Why Paul Lambert should get the sack

[Papillon]

 

Great question Houlston lets get it answered.

"Tell me what it is about Lambert that makes you think he's good"??

Dismantled a major ineffective and overpaid squad of players

Rebuilt a young squad of talent from a very limited budget

Got wages under control

Avoided relegation while doing this in one season

Kept Benteke when vultures were circulating

Second season is 13th(could been 10th if a victory yesterday which despite the display could've happened with a bit of luck) despite Benteke and Vlaar missing for large portions of the season and for some unknown reason a couple of key players like Weimann completely out of form

No money in January to spend from rumours

Still look like this season we are likely to be better placed in the league from last season

Yes you can argue bad parts to him but the above is not bad in the pro column.

 

 

The framework was given to him, he knew the restraints when he signed on. Selling players and terminating contracts is not exactly the toughest job in the world, he is probably not the one doing it either. Making a list of players after looking at the contribution and wages they combine, again, it's no difficult is it? Even my dog knew Ireland, Dunne et al had to go. He/We didn't manage to sell Shay Given, one of the most important players to get rid of. We didn't manage to sell Darren Bent, only for the manager to completely freeze him out and thus lowering his value to a minimum. That is of course how you do business to make the best of it! You say "avoiding relegation" like it's a huge accolade, before last season nobody dreamed about being in the relegation zone for large parts of the season, it's the underperformance from the team that lead to that scenario. A great manager would have utilized the squad in a much better way to stay safe from the others, but I guess excuses are there to be made in his favor to make it look much prettier. We had/have a poor squad, but it's better than a few others due to the fact that we have some key players much better than the rest of the pack. You say he rebuilt a squad with young talent, but what is a talent these days? My impression is that you have to be good already, or at least show a special promise for the future. Ross Barkley, Adnan Januzaj and the other players branded around are talents, they possess ability or promise of ability much higher than their peers. Players like Yacouba Sylla, Jordan Bowery and Nicklas Helenius aren't talents, they are just young, cheap players. And none of them are good enough for a team trying to do better than last season. Ashley Westwood and Matthew Lowton have both shown that they can hold an average level at best in the Premier League and Christian Benteke, at least last season, was at a very high level. Westwood and Lowton are 23/24 years old, it's not like they are 19-20 and still have 50% of their ability to unleash in the future. If we had 11 players in our team with the same level as Westwood and Lowton we would most likely fight for relegation to put it like that. Delph has blossomed after staying away from injuries, something he would have done under any manager IMO. Sure Lambert has given him game-time, but let's be honest, the other option out there was wee Barry Bannan.

 

Other players like Karim El Ahmadi, Aleksandar Tonev, Joe Bennett, Antonio Luna and Leandro Bacuna have all wildly underperformed for the most part of their time here and it's not looking like any of them have some kind of magic potential under the hood. I love Bacuna for having a sweet right foot to blast in a few free-kicks, but that's an added bonus on top of his obvious problems on the pitch. As a right-back he is very poor, his positioning is non-existent and he is basically a calamity at the back each time he plays. None of the players Lambert have gotten are consistent; had it not been for the glorified start Luna had with a goal and stuff at Arsenal, his weaknesses would have been much more highlighted.

 

Why is it likely that we will finish higher this season? Because we are at the moment exactly three points above the relegation zone - carrying with us a four game losing streak against mediocre opposition at best and also Man United which is understandable? It takes one bad result for us to fall behind the place we finished last season, let's not pretend we are better off just because at the moment we are placed where we are. The table is tight as hell, every team from 10th to 20th have a chance of going down right now, the only safe teams are the ones above that and Southampton at 27 points already and they are 9th. Including all these teams our form in very bad and the cohesion we show on the pitch right now, the tactics employed, the one-sidedness to our attacking play, the weak defensive unit, the form shown by all our top players make us a very likely candidate to fall behind again. The players look very lost and they also look like they don't give a damn when we are losing, still we are putting out the same side and doing the same mistakes. You say likely to finish higher, I would argue that we are on course for just the same or even worse. Luckily there are some very poor teams in the league, as always, so we have a good chance of staying up this year as well. Sunderland have been branded a shoe-in for relegation for a long time, but it takes a result next weekend and a victory over us in two weeks to come up to the same amount of points. Again, let's not pretend we are out of it, better off or safe from anything.

 

The window will be crucial to be honest. Lerner sees that we are struggling, will he give Lambert a bonus in the market? After all, spending a few millions is far better than losing out on the revenue from actually being in the Premier League. He is a business man, the risk is his to calculate.

