wazzap24

I have a problem with it, he's been a joke defender for about a decade in the PL.

 

Experienced or not, we need quality, not quantity. No doubt I'm a shit fan for saying this though

Naaaah you are not a shit fan mate, just another caught in the black and white world of everyone being either absolute dog turd or 'world class'. He's neither.

You have to laugh at some of the moaning on here!

Decent signing IMO. No world beater by any means, but good cover for Vlaar/Okore.

Experience of playing for and against top quality sides. He isn't the car crash some are painting him out to be either.

Not my first choice, but then I doubt he was Lambert's either. Maybe he did try for Hangeland or Lescott? I imagine he probably enquired about both, but with our budget, this is probably about the best we could get.

 

We've got an abundance of squad fillers that aren't good enough, we don't need to sign another one.

Is he better than Clark and/or Baker? Loads of prem experience, regular for his country and free. What's not to like?

Everyone needs a reality check. Club for sale and Lambert has about 50p and a bag of crisps for a budget.

Unless Lerner pulls some miracle u-turn or a gazillionaire is about to ride into town, any player we sign is going to be either unproven, unemployed or unhinged so its unlikely any of them will be anybody's first, second or third choice.

Cheap, solid and improves the squad - expect more of the same.

You have to laugh at some of the moaning on here!

Decent signing IMO. No world beater by any means, but good cover for Vlaar/Okore.

Experience of playing for and against top quality sides. He isn't the car crash some are painting him out to be either.

Not my first choice, but then I doubt he was Lambert's either. Maybe he did try for Hangeland or Lescott? I imagine he probably enquired about both, but with our budget, this is probably about the best we could get.

Anybody think its likely that although Lambert won't be given much in terms of transfer fees, its possible that Randy will allow some more expensive free signings because he expects that he won't be picking up most of the bill?

It's impossible to tell what's going on in Lerner's clearly eccentric mind and I don't think trying to speculate using logic really works when it comes to trying to second guess him!

You would think that common sense dictates he makes reasonable funds available (or increases the wage limit to accommodate some decent frees and loans), even if it's just to protect his investment pre-sale.

We could have a pretty decent side next year without spending a penny on actual transfer fees, but not if we can't offer more than 15-20k a week.

I think it will become clear by early July, if a takeover isn't on the horizon it will be interesting to see what he does give Lambert.

In any event, I think Barry and Lescott would be good additions to the squad.

As long as you've sorted your diet out, then any cardio will help as a tool for weight loss.

If that routine works up a sweat and burns some calories then it's fine (sounds like it would to me). Might be worth putting some straight sprints in there (the "40-20s" I mentioned earlier in the thread you could do on a football pitch. 20 seconds to sprint the length of the pitch, 40 seconds to jog back. Repeat until you're dying)

But it'll be (pretty much) futile if you haven't sorted your diet out. Diet is the key to losing weight. You can run your arse off but if you're not hitting a calorie deficit you own't lose weight.

I've been on a fitness kick since Jan, I actually weigh a bit more than I did when I started, but I am starting to look totally different (in a good way)

High protein diet, lots of weight/body resistance training and minimal 'cardio' - it really does work.

I've seen an ab or two in the mirror recently I reckon by the end of June I might have a 3 pack!

Lambert an co. Will be thinking they will have a better team next season even if we stand still. Benteke coming back, Kozak, NZog, Bent, Hutton. I tend to agree it looks better on paper, will have to see what Lambert can make of it!

I am sure he can make a dogs dinner out of it as he did last season when all but the Zog were available to him at some points during the season.

Eh?

Kozak didn't sign until summer deadline day and Okore did his knee 2 weeks later.

Benteke was in and out, even before the season ending injury at the beginning of April and Kozak was done for at the beginning of Jan.

Lambert's 3 most expensive signings - did they even start one game together?

If we're going to talk about facts, where on earth have you got a spend of £10m from?  I thought we'd long since agreed that we'd spent roughly £20m each year he's been here.  Whether that's enough is a contentious matter, but at least get the figure right.

 

I believe I have, we will have to await the next set of accounts to be know though.

 

No we don't I'm afraid, the spend was confirmed in the last set of accounts' PBSE note.  £18.9m on top of the £21.7m from the year before.  Note 27 if you'd care to check.

###Genuine un-loaded question alert###

How can the summer 2013 spend be in the 2013 accounts? Isn't our year end May 31st

The 2012 figures were y/e 31st May

Has this changed?

