avfc1982am

what about lambert? Does he get a free pass then, because when i last checked he was the manager. Sure lerner is a knob for cutting back, however lambert has had enough quality to at least keep us out this situation.

He'll be sacked when the fans decide to say enough is enough. If we lose to hull next week and the fans stay behind and shout for him to be gone action will be taken. Its an if though, but the fans can make the difference.

Taxi for lamberk!!!

fukin hell! Glad you've woken up.

Bastards!!!

He is being judged on results as it is a results based job. He has done a poor job so far and honestly i think quite a few managers could get more out of the squad than lambert, not just the 3 you mentioned.

I'd take that, as long as we didn't look to be in getting into serious trouble before then, would prefer a clean start with the new owners but he has bought well and agree it would be interesting to see who he could pick up with more funds, especially if it's true we were looking at at Holtby etc but couldn't afford. Although I can't see us anywhere near a europa league spot but here's hoping. I agree :-) I just think he's shown with 5m+ purchases, that he can identify a pretty good player. If we're bottom in october and nothing has changed, then as I said, thanks for the effort, but its not been good enough. Whether or not he can identify a good player or not for £5m isn't really the question fan's should be asking though surely? Isn't it more important that the manager of any team gets them playing good football with every player knowing their job and requirements?! I don't see how Lambert can survive under new owners regardless of financial restraints. The football has in the main been diabolical, add to that the majority of signings have been poor and not worthy of wearing the shirt. With the exception of benteke most fans are still look at the likes of gabby, delph, albrighton and wiemann winning our games for us in an attacking sense, not one of them a Lambert player. Nothing Lambert has done gives me confidence that even with more money he would have us playing good football or that he could even be trusted to bring in the right backroom staff to assist him progress us further on and of the pitch. It's also hard to feel sorry for someone who knew what they were getting into when they took the job and with a salary the majority can only dream of. We need a clearing of the decks both at boardroom and playing level, and maybe then we may actually in the not too distant future get back to where the biggest club in the second city belongs- at minimum challenging for europe. But as I said, I'd give him a chance (only until Christmas) with some money. I think he'd suprise a few people. If we buy a couple of higher calibre players, then naturally, the football will be better. I just think, give him a chance. Give him one summer. If it doesn't work out, then we can look at changing things around. With his hard job very nearly finished, I think the least us fans can give him is a chance to see what he can do with a bigger budget (potentially) :-) Although I love your faith. The obvious fact still remains in that the football has been consistantly crap. Buying better players doesn't guarantee success, especially if the formation and tactics don't suit. And as other posters have mentioned allowing him more money to then fail and have a whole set of new players to shift under new management makes no sense. If the football we played was entertaining and we looked organised, I like many could put up with skirting with relegation whilst waiting for the team to gradually grow. It's not been happening though, and the odd result against cheslea, arsenal or whoever doesn't prove otherwise. It's beating those around you that matters in the prem. For what it's worth I think Lambert could make a good manager in a few years, unfortunately at the moment it isn't working and I think the villa job has come too early for him. And it's too bigger job for a Lerner.

I'd take that, as long as we didn't look to be in getting into serious trouble before then, would prefer a clean start with the new owners but he has bought well and agree it would be interesting to see who he could pick up with more funds, especially if it's true we were looking at at Holtby etc but couldn't afford. Although I can't see us anywhere near a europa league spot but here's hoping. I agree :-) I just think he's shown with 5m+ purchases, that he can identify a pretty good player. If we're bottom in october and nothing has changed, then as I said, thanks for the effort, but its not been good enough. Whether or not he can identify a good player or not for £5m isn't really the question fan's should be asking though surely? Isn't it more important that the manager of any team gets them playing good football with every player knowing their job and requirements?! I don't see how Lambert can survive under new owners regardless of financial restraints. The football has in the main been diabolical, add to that the majority of signings have been poor and not worthy of wearing the shirt. With the exception of benteke most fans are still look at the likes of gabby, delph, albrighton and wiemann winning our games for us in an attacking sense, not one of them a Lambert player. Nothing Lambert has done gives me confidence that even with more money he would have us playing good football or that he could even be trusted to bring in the right backroom staff to assist him progress us further on and of the pitch. It's also hard to feel sorry for someone who knew what they were getting into when they took the job and with a salary the majority can only dream of. We need a clearing of the decks both at boardroom and playing level, and maybe then we may actually in the not too distant future get back to where the biggest club in the second city belongs- at minimum challenging for europe.