[VillaCas]

I wish we'd spend more time learning the difference between deluded and delusional.

 

Delusioned isn't a word??

 

Ahhhh see you've now edited it

Edited December 27, 2013 by VillaCas

[Shillzz]

Why should Lambert get the sack?

 

Speaking on a personal level, I have completely lost interest in Villa this season. I barely cracked an expletive yesterday as the Palace winner went in, rather an understated chuckle. As a Villa fan of some years, Lerner has slowly, but surely syphoned my interest in the club. We have an awful owner, an inept manager and a fairly classless team. There's no light to be seen at the end of the tunnel and no hope of a brighter future. There's no excitement going into tomorrow's game, only an expectation of defeat. I have no faith that Weimann is going to become a top striker, nor that Westwood will one day become England's midfield metronome, not even Benteke looks like a Premier League player at the moment. We'll fight relegation this season, and if we survive, we'll do the same next season. Now, much of this is down the the owner's pennypinching, but while he has a well trained mouthpiece in the form of Lambert, nothing is going to change. I shudder to think at who Lerner would bring in next, but a roll of the dice couldn't do us much harm. I've always liked Lambert, but he has had his time now. Things are going backwards, and they have been all season. Even our victories come qualified with a comment about the poor performances. I'm not sure how the club can be taken forward under any manager, but there may be someone out there smart enough to run the team on a shoestring.

[BG_Villa_Fan]

 

 

 

This is for another thread but Lowton etc on 25k plus.

 

Lowton is on less than £10k, as are most of the PL signings

 

 

 Link?

 

 

Funny you didn't ask for a link for the incorrect £25k figure

 

 

What's funny about it? I don't know how much he's on.

[VillaCas]

 

 

This is for another thread but Lowton etc on 25k plus.

 

Lowton is on less than £10k, as are most of the PL signings

 

 

 

 

I don't believe that for one solitary second. He's have been on that in the second division.

 

 

I care less whether you believe it or not, that's what he and many others are on

 

If you pay championship wages..........

[supernova26]

It would be pointless sacking him at this moment in time. He is the best person to get the most out of the shiite he has purchased. But with our next managerial choice, whenever they may come, we need to go continental. I'm sick of gray haired old skool British managers and coaching staff with their outdated philosophies. More and more clubs are realizing it's not just British players are rubbish, the mangers and coaches are too. 

 

Southampton know the score.

Edited December 27, 2013 by supernova26

[Risso]

 

 

 

This is for another thread but Lowton etc on 25k plus.

 

Lowton is on less than £10k, as are most of the PL signings

 

 

 

 

I don't believe that for one solitary second. He's have been on that in the second division.

 

 

I care less whether you believe it or not, that's what he and many others are on

 

If you pay championship wages..........

 

 

Well, if you want to go down the "pick a figure at random and insist he's on that despite there not being any evidence" route, then he's on £1,350,000 per hour.  If you pay Bill Gates wages, you should expect something decent....

[LondonVillian]

Ferguson Rubbish ?

 

Hodgson rubbish ?

 

Pardew rubbish ?

 

Rodgers rubbish?

 

Not buying that mate plenty of decent british managers.

[BG_Villa_Fan]

 

 

Well, if you want to go down the "pick a figure at random and insist he's on that despite there not being any evidence" route, then he's on £1,350,000 per hour.  If you pay Bill Gates wages, you should expect something decent....

 

 

He's likely basing his guess on some computer game.

[LondonVillian]

TBF football manager is generally quite accurate

[GENTLEMAN]

Think the kids would use LOL as a reply to this.

 

Great response.

You are the one that questioned me and why I support the Villa

 

I dont think like this, I have just given you some facts as to why we are poor. These facts and the football I am witnessing do not give me enjoyment. 

 

It was a valid question of mine. I am sick of seeing lucky with regards to us winning games this season, it is total crap. 

Perhaps you should take your head out of your arse then you'd be able to read what is actually written on the screen in front of you so dont have to keep making stupid assumptions and conclusions.

 

I have seen what you have wrote and it is the same hot garbage that most are spewing about Lambert and the team currently.

 

"in front of you so dont have to keep making stupid assumptions and conclusions." - You may also want to adhere to your own advice.

Edited December 27, 2013 by GENTLEMAN

[LondonLax]

Lerner is not going to identify and then attract a manager capable of turning us into a mid table team on this budget. 

 

We all know this, so what is the point in sacking the manager we have?

