tomh621

Yes but why did he sign players that weren't good enough? Because they were cheap. Why did he sign cheap players? Because he doesn't have the funds to create a team he truly wants, only a team he can afford. No because he chose to spend his budget this summer on a bunch of squad-fillers rather then attempting to improve the starting-eleven. That's true as well but starting 11 players have more quality and in general cost more. It's really difficult at the moment because there are so many problems you can't really pinpoint one. Im not disagreeing with you. Just saying theres a lot of shit going on.

Yes but why did he sign players that weren't good enough? Because they were cheap. Why did he sign cheap players? Because he doesn't have the funds to create a team he truly wants, only a team he can afford.

Theres a lot of great points being made here but not a lot of questions being asked. For example is Lambert playing boring football because he hasn't had the means to get the creative midfielder he wants? Has he had to adapt/change style because of the squad he currently has and the talent the footballers in it possess? How difficult is it really when your owner doesn't back the manager and give him the funds he would ideally want to build HIS squad, not a squad shaped around the money available to him? I want answers to all of this. I know there's meant to be a plan and a project for the future but... Im just trying to think of every circumstance etc to get my head round all of this in order to empathize with our clubs current situation. It's all well and good just slating everyone but it doesn't really come up with anything productive.

This is exactly what worries me. Shit owner.

Jesus **** christ. Unfortunately i didn't get the watch the game as i was visiting family but managed to catch live text updates. No better than last year and we can't even beat teams like Crystal Palace. HOW?! Lambert can't get that team to win and i know they can do better. They're playing BORING football and he isn't learning from mistakes. Goes and does the same thing every week. I understand Benteke isn't there but cmon, this is a joke 4th defeat in a row and we can't even score at home. Dreading watching the highlights to be honest and Lambert is asking for the sack. On one hand i feel bad because Lerner clearly isn't interested in Villa any more and just wants his money back so doesn't give any Lambert leeway. I honestly think Lambert could do well with a proper owner and good funds but then thats just it isn't it? This is what being a manager is. Cant just have all the money in the world because that proves nothing - just shows you can BUY a good squad. Then on the other side I'm thinking i know we should and HAVE to beat the teams below 9th. Let alone relegation candidates and newly promoted teams. Everything needs to do better i guess. Lambert i playing boring football, the team needs a kick up the arse, and Lerner needs to either put out and realize he's bought a football club not a casino or just **** off.

He isn't a 6ft plus target-man so he will never get a run as the main striker under Lambert. Shame really i think he could work well with Benteke. More support for Tekkers, better role for Weimann and i know they can both find the net. Probably put some good pressure on him too he'd want to prove himself.

No way in hell id suggest spending the summer budget in january and not spending in the summer!

I do agree with this, but having said that if we can get someone we'd look at in the summer anyway then why not?

He looks very good indeed, but id be surprised if he was let go of. Id sh*t my pants if these reliable sources are genuinely reliable and he actually arrives.

My opinion (sorry if it's a long post): It's all well and good just sacking another manager - but when he's just bought half a new squad but who's going to replace them and do a good job with the SAME RESOURCES? I personally like Lambert. I don't pretend to know all the politics and what not but he's obviously working under a strict budget and a new set of rules that are restructuring the club or whatever. To be honest i do think he could have the balls to say when his team could and should have played better or he got tactics wrong or whatever because its the same post match analysis week in week out now. "couldn't fault the effort… thought we deserved something." and were all thinking "No SH*T". ALSO he seems adamant to stick to the same tactics and our opposition have blatantly figured them out. Benteke gets bullied up there, plus he's getting injured and all that. He could do with some support up front alongside him at least till he scores again (Weimann). Were playing poorly at home, and whilst we are picking up some results away the recent losses have been awful and its better to win in front of 40,000 fans rather than 5000 etc. The stoke game was… awful to say the least. Savage (BBC) said the other day that the only reason Villa are safe this season is because of the 3 other teams struggling in the relegation zone (at the moment) this season and i have to admit if we don't improve or change something then that could be us quite easily. I think we need another CB (Vlaar keeps getting injured) because we need solid partnership week in week out, and i don't think Clark and Baker are currently strong enough. And a CDM. Sure we have a fair few midfielders but they're neither a CAM or a CDM - they don't have a specialist position, so to speak, and i think we need that. BUT, that having been said Paul Lambert can only work with what he's got. SO despite the fact that i may have criticized him in the above i think he's worth keeping. We have to remember he's clearly got a tight budget to work with and its not every week you can find a player that bags 20 goals in a season, puts strikers in their pockets and threads a ball through the eye of a needle from 20 yards. He seems to be building a squad and plans for the long term, hence the young and cheap players nobody has heard of, so i think he should be allowed to carry that out at least a while longer considering he's already started. Also some people on here have stated that some ITK's (hairyhands?) are close with lambert and reckon he's going to bring in a much needed CAM in january? - If that happens then at least he's changing something and has recognized flaws in the team. Anyways we all know what needs to be improved and all that. So let's see if Lambert does something about it. Its unfair to sack him now, halfway through his plans. Its a tough job and I think could any other manager really do better? Bare in mind he's just one man that takes a lot of responsibility in a big club. Im curious to see what he can do but ultimately success is most important and i hope he delivers. UTV!!

pretty brutal teaching methods - but if it works...

