been served up under his tenure, but as I have said before, it is very evident to unbiased folk that Villa as things stand, cannot expect to regularly compete in the top half of this division, and Lambert or any other fellow in charge, that wont change until the money situation changes.

Our problems as a club go way, way deeper than an unpopular manager. 

And yet in most other summers we've been in the top 7-8.  Using stats for 1 summer to back up the point is misleading, the reality is that since Lerner came in the total outgoings on transfers, after big fees for young, milner, etc is still over £100m.  In the same time Tottenham have a net spend of about £60m and Everton are closer to £20m (the number are on http://www.transferleague.co.uk/ but they might not be 100% which is why I'm saying about, they're close enough though).

So 2 of the clubs who expect to be around the top 8 have consistently spent less than us but if they were bottom half no one would think their fans were deluded this is my point.  We spent really badly and haven't recouped anything like enough on sales which is why we can shout about mismanagement.  What you're saying as that we don't deserve better, which is, quite frankly, complete bullshit and our CEO has said as much today.

As I say, we can understand being lower than our expectations but we shouldn't be lowering those expectations because of that.

[pauliewalnuts]

The thing about expectations and the connection with money spent is a fair point, in general terms, as you can't divorce the importance of spending to success, but even if you look at the unimpressive squad we have now, can you really say we're getting anything like the best out of it?

[ChicagoLion]

There is no excuse for this manager and his appalling record. It speaks for itself. So when people try and suggest that it is purely down to spending, this does not hold up either.
He should have been fired, he is out of his depth, he is pinning for the fjords.

[Steve67]

Crap signings, largely. Shocking tactics and a refusal to change and bring in wingers when we have such an outstanding centre forward. Lambert holds us back.

[Comrade Blitz]

West Ham are 4th FFS - what's the spending difference btw the 2 clubs?

[PeterWithesShin]

West Ham are 4th FFS - what's the spending difference btw the 2 clubs?

They spent about 4x more than we did this summer.

[saunders_heroes]

West Ham are 4th FFS - what's the spending difference btw the 2 clubs?

They spent about 4x more than we did this summer.

That's the sort of money the Villa should be spending. £7m is an absolute pittance relative to the cash we receive in TV money.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Crap signings, largely. Shocking tactics and a refusal to change and bring in wingers when we have such an outstanding centre forward. Lambert holds us back.

I don't agree about his signings but your last sentence is absolutely spot on.

[Comrade Blitz]

West Ham are 4th FFS - what's the spending difference btw the 2 clubs?

They spent about 4x more than we did this summer.

Really? (Not taking the piss). On whom? They're as much a bunch of nobodys as everyone else below the Sky 5/6. I despair.

Mr Fox and the global branding sponsorship monetizers can keep 1st division football as far as I'm concerned. Reminds me of why I started going to Coles Lane years ago instead of to Villa Park. 

[PeterWithesShin]

According to the interweb

Cheikhou Kouyaté   £7,000,000
Mauro Zárate   Undisclosed       
Diego Poyet   Compensation       
Enner Valencia   £12,000,000       
Diafra Sakho   £4,500,000       
Morgan Amalfitano   Undisclosed
Aaron Cresswell   £3,750,000

The only player they sold for money was Diame for £3.5m.

Season before they spent at least £25m and the year before that at least £20m. A bunch of undisclosed fees paid make accurate figures hard.

[Ads]

Having seen West Ham a few times, I cannot see them being in the top 7 come the end of the season.

Good win for Burnley against Southampton, who are having a blip, which is nice to see.

[Jockey Randall]

Crap signings, largely. Shocking tactics and a refusal to change and bring in wingers when we have such an outstanding centre forward. Lambert holds us back.

I don't agree about his signings but your last sentence is absolutely spot on.

I agree. For the money spent I think he's a done a decent job in the transfer market.

[silhillvilla]

Driving home from the game yesterday I put WM on . Sir Graham had been co commentating at the game and was asked about the bizarre tactics of Guzan constantly passing ball out to FB's on the goal line ! He was pretty much speechless and stumped as to why we would employ such a stupid policy and heap pressure on our goal at close quarters !
Absolutely mental approach

[Clampy]

Driving home from the game yesterday I put WM on . Sir Graham had been co commentating at the game and was asked about the bizarre tactics of Guzan constantly passing ball out to FB's on the goal line ! He was pretty much speechless and stumped as to why we would employ such a stupid policy and heap pressure on our goal at close quarters !
Absolutely mental approach

Me and one of my mates who I go with really hate that. I just can't see the point in it because Guzan ends up booting it up field anyway.