Albrighton Going to Leicester

[Des Little]

If this carries on past the World Cup I will be joining the long queue at the bookies to bet on us sinking like the proverbial stone.

[peter w]

The Grauniad tonight is suggesting that the Bomb Squad is set to be disbanded.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/20/aston-villa-paul-lambert-darren-bent-u-turn

I'm watching an old episode of Would I lie to You and I've seen less plausible obvious lies on that than this story. What the feck...

[kippaxvilla2]

I am actually starting to believe that he genuinely did just stick the club up for sale last Sunday night after a couple of pints.

[pauliewalnuts]

It'd be more understandable if it were a different manager making this decisions, but it's not, it's the same one.

So, having been told two years ago by Lambert to stop training with the big boys and go and play mini golf or something amongst themselves, the very same manager is now going to reintegrate them into the fold?

This to me stinks of there truly being no money.

[kippaxvilla2]

I can see Lescott signing tomorrow well wouldn't you sign?!

[silhillvilla]

As I said before and was castigated for, perilous times for the club. Absolute bloody shambles. Randy Lerner is rapidly becoming the most dangerous character to ever darken our doors .

[peter w]

I've been reading everything and taking it with a pinch of salt and not really worrying about the takeover. But, this is stunningly bizarre. How can he seriously look them in the face and try and retain any authority?

[David_Nab]

So

Albrighton got to point of running contract down allowing him to command bosman style wage elsehwere as there is no transfer fee to pay

The bomb squad are after 2 years being devalued , sent to train with kids and loaned out are now worth using again..well till they walk out for free in 12 months

And a fair chunk of Lamberts signings are transfer listed ...

I'd stick money on us going down but I doubt the odds will be good enough to bother..and to think I throught us not being able to afford to keep Erike Bakke was rock bottom ...

[pauliewalnuts]

I am now starting to wonder whether we're going to find ourselves open to offers for Delph if we're not offering him a new contract.

That's the sort of stupidity we're talking about here.

Genuinely, I am starting to think Lerner and Lambert have both undergone some sort of breakdown. First we suspend or sack half the coaching team but keep the manager, then we have that ridiculous "OK, I'll sell" statement with the impenetrable nonsense about walking amongst his own, like the "Shunammite", now this bizarre phoney war situation with the manager, the non offering of new contracts to the only decent players we've got, and the potential for a total u-turn and reintegration of players we've paid to spend matchdays out shopping for two years.

Honestly, what is going on?

[aj2k77]

Forward planning, hasn't been one of our strong points these last 5 years has it. So many players leaving for fuck all it's incredible.

It's obvious now that there is no plan, no deal in the pipeline. We will be winging as best as Lambert and Faulkner can for the next 12 months in the hope we stay up and Randys investment doesn't take a massive hit. Lerner has 0 interest in us now, probably hasn't for 2 years. All decisions will be short term decisions and the longer it takes for someone to make fuckwit Lerner a suitable offer the longer we are at risk.

Who will come in and coach with Lambert? No job security, massive pressure, fans at breaking point.

It's going to be a very tough 12 months. Again.

[kippaxvilla2]

I think a statement might help to clarify matters.  I mean they've always cleared things up before.

[E I Adio]

It'd be more understandable if it were a different manager making this decisions, but it's not, it's the same one.

So, having been told two years ago by Lambert to stop training with the big boys and go and play mini golf or something amongst themselves, the very same manager is now going to reintegrate them into the fold?

The inference in the Graun's piece was that Lambert had been told to ditch the bomb squad players and now he's been told to do the opposite. He must know what an absolute numbskull that makes him look, so he's hinting as best as he can that it's not his doing.

The old football man on the board mantra. How many times have we commented on that omission? I fear it would be too late now, even if Randy realised that we needed one.

[kippaxvilla2]

Yaya Toure is available now provided we remember to get him a birthday cake.

[ozzjim]

Not offering Delph and Vlaar new deals is beyond idiotic.

Re-integrating Bent, Hutton and Nzogbia is actually less so, as they are probably better than much of what we have and will be some use to him. Plus Hutton has said he and Lambert have never had an issue. I think Bent was bombed more on ability than wage though in fairness.

[aj2k77]

Yaya Toure is available now provided we remember to get him a birthday cake.

And shake his hand.