[turnbull]

Yes he has to go along with the coaches Karsa and Culverhouse. The players look totally unmotivated, there are no coherent tactics or game plan. We have a squad whilst short on quality they are Pro footballers and a proper manager would get so much more from them.

The change can't come quickly enough.

I agree. I just can't see why we look a totally unorganised team that can't play football.

 

Many of us ripped the pi55 out of Stoke last season, now we're the laughing stock.

 

We're just awful and you wonder if it's worth giving Lambert any funds in Jan if it means a continuation of our sorry performances. 

 

I'd like to think that a new face would bring in coaches that could make us solid and hard to beat, capable of beating the teams around us and with a bonus of us being at least watchable. We won't be world beaters with this squad, but surely we could play in a way that was easier on the eye.

[Pilchard]

Lerner is not going to identify and then attract a manager capable of turning us into a mid table team on this budget. 

 

We all know this, so what is the point in sacking the manager we have?

 

Because the one we have now is going to relegate us. So it's either try, or accept.

[coda]

This is for another thread but Lowton etc on 25k plus.

 

Lowton is on less than £10k, as are most of the PL signings

 Link?

 

Funny you didn't ask for a link for the incorrect £25k figure

 

What's funny about it? I don't know how much he's on.

 

Just checked a dodgy looking site which stated his weekly wage as €12,075

[Shillzz]

Lerner is not going to identify and then attract a manager capable of turning us into a mid table team on this budget. 

 

We all know this, so what is the point in sacking the manager we have?

 

True.

 

But then I have little faith in the manager we do have, so how can the club possibly improve? There's no simple answer (apart from getting rid of Lerner, which isn't going to happen). I think as Villa fans, we need to re-align our ambitions, because there doesn't appear to be any way out of this mess.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

I am sick of reading about the majority of our victories were lucky.

If we played Southampton again and had 3 shots on target with 20 odd percent possession do you think we'd win?

We won the game though.

I don't believe in luck in football, unless we're talking officials making dodgy decisions which in this case we're not, you make your own "luck". Though even I know that's an incredibly simplistic way of looking at that particular game.

We were dreadful going forward, we were and still are way too reliant on individual moments of brilliance. When those moments dry up as they have since we're exposed for what we are - tactically inept, low on motivation and depth and as disorganised as I've ever seen us. The last time we looked this bereft of organisation was under O'Leary. Wonder what he's up to these days?

I'm not saying Lambert will go the same way, he may still turn it around here, but I'm worried. About the club first and foremost. The rot either stops Saturday or we're going to have to gamble on somebody else.

[VillaForever1970]

Football needs **** sorting out.

We were not this shite last season ( e.g Liverpool goal ) so whats happened?

[Houlston]

 

Think the kids would use LOL as a reply to this.

 

Great response.

You are the one that questioned me and why I support the Villa

 

I dont think like this, I have just given you some facts as to why we are poor. These facts and the football I am witnessing do not give me enjoyment. 

 

It was a valid question of mine. I am sick of seeing lucky with regards to us winning games this season, it is total crap. 

Perhaps you should take your head out of your arse then you'd be able to read what is actually written on the screen in front of you so dont have to keep making stupid assumptions and conclusions.

 

I have seen what you have wrote and it is the same hot garbage that most are spewing about Lambert and the team currently.

 

"in front of you so dont have to keep making stupid assumptions and conclusions." - You may also want to adhere to your own advice.

 

It was the response your comments deserved.

 

It wasnt a valid question, it was quite pathetic. Also you still cant get past the idea that luck played a part, its not total crap.

 

How can facts be hot garbage?

[Houlston]

 

 

 

I am sick of reading about the majority of our victories were lucky.

If we played Southampton again and had 3 shots on target with 20 odd percent possession do you think we'd win?

We won the game though.

I don't believe in luck in football, unless we're talking officials making dodgy decisions which in this case we're not, you make your own "luck". Though even I know that's an incredibly simplistic way of looking at that particular game.

We were dreadful going forward, we were and still are way too reliant on individual moments of brilliance. When those moments dry up as they have since we're exposed for what we are - tactically inept, low on motivation and depth and as disorganised as I've ever seen us. The last time we looked this bereft of organisation was under O'Leary. Wonder what he's up to these days?

I'm not saying Lambert will go the same way, he may still turn it around here, but I'm worried. About the club first and foremost. The rot either stops Saturday or we're going to have to gamble on somebody else.

 

yeah what he said (except the luck bit, smiley face wink)