I must be in the minority...

[Holte L2]

As for tactics – basically, I think people who go into all that so ardently are armchair managers who think you know more than they do about running a football club in REALITY, and I think you take for granted things such as...the other team, the abilities of the other team compared to ours.

How can anyone argue with a dismissive comment like that?

You're all so blinkered, and I think that comes from being hurt in a weird way.

Or that, for that matter.

And it's rubbish saying

Or that.

"And it's rubbish saying he should have bought a centre back in january" or anything like that, because anyone who says it are guessing about the money available and what was actually attempted.

And in that case, it's equally rubbish of you to suggest we did try or that there wasn't the money - when there was the money to borrow a fat, useless striker.

Oh, and we finished higher this season than last season, so that's progress.

The major problem with this is that we didn't finish higher this season than last. We finished 15th both years.

So it's not progress at all. It's not even progress in terms of points - three fewer than the previous season.

Unless of course you mean progress in the wrong direction.

I stopped reading his post after the first paragraph.  It's got to be a wind-up.

[Rolta]

As for tactics – basically, I think people who go into all that so ardently are armchair managers who think you know more than they do about running a football club in REALITY, and I think you take for granted things such as...the other team, the abilities of the other team compared to ours.

How can anyone argue with a dismissive comment like that?

You're all so blinkered, and I think that comes from being hurt in a weird way.

Or that, for that matter.

And it's rubbish saying

Or that.

"And it's rubbish saying he should have bought a centre back in january" or anything like that, because anyone who says it are guessing about the money available and what was actually attempted.

And in that case, it's equally rubbish of you to suggest we did try or that there wasn't the money - when there was the money to borrow a fat, useless striker.

Oh, and we finished higher this season than last season, so that's progress.

The major problem with this is that we didn't finish higher this season than last. We finished 15th both years.

So it's not progress at all. It's not even progress in terms of points - three fewer than the previous season.

Unless of course you mean progress in the wrong direction.

I stopped reading his post after the first paragraph.  It's got to be a wind-up.

Ha! Of course! Isn't that typical of a bigoted opinion. Be proud.

[Rolta]

For the last game:

01 Guzan ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––free
34 Lowton––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––£3.3million
23 Bertrand–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––loan
15 Westwood––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––£2.2million
04 Vlaar––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––£3.3million
02 Baker––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––academy (and shouldn't be in the team ideally)
07 Bacuna (Robinson - 83' )––––––––––––––––––£880k
16 Delph––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––£6millionish (and with Vlaar about the only player you'd definitely keep)
11 Agbonlahor––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––academy (and he sometimes does well, but he doesn't score many goals, does he)
21 Bowery (El Ahmadi - 45' )––––––––––––––––––£500k
10 Weimann––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––academy (and you would have him on the bench if we had investment)

And what do any of you expect with that kind of investment in the team?

Someone do a comparison with Tottenham. We all know what it'd be like.

You basically expected a miracle from Lambert, and you're angry he hasn't achieved it yet. The thing is, Lerner knows this, and because of that I think Lambert is going to stay.

[Rolta]

Here is a comparison with Crystal Palace in their last game. I do this, because everyone is lauding Pulis as a genius:

26 Hennessey––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––£3.2million
03 Mariappa–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––£3.8million
02 Ward––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––£500k
15 Jedinak (Dikgacoi - 59' )–––––––––––––––––––––free
06 Dann––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––£1.6million
27 Delaney––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––free
11 Ince (Puncheon - 71' )–––––––––––––––––––––––free – but he's clearly worth something
28 Ledley––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––£3.8million
16 Gayle–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––£4.6million
29 Chamakh Booked (Murray - 74' )–––––––––––––––£1million
07 Bolasie––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––£500k (good signing)

It's pretty comparable actually, but if you go and see how many players Crystal Palace have bought have bought who are not in that team – averaging about 20 players a season – you'll see that buying low quality players requires you to buy plenty of them in order to get it "right". We've done 19 players over 2 seasons. We haven't even had their kind of investment. I wonder what their wage bill is like compared to ours if you discount our bomb squad? We have a stupidly young and underfunded team. They spent £10million more than us last season, and it's not like we were much better than one of the top championship clubs in 12/13, AND £10million of that was spent on Kozak and Okore, who were both mostly injured. Looking at that Crystal Palace spent about £20million more than us!

[rob_bridge]

Maybe we should have went for Altidore and Shelvey

[PaulTheVillan]

Rolta,

Is your real name Paul?

[QBVILLA]

Well I enjoyed reading Rolta's posts. Didn't agree with all points made but even so the fella has an opinion and this is a forum so fair play.

[tomd2103]

Rolta,

Is your real name Paul?

Or do you have the initials IC, GK or PF?

[pauliewalnuts]

Lol, ok. I was expressing my opinion, and there is plenty in my post beyond the minor framing words. I'm sorry to doubt you – you are a tactical genius with experience managing a multi-million pound business of a football club.

Crikey, not enjoying disagreement?

I am not a tactical genius with experience of managing a multi million pound football club, no.

