Kendrick Says It's Time To Ask Questions

[pauliewalnuts]

For the life of me, I can't understand for one millisecond what was the reasoning in offering Paul Lambert an extended contract?

I have to say, I entirely agree.

It was daft on two levels.

Firstly, it removes any pressure on Lambert for his job. Quite the contrary, in fact, rather than removing pressure, he is being put into the comfort zone. At this moment in time, given our season and recent (till last game) results, we clearly have been in a position where the manager's safety should be in doubt. That's not to say he should have been sacked, but if you looked at last season and this, on paper, those are the sort of records that get managers fired.

Secondly, it sent the wrong message to the fans, as you said, Mark, what message does that send? That they're happy to be where we are?

I entirely understand the counter argument that it creates stability etc etc, but stability of what? Staying just above the relegation places yet again?  The time to talk to him about a new contract is when things are starting to go significantly better than they are at the moment.

An argument can be made - a relatively convincing one - that he should stay in the job, but I can't see any way you could make an argument that he deserves a pay rise.

[Dave Cooper please]

Well we can debate whether he published a report or purely used it as a title for an 'article' given he and his father did an actual report in 2005 (I think) also how is he to blame for media now quoting his OPINION as fact? As I said, agree/disagree with what it said, but to disrespect the man in petty and needless.

In the same vein as others in the past who have found themselves "accidentally" portrayed in the media as the "Voice of Villa fans", I don't see a retraction or a follow-up article explaining that it was only his own opinion.
 So we can only conclude that he is happy for the media to portray him as such and therefore has, in my opinion, made himself fair game for opprobrium from those that disagree with him.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

An argument can be made - a relatively convincing one - that he should stay in the job, but I can't see any way you could make an argument that he deserves a pay rise.

True. I'd imagine if a list was drawn up as to why he should stay in his job, none of the main reasons would be related to the prime task of his job; the football.

[Duncan Shaw]

Has he actually signed the new contract yet, genuine question.

[TheEgo]

Well we can debate whether he published a report or purely used it as a title for an 'article' given he and his father did an actual report in 2005 (I think) also how is he to blame for media now quoting his OPINION as fact? As I said, agree/disagree with what it said, but to disrespect the man in petty and needless.

In the same vein as others in the past who have found themselves "accidentally" portrayed in the media as the "Voice of Villa fans", I don't see a retraction or a follow-up article explaining that it was only his own opinion.
 So we can only conclude that he is happy for the media to portray him as such and therefore has, in my opinion, made himself fair game for opprobrium from those that disagree with him.

Fair enough.

[not3bad]

Has he actually signed the new contract yet, genuine question.

Don't think so.  The only word was that Villa were 'willing to enter talks' about one.

[Mazrim]

Are you willing yo discuss my new contract?

Yes Paul, of course.

Great. Can I have a new contract?

No.

[Damo70]

Are you willing yo discuss my new contract?

Yes Paul, of course.

Great. Can I have a new contract?

No.

The football equivalent of Alan Partridge and the BBC controller. Smell my cheese!

[Concrete John]

An argument can be made - a relatively convincing one - that he should stay in the job, but I can't see any way you could make an argument that he deserves a pay rise.

True. I'd imagine if a list was drawn up as to why he should stay in his job, none of the main reasons would be related to the prime task of his job; the football.

Isn't there?

If you mean the style elements, then that's very subjective and hard to quantify.  I think his prime task is football RESULTS, and compared to 28 games played last season we've won 3 more games and lost 1 less, scored 5 more goals and let 15 less in, and have 7 more points.

I don't think that's necessarily anything to go wild about, but does show that something is moving in the right direction on the pitch.

[Dave Clark Five]

An argument can be made - a relatively convincing one - that he should stay in the job, but I can't see any way you could make an argument that he deserves a pay rise.

True. I'd imagine if a list was drawn up as to why he should stay in his job, none of the main reasons would be related to the prime task of his job; the football.

Isn't there?

If you mean the style elements, then that's very subjective and hard to quantify.  I think his prime task is football RESULTS, and compared to 28 games played last season we've won 3 more games and lost 1 less, scored 5 more goals and let 15 less in, and have 7 more points.

I don't think that's necessarily anything to go wild about, but does show that something is movig in the right direction on the pitch.

Only relative to the rest of the division, which is far weaker this season than last. You would have to be shockingly bad to get relegated. I wonder how football can exist below us when most of the top flight teams are crap.

[not3bad]

An argument can be made - a relatively convincing one - that he should stay in the job, but I can't see any way you could make an argument that he deserves a pay rise.

