Lambert's worst signing?

[pauliewalnuts]

I think anyone in their first season signed from abroad should be exempt from this thread, it is too early to judge them. Likewise anyone stepping up from lower league in their first season should be exempt as its hard to make the step up. Players go in and out of form so anyone who has had a good first season but is now struggling such as Lowton should be cut some slack id say, rememeber form is temporary, class is permanent.  Also,anyone who hasnt had a fair crack in the side to build up some momentum due to non selection because of any of the above or sustained/build up of a few injuries should be exempt so that leaves er....erm...er.....I dont know, maybe Vlaar?

On a related subject, I think Vlaar could be on for our fans player of the year this year. Absolutely invaluable to us now.

Does your rule apply to people like Benteke or just the crap ones? I feel you're being far too kind to them. We can't keep players around because they might suddenly turn into an okay player in a few years.

Really, nobody is saying "in a few years", though, are they? We're talking about one season.

As said above, if that's not on, then we'd be in big trouble right now with no Guzan, Delph or Vlaar.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

Delph was injured for a while. We did the right thing keeping him around and now we're seeing the benefits. I hope we do the same with Gardner.

[pauliewalnuts]

Culverhouse is just as culpable as Lambert in the inadequacies of coaching the best out of the players we do have (Tonev - don't shoot from thirty yards out, Weimann - don't snatch a shooting opportunities, KEA -front up your opponent just like you did against Norwich, Bennett - don't roam in field, Baker - don't let one mistake blow your game to pieces, - Vlaar - you are the captain talk to the referee frequently but respectfully etc etc).   As I have commented on other threads you can see there is a good team in there when we play like we did in the second quarter last Saturday.   That ability has to be brought out and that is Lambert's job and equally the job of the team he was allowed to bring with him.   You can carry a dud player or two, you can't carry a dud coach.

From what I've read on Norwich forums, they rate Culverhouse above Lambert and would have him back tomorrow. They credit him as the footballing brains behind the pair with Lambert best serving as the figurehead. There was a few stories of how Culverhouse would prepare the team during the week, tactics, formation, set pieces etc only for Lambert to come in on a Friday and change everything leaving the players clueless to what they're supposed to do.

I remember when Lambert came, i looked on their forums and to be honest, it was Gary Karsa they were talking about like that - how he'd prepare pretty scientific reports on opponents, work on how to set the team up against them etc etc

[pauliewalnuts]

Delph was injured for a while. We did the right thing keeping him around and now we're seeing the benefits.

So what about the others, then? I imagine you'd have shipped Vlaar out last summer?

[Dave]

From what I've read on Norwich forums, they rate Culverhouse above Lambert and would have him back tomorrow. They credit him as the footballing brains behind the pair with Lambert best serving as the figurehead. There was a few stories of how Culverhouse would prepare the team during the week, tactics, formation, set pieces etc only for Lambert to come in on a Friday and change everything leaving the players clueless to what they're supposed to do.

That doesn't really make sense though.

I think most people would accept that Lambert's three years at Norwich were a resounding success, relative to what his expectations would have been.

So we have the situation that Culverhouse is such a genius that even Lambert's bumbling around meaning that the players had no idea what to do STILL couldn't prevent consecutive promotions and comfortable Premier League survival.

Alternatively Lambert is such a genius that all he has to do is turn up and change all the carefully laid plans and that then leads to consecutive promotions and comfortable Premier League survival.

My guess is that neither of those things happened and they are just still hurting about Lambert and his team walking out on them.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

From what I've read on Norwich forums, they rate Culverhouse above Lambert and would have him back tomorrow. They credit him as the footballing brains behind the pair with Lambert best serving as the figurehead. There was a few stories of how Culverhouse would prepare the team during the week, tactics, formation, set pieces etc only for Lambert to come in on a Friday and change everything leaving the players clueless to what they're supposed to do.

That doesn't really make sense though.

I think most people would accept that Lambert's three years at Norwich were a resounding success, relative to what his expectations would have been.

So we have the situation that Culverhouse is such a genius that even Lambert's bumbling around meaning that the players had no idea what to do STILL couldn't prevent consecutive promotions and comfortable Premier League survival.

Alternatively Lambert is such a genius that all he has to do is turn up and change all the carefully laid plans and that then leads to consecutive promotions and comfortable Premier League survival.

My guess is that neither of those things happened and they are just still hurting about Lambert and his team walking out on them.

