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Why Paul Lambert should get the sack


Jonoridge91

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Oh, OK, I'll do the link myself!

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/aston-villa-doom-mongers-come-3028102?

 

 

 

As the Aston Villa doom mongers come out again, is it time for a reality check at Villa Park?

 

The natives are restless again at Villa Park, but is it fair to have great expectations this season, asks James Nursey?

Aston-Villa-v-Arsenal-Premier-League-302

 

 

Neville Williams

The Villa Park doom-mongers were out in force again this week.

One caller to talkSport claimed "95 per cent of Villa fans want boss Paul Lambert sacked" despite his side nearly snatching a point with a late rally in a 2-1 home loss to Arsenal.

Tensions are running high again after six defeats in eight games, including an FA Cup reverse at home to League One Sheffield United.

But chief executive Paul Faulkner spoke out this week to give his backing to Lambert and explain why.

And while his view is at odds with some fans, surely the - silent ? - more objective supporters can appreciate Faulkner is talking sense and the side are indeed making "definite, clear progress" - albeit gradually.

Fans can continue to boo and moan all they want - that is their prerogative and I can well imagine Villa's wretched home form must make ardent supporters despair.

Faulkner admitting losing to Sheffield United was a "bitter blow" but insisted Villa are doing everything in their power to rectify their home form.

And it is quite clear owner Randy Lerner and Faulkner are not about to sack Lambert as the club chief executive stressed the importance of "stability and continuity".

The same caller demanding Lambert out claimed Villa should be matching Everton in ambitions.

But Everton only had one manager for 13 years when David Moyes was there building a club and Roberto Martinez has come in and made some shrewd changes and additions to improve on solid foundations.

Villa by contrast have had seven managers in that period and Lambert really does deserve more time since arriving in June 2012 - when it must be remembered many fans clamoured for his appointment.

Villa are 11th with 23 points - five points above the relegation zone - and it simply does not merit a p45 as I told talkSport on Monday night when they asked me on.

It constitutes progress given the side finished 15th last season and 16th the season before that.

They have six clean sheets already which is more than last season and the team are yet to be given a hiding in the League this season.

 

Paul ThomasStoke-City-v-Aston-Villa-Premier-League-
Improvement: Brad Guzan and Villa have kept six clean sheets so far this term

 

But it is not enough for some fans who clearly believe Villa should be achieving more despite the limitations of their current spending power.

So I think the debate really needs to be where should Villa realistically be given their size, spending and history?

They have a fine, rich history which makes the club and their fans rightly proud.

But I've averaged out Villa's top-flight finishes since the Premier League started in 1992/1993 and it's 8.6 or basically ninth, which is currently occupied by Southampton.

Faulkner said the club's ambition is to continue rebuilding to get the side regularly competing in the top half of the table.

Realistically now Lerner has closed his open cheque-book and is making the club self-financing, the days of regularly coming sixth and being in Europe are over.

But fans cannot blame the American for limiting his spending after already putting in around £200million into the club.

Even without huge investment, Villa could yet end up ninth this season and I expect they will finish between there and 12th which would be a respectable campaign.

Saints will probably be going into reverse now given their off-the-field problems over Nicola Cortese's exit.

And Christian Benteke's return to goal-scoring form and confidence against Arsenal will certainly help.

Of course you can never be complacent about relegation as the table is so tight.

But I honestly think Villa are where they can realistically expect to be given their budget and are doing OK and will not go down.

Fans have also moaned about the often direct style of football and some of Lambert's signings not cutting it yet in the Premier League.

There are groans in the press box as well as the stands every time Aleksandar Tonev finds row Z with another of his ambitious long-range efforts.

But the club's reduced spending power, both in terms of fees and wages, means Villa are no longer shopping at Waitrose for expensive proven Premier League talents like Ashley Young and James Milner.

Instead Lambert is taking a gamble on cheaper players - some of which will come off (Benteke etc) and some of which won't (Joe Bennett etc).