 

Companies have to include a note "Events after the balance sheet date" which is anything of major importance that happens after the balance sheet date ie 31 May 2013, and the date the accounts are signed ie Feb 2014.  This takes in both the summer 2013 and January 2014 transfer windows, and the note confirms that £18.9m was spent.  This figure will appear in the 31 May 2014 accounts as additions to the squad, and the May 2014 accounts will then confirm this summer's spend when they're relased next Feb, and so on.

Thanks for this Risso

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/mar/01/aston-villa-17m-pound-loss

Y/E May 31st 2012

Last accounts were May 2013

Next set will be Y/E May 2014 - these will be filed no later than 9 months from now and will include spend from June 2013 onwards.

Have I got this wrong?

If we're going to talk about facts, where on earth have you got a spend of £10m from?  I thought we'd long since agreed that we'd spent roughly £20m each year he's been here.  Whether that's enough is a contentious matter, but at least get the figure right.

 

I believe I have, we will have to await the next set of accounts to be know though.

 

No we don't I'm afraid, the spend was confirmed in the last set of accounts' PBSE note.  £18.9m on top of the £21.7m from the year before.  Note 27 if you'd care to check.

###Genuine un-loaded question alert###

How can the summer 2013 spend be in the 2013 accounts? Isn't our year end May 31st

The 2012 figures were y/e 31st May

Has this changed?

I would also say that when comparing spend between Ellis and Lerner there are two main factors;

1. Ellis never spent a penny of his own money. Randy has used a fair bit of his own cash I would say

2. Wages. I'm willing to bet that Dunne for example earn't more per week when he signed than Mellberg and Laursen did combined when they were signed.

The wages and lack of 'sellable' players killed the Lerner regime.

I think the only way us Villa fans can look at this without getting too despondant (dont worry, I feel the same too) - is to think of this as........We have a hungry striker, who used to be good, who will be busting a gut to make an impression during the final year of his contract to earn a pay day at the end of it. Let's just hope he scrapes enough goals to see us through this potentially abysmal season. 

 

One bonus is that we will have a big target man (Kozak, then Benteke) to play alongside him, as he always has had wherever he's flourished.

Hutton, again, will be busting a gut to make an impression and might be a decent option against some of the opposition.

If he's got anything about him (Bent) then he should come back absolutely determined to prove he has still 'got it'

My impression of him though is that 'determination' is something that he is severely lacking (along with hard work and self sacrifice)

It's a myth that PL never gave him a chance and he's a busted flush as far as I'm concerned. I would love him to prove me wrong.

Probably because we had a defence that included Wilfred Bouma, Olof Mellberg and Martin Laursen.

So Doug allowed a better team to be built.

I wouldn't quite say that BJ

If MON had spent the large sums he was given on better players, we would have had a fantastic side.

As it was he signed 3-4 good ones and a whole steaming heap of overpriced turd.

With full health and our best 11 on the pitch, I'd say we're a pretty good midtable side actually. When that isn't the case, however, we've been pretty badly exposed at times this season.

 

I'm not sure Lambert should stay on, but if he does I'm 100% behind him.

I agree with this.

I don't think he's done a good job, but he hasn't done an awful one either. IF the takeover happens and he is replaced with someone better then great, but until then he has my full support.

He deserves the sack based on results, but results don't tell the full story and I still think he can do a good job for us if given a bit more time and some decent resources.

So he stays. For now.

Good.

little bit of wheeling and dealing in the market and some positive new from the treatment room and we will be fine

Onwards and upwards

I wonder where Lambert stands with selling players. Buying is fine, but he could sell a player he doesn't like, then get sacked shortly after a takeover, and a new manager might have liked to have kept that player (Helenius) as part of the squad.

For me, whilst the club has no imminent buyer - it's either full control or no control. He either continues as manager with all that it entails or he is removed.

only if the takeover is to be concluded in a mtter of weeks should he be told to 'hold fire' on squad changes.

IIRC one of the media reports suggested Lambert had been told to proceed with planning and had been told he needed to move on some of the players who haven't featured before more can be brought in.

I love the way the man in the white suit gave the big fanfare about Lambert being gone and Trent replied with a succinct 'no'.

 

Anyway, it makes perfect sense for Lambert to remain whilst Randy is here. The question remains how much longer will Randy hold the keys to Villa Park, not what happens whilst he's still here.

 

Whether there's money to spend in the interim or not, would an agent recommend any players join a club mid-takeover? I'm not sure they would. Logic would say that Randy (and his advisers) must have known that putting out a statement would affect the day-to-day running of the club, so I would guess that the handover is in the offing. Weeks, not months IMO.