Probably not they're 5th... You haven't watched us much this season have you? You can't have. Palace was the straw that broke the camel's back, not a shock result in an otherwise brilliant season. Fingers crossed this change in backroom staff can see an improvement in style and results! Me and VR are from an older generation that have witnessed far worse than this season. We are better prepared to deal with failure and disappointment than others, we are hardened by experience. Additionally, we have witnessed the ultimate rewards of longevity under Ron Saunders and have seen what unwavering support can achieve in difficult times. How do you know your better at dealing with failure or disappointment than anyone else? Being around longer is no argument. Your just more accepting of failure which in itself breeds failure. I have seen crap times down the villa too and been going since the late 70's however that does'nt mean I'm going to follow the blind or not shout my displeasure when the club I love is floundering. I will as I am sure everyone else will get behind the team come kick off on sat and hopefully SID influences lambert into a 4-4-2 formation with some width and go for it. I wont be singing Lamberts claret and blue army though because the VILLA IS OURS!!

I didn't want lambert at the Villa and was in the crowd at Norwich when the fan's sung he's name which I found a little bit desperate to be honest. However no one I know has wanted him to fail. If anything he has been given on the whole a pretty easy ride by the fans and a lot of support. The thing is though it's getting to that point(if you haven't already) when you have to start asking some serious questions about what the fuk is going on?! As the manager of the coaching and playing staff, ultimately the buck stops with Lambert. Fair enough he's had injuries etc, but the general piss poor performances have now tipped the scale straight over to negative for most of us. And if your manager isn't responsible then why have one in the first place.

Where you been for the other 30 odd games? Villa have been a shambles for most of the season and all this nonsense with coaches etc is further proof that the club is a shambles! I've watched Villa 40 years mate and I can tell you it's a shambles. So don't give me the whole, "It's not paulie's fault nonsense". He's called a manager for a reason. Paulie's fault?? Have you been watching Goodfella's? The team, the manager & The Club have been severely handicapped by constant injury to our key players & at vital times throughout the season. Had we won the last 4 games nobody would be bleating on about Karsa & Culverhouse. Too many fans are OTT in their judgements without being privy to facts. The facts as far as I am concerned speak for themselves. ie - injuries to key players thwarting the development of Lambert's plans as in Okore, Benteke, Kozak, Nzogbia & Vlaar at various points throughout the whole season. Any other team in tghe Premier League would struggle in the same circumstances. ie where would Liverpool be without their key players Gerrard, Suarez, Sturridge etc etc for long periods of the season. Also, Suarez is Liverpools best player by a country mile in the same way that Benteke is ours. Have'nt seen goodfellas for a long time however I do see many of your posts constantly backing Paulie up with any excuse you can find. It's never his fault! It's always the fans, randy, the players but never paulie the teflon don!! Also you want to talk about facts? Facts are Villa have shown absolutely no progress this season even with additions to the playing staff. Players have gone backwards, the football is shit, on top of that we get this nonsense with IC and GK. And look at the table and you will see facts. Every manager has injuries, suspensions, some have shitter squads or less money either way a good manager will get the best out of the resources at their disposal. Lambert hasn't. Don't even compare Liverpool with Villa- Liverpool didn't have Suarez at the beginning of the season and managed just fine also Lambert is not Brendan Rogers.

Where you been for the other 30 odd games? Villa have been a shambles for most of the season and all this nonsense with coaches etc is further proof that the club is a shambles! I've watched Villa 40 years mate and I can tell you it's a shambles. So don't give me the whole, "It's not paulie's fault nonsense". He's called a manager for a reason.

