Culverhouse and Karsa suspended (Now both sacked: Reply #876)

[pauliewalnuts]

This is interesting.

The bit in bold particularly.

I have to ask, if this breakdown of trust between Lambert and staff is true, how on earth did he allow stuff like this to happen?

Aston Villa's troubled end to the season has taken another damaging turn after the Midlands club suspended Ian Culverhouse, their assistant manager, and Gary Karsa, the head of football operations, pending an internal investigation.

Although the development raises fresh questions about Paul Lambert's future, the Villa manager's relationship with both men had broken beyond repair and the Scot was supportive of the club's decision to take action against them.

Furthermore Randy Lerner, Villa's owner, and Paul Faulkner, the club's chief executive, continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Lambert despite growing supporter unrest, another relegation battle and what, in effect, is an admission from the manager that the backroom staff he appointed in 2012 were part of the problem this season.

Exact details have yet to emerge of the official reason behind the suspensions but it is known that Culverhouse and Karsa, who had worked with Lambert for the past eight years, including spells at Norwich City, Wycombe Wanderers and Colchester, had upset staff and players with their approach, creating what has been described as "a poisonous atmosphere".

Culverhouse, who spent 10 years at Carrow Road as a player, took the majority of the training at Villa and is believed to have been a highly influential figure at the club. His methods, however, had started to come under greater scrutiny, with resentment and concern building among players. There was an incident on the training ground a couple of weeks ago which left Fabian Delph and Gabriel Agbonlahor upset.

It has emerged that problems with Culverhouse and Karsa were longstanding. Lambert's once extremely close alliance with the pair unravelled and disintegrated to the point that there was a total loss of trust, culminating in tension that surfaced again at Crystal Palace on Saturday, when another altercation – believed to have taken place in the dressing room – preceded a fourth successive Premier League defeat, leaving Villa only four points clear of the relegation zone before Saturday's visit of Southampton.

The situation with Culverhouse and Karsa had become so serious that Villa felt compelled to act.

The club confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that Culverhouse and Karsa, who also worked together at Barnet and Leyton Orient prior to linking up with Lambert, had been suspended. An inquiry, involving Villa's legal advisers and overseen by the club's human resources department, is expected to be concluded before the end of the season.

In the meantime Gordon Cowans, a development coach at the club, and Shay Given, the out-of-favour former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper, have replaced Culverhouse and Karsa with immediate effect, with Lambert overseeing those appointments. "I'm delighted to have Gordon and Shay to assist me in preparing the team for Saturday, which is what the whole group is focused on," the Villa manager said.

Given's promotion to the coaching staff comes as something of a surprise – he has been frozen out under Lambert and not made an appearance for the club since the 2-1 FA Cup defeat against Millwall 15 months ago – but he is highly respected among the players and has remained an influential voice in the squad, despite being relegated to the role of third-choice goalkeeper.

The 37-year-old has been taking his coaching badges and, with one eye on the future, may see this as the first step in a future career.

With Cowans, a European Cup winner in 1982 and a hugely popular figure within the club, also on board, Villa are confident the changes will create a much more positive mood among the players, as well as the supporters, during the final five, potentially crucial, matches of the season.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/15/aston-villa-coaches-ian-culverhouse-gary-karsa

[Villa in Denmark]

The only thing I can think of, that sort of fits the rumours about the various falling outs, is that Culverhouse and / or Karsa have been involved in the first one with Gabby & Delph and not been completely honest about what's happened and why.

The follow-up spat with Albrighton follows a similar pattern, with Lambert initially backing his staff.
If it now turns out that there is reasonable cause to believe that they have lied about what happened, he'd have no choice but to invoke the disciplinary process whilst everything is investigated / sorted out.

Once he's gone to HR / Faulkner they're then running the process. (HR are ostensibly only involved to ensure fair play and that the right procedures are followed.)

Regardless of whichever theory as to what's actually happened you prefer, other than stating the minimum facts that will quickly become public knowledge anyway, i.e. they've been suspended, the club will do everything possible to keep everything else behind closed doors.

From what I can remember of the two occasions I've been involved in these kinds of processes (a good few years ago now), anything else may be construed as prejudicing the internal investigation, especially if it ends up in a tribunal.

[Chris Smith]

Grant Holt Central.

[Louzie0]

Laughton

Central Line

[rob_bridge]

Brian Little Aston

I think we have a winner. On many fronts.

[Monty]

It's good to know that the club appears to have drawn a poison. My only hope is that a lot of the problems go back to Lambert wanting to change the style but Culverhouse refusing to change his training methods - there certainly have been disgruntled rumblings about what went on at BMH, which by all accounts Lambert trusted to Culverhouse. This is my new hope, and I'm sticking to it until further notice.

Roll on South-fucking-hampton. They'll be on the beach and we can have them.

[tomd2103]

This is interesting.

The bit in bold particularly.

I have to ask, if this breakdown of trust between Lambert and staff is true, how on earth did he allow stuff like this to happen?

Aston Villa's troubled end to the season has taken another damaging turn after the Midlands club suspended Ian Culverhouse, their assistant manager, and Gary Karsa, the head of football operations, pending an internal investigation.

Although the development raises fresh questions about Paul Lambert's future, the Villa manager's relationship with both men had broken beyond repair and the Scot was supportive of the club's decision to take action against them.

