Fox says sacking Lambert would be like flicking a coin??

[rob_bridge]

One day I'll wake up and the TSM didn't manage Aston Villa.

We all will - surely?

[bertlambshank]

I just think Mr Fox needs to get a bit 'brummie'.What he has said isn't that bad.

[tomd2103]

I'm clearly in a minority but I've been impressed with what Fox has said to date.  Getting the balance between ambition and realistic targets just about right.  Diplomatic too.

I think his point about a 'false narrative' is true in some cases, but I am not sure it can be applied to Paul Lambert.  A manager might go into a club and install good practices behind the scenes without getting the results to show for it.  In such a case then I guess results and performances could be classed as a 'false narrative'.  For example, some people point out Eddie Howe's time at Burnley as being an important part of their recent success, even though he didn't get the results he needed at the time and got sacked.  If it was Lambert's first season, then I think there maybe could be a case, but he's well into his third season now and there hasn't been any notable progress.  It's not just the results and performances either, it's also the unwanted records, the total u-turns on playing style, disciplinary issues with coaching staff and the nonsense spoken after games.  It's a pretty damning case to be honest.           

[ozzjim]

Just watched him. Strikes me that Paul has become his mate and he is trying to defend him. How about supporting him with getting in an assistant manager and coaching team that will help implement this new style if you are so keen to not sack him.

[ciggiesnbeer]

One day I'll wake up and the TSM didn't manage Aston Villa.

We all will - surely?

One day I would love to hear the story behind it. I mean it was so utterly and obviously a terrible idea there HAS to be a story there as to how it happened.

[mr underhill]

I can tell you now. One day Randy and Paul (the other one) were playing pin the tail on the football manager donkey - the rest is history ; they kept on doing it.

[rob_bridge]

I'm clearly in a minority but I've been impressed with what Fox has said to date.  Getting the balance between ambition and realistic targets just about right.  Diplomatic too.

I think his point about a 'false narrative' is true in some cases, but I am not sure it can be applied to Paul Lambert.  A manager might go into a club and install good practices behind the scenes without getting the results to show for it.  In such a case then I guess results and performances could be classed as a 'false narrative'.  For example, some people point out Eddie Howe's time at Burnley as being an important part of their recent success, even though he didn't get the results he needed at the time and got sacked.  If it was Lambert's first season, then I think there maybe could be a case, but he's well into his third season now and there hasn't been any notable progress.  It's not just the results and performances either, it's also the unwanted records, the total u-turns on playing style, disciplinary issues with coaching staff and the nonsense spoken after games.  It's a pretty damning case to be honest.         

Nigel Clough at Derby too, he had to do an awful lot of spade work in over hauling sqaud and finances which McLaren, to his credit also, is now benefiting from.

[UK Redsox]

Coin is flicked.............. "and I'm please to announce that Villa's new manager is......... Mali"

[Jimbo]

Fox says Lerner isn't motivated to sell Villa. The truth is he isn't motivated about Villa, full stop. That includes sacking Lambert. He hasn't got the stomach for that and the inevitably farcical manager search that will follow, so we should just lap it up.

Put simply, the club will not sack Lambert, but will talk their way around all the compelling reasons why he should go. All this, despite the fact that Fox says Birmingham people don't want to hear talk, they want action. Don't patronise us, Mr Fox. Birmingham people are fine with talk, as long as it's straight talk, and not that convoluted business bullshit so prevalent in board rooms over the pond. Straight talk, something we have not heard in Lerner's time here.

The idea that Randy is suddenly motivated, after the defeated and slightly mad statement he put out in May gives credence to the idea that he is a man of impulse. He's capricious and whimsical. He bought the club on a whim, and runs it on a whim. It's not good news that he now wants to stay.

[fbriai]

One day I'll wake up and the TSM didn't manage Aston Villa.

We all will - surely?

In a sort of Ingsoc, "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." way?

[pauliewalnuts]

Pat Murphy has his faults but bravo for trying to point out a few home truths to Fox.

The club have had a remarkably easy ride from the media. That was the first time I've seen anyone in the press point out just a few of the current truly shocking statistics.

I'd like to know what sort of events they are that we don't see which mitigate things like Lambert's shocking win record.

[fbriai]

It's all trying to read between the lines of course, which makes it easy to put two and two together and come up with five, but I get the impression that Lambert is a long way from getting the push. Lerner just doesn't seem the type to get rid of someone easily. I respect him for that, too.

Given that he apparently said to Lambert, on him becoming manager, that this would be the toughest year of his managerial career, he surely looks at the situation from the perspective of 'I've asked this guy to put up with a lot and he's kept us up and never moaned about the situation in public. What kind of person would I be now, if I turned round and said thanks, but I don't need you anymore?'

I just get the impression that Lerner really wants to do the right thing, particularly if he feels that someone he is employing has been genuinely loyal. Lambert likely has a good rapport with him as well; there aren't many people in football that have a bad word to say about him personally. You are much more likely to hear people saying good things about him as a person. I'm not defending Lambert's record per se, but I think Lerner looks at the situation and likely thinks that he himself is as much responsible as anyone else, so is not inclined to shift the blame on to the manager.

That said, I'd imagine he wants to see things improve now that the ship is seemingly on an even keel financially. Fox is the unknown variable in the equation though. He's not been there long, so will have likely started by going along with Lerner's ideas initially. He seems like a smart bloke, so I imagine the longer he is in situ, the more likely it is he will have his own ideas as to what is required. Whereas Faulkner gave the impression of being Lerner's spokesperon, without any real authority of his own, I think Fox is more likely to be his own person and is thus more likely to be more independent of thought and garner more operational power, which might translate in the longer term, if results don't improve, to something along the lines of 'I've intervened in all of these areas to indirectly improve the playing side of things, with no reward, so now the only alternative is to intervene directly'. Who knows though. Results could improve as a result of work going on behind the scenes.

[Chico Hamilton III]

I was puzzled when Foxy described sacking managers as "taking the easy option". Not after you've just extended his contract and you're trying to save pennies it isn't. The way he spoke about Randy reminded me of some of the party line bullshit that Krulak used to spout on here. Was anyone convinced for a single minute? 

[Gregorys Boy]

Saw the interview with Fivelive and thougth Fox came across very bland and really didn't say much of note.  Don't know why he's come out now anyway.  Surely the defeat at Lesiceter a few weeks back would have been the time to do it.

[saunders_heroes]

Saw the interview with Fivelive and thougth Fox came across very bland and really didn't say much of note.  Don't know why he's come out now anyway.  Surely the defeat at Lesiceter a few weeks back would have been the time to do it.

They've done this type of thing before. Stay silent while the team struggles from week to week, wait for a rare win then spout some bullshit PR to try and appease the fans.
I must say Fox has fallen a bit in my estimation. He was almost saying to the fans that they know nothing about football and we shouldn't be troubled by our horrible results. Who on earth is he trying to kid?