 

Neville WilliamsAston-Villa-FC-Unveil-New-Signing-Grant-
Shrewd: Grant Holt can do a job at Villa Park

 

But his decision to bring Brad Guzan back has worked out superbly and Benteke, Ashley Westwood, Matt Lowton, Ron Vlaar, Jed Steer and Jores Okore all look good buys to me.

I realise the signing of Grant Holt is hardly a name to set pulse races at Villa Park.

But it's a shrewd, value-for-money initial short-term deal to cover for the injured Libor Kozak.

It is a far cry from Darren Bent's arrival for £24million three years ago, which says everything about the club's changing budget.

But Holt will do a job on and off the pitch, where he is a big character in the dressing room.

Expect him to win plenty of free-kicks (he was previously among the most fouled players in the Premier League) and contribute the odd vital goal.

He actually scored in his last three Premier League games for Norwich before he was sold to Championship Wigan.

I think he could have stayed at the Canaries and helped them.

But he wanted to move nearer his family who live in Cumbria and was frustrated with Chris Hughton's 4-5-1 tactics.

I don't know why it went sour for Holt at Wigan but now he has been reunited with his former Norwich boss Lambert, he'll be useful.

His arrival should at the very least keep Benteke on his toes and if Holt clicks, could be an inspired signing to help earn perhaps six-eight extra points which could propel Villa into the top half and produce even clearer progress.



 

 

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Doesn't seem to me that James Nursey does anything but churn out the same vague cliches we have been hearing all season.

 

What Lambert needs to understand (Lerner and Lambert as well - I'm sure they are all clever enough to get this) is that while Villa are churning out such dreadful football at home, in front of the 30,000+ people who are loyal enough to turn up to watch it 19 times a year, they are going to get criticised. I have never been a supporter of booing your side but I really do understand why people are doing it now. The football we have seen is an insult to the fans.

 

So all these soft focus words will have nil impact. Only starting to play more attractive, crowd-pleasing football will do that.

Edited by briny_ear
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Doesn't seem to me that James Nursey does anything but churn out the same vague cliches we have been hearing all season.

 

What Lambert needs to understand (Lerner and Lambert as well - I'm sure they are all clever enough to get this) is that while Villa are churning out such dreadful football at home, in front of the 30,000+ people who are loyal enough to turn up to watch it 19 times a year, they are going to get criticised. I have never been a supporter of booing your side but I really do understand why people are doing it now. The football we have seen is an insult to the fans.

 

So all these soft focus words will have nil impact. Only starting to play more attractive, crowd-pleasing football will do that.

 

The problem is that we seem to want it all - not to be in a relegation battle, to sign players, to play beautiful football and to have a sustainable club.  The reality is that the financial trimming means that we simply can't do this and have to prioritise.  In my opinion;

 

1. Sustainability

2. Survival

3. Additions

4. Beautiful football

 

It's just an added bonus to have a team playing wonderful, easy on the eye stuff.  I can put up with a couple of seasons of dross to see a long-term benefit.  This summer is huge though, no doubt about it.

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I liked nursey's article in the mirror.

Me too. Thought it was spot on.

I think we should give the manager and his team as much backing as we can between now and the end of the season.

Then see what the summer brings in terms of the playing squad and judge them next season.

I think there's a nucleus of a decent team there, they just need a bit more time and a couple of new faces in the squad.

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By the way, Nursey describing Ashley Young and James Milner as , "expensive, proven Premier League talents", exposes him as a bit of a berk. Ashley Young was bought from Championship side Watford and Milner had struggled to get a regular slot in the Newcastle side and was by no means a big star when he came to us.

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The problem is that we seem to want it all - not to be in a relegation battle, to sign players, to play beautiful football and to have a sustainable club.  The reality is that the financial trimming means that we simply can't do this and have to prioritise.  In my opinion;

 

1. Sustainability

2. Survival

3. Additions

4. Beautiful football

 

It's just an added bonus to have a team playing wonderful, easy on the eye stuff.  I can put up with a couple of seasons of dross to see a long-term benefit.  This summer is huge though, no doubt about it.