I don't think the club being up for sale would affect transfers. All the agent would care about would be the fee, wages and his/her 'cut'. I don't think players/agents would be that bothered about who owns the club - not as a primary concern anyway.

Plus, with the bargain basement shopping we do, I think we could attract players with no owner or manager, it would still be a step up from league one or the french/danish/dutch/etc second division!

Attracting a manager under the same circumstance would be far more difficult though

I don't get this fear of Lambert walking I really don't. We are not in Europe next season so no preparation is needed. Lambert has been a dead man walking for most of the season as his recent record would suggest and should that warrant any clamour at all to keep him? Look at our general performance level under him in the run in does that show that the players give a **** whether Lambert is at the club next season or are people still wanting to keep Lambert due to the continuity debate?

If he walks which he won't and should actually be sacked then Cowans I'm sure is more than capable to keep the club ticking over even into the start of next season until a buyer and then a new manager can be brought in who might even, shock horror get better performances out of the players Lambert has signed.

The concern is valid imo.

If Lambert goes and the takeover isn't 'imminent' then I for one would be very worried about next season.

To suggest Cowans could step into the breach for a whole season is a huge gamble. If it were a team full of Villa fans then fine, but it isn't and the players (possibly Gabby/Alby aside) wont give a flying **** if he is a Villa legend or not - there is nothing to suggest he could/would do a better job than Lambert.

The only way I could see it working would be if the club brought someone like Graham Taylor in to provide some guidance/support behind the scenes.

like him or not PL has kept us up for the past two seasons and with a bit more luck and a couple of decent players, I'd wager he is more than capable of doing the same next year.

Cowans would be a huge gamble and if it went wrong we would have nowhere to go (again assuming club still under RL control and seeking a buyer)

if Lambert walks/gets sacked with no new owner on the immediate horizon it would be a very worrying time.

also, just interested - what has not being in Europe got to do with new season prep? surely you have to plan/prepare for the PL?!

Haven't read the last 3 or so pages but I'm genuinely staggered at how many people are saying "by all means re-name the stadium, that's ok".

**** football, man.

The desperation is palpable.

To me re naming the stadium just makes sense whoever the owner as it is something that doesn't matter much and helps us catch up in the league

Good enough for Arsenal, good enough for city. Good enough for us.

It will always be villa park to us, if someone wants to pay us millions to have commentators calling it something else then so be it.

Meh

Shame if we can't agree a perm deal/he doesn't want to come.

About the best we can get at the minute and for the foreseeable future IMO.

Good player, decent experience and young enough to keep ironing I a decent side.

If it's gonna be 10m or less then we need to spend it on loans and try and get an injection of quality, even if it's just over a short period.

Lambert's on a hiding to nothing, I think I'd walk if I were him.

I'd be even more concerned if he does though right now. What quality manager/coach would take the job knowing there was no money and ownership could change at any given time?

Organic growth? Dead and buried in the modern age.

I'm not certain it can't be done, but it would be very difficult without an initial injection of substantial funds.

Get harvey specter to close the deal sharpish

Lerner's about to get 'Litt up'

I don't think the squad is in a 'mess' though BJ10.

My point is if he goes the new manger will walk in to a young squad, with a lot of potential to improve. Not an ageing squad of overpaid players.

I'm not saying its a great squad or he's got good results with it, I'm just saying if he leaves, he leaves one that's in a better state than the previous bunch.

If he goes then whilst I won't be shedding any tears, there will be an element of regret. I still think he's the man for the job in the long term.

One thing is for sure, if he does go, he will leave behind a far better squad for the next incumbent than the previous four managers did.

It's a results games and lambert's haven't been good enough, simple as that. I just think there is a lot more to it than that.

He is leaving one outstanding individual. A far better squad? Not really.

I disagree. He is the one manager who at least tried to build a squad that could improve and grow. A squad built around youth and energy, not overpaid journey men or players on the edge of decline. The previous mangers bought for the moment regardless of future potential and value and many of them were acts of desperation.

If he goes then he leaves a spine of; Guzan, OKore, Vlaar, Delph, Westwood and Benteke. You put good good players alongside those 6 and we've got a good side.

Bacuna has clear potential, Lowton could yet still come good, as could the likes of Tonev, Helenius and Kozak.

He's built a nucleus that can be added to, not something that needs dismantling.

If he goes then whilst I won't be shedding any tears, there will be an element of regret. I still think he's the man for the job in the long term.

One thing is for sure, if he does go, he will leave behind a far better squad for the next incumbent than the previous four managers did.

It's a results games and lambert's haven't been good enough, simple as that. I just think there is a lot more to it than that.