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

[paul_e]

I haven't frequented this forum in a while. I find the way Villa have gone too depressing to bring myself on here and pore over the gorey details.

It strikes me odd that while over 90% want Lambert out, yet the thread's content has become a discussion on Lerner's role. I suppose this reflects the general despair at the club's state.

I voted no in the poll, but that's because there isn't a "shrug the shoulders, with a knowing glance that it won't make a difference option." I can't say I'm a big fan of Lambert, but I don't see how anyone could do significantly better under the current regime. My fear would be that someone could do significantly (or just a little) worse and actually bring us down. In this day and age where clubs are so trigger happy firing managers, maybe we can buck the trend and stick with ours. We may even reap the rewards of having this group sticking together with the manager in trying times.....and I'm finished clutching at straws.

So to end my chirpy analysis of our managerial situation, stick with him as he has managed to keep us up the last few years and there are McGrath knows how many that would bring us down. Then one day, Lerner will be gone and we may stand a chance to have a club we are proud of.

So my extremely defeatist and depressing view is to stick with Lambert

This is only true if you believe every member of our squad is playing to the best of their ability.  If you don't think that's the case then by basic elimination you have to believe that Lambert isn't doing the best job he could.  If he isn't doing that then you have to question why and if it's something that he can't address then his time should really be up.

For me the why is because his coaching methods are defensive and his reluctance to address that by adding additional expertise to the coaching team is him providing the rope to hang himself.  If he gets sacked he can talk as much as he likes about financial restrictions, injuries, etc but everyone who has paid any attention to the club will know that to be a smokescreen and it's no one's fault but his own that it's happened.

[hilts_coolerking]

Considering Lambert's list of record worsts it's almost impossible to believe someone could come in and do even worse.  However, Lerner and co. would probably find him.

[ciggiesnbeer]

I haven't frequented this forum in a while. I find the way Villa have gone too depressing to bring myself on here and pore over the gorey details.

It strikes me odd that while over 90% want Lambert out, yet the thread's content has become a discussion on Lerner's role. I suppose this reflects the general despair at the club's state.

I voted no in the poll, but that's because there isn't a "shrug the shoulders, with a knowing glance that it won't make a difference option." I can't say I'm a big fan of Lambert, but I don't see how anyone could do significantly better under the current regime. My fear would be that someone could do significantly (or just a little) worse and actually bring us down. In this day and age where clubs are so trigger happy firing managers, maybe we can buck the trend and stick with ours. We may even reap the rewards of having this group sticking together with the manager in trying times.....and I'm finished clutching at straws.

So to end my chirpy analysis of our managerial situation, stick with him as he has managed to keep us up the last few years and there are McGrath knows how many that would bring us down. Then one day, Lerner will be gone and we may stand a chance to have a club we are proud of.

So my extremely defeatist and depressing view is to stick with Lambert

Good post. Similar to where I am. It is getting bad though. Lets ignore the cup for a moment, it is very likely we will lose our next two league games, then we go head to head with a fellow relegation battler for a game that Bruce has already said he has targeted as a place to pick up points.

I am more focused on wanting Lerner to spend this window than wanting Lambert gone ,we can worry about that after the window closes. The main thing is to do something this transfer window. Gil was a good start but we are short on time. I am in full on panic mode. I think what worries me most is the club seems perfectly calm , seemingly confident the usual small transfer budget will see us fine. I don't think it will and I think we will regret not doing more this window.

[Salsa Party Animal]

It make you wonder what is happening with Randy after divorce and selling Browns. He should have more time for Aston Villa without distraction of Cleveland Browns. Bring on Paul Allen.

[Yossarian]

Considering Lambert's list of record worsts it's almost impossible to believe someone could come in and do even worse.  However, Lerner and co. would probably find him.

I shudder to imagine who Lerner would get in to replace Lambert; Glenn Hoddle, Paulo Di Canio or Dot Cotton perhaps?

[mr underhill]

I'd feel more comfortable with Dot or Nick Cotton than lambert tbh

[mike]

I think it's about time we stopped giving him credit for wasting a fortune a good few years ago.  Whichever way you look at it he's the one responsible for where we are now.  Yes, Lambert's operating under a tight budget but that's Lerner's choice.  And yes, Lambert is doing a poor job but Lerner's the only one with the authority to sack him.

