bobzy

It's a very good point you make concerning 'the players you have determine what style you can play' which incapsulates what I was originally trying to say. With few exceptions Lambert bases his style of play around a big man up front. He has purchased Bowery, Kozak, Benteke and replaced the second two with Holt. If we buy better players in the summer particularly in midfield do you think he will suddenly bench those front players and replace them with either Gabby upfront on his own or two new smaller but more nippy forwards to encompass a change of style? That's what I was getting at with the signing of Holt. He might have been able to bring another forward in on loan even from Europe to change our style of play but he chose to go with yet another big target man up front. You also have to remember that it was he who brought those 17-18 players in and if we are going to give Lambert some credit then he brought those players in with a style of play in mind which would substantiate your original point and mine that even with better players he would still play them in his preferred system with a target man upfront which would nevertheless still produce the archaic, insipid hoof football we've seen while he has been our manager. My opinion may be bollox but it is bollox based on what I've seen first hand with few exceptions over the last two seasons under Lambert and even with better players I don't think we will necessarily see better football under him. All of this is fair enough but I think we've seen a change in style from Lambert towards the back end of this season? It's actually probably coincided with some poor results, but we've been retaining possession much more effectively in the last few games. Against Swansea and Southampton in particular, both sides absolutely dominated us in terms of possession earlier in the season but we held the ball better against them in recent games (a quick glance at the BBC site tells me we had 27% possession against Swansea (52% recently) and 22% against Southampton (38% recently)). Evidently, any change of style/play is going to take an amount of time to embed but I think Lambert is generally getting us into a style of play he'd want us to play rather than one he feels we need to play. Cynically, perhaps he's only done this as he's been without Benteke/Kozak. Either way, it would certainly be harsh to class the football we've played recently as "hoof ball".

Laursen, Mellberg and Carew. Done.

I think trent's stated multiple times that PL tried to get them removed but the board didn't allow it We're going round in circles. The first question is: since this was his hand-picked coaching team he had worked with for over 8 years, how come he couldn't get them to coach the team in the way he wanted - what does that say about his own effectiveness as a manager? The second one is, once things got to the extreme position of wanting to sack them, why the board were apparently reluctant to do so having had the facts put before them? In my view, nobody is coming out of this shambles with much credit so far, although fair play to Lambert for finally persuading the board if that's what happened. Last bit is correct. It's all a shambles, but at least something has now been done about it. The most important thing is that this somehow translates to decent (results-wise) football over the last few games.

Are they sexy, though, and do they know it?

So the mirror have it spot on and Trent was wrong? And if that's the case then its no excuse at all for such poor performances from the first team and is really a nothing story in relation to the playing side of the club. No, not at all. As I stated on the last page... Isn't this all conjecture? What does Lambert do day-to-day, for example? We haven't really got much of an idea surrounding the whole situation - it just smacks of mismanagement across the board.

Mirror saying they're suspended on grounds of bullying complaints; "Several Villa staff, including physios and kitchen auxiliaries, have officially complained to the club’s Human Resources department this week about Culverhouse and Karsa, who have worked with Lambert at previous clubs Wycombe, Colchester and Norwich. They have made statements that will be used in a disciplinary process which, if they are found guilty, could see the pair - who each have a year left on their contracts - dismissed without a pay-off" All of this could've been resolved, if only Lambert was present at training more often.

Isn't this all conjecture? What does Lambert do day-to-day, for example? We haven't really got much of an idea surrounding the whole situation - it just smacks of mismanagement across the board.

Classic. Good post. More of that please.

Someone else (foreveryoung?) posted this point a few pages back - could be completely the case. It could also, partially, explain why Culverhouse's methods might have been successful in lower league football for years with Lambert but just not up to scratch for the Premier League. The old "let them 'av it" sort of style without much substance. You can't really blame Lambert for entrusting people who he's been successful with for many years but something has obviously gone badly wrong here. Glad to see it getting resolved though and, if Trent's post is true regarding player attitude already improving, hopefully we'll see a more spirited end of the season. (As an aside, perhaps a partial explanation for the complete lack of energy in the past few games?). Also, we have a very large amount of football managers on here - impressive.

Squad. A **** squad. For **** sake.

I guess getting it "in there" that this will be used as an "excuse" is more important than what's actually happening at the club. Good work BJ.

DVD to be released alongside "Liverpool - Finishing ahead of Man Utd" at the end of the season. If Villa had a season like Liverpool are having I would definitely buy the DVD. I still have my "Race For The Championship 1989/90" VHS if you're interested.

DVD to be released alongside "Liverpool - Finishing ahead of Man Utd" at the end of the season.

Update from that forum This would make sense... although why would we keep Lambert now? Bit strange.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2605062/Lamberts-future-uncertain-Villa-chief-Faulkner-heads-Bodymoor-Heath-summit-talks-fire-boss.html Is that what this article refers to then?

Raheem Sterling, much like Wayne Rooney, was a talent spotted at another club and bought by a bigger team. These aren't just any old youth players.

And there we have it folks. 'Lambertites' No, Lamberties. They're a new marketing gimmick - a tie with Paul Lambert's face on and a button that you can press which repeats "we go again, we go again, we go again".

It's probably because there have been runs of games (end of last season, beginning of this in particular) where he got things spot on. Likewise in certain other games such as the win against Chelsea. The baffling/frustrating thing is the complete lack of consistency or a decent "plan B" option. However, I think it's tough enough to get all of that with a new squad straight away - let alone when you're not spending much on quality. It looks as if he's tried to address issues as we go along, namely; - When he joined, our problem was scoring goals - he signed Benteke - Last season, our problem was conceeding goals - on the whole, the defence has been better this season (up until recently) - This season, our problem has been retaining possession and creating chances - the last few games have seen improved possession but shit results For me, this is why he should be given until Christmas/end of next season (assuming he gets some backing in the summer). He knows what's wrong with the team and has worked with his poor squad for 2 seasons now. Let him add to it, see if it goes well and, if it really, really doesn't, sack him around Christmas. I don't think Paul Lambert is the greatest manager in the world but I can't think of an obvious candidate that would come to us and be MUCH better. Added to the problems surrounding more upheaval/costs etc, I'd stick with him for the time being. The summer is huge though, simple.

Yeah that's worked out amazingly for him, hasn't it? Well yes it has really. Injuries are part and parcel of the game no matter level your playing at. For some reason at this club we have a massive reluctance to give our own youth a chance. Look at another example like James Millner or Rooney. No one is saying play him 24/7. So you think it would be better for Villa/Jack to be playing little bits of games every now and then rather than being a first team regular whilst on loan at another club?

Your hair is quite poor.

Lambert should be doing better - but he's without all of his most expensive signings at the moment. If you took that away from most teams down the bottom, they'd be struggling (perhaps not to the extent that we are, granted).

"Those who wouldn't sack Lambert at this moment in time" is different to "Lambert supporters", for example. The point being made (I think?) is that many of the more pessimistic posters use terminology to distinguish themselves from people who are more optimistic. Everyone has a tendancy to make pointed remarks, but comments such as being "Lambert apologists" or having "lowered expectations" etc. etc. are purely made to insight more petty arguing or belittle others.

Not allowed. Reasoned debate isn't allowed; you're either his biggest fan in the world or you hate him. Nothing in between, thanks.

I don't understand why people would want Lambert out only to be replaced by another, inexperienced-yet-relatively-successful lower league manager. People suggesting Eddie Howe - did you see his tenure at Burnley?!

Notts County fans have actually been giving him a bit of stick (nothing too major) recently. Let him progress naturally rather than wanting to shove him into a Premier League first team.