Albrighton Going to Leicester

[peter w]

Maybe it's a cunning ruse. get them turning up for training with a spring in their steps, look lively in training then sell them in August.

[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?

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.

I dunno, I saw this posted somewhere earlier today about Lambert in years gone by.

It sounds a bit familiar:

http://www.colchester.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=168733

Lambert Leaving? I Was Colchester`s Happiest Man!

Matt Lockwood made blistering comments in criticising Paul Lambert`s managerial style yesterday on BBC Radio Essex, saying after a loss to Gillingham he was totally "banished" from first-team duties.

Vital Colchester exclusively reported earlier this summer how Lockwood`s name appeared on the PFA free agents` list, despite the fact that he had a year remaining on the contract he signed after arriving from Nottingham Forest.

Speaking in reaction to questions during a BBC live broadcast over how he had been spectacularly dropped, a relieved Lockwood explained: "It was good to be back. It`s been a while - I`ve to be mentally strong and endure some not-very-nice-treatment; it was brilliant to be back out there wearing a Colchester shirt. I didn`t think I`d ever wear one again."

Lockwood went on to say he felt himself "bullied" under former boss Lambert and warned any player on the fringes of football at his Scot`s new club to expect similar treatment.

"Obviously the manager made it perfectly clear that I wasn`t I was no part of his plans - I wasn`t invited to see the team train; my shirt wasn`t even printed up. I was banished - training with the kids - I didn`t even see the first-team at all. I was basically being bullied, outed at the club. I stayed mentally strong and professional."

The left-back, who also said he has no idea who the club`s new manager will be, added: "When I heard the news he was going to Norwich, I was probably the happiest man in Colchester!

"Basically, he`s now gone to Norwich and will probably do the same to their players. I`m 32-yereas-old and been in the game since I was 16 and that was the worst I`ve ever been treated - it was disgusting."

[silhillvilla]

We are most definitely entering unchartered waters here . Life vests on everyone.

[adrenachrome]

All the club’s players have been promised a fresh chance after Bent, Alan Hutton and Shay Given were all previously omitted as Villa sought to slash their wage bill.

Scottish international defender Hutton, who earns £32,000-a-week, even trained with the kids in the past.

But Lambert knows he needs all the personnel he can now owner Randy Lerner has put Villa up for sale.

Lambert faces having to wheel and deal on loans and free transfers and will still listen to offers for the trio. But he has spoken to every player and says everyone who remains at Villa Park over the summer will be considered for selection.

Lambert said: “Everyone is even now, everyone is level. It is publicly known what is happening. Everyone is on a level playing field.”

Enda Stevens, Aleksandar Tonev, Nicklas Helenius, Antonio Luna and Yacouba Sylla are also available for transfer.

The ‘Bomb Squad’ of out of favour stars was created under Martin O’Neill and initially featured players such as Nigel Reo-Coker, Curtis Davies and Marlon Harewood. But Lambert has now abolished it and insists he will still get the final say on players, despite Lerner wanting out.

Lambert reckons star striker Christian Benteke – currently injured after surgery on a ruptured Achilles - will not be sold. And he plans to battle to keep Fabian Delph, Ron Vlaar and Gabriel Agbonlahor despite being unable to offer the trio contract extensions.

Villa have made offers to their out of contract players though and Gary Gardner is due to sign a new one-year deal. But Marc Albrighton is set to snub fresh terms and sign for promoted Leicester on a Bosman.

Lambert is also looking for two new assistants, with the exits of Ian Culverhouse and Gary Karsa due to be rubber-stamped.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/newcastle-plot-darren-bent-transfer-3577660#ixzz32IcDN85W

[pauliewalnuts]

Lambert said: “Everyone is even now, everyone is level. It is publicly known what is happening. Everyone is on a level playing field.”

Well, there's the proof that it is true.

[David_Nab]

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.

I dunno, I saw this posted somewhere earlier today about Lambert in years gone by.

It sounds a bit familiar:

http://www.colchester.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=168733

Lambert Leaving? I Was Colchester`s Happiest Man!