Paul Lambert doesn't have to provide better tactics than me or you or anyone on here, though. He has to be better at it than other managers, managers his team come up against through the season.

How many times does he come out on top, tactically? Not enough. Not anywhere near enough.

Ok then. My viewpoint is that I'm not going to lose my head over things when I don't have a clue what happened ("Should have signed a CB" – maybe they tried, maybe there was no money). I don't think signing Holt would have had an effect on the CB situation, by the way, but yes, that's my opinion on the matter. To form my opinion I didn't make up a statement like, "Signing Holt stopped us getting a CB".

But the point is, no, I don't know that they tried to get a CB, no, and neither do you. You don't think the Holt situation stopped us getting a CB, you equally don't know that for sure. It's about opinions.

My point was that - regardless of what they tried to do and didn't try to do - we didn't get a CB in during the transfer window. That's not an opinion or conjecture, that is a fact.

Anyway, I see you totally skipped the bit where you said we finished higher up the league so that's progress, and I pointed out that we finished in the same position, on three points fewer.

[pauliewalnuts]

You basically expected a miracle from Lambert, and you're angry he hasn't achieved it yet. The thing is, Lerner knows this, and because of that I think Lambert is going to stay.

No, that's the point.

You're engaging in arguments against viewpoints which nobody actually has.

Nobody has suggested we should have finished in the top six or made huge achievements. They're arguing that we made no progress - in terms of points, league position or qualitatively on the pitch this season - and that's why they are unhappy.

You can keep changing that to a more extreme argument that suits your standpoint if you want, but it's somewhat misleading.

You also seem to think you're a lone voice of sanity in a sea of madness, as you're the only one who has noticed the squad is full of shit, inexperienced or lower league players. You don't say?

Don't you think we've all noticed this? We've talked about pretty much nothing else all season. Don't you think we all know that the wages policy is a huge issue?

Where your standpoint differs is that you think what he has achieved is in line with what has has had to work with. Don't make it out as if we're saying the financial regime isn't a problem, though, because you're absolutely miles wide of the mark.

[Rolta]

I didn't mean to skip it. I don't have a problem admitting I was wrong about that one.

Anyway, I don't really fancy getting into a big argument on the internet. I think I've learned enough in life that the internet is full of people steadfast in their opinions! I just added my bit to it all. I have also read other people's opinions in full.

All good.

[Rolta]

You basically expected a miracle from Lambert, and you're angry he hasn't achieved it yet. The thing is, Lerner knows this, and because of that I think Lambert is going to stay.

No, that's the point.

You're engaging in arguments against viewpoints which nobody actually has.

Nobody has suggested we should have finished in the top six or made huge achievements. They're arguing that we made no progress - in terms of points, league position or qualitatively on the pitch this season - and that's why they are unhappy.

You can keep changing that to a more extreme argument that suits your standpoint if you want, but it's somewhat misleading.

You also seem to think you're a lone voice of sanity in a sea of madness, as you're the only one who has noticed the squad is full of shit, inexperienced or lower league players. You don't say?

Don't you think we've all noticed this? We've talked about pretty much nothing else all season. Don't you think we all know that the wages policy is a huge issue?

Where your standpoint differs is that you think what he has achieved is in line with what has has had to work with. Don't make it out as if we're saying the financial regime isn't a problem, though, because you're absolutely miles wide of the mark.

Bit patronising. I feel like you may be a hardened messageboard pro You're confusing me getting a bit over excited over what I was writing about with me being a dick.

Anyway, yes you're right. The bit in bold is exactly where I'm at, thankyou for spelling it out! Possibly a bit patronising too.

And by the way, from my viewpoint, which is as acceptable as anyones – you're viewpoint, imo, does imply you expected a miracle. That was my point, yes.

[Meanwood Villa]

It's always the great unknown whether another manager would have done better under the same circumstances so it is possible to have these arguments without ever getting a concrete answer. My own opinion is that we've just endured one of the worst seasons in our history on the back of a very mixed bag of a season to put it kindly. The manager who has presided over these 2 doesn't deserve another chance regardless of the financial situation. We sacked McLeish for what Lambert's just done and there doesn't seem too much disagreement about his qualities.

[LeeB]

It's always the great unknown whether another manager would have done better under the same circumstances so it is possible to have these arguments without ever getting a concrete answer. My own opinion is that we've just endured one of the worst seasons in our history on the back of a very mixed bag of a season to put it kindly. The manager who has presided over these 2 doesn't deserve another chance regardless of the financial situation. We sacked McLeish for what Lambert's just done and there doesn't seem too much disagreement about his qualities.

Considering their tenures together actually reflects better on both of them, it suggests the problems at the club lay elsewhere.

[mr underhill]

I'm guessing you are alluding to financial issues? Putting that aside, there is also the problems several managerial teams have had with coaching. Judged over the tenures of TSM 1 and TSM 2, standards have been woeful, to the extent that a lot of the playing staff seem worrying unfamiliar with what a football is, let alone how to play with one.