Sorry, Dave, I should have said there were occasions when it happened. Obviously it wasn't a regular thing, it was related to them putting in an unexpectedly shocking performance. I don't think it has anything with them having an axe to grind with Lambert, most refer to him as the 'Messiah'.

[brontebilly]

Libor Kozak is the correct answer. Not the type of player we need and the reported figure was mental.

Grant Holt was an awful clueless signing even on loan.

Not sure what Lambert saw in a few of the duds but to be fair some of the bargain basement signings have worked out well - Westwood, Bacuna and Guzan in particular and if we cut Lowton this summer will still make money on him. On the whole he has done pretty well with the funds given to him, illogical signings like Kozak and Holt aside.

[pauliewalnuts]

Kozak can't have been that bad, he's scored 4 goals. How many games has he actually started? EDIT - 9.

The problem with the Kozak signing isn't the player himself, it is that we signed him rather than a higher quality midfielder, which is where we really needed to strengthen.

That doesn't make Kozak a bad player though.

[brontebilly]

Kozak can't have been that bad, he's scored 4 goals. How many games has he actually started? EDIT - 9.

The problem with the Kozak signing isn't the player himself, it is that we signed him rather than a higher quality midfielder, which is where we really needed to strengthen.

That doesn't make Kozak a bad player though.

Agreed, he seems a decent finisher. But he needs wingers as he doesn't really move at all. Lambert doesn't like wingers so not sure where he thought he would fit in.

[dave.woodhall]

I'm lost here. How can he be a decent finisher (borne out by his goals/starts ratio) and also the worst signing?

[pauliewalnuts]

Kozak can't have been that bad, he's scored 4 goals. How many games has he actually started? EDIT - 9.

The problem with the Kozak signing isn't the player himself, it is that we signed him rather than a higher quality midfielder, which is where we really needed to strengthen.

That doesn't make Kozak a bad player though.

Agreed, he seems a decent finisher. But he needs wingers as he doesn't really move at all. Lambert doesn't like wingers so not sure where he thought he would fit in.

I don't know why he thought we needed another striker at all, to be honest.

[Isa]

I don't know why he thought we needed another striker at all, to be honest.

He clearly didn't believe he can play without a target-man in the team which would suggest severe tactical limitation on his part. You'd expect a tad more pragmatism from somebody on a limited budget.

[brontebilly]

I'm lost here. How can he be a decent finisher (borne out by his goals/starts ratio) and also the worst signing?

Spent 7m on a player clearly unsuited to the preferred 4312/433 systems. Both systems need mobile forwards of which Kozak clearly isn't one. Both Helenius and even Holt look like they also are pulling sleds on the pitch so no idea why he brought them in either. Managers shouldn't just buy players that are good players, they need to be able to fit into the style of play. Moyes has been guilty of it at United too imo as I've no idea where Felliani and Mata will fit in when everyone is fit.

Should have spent the budget on a wide forward or an attacking midfielder instead.

[dave.woodhall]

I'm lost here. How can he be a decent finisher (borne out by his goals/starts ratio) and also the worst signing?

Spent 7m on a player clearly unsuited to the preferred 4312/433 systems. Both systems need mobile forwards of which Kozak clearly isn't one. Both Helenius and even Holt look like they also are pulling sleds on the pitch so no idea why he brought them in either. Managers shouldn't just buy players that are good players, they need to be able to fit into the style of play. Moyes has been guilty of it at United too imo as I've no idea where Felliani and Mata will fit in when everyone is fit.

Should have spent the budget on a wide forward or an attacking midfielder instead.

1) He scores goals. 2) I fail to see how you can judge Helenius on what we've seen so far.

[brontebilly]

I'm lost here. How can he be a decent finisher (borne out by his goals/starts ratio) and also the worst signing?

Spent 7m on a player clearly unsuited to the preferred 4312/433 systems. Both systems need mobile forwards of which Kozak clearly isn't one. Both Helenius and even Holt look like they also are pulling sleds on the pitch so no idea why he brought them in either. Managers shouldn't just buy players that are good players, they need to be able to fit into the style of play. Moyes has been guilty of it at United too imo as I've no idea where Felliani and Mata will fit in when everyone is fit.

Should have spent the budget on a wide forward or an attacking midfielder instead.

1) He scores goals. 2) I fail to see how you can judge Helenius on what we've seen so far.

Darren Bent scores goals, should have kept him if that was the only criteria for being a forward at the club.

Helenius is far too slow to be a worthwhile option. His pace won't improve no matter how many chances he gets. I'd give Tonev a lot better chance of being a success at the club than Helenius Im afraid.