Lambert's replacement

[Steve67]

Isn't Hughton at Brighton these days?

[DeKuip]

I'll be really pissed off if it's Sherwood. 

Same here, can't stand the bloke and wouldn't trust him.
I don't think we've ever had a manager I didn't actually like as a person, even O'Leary seemed ok at the start - though he's the only ex-manager I wouldn't invite in for a cuppa if he knocked on the door selling dusters.

[pauliewalnuts]

From TheTrees (the BHX bloke) on Twitter just now:

thetrees
‏@thetrees80
Something or nothing? Private jet charter from Madrid landed this evening. Long shot, but didn't someone mention Spanish link?

[pauliewalnuts]

General Krulak has offered his opinion:

PAUL LAMBERT has been accused of talking ‘hogwash’ by an Aston Villa director.

In an amazing attack, owner Randy Lerner’s right-hand man General Charles Krulak claimed:

Lambert WAS given cash to buy players he wanted.
The dressing room had lost faith in him.
The team had become boring.
Lambert was axed as manager by Lerner on Wednesday after dropping into the relegation zone. The Scot suggested he was hamstrung because of cost-cutting at Villa Park.

That infuriated Vietnam War hero Krulak, who said: “This idea Randy had not put money into the club and that Paul’s hands were tied is simply not true. It’s hogwash.

“Paul took the job knowing he had good, experienced players, Agbonlahor, Bent, N’Zogbia, even if they were expensive.

“But he argued he needed a group of fresh young players.

“Randy backed him to bring in six to eight players in that first year or so.

“And the club’s net spend during Paul’s tenure was the highest of ANY manager Randy has had, even Martin O’Neill. That is the reality.”

Krulak, 72, said Lerner decided to axe Lambert after hearing the views of fans and players.

He said: “Randy was loathe to remove a manager mid-campaign.

“But there was this intensely strong feeling, not least from players and fans, Villa should be doing a lot better. Paul was just not bringing the team together.

“Randy wants a team that — win, lose or draw — is fun to watch. But the opposite was true.”

[dave.woodhall]

Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.

[Matt C]

Someone stop him talking...

[PeterWithesShin]

From TheTrees (the BHX bloke) on Twitter just now:

thetrees
‏@thetrees80
Something or nothing? Private jet charter from Madrid landed this evening. Long shot, but didn't someone mention Spanish link?

Paul Clement?

[PeterWithesShin]

Krulak has done himself no favours there.

[cdbearsfan]

My immediate thought.

[hilts_coolerking]

So to sum up:

Paul Lambert - My hands were tied

Krulak / Lerner - No they weren't.

I think most of the galaxy recognises that Lambert was working under fairly strict conditions so I'm afraid the General is once again talking out of his arse.

[PeterWithesShin]

So to sum up:

Paul Lambert - My hands were tied

Krulak / Lerner - No they weren't.

I think most of the galaxy recognises that Lambert was working under fairly strict conditions so I'm afraid the General is once again talking out of his arse.

It's a bit of both. There were some restrictions in place but he still spent around £50m in less than 3 years. And no restrictions excuses less than half a goal a game.

[cdbearsfan]

I wish the General would leave the scene to be honest. We get it, Randy's your mate. Let him fight his own (metaphorical) battles.

[hilts_coolerking]

It's a bit of both. There were some restrictions in place but he still spent around £50m in less than 3 years. And no restrictions excuses less than half a goal a game.

That's low for a Premier League club though isn't it?  The General is implying Lambert had more money to spend than O'Neill which is utter bollocks.

You're right, he failed to make the most of what he did get which is the crucial part of operating on a tight budget.  Having said that, I don't think Lerner made Lambert's job easy.

[ozzjim]

It's a bit of both. There were some restrictions in place but he still spent around £50m in less than 3 years. And no restrictions excuses less than half a goal a game.

That's low for a Premier League club though isn't it?  The General is implying Lambert had more money to spend than O'Neill which is utter bollocks.

You're right, he failed to make the most of what he did get which is the crucial part of operating on a tight budget.  Having said that, I don't think Lerner made Lambert's job easy.

He is implying his net spend was more. Which is still untrue because the major sales came after MON left, Milner, Downing, Young.

But he has a point, and it is the same thing that annoyed me reading the telegraph and Gregg Evans love in for Lambert that essentially he is playing the hard done to card, which looking at the squad, what he had available, the turnaround on the bomb squad etc, doesn't square up to a whole. Both may have a point, but there were rumours plenty of times that the path was forged by Lambert, and there were more resources available than made out. Lambert for 5 million on deadline day, the willing to spend 7 on Cleverley last deadline day 2 pretty clear examples.

[aj2k77]

It's a bit of both. There were some restrictions in place but he still spent around £50m in less than 3 years. And no restrictions excuses less than half a goal a game.

That's low for a Premier League club though isn't it?  The General is implying Lambert had more money to spend than O'Neill which is utter bollocks.

You're right, he failed to make the most of what he did get which is the crucial part of operating on a tight budget.  Having said that, I don't think Lerner made Lambert's job easy.

No it was 8th highest in the last 3 seasons. The normal top 6 and then only West Ham and Crystal P had a net spend higher.