Matt Lockwood made blistering comments in criticising Paul Lambert`s managerial style yesterday on BBC Radio Essex, saying after a loss to Gillingham he was totally "banished" from first-team duties.

Vital Colchester exclusively reported earlier this summer how Lockwood`s name appeared on the PFA free agents` list, despite the fact that he had a year remaining on the contract he signed after arriving from Nottingham Forest.

Speaking in reaction to questions during a BBC live broadcast over how he had been spectacularly dropped, a relieved Lockwood explained: "It was good to be back. It`s been a while - I`ve to be mentally strong and endure some not-very-nice-treatment; it was brilliant to be back out there wearing a Colchester shirt. I didn`t think I`d ever wear one again."

Lockwood went on to say he felt himself "bullied" under former boss Lambert and warned any player on the fringes of football at his Scot`s new club to expect similar treatment.

"Obviously the manager made it perfectly clear that I wasn`t I was no part of his plans - I wasn`t invited to see the team train; my shirt wasn`t even printed up. I was banished - training with the kids - I didn`t even see the first-team at all. I was basically being bullied, outed at the club. I stayed mentally strong and professional."

The left-back, who also said he has no idea who the club`s new manager will be, added: "When I heard the news he was going to Norwich, I was probably the happiest man in Colchester!

"Basically, he`s now gone to Norwich and will probably do the same to their players. I`m 32-yereas-old and been in the game since I was 16 and that was the worst I`ve ever been treated - it was disgusting."

Blimey ...so this cutting players out not a new thing at all.

Seems to me Randy has told him your getting sod all money your not excluding players anymore.

[E I Adio]

Looks as if you're right. That Mark Lockwood piece is pretty conclusive. What a bizarre and totally counter productive method of managing and demotivating football players. It seems to me that everyone loses, the players and the club.

[JUAN PABLO]

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

That does seem sensible to me, but the fact that it's being done now is just more evidence of the utterly cack-handed way the whole bomb squad thing has been handled. It looks very amateur.

exactly

[Toronto Villa]

The irony of reintegrating Bent is that we've just released arguably the best crosser of a ball at the club. It's truly baffling. He could have spent some of the budget on a two ace wingers to supply Bent and Benteke last season and instead just froze him out. Clearly we have tried to sell the remaining bomb squad and it hasn't worked. So instead of letting them walk we'll try and something/anything from them. It will be all surreal seeing Bent in the starting line up. Anyway, I suppose all of it might change if the sale goes through. Utterly bizarre though.

[dicedlam]

It was mentioned on Talksport's Goldstein & Cundy show this evening (by a Mirror journo) that Pardew wants Darren Bent.

Cant see it myself, but there you go.

[PeterWithesShin]

I've always liked Pardew, never had a bad word to say about him.

[Matt C]

Sell Bent for some dreadful knockdown fee to a rival or use him when we're without Benteke and maybe Kozak? I know which I'd favour.

[ciggiesnbeer]

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.

Yup. This past week had been this creeping feeling that things are actually going to get worse, not better in the months and years ahead. That we will have less money, not more. That we will look back on the past few seasons with fondness of when Randy cared versus the neglect we have ahead of us.

I see a dark sail on the horizon
Set under a black cloud that hides the sun

Bring me my  Ron Saunders know how and Cowans pass
Bring me my Toney Daley 7 shirt as a talisman

[KevinGage]

Honestly, in recent months we are showing the sort of utter ineptitude in the way we are being run that usually marks out a club that is going to get relegated.

If there is no takeover by the end of the transfer window, I am going to stick a ton on us going down.

If we carry on as we are, you won't get great odds on that.

[KevinGage]

I don't think Albrighton has developed enough over the past few years to earn a 'bumper new deal.'   

But for the sake of a not leaving a significant gap in an already light squad, it might have been worth splitting the difference and offering him £25-28K. Then offering an increase on that if he can hold onto a regular first team place.  He might still have opted for Leicester, and if he had, good luck to him.

But it does seem a bit off that we are letting a homegrown player, and a player with decent ability and work ethic go for nowt.