AntrimBlack

Don't get it, Sam.

I know that all the talk from Lerner and Fox is Lambert staying, but I get the impression that Fox is a guy who would not hesitate to pull the trigger if he feels it is necessary, obviously with Lerner's blessing of course. This is no Faulkner, he looks to have a bit of steel about him.

The Soccer Saturday pundits were very impressed by that interview. Sounds like a different interview to the one I have seen. Where can I find this one?

Why did he bring him back then? Stupidity? Malice? Let's not just stick a 'wrong' hat on Lambert and then not ask where we got it. Remembering of course that hindsight is 20/20. Bent was heading off on loan with Derby agreeing to pay a large part of his wages, Benteke was just back after injury, and possibly not fit enough to play every game, in a wait and see sort of scenario. It was considered judicious maybe then that we would sacrifice a few months of Robinson's game time in League 1 in order to maybe have him come in and play back up to Benteke at Villa, in case we needed a striker in his mould. I think we're all sort of getting too bogged down on how important a loan spell like that is to a player's development. Especially a loan to League One. Probably not too much of a difference between League 1 and Reserves. And certainly if there's a chance of him getting a game in PL now and again, it might tilt the balance in favour of him coming back. Which it obviously did. Some players just don't go out on loan before they start in the Premier League and they don't turn out worse players as a result. There's no one saying that Drennan's loan to Portsmouth turned him into a superstar, or that Jack Wilshere would be a better player if he had done a year in Carlisle. He had Agbonlahor and Weimann as strikers, and could have recalled Robinson when he actually needed him. And I disagree with you about loans, playing against men instead of boys must be valuable experience.

Didn't use him when he was uninjured, though.

If Sinclair is anyway decent and gets balls in to the middle, Benteke will need to try to be in a position to attack them. I think there have been plenty of balls going into the centre recently and Benteke has been nowhere near them. So I am not convinced that a can't-be-arsed striker and a couldn't-be-arsed-for-two-years winger are going to be the answer to our problems up front. And I do not think Gil operates best as a winger.

Once again: Lambert was NOT "given 8 million to buy Cleverley". 8 million was the buying option price set by Man Utd as part of the LOAN deal.permanent What the agreed transfer fee was before the deal fell through nobody knows, but it may have been more like 3 million. As others have said, the results under Lambert have been bad enough without having to make stuff up to use against him. And now you are making things up!

Absolutely. The handling of Robinson is completely indefensible.

No wonder the football took a back seat.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-would-love-rush-8552889 Only two and a half seasons to figure that one out? No, two and a half seasons to scrape the cash together for some wide players. As Lambert says in the rest of the article, scoring goals hasn't been a problem until this season. Presumably he is talking about Gil and Sinclair, one very cheap, one on loan, so I cannot agree with you on that one. And your second sentence would indicate that he did not see the necessity for wide players during that time.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-would-love-rush-8552889 Only two and a half seasons to figure that one out?

Well, Lambert must have some sort of knowledge since we signed the likes of Benteke and Vlaar in his first transfer window. However, it can't entirely be down to him and as I just said a minute ago, we've introduced several new scouts since Tom Fox arrived. I think it is definitely important for us to continue improving our scouting network if we're to succeed without spending too much money. Thanks. I must have been writing when you posted.

This would seem to be something that the club organise, Delph to meet and greet Sinclair, Sanchez to do similar with Gil. A friendly face, good idea.

And another one bites the dust. Someone is wielding a hatchet on our young players recently.

I really do not know this, but who is actually responsible for picking out signings? Is it the manager, and if so how does he do it, or is it someone in our scouting network employed by the club? Lambert is getting the kudos (and brickbats) but how much of it is down to him?

Yes, but please console yourself with the knowledge that you have given me hours of unwitting entertainment, and are continuing to do so.

Goals you say?

I believe Weimann will bring more to the team than Sinclair, if played in his correct position. Agbonlahor we can do without, no problem.

MOAR BOOBS! He is way ahead of you. He's bringing in Helen Flanagan.

We are all assuming that Benteke will achieve great things, DC, but is it possible we may be wrong. Could it be that in fact what we have is just a good striker, and that we are perhaps about his level.

I think you might find that neither of them think he is worth £3m, plus a fat salary, and I am inclined to agree.

Agree with this. We do not need another non-scoring striker. I cannot understand why Robinson has not been given more of a chance. Not even on the bench at the moment. Complete waste of his successful loan move.

Yes, he is very impressive, very personable, responded well to some quite awkward questions. I think he might be excellent for us, but I guess time will tell.

For all you know Lambert is the best coach in the universe, unless you're a regular at BMH and have sat in on other clubs training as well, you have no way of knowing and pretending you do is just silly. Results on the pitch are probably a bit of a guide. Not much more than "a bit" if anything. Putting everything that happens on the pitch down to coaching is (how shall I put this?) a false narrative. I should have put a smiley. I was in fact understating for effect. Quite a short sentence, and cannot understand how you would think that I either stated or indicate`everything'. However, while obviously circumstances have an effect on what happens on the pitch, I believe that coaching also plays a very large part, and I cannot believe that anyone would think differently.

I was right with him for two and a half seasons. Considering results, performances etc., I think I gave him every chance. For me to change my mind, it would require consistent progress over a season.