People don't want big money signings just for the sake of it. Some would like lambert to be given more funds to build the squad he wants. i know and i agree with that. just a few individuals is what i meant. huge improvements already though

lambert is laying the foundations to a squad he wants to build .... which takes time .... There seems to be a lack of patience on the forum here with people saying we should invest big in players - and considering our budget thats most likely going to be ONE player. id rather buy a few quality players, regardless of how much they cost, than buy one household name. ofcourse there will be a time where we can do that again but its not now. like the saying goes - youre only as good as your team. so anyways - lambert has and still is building the foundations, and our squad has improved as a whole. we can finish top ten this season and move onwards and upwards from there. there is definitely no lack of ambition from paul lambert and i have no doubt hes got the balls to bring in a more heard of player for more cash if need be. utv

Oh for the love of god. Everytime i see this guy now ill think of Joffrey.

So would Messi.

CAM needed. Agree with a lot of the posts on here addressing this problem. The energy is great, work ethic is great, counter attacking is great, but as soon as the opposition has time to get back and shut up shop we cant break them down. Our attack is quality but imagine a CAM (e.g. coutinho) behind them we'd be fecking ruthless. Also the rest of the midfield could then be more focused on helping to cover the defense rather than pegging it box to box all the time. - possibly kill two birds with one stone.

Brutally honest but true

wouldnt say we 'trawled' the leagues. Helenius scored 16 in 33 appearances for Aalborg. Bacuna made 35 appearances - which he wouldnt have achieved if he wasnt of some value to the club. Bit disrespectful to two talented players, and to our manager who picked them because he wanted them. Not because they were our last choice. Talent is talent. Look what swansea did with Michu and look what WE did with Benteke. 'Priceless bargains'. Come on man head up.

I think another midfielder could be vital, while we have serious competition at centre back, I can't help but think our midfield are going to be burnt out over Christmas, KAE has really stepped up and is like a new signing himself, add in forgotten man Sylla, and I think we just need another player who could maybe do the Delph role just to keep lads fresh. My thoughts exactly. Yes the lads are on fire, but certainly wouldnt hurt to keep everyone fresh. We've drastically improved the squad but not the first team. I cant say id comfortably rotate our team. We have an A and B squad really, and although im very happy with the signings - apart from Okore i think theyre not proven or and need time to adapt and build up momentum. 1st player needed i think to keep our usual starting line up fresh and on their toes.

Also for that free kick where he who shall not be named scored, the ref looks to have played at least 10 seconds of advantage and lukaku clearly attempts a run to cross outside the becuase before he is stopped. Then they get a freekick. Awful decision let alone the elbow.

Before the game i would have been very happy with a draw but im actually feeling a bit robbed now. Anways since we didnt get the result we deserved *cough* shit reffing *cough* the only thing we can do is be unbelievably proud of that performance. Bearing in mind that Chelsea are considered by many to be favourites for the title - i thought it was pretty even so i cant wait to see how we perform against our 'mid table contenders'. Delph was a beast again, and the counter attacking was great. Thought Weimann could have buried that second attempt from the left, but hey. If we can look like winning against chelsea, and keep up this high level then... who knows.

I agree with your assessment. For me it's not an issue that one or two new players will solve - we will need to keep building and gradually upgrade players as we go. It's a journey Next year I see us again playing mainly 4-2-3-1 / 4-3-3. The defence is what it is and we have got to hope that Okore makes a difference and that Vlaar benefits from having a hopefully strong CB partner (I'm worried that the tough opening fixtures will hinder Okore's bedding in period though). Luna may make a difference he too Up front we look strong with Gabby, Benteke and Weimann supported by Helenius, Tonev, Bacuna plus some good young talent emerging Bowery, Drennan, Grealish, Burke It is in midfield that we could still struggle - Delph, Westwood, Sylla are all improving players but might not be enough? Maybe Gardner can emerge into the strong defensive MF we need but we could really do with a better version of Zog who can unlock defences when required. I'd welcome Milner back with open arms A mid-table finish 10-12th would do me and then a few upgrades next close season It would be nice to win a bit of silverware sometime though wouldn't it I agree. Very realistic and honest view of things. Our attack is strong, they know the drill. The majority of midfield on the other hand is new and the others there have one PROPER full season under their belts in the prem. Norwich, Swansea and Fulham look to have strengthened and improved a lot and theyre the real competition for us, with squads that are just as good - dare i say our attack is better (i think it is)? I think the mid table teams have stronger midfields on paper (considering standout players) but we havent seen what our newly revitalised squad can do yet! Our strength is the attack and the hunger of the squad as a whole which is great thing to have - the positive, 110% attitude that seems to be round the team now will only make them improve throughout the season in my opinion. I'll admit im a little nervous with the new and relatively unseen talent in the squad but i think we'll see that pretty quickly. 10-12th finish isnt too optimistic at all in my opinion but its going to be very tight for those middle spots. Sunderland and newcastle could go either way in my opinion. Last season there were only 7 points separating 9th from 17th.

Homesickness Anonymous thread?

looked solid against malaga until the second half. need to get those second half goals sorted. luna was brilliant Really ? Granted he looked better than bennet - but Brilliant is pushing it True, im comparing him to Bennet but his work ethic was great and made some good tackles

looked solid against malaga until the second half. need to get those second half goals sorted. luna was brilliant