He had a good two or three years when everything was being done for him but it's gone from bad to worse since.  Some of the decision making has been beyond belief.  And for him to bugger off and never show his face is a giant 'fuck you' to the supporters.  Sooner or later someone's going to have to come in and clear up the mess he's made.

For all the criticism he gets, "where we are now" is still higher up the league than when he arrived.

Not hugely, though.

2005-6 we finished 16th. We are currently 15th

Is the current squad better than the one we had when he arrived? I'm not too sure, but surely, the most important point is that, hundreds of millions of pounds later, we should have a significantly better squad than we had back then.

In the first four years, he threw money at the club, but a series of really poor management decisions - by himself - has meant that that investment in the squad was all short term in nature. The value of the squad was not maintained, poor decisions were made, players walking out at the end of contracts for nothing.

I understand the appeal in letting MON run the entire show for four years, but on reflection, that was a horrendously bad decision. It bought short term gain, but at a massive cost.

Four "good years" but at a cost which cast a shadow over us for several years after, followed by a period which involves 3, and possibly 4, seasons of finishing in exactly the sort of relegation dodging position we'd just finished in when he arrived.

As a benefactor, he was good for a few years, but as a leader, he has been very poor, right from the off, I'm afraid. Nice bloke, I am sure, but massively out of his depth.

I think Dave is right to draw attention to the way Lerner supported O'Neill in the early years and the good thing he did like the new training facilities.
However, he should have realised a lot more quickly that O'Neill was wasting so much money. I also think he needs to take some responsibility and either come to some matches or at least communicate in some way. The reason he might get some stick, which would be wrong, is because he has swung from one extreme to another with no real explanation, which is why he's accused of having lost interest, being clueless etc. One minute we all had a personal line to 'the general', next minute there's a vacuum. I really thought when they came out with the 'never again, you deserve better' quote after McLeish's last match things would get better and the fact that those words have proved so empty is what has made me lose faith in Lerner.

As for the fact we're in a better place than when Lerner took over, I think I'll make that judgement at the end of the season. It's a bit too close for comfort down there for my liking.

[claret and blue blood]

team selections,substitutions,reacting to other teams tactical changes,motivation,improving players performances ,managing his backroom staff,improving our youth teams,etc.
Crap on all counts,so stick with him ? Nah!

[silhillvilla]

Even if he takes us down I think he will keep his job.
Frankly, how demoralising is that.

[brian green]

Sil, I think relegation is the only sure way he has to secure his job.   He will be seen as, and pass himself off as the best man for the job of getting us back up.   If we stay up by a point or even two he will be credited with following his instructions.   Lambert's bum will only get squeaky if we are sweating on goal difference to stay up and just make it in the last five minutes of the season.

[claret and blue blood]

Even if he takes us down I think he will keep his job.
Frankly, how demoralising is that.

yes and he knows it and so do the players which is exactly why they are playing as poorly as they are.

[Richard E]

Sil, I think relegation is the only sure way he has to secure his job.   He will be seen as, and pass himself off as the best man for the job of getting us back up.   If we stay up by a point or even two he will be credited with following his instructions.   Lambert's bum will only get squeaky if we are sweating on goal difference to stay up and just make it in the last five minutes of the season.

Just think if it was still based on goal average rather than goal difference. His bum would be in danger of terminal squeak.

[olaftab]

I'd feel more comfortable with Dot or Nick Cotton than lambert tbh

Make up your mind Dot and Nick have completely different philosophies on how to play the game?

[Toronto Villa]

Considering Lambert's list of record worsts it's almost impossible to believe someone could come in and do even worse.  However, Lerner and co. would probably find him.

You and many others didn't say that when Randy got Lambert initially. He wasn't a bad hire when he arrived. He's become a bad hire given his body of work at the club.

[Monty]

In a way, Lambert is lucky he's working under such restrictions. He's just about good enough to give the team a decent chance of avoiding relegation, and he can blame all his problems on the larger problems at the club, receiving oodles of automatic sympathy from the punditocracy. If he had more money to spend and higher expectations, his inadequacies would be ruthlessly and quickly exposed.