True. I'd imagine if a list was drawn up as to why he should stay in his job, none of the main reasons would be related to the prime task of his job; the football.

Isn't there?

If you mean the style elements, then that's very subjective and hard to quantify.  I think his prime task is football RESULTS, and compared to 28 games played last season we've won 3 more games and lost 1 less, scored 5 more goals and let 15 less in, and have 7 more points.

I don't think that's necessarily anything to go wild about, but does show that something is movig in the right direction on the pitch.

Only relative to the rest of the division, which is far weaker this season than last. You would have to be shockingly bad to get relegated. I wonder how football can exist below us when most of the top flight teams are crap.

I don't really get how people can say the division is stronger/weaker than last season with any certainty.  If things were so neat and tidy you wouldn't get teams like Norwich beating Spurs one week and then getting hammered by Villa the next.

[Dave Clark Five]

An argument can be made - a relatively convincing one - that he should stay in the job, but I can't see any way you could make an argument that he deserves a pay rise.

True. I'd imagine if a list was drawn up as to why he should stay in his job, none of the main reasons would be related to the prime task of his job; the football.

Isn't there?

If you mean the style elements, then that's very subjective and hard to quantify.  I think his prime task is football RESULTS, and compared to 28 games played last season we've won 3 more games and lost 1 less, scored 5 more goals and let 15 less in, and have 7 more points.

I don't think that's necessarily anything to go wild about, but does show that something is movig in the right direction on the pitch.

Only relative to the rest of the division, which is far weaker this season than last. You would have to be shockingly bad to get relegated. I wonder how football can exist below us when most of the top flight teams are crap.

I don't really get how people can say the division is stronger/weaker than last season with any certainty.  If things were so neat and tidy you wouldn't get teams like Norwich beating Spurs one week and then getting hammered by Villa the next.

I am sure that a statto will be able to confirm or otherwise but how often has the prospect of relegation applied to so many teams, even those in the rarified air of 11th?

[Concrete John]

An argument can be made - a relatively convincing one - that he should stay in the job, but I can't see any way you could make an argument that he deserves a pay rise.

True. I'd imagine if a list was drawn up as to why he should stay in his job, none of the main reasons would be related to the prime task of his job; the football.

Isn't there?

If you mean the style elements, then that's very subjective and hard to quantify.  I think his prime task is football RESULTS, and compared to 28 games played last season we've won 3 more games and lost 1 less, scored 5 more goals and let 15 less in, and have 7 more points.

I don't think that's necessarily anything to go wild about, but does show that something is movig in the right direction on the pitch.

Only relative to the rest of the division, which is far weaker this season than last. You would have to be shockingly bad to get relegated. I wonder how football can exist below us when most of the top flight teams are crap.

I don't really get how people can say the division is stronger/weaker than last season with any certainty.  If things were so neat and tidy you wouldn't get teams like Norwich beating Spurs one week and then getting hammered by Villa the next.

I've also never really understood why that argument, should it be true, is all that relevant.  It's like saying we only survived last season because there were three worse teams.  Well, Man Utd only won the title becuase there were 19 worse teams than them.  We can only operate in the league we're in and whatever merit we do or don't deserve after 38 games is deserved passed on this season, with the one before or the one after being largely irrelevant.

[Chris Smith]

An argument can be made - a relatively convincing one - that he should stay in the job, but I can't see any way you could make an argument that he deserves a pay rise.

True. I'd imagine if a list was drawn up as to why he should stay in his job, none of the main reasons would be related to the prime task of his job; the football.

Isn't there?

If you mean the style elements, then that's very subjective and hard to quantify.  I think his prime task is football RESULTS, and compared to 28 games played last season we've won 3 more games and lost 1 less, scored 5 more goals and let 15 less in, and have 7 more points.

I don't think that's necessarily anything to go wild about, but does show that something is movig in the right direction on the pitch.

Only relative to the rest of the division, which is far weaker this season than last. You would have to be shockingly bad to get relegated. I wonder how football can exist below us when most of the top flight teams are crap.

Using 'only relative to the rest of the division' is a fairly pedantic argument.

You have to have a subjective measure of improvement, points and league position is the way it has always been done.

[Concrete John]

I am sure that a statto will be able to confirm or otherwise but how often has the prospect of relegation applied to so many teams, even those in the rarified air of 11th?

After 28 games in 12/13 Fulham were in 11th on 33 points and Albion were 10th and probably safe with 40.  This season, you have West Ham 10th with 31 and Saints 11th with 39.  So there's really only 1 extra team in it this year.