I totally agree with this. Villa have been a disorganised shambles all season, bar a couple of games. It does appear somewhat that this crazy situation with IC and GK could be the clubs best solution to an ever deteriorating season, and in turn get the fans backing the manager. Getting rid of Lambert now would have been an admittance of getting it wrong again managerially-at the worst possible time. Instead you get the whole "it's their fault scenario, but we've now sorted it". In turn Lambert get's a little more time and a bit more sympathy from the most important people of all - US. . No doubt IC and GK have upset people and deserve to get shipped out but are they really to blame for this seasons debacle? It's all psychological manipulation and propaganda if you ask me I'm not saying the above is completely true however it will deflect some of the criticism from Lambert and Faulkners door in some quarters - At least temporarily. The bottom line is though, Lambert is not the right manager for Villa! He hasn't managed the players very well, on or off the pitch and not only that but it's come to light that he can't manage his own hired help! Whichever way you spin it, he can't manage. Hence Sid and Shay, our very own SAS.

Except we're not consistently shit - if we were we would've been down ages ago. I think your wrong Mantis. We HAVE been consistantly shit. And you can keep going on about bad luck etc, but the fact remains, we have also had a fair share of good fortune throughout the season, Man City, Southampton, I could go on........ Bottom line is Lambert didn't have massive funds however hasn't done enough with what he has been given and should go. The football we play is too one dimensional with no real shape and none of the players appear to be progressing individually or collectively either.Tactically he has been outthought on a regular basis by other managers, or not reacted quick enough- Something I and friends have witnessed on many occasions this season. If I am completely honest what concerns me most at the moment is this time last year the team started to turn the corner and pull together some good results and performances to escape from the drop zone. This season we are turning the corner in the opposite direction whilst those around us are starting to fight. In the next couple of weeks we could be right in the mix and I don't know if we have the fight this year for the run in. Lambert needs to go at the end of the season, and anyone suggesting that even if we go down he should remain needs their head looking at.

I remember Paul Davis scoring an overhead kick for Arsenal against us back in 83. Last game of the season. We won 2-1 but the whole ground stood to clap what was a quality goal.

Is anyone really a fan of hoofball? The ones who call pass and move football...."tippy tappy" How do you know what I'm a fan of?? Where did I say I liked hoofball?

I totally disagree, Martinez would not have taken us down. He wouldnt have signed anywhere near as much crap as Lambert has signed Oh right, so you think he would have had Baker, Delph, Albrighton, Agbonlahor etc etc playing a short sharp posession game do you? Or do you think he would have magic'd up £50M to completely replace the squad? Either way it's pure fantasy Was not it not great football that ended up keeping us safe last year. Our final 10 games saw a huge improvement in the football and the results. Could a better manager not have had us playing that way ealier? But our style did not change, it just became more effective toward the end of the season, as it may again this year. Under Martinez you'd be looking at a wholly different approach and one that with the squad the way it was 24 months ago would have been beyond us, no matter how well you coach them you're not going to get Baker, Clark, Agbonlahor, Albrighton etc playing tippy tappy posession football Not many teams do play tippy tappy football as you put it especially not in the premiership. The two exceptions are probably Arsenal and Swansea neither managed by Martinez so whats your point? It seems to me that your picking on another managers style of play to try and justify how great Lambert has done?! What nonsense!! First of all Martinez has done very little at Everton yet with one or two decent signing's has got them playing much better football than us and probably his predecessor(Moyes)- and without so called tippy tappy footballers!! Plus how many times have we beat everton this season?! What Martinez may have actually done at villa would be for a start actually play Albrighton instead of Wiemann who has been shit. Had the players more organised and introduced patterns of play that are actually more exciting than the dross we've been watching all season. We will never know though will we because it's all if's, but's and maybes?! So your statement in itself is pure fantasy!!

Under Graham Taylor in 88/89 we avoided relegation in our last game of the season. The following season we finished runners up. Can't see us finishing runners up for a while can you? Plus Paul lambert is most definitely not SGT!

