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

[PaulWinch again]

Lambert is also launching a pretty brutal assault to remove any relevance of the word 'excellent' from the English language.

[levico]

Just think of the feeling of relief though when Dumb and Dumber leave the club though, that's something to look forward to.

True but what will be left of us by the time they do? We'll probably regard a local derby with Walsall as our big game of the season.

[dave shelley]

This is what scares me about relegation.  If, what at this moment in time is looking inevitable, we lose our status then, at my age; I am concerned that I may never see the Villa playing top-flight football ever again.  Such is the apathy and all-round feeling of hopelessness that is enveloping the club.  And that my friends is, a very frightening scenario football wise.

[silhillvilla]

I can see us getting relegated and the clubs management / hierarchy hardly batting an eyelid. We are sleepwalking into this. Have been for a while.
We have an owner and ceo neither of whom know much about football. Dangerous .

[ClaretAndBlueBlood]

we aren't going to get relegated

[chrisw1]

we aren't going to get relegated

That's pretty easy to say.  Right now I'd say we look as likely as anyone.  This is hardly a short term dip in form is it?

[Ads]

we aren't going to get relegated

That's pretty easy to say.  Right now I'd say we look as likely as anyone.  This is hardly a short term dip in form is it?

Surely that is the posters point? We've been rubbish for ages, 11 goals for crying out loud, yet we're still 14th. Ok that can change, but then it hasn't really for most of the season. Of course it can, but I don't think the current bottom three will be capable of finishing above us.

[paul_e]

I can see us getting relegated and the clubs management / hierarchy hardly batting an eyelid. We are sleepwalking into this. Have been for a while.
We have an owner and ceo neither of whom know much about football. Dangerous .

That's just nonsense, do you genuinely think the owner, who'd lose a fortune, and the CEO who's main responsibility is to grow the commercial side of the club wouldn't care if we were relegated?

Post as much criticism as you like, there's loads of it that's deserved, but don't make stuff up to show haw terrible things are, it's really not needed.

We were in trouble under Houllier with fans calling for his head but the club stuck at it and we finished 9th.
We were in serious trouble under McLeish with fans calling for his head, the club stuck with him and we stayed up then they replaced him in the summer.
2 years straight we've been in trouble under Lambert but getting to the end of the season has proven to be ok.

Is it really beyond the realms of possibility that the owner is thinking that it's probably best to stick at it for now.  I'm not saying he's right (he's clearly wrong, Lambert needs to go asap) but all the "doesn't give a shit so long as it's cheap", "hasn't got a clue what he's doing", "probably doesn't even know the results" stuff is just creating misery where it probably doesn't exist.

Whatever else happens Lerner and Fox are doing what they think is best for the club, being wrong doesn't imply malice as many seem to want to believe, if simple poor judgement can explain a decision/series of decisions then it's probably the right answer.

[brian green]

Paul I think the most chilling word in your summary is "probably".  The very fact that such a scenario is possible I find depressing beyond words.

[kippaxvilla2]

He won't walk because managers pretty much never do these days, for financial reasons.

The only way he will go is if Lerner makes that decision.

Lerner gave him a four year contract three months ago. Lerner clearly has lost any interest in the club now beyond a wish to not have to spend any money. Changing managers, especially those with a four year contract is expensive.

I actually don't think he'd even sack him if we got relegated (something I am starting to think will happen this season).

You could say to that "yes but Lerner will lose more money if we go down" and you'd be right, but that assumes Lerner is clued up enough - or paying enough attention - to realise that is a real possibility.

When we had McLeish, there were spells when I checked the news every morning half expecting to see he had been sacked. With Lambert there is no need to. Unfortunately we are stuck with him.

I am in my mid 40s and can remember other times of misery for us, and what it is like to get relegated so am not going to start saying this is the worst I've felt about the club, but I'm struggling to recall many times at which I have felt so negatively about where we are going.

There really isn't a single thing to be happy about regarding villa of late. Clutching at 15 decent minutes in a game every now and then isn't anywhere near good enough.

I just wish someone at the club felt the same.

The only reason Lerner gave him a new contract in my opinion was that in the event we got taken over quickly his yes man and patsy would have a decent pay off from the inevitable sacking that followed his first goalless game in charge under new ownershiip.  Unfortunately, the sale hasn't happened, none of us know when it will so the plan z is in operation - ie he is actually possibly going to see out his contract.  Madness.

[Malandro]

I've been saying we will get relegated for the past two seasons, we didn't. This year I said we will be fine.

 Gulp.

[Ian.]

He won't walk because managers pretty much never do these days, for financial reasons.

The only way he will go is if Lerner makes that decision.

Lerner gave him a four year contract three months ago. Lerner clearly has lost any interest in the club now beyond a wish to not have to spend any money. Changing managers, especially those with a four year contract is expensive.

I actually don't think he'd even sack him if we got relegated (something I am starting to think will happen this season).

You could say to that "yes but Lerner will lose more money if we go down" and you'd be right, but that assumes Lerner is clued up enough - or paying enough attention - to realise that is a real possibility.

When we had McLeish, there were spells when I checked the news every morning half expecting to see he had been sacked. With Lambert there is no need to. Unfortunately we are stuck with him.

I am in my mid 40s and can remember other times of misery for us, and what it is like to get relegated so am not going to start saying this is the worst I've felt about the club, but I'm struggling to recall many times at which I have felt so negatively about where we are going.

There really isn't a single thing to be happy about regarding villa of late. Clutching at 15 decent minutes in a game every now and then isn't anywhere near good enough.

I just wish someone at the club felt the same.

The only reason Lerner gave him a new contract in my opinion was that in the event we got taken over quickly his yes man and patsy would have a decent pay off from the inevitable sacking that followed his first goalless game in charge under new ownershiip.  Unfortunately, the sale hasn't happened, none of us know when it will so the plan z is in operation - eg he is actually possibly going to see out his contract.  Madness.

Four more years of this. Oh dear can you image it and the state we'll all be in?


. . . Tumbleweed . . .

[kippaxvilla2]

I can, we will be in the 3rd tier, no longer being humbled at Bradford, instead pulling off a shock against them ourselves.

[aj2k77]

If boring Paul is still here in 4 years time it's not hard to imagine crowds around 20k and a still revolving door of fullbacks and styles.

[OCD]

If boring Paul is still here in 4 years time it's not hard to imagine crowds around 20k and a still revolving door of fullbacks and styles.

If the football remains as boring as it has been, I can imagine 20k crowds next season regardless of the division.