 

Did we play good football & pick up points between Feb & May last season?

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The problem is that we seem to want it all - not to be in a relegation battle, to sign players, to play beautiful football and to have a sustainable club.  The reality is that the financial trimming means that we simply can't do this and have to prioritise.  In my opinion;

 

1. Sustainability

2. Survival

3. Additions

4. Beautiful football

 

It's just an added bonus to have a team playing wonderful, easy on the eye stuff.  I can put up with a couple of seasons of dross to see a long-term benefit.  This summer is huge though, no doubt about it.

 

Did we play good football & pick up points between Feb & May last season?

 

 

Yes we did.  I don't really understand what point you're making here?

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By the way, Nursey describing Ashley Young and James Milner as , "expensive, proven Premier League talents", exposes him as a bit of a berk. Ashley Young was bought from Championship side Watford and Milner had struggled to get a regular slot in the Newcastle side and was by no means a big star when he came to us.

 

Watford were in the Premier League when we signed Young, and Young was regarded as one of their top players and was highly rated at the time and we beat off a few teams to his signing.

 

Milner may have been struggling to get into the Newcastle side, but he'd been playing Premier League football since he was 16, and was very highly rated from the point he started playing for Leeds.

 

Not proven in the sense that they might be now, but they were still fairly proven at the time and highly rated prospects.

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Dont get me wrong but at the back of my mind I sort of hope we get dragged into a relagation battle again to prove the likes of Faulkner, Nursery and Lambert you cant play it this way. Most of us fans can see the problems, and all we will hear if we finish midtable is gonna be the loud noise from the "I told you so's"

If we struggle again the board may realise Lambert and the way we are going is not going to work.

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Dont get me wrong but at the back of my mind I sort of hope we get dragged into a relagation battle again to prove the likes of Faulkner, Nursery and Lambert you cant play it this way. Most of us fans can see the problems, and all we will hear if we finish midtable is gonna be the loud noise from the "I told you so's"

If we struggle again the board may realise Lambert and the way we are going is not going to work.

 

I know this may sound like a ridiculous statement, but im sure most of you know where im coming from!

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Dont get me wrong but at the back of my mind I sort of hope we get dragged into a relagation battle again to prove the likes of Faulkner, Nursery and Lambert you cant play it this way. Most of us fans can see the problems, and all we will hear if we finish midtable is gonna be the loud noise from the "I told you so's"

If we struggle again the board may realise Lambert and the way we are going is not going to work.

What a ridiculous thing to say.

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Dont get me wrong but at the back of my mind I sort of hope we get dragged into a relagation battle again to prove the likes of Faulkner, Nursery and Lambert you cant play it this way. Most of us fans can see the problems, and all we will hear if we finish midtable is gonna be the loud noise from the "I told you so's"

If we struggle again the board may realise Lambert and the way we are going is not going to work.

What a ridiculous thing to say.

 

Agree not the best statement. Problem is, its not gonna change next season, it'll be a struggle again because the manager has no tactical ability or cannot trust the players he has bought.  The only way out if we keep him if if he's aloud to buy himself out the shit.

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Dont get me wrong but at the back of my mind I sort of hope we get dragged into a relagation battle again to prove the likes of Faulkner, Nursery and Lambert you cant play it this way. Most of us fans can see the problems, and all we will hear if we finish midtable is gonna be the loud noise from the "I told you so's"

If we struggle again the board may realise Lambert and the way we are going is not going to work.

 

What a load of shite.

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Dont get me wrong but at the back of my mind I sort of hope we get dragged into a relagation battle again to prove the likes of Faulkner, Nursery and Lambert you cant play it this way. Most of us fans can see the problems, and all we will hear if we finish midtable is gonna be the loud noise from the "I told you so's"

If we struggle again the board may realise Lambert and the way we are going is not going to work.

You know, I've always regarded those people crazy who think that some here would actually want us to do badly, just to be proven right.

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