Furthermore Randy Lerner, Villa's owner, and Paul Faulkner, the club's chief executive, continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Lambert despite growing supporter unrest, another relegation battle and what, in effect, is an admission from the manager that the backroom staff he appointed in 2012 were part of the problem this season.

Exact details have yet to emerge of the official reason behind the suspensions but it is known that Culverhouse and Karsa, who had worked with Lambert for the past eight years, including spells at Norwich City, Wycombe Wanderers and Colchester, had upset staff and players with their approach, creating what has been described as "a poisonous atmosphere".

Culverhouse, who spent 10 years at Carrow Road as a player, took the majority of the training at Villa and is believed to have been a highly influential figure at the club. His methods, however, had started to come under greater scrutiny, with resentment and concern building among players. There was an incident on the training ground a couple of weeks ago which left Fabian Delph and Gabriel Agbonlahor upset.

It has emerged that problems with Culverhouse and Karsa were longstanding. Lambert's once extremely close alliance with the pair unravelled and disintegrated to the point that there was a total loss of trust, culminating in tension that surfaced again at Crystal Palace on Saturday, when another altercation – believed to have taken place in the dressing room – preceded a fourth successive Premier League defeat, leaving Villa only four points clear of the relegation zone before Saturday's visit of Southampton.

The situation with Culverhouse and Karsa had become so serious that Villa felt compelled to act.

The club confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that Culverhouse and Karsa, who also worked together at Barnet and Leyton Orient prior to linking up with Lambert, had been suspended. An inquiry, involving Villa's legal advisers and overseen by the club's human resources department, is expected to be concluded before the end of the season.

In the meantime Gordon Cowans, a development coach at the club, and Shay Given, the out-of-favour former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper, have replaced Culverhouse and Karsa with immediate effect, with Lambert overseeing those appointments. "I'm delighted to have Gordon and Shay to assist me in preparing the team for Saturday, which is what the whole group is focused on," the Villa manager said.

Given's promotion to the coaching staff comes as something of a surprise – he has been frozen out under Lambert and not made an appearance for the club since the 2-1 FA Cup defeat against Millwall 15 months ago – but he is highly respected among the players and has remained an influential voice in the squad, despite being relegated to the role of third-choice goalkeeper.

The 37-year-old has been taking his coaching badges and, with one eye on the future, may see this as the first step in a future career.

With Cowans, a European Cup winner in 1982 and a hugely popular figure within the club, also on board, Villa are confident the changes will create a much more positive mood among the players, as well as the supporters, during the final five, potentially crucial, matches of the season.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/15/aston-villa-coaches-ian-culverhouse-gary-karsa

I can recall a shot of the bench during the Cardiff game a couple of months ago, where Culverhouse was just sat there looking at the ground and seemingly totally disinterested in what was going on with the game.  It's also interesting to note that in the picture of the bench taken on Saturday, Lambert isn't sitting next to either Karsa or Culverhouse.   

[WarszaVillan]

Ivor 'the train engine' Linton

[Hopadop]

Roll on South-harry-hampton. They'll be on the beach and we can have them.

[cdward]

Has it ever happened at any other club? The manager turning against his back room staff, the same people he brought with him. There is more to this to come out in the wash. It just doesn't seem credible that Lambert would not be able to sort out any differences within his staff without going all official. Unless it is completely indefensible. Interesting times.

[bertlambshank]

The signing of Holt makes more sense now.Back up for Lambert against his 2 coaches.
For the situation to get this far just shows Lambert is weak as fuck.

[Monty]

The signing of Holt makes more sense now.Back up for Lambert against his 2 coaches.
For the situation to get this far just shows Lambert is weak as fuck.

Or that either the board wouldn't back him by canning the bastards, or that Lambert didn't want to become completely estranged from his managerial team of half a decade.

[Chris Smith]

Without quoting the whole thing, Paulie, while I think you are right in that it should have been sorted sooner I doubt it was in his gift to hire and fire directly.  So it has probably taken whatever has prompted this to bring things to a head.

Like others have said we just have to hope this acts as a catylist for improvements on the pitch.

[OCD]

It's good to know that the club appears to have drawn a poison. My only hope is that a lot of the problems go back to Lambert wanting to change the style but Culverhouse refusing to change his training methods - there certainly have been disgruntled rumblings about what went on at BMH, which by all accounts Lambert trusted to Culverhouse. This is my new hope, and I'm sticking to it until further notice.

Roll on South-fucking-hampton. They'll be on the beach and we can have them.

It would certainly be a lot easier to change the coaching staff to effect a change of playing style than it would be to change the manager. What I don't understand though - haven't some of Lambert's teams (with Culverhouse and Karsa coaching) played some good football in the past?

[ClaretAndBlueBlood]

My old man trains with a bloke who speaks regularly to Bertrand, he said a few days before the Palace game that the dressing room's been completely lost and that Albrighton came home on the train on his own after Saturday due to a falling out with Culverhouse.

The one thing I have with that is why would a footballer with plenty of spare cash catch a train? He could have bought a helicopter. Or a jet fighter. And why do no Villa fans seem to have seen him on the traindespite, i'm assuming, some would be on the same one.

Not on the specially chartered Albrighton Express they wouldn't.

Albrighton seems like he is still down to earth, once saw him queueing for the tube after a game at West Ham (he wasn't involved in the game) and my mate has served him at JD Sport at the Fort