I love your optimism however what you haven't thought about or not mentioned is, all the players mentioned who are in their second premier season, which one has actually improved on their first season? Bennett, Westwood, Benteke, Lowton, Vlaar, KEA? IMO probably taking Vlaar out the mix the rest have been shitter second time round. So if Helanius, Luna, Kozak, Tonev, Bacuna, Sylla, Okore take after the formers we are possibley in for a crap year 3 also - progression eh! Look, without doubt the players should get better however you need good technical and tactical information and coaching as a basis to improve. Something Lambert and his staff appear to be lacking in. He hasn't improved individuals, our organisation, balance and in my opinion still isn't picking the strongest team. We have had far more options in the squad than last season yet incredibly still see the same bullshit like for like changes and mistakes week after week. I want any Villa manager to succeed however I will not follow the blind, or a manager that has shown me nothing in 2 years(apart from a couple of games) to suggest my club/ team is in good hands under his leadership. Up to now all I have seen is that Lambert can manage a budget and bore the sh*t out of the supporters - That makes him more of an accountant than a manager imo.

Being able to negate your opponents strengths and expose their weaknesses can be the difference between winning and losing. Many occassions this season Lambert has been undone by not responding to tactical formation/changes. Off the top of my head, If I look back over games such as West Ham, Spurs, Newcastle, I watched us continually get ripped open down the flanks with Lambert not lifting a finger to stop the problem. Everton away we defended to deep. I could go on.... Villa have been far too narrow the majority of this season - especially at home on a wide pitch. Yet week after week Lambert does nothing to resolve this issue. We don't create spaces, we play far too congested football, hence the lack of possession and clear chances during games. Last season our fortunes(you could argue) changed against Newcastle at half time at home. The crowd gave the team stick, Lambert changed the formation and in the end we were unlucky to not get anything out the game. More importantly though the team played as if the shackles were finally off and we started to hurt teams by using the whole pitch not part of it . We seem to have regressed this season to pre Newcastle last year which is my biggest concern, especially for the run in. I know it's easy to talk about problems and solutions in hindsight, however I would bet that a good 80-90% of Villa fans attending the games or watching on TV, see on the whole, the same problems even tactically, before, during and after the games. The thing I ask myself is why the hell doesn't Lambert? If I'm honest the only time I have felt this season that Lambert got it tactically right mid game was against the baggies away with his subs. For me many of the players are sht and not worthy of touching the shirt never mind wearing it, however I do believe with the right formations, tactical decisions and knowing the players limitations and strengths we should still be more comfortable points wise than we are- and playing better football.

I thought we lost the game because The formation was wrong, There was no width, little movement off the ball and newcastle wanted it more! I think too many of our players started believing the hype and underestimated the opposition saturday. Ultimately though Lambert has to come up with a plan B. Against newcastle last season we were shite playing 4-3-3 at home. The formation was changed at half time after a round of boos. We came out 4-4-2 and low and behold, started to play football. Dont know why Lambert hadnt learnt from that game?! Also I think Wiemann and Lowton need a couple of games out. Both have been shit up to now. El Hamidi isn't good enough, Delph's trying to much at times, although our best midfielder. Westwood ok but still learning and not pulling up trees also plays deep like delph. And whatever people say we do need a little experience, a leader someone who will kick nuts when things are shit. And Vlaar is no leader he struggles with his own job at times. By the way you are right though the atmosphere was shocking from the faithful. It took the goal to get the crowd going for the first time which was well into the second half. At least you can banter the away fans in the lower north. The rest of the ground including the upper holte is terrible. As someone who grew up getting squashed in the early eighties in the Holte it breaks my heart now, its like a morgue!That 12th man banner needs to come down!!

Excellent news if true.

We could but then we lose his defensive qualities. What's wrong with playing Sylla in the defensive role along side westwood? Delph if played further forward would still have to track back and do the dirty bit also but if he's doing it in and around Benteke he will pick up on the second balls the big man fails to control and frees up Wiemenn and Gabby to push into the spaces out wide. It's all about options and imo the more the merrier.

My thoughts excactly. Will give us much more flexibility at home playing this sort of formation- not saying it's the way forward but will allow us to be less of a counter side at home with him and benteke both up front. It's another option at least.

Can see him becoming a legend at VP if he keeps improving. Him and Gabby are looking formidable down the left. So different from last year.