Rovers13 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Still got a MASSIVE amount to do for me to want him here next season. Unlike some above i thought the substitutions last night were mental. Good job we got the win Why the hell would he be sacked? Finishing comfortable in midtable with the financial situation he had would be an exceptional job. Keeping Villa up last year was a very difficult job and he succeeded with that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I honestly believe that very few managers would have kept us up last season with that squad, and I honestly believe that we would be in the bottom third this season if Lambert wasn't an exceptional manager. What stands out to me is that he actually develops players, which is a great talent to have as a manager, he has nurtured and great team ethic and togetherness and is tactically flexible! Many manager will have a system and philosophy and never deviate, but for me I have always thought that the best managers pick the philosophy and system that will get the best out of the players, and then if you want to implement your preferred system and philosophy you change things gradually as players develop and new player in and integrate. This is perfect. I don't agree other managers couldn't have kept us up while cutting the wage bill. I'm also not sure what evidence there is that he nutures players. A lot of them have gone backwards this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panto_Villan Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Maybe you should just enjoy living for the moment a bit more, instead of being a grudge-bearing Graham Not quite sure how I've held a grudge or how your advice would help given the poor results and shocking home form we've experienced this year. How is sitting 10th poor results? Or do you just pick individual bad matches in the league and then say that there's no way they can ever be excused...like, say, by consistently performing at a level higher than more than half of the other teams in the Premiership? You've said you've enjoyed the last couple of games, but obviously you feel those games count for less than the games during the season that you didn't enjoy (as you're still grinding away at your axe). All the games are worth the same, hence why the league table is the best judge of our overall performances. How can be be "poor" if we're better than than 10 other teams? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Lions_Roar Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We're in the top half of the table, 3 points clear of the team below us....and there's only 2 teams above us I'd say we have a chance of getting above even if we had bought an expensive number 10 (the second-tier teams have got much stronger in recent times, like Spurs and Liverpool). I'd say Lambert is doing very well with the quality of players that we have. If you were offered this progression a year ago today I'm pretty sure everyone on the board would have ripped your arm off. I kind of agree but when we're spending on average about £2m a player I'd expect us to be dominating the possession in most games and at least top 8. Our average points per game is still very low as well. If we'd signed a lot of the players that teams below us have signed in the last 18 months then we would surely be in a better position going forward, after all if you don't pay Premier League wages then you'll get nowhere. Really? I'd be interested to know the average cost of the actual top 8 teams as I'd expect them to be Way more than £2 mil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Think he was being sarcastic . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Maybe you should just enjoy living for the moment a bit more, instead of being a grudge-bearing Graham Not quite sure how I've held a grudge or how your advice would help given the poor results and shocking home form we've experienced this year. How is sitting 10th poor results? Or do you just pick individual bad matches in the league and then say that there's no way they can ever be excused...like, say, by consistently performing at a level higher than more than half of the other teams in the Premiership? You've said you've enjoyed the last couple of games, but obviously you feel those games count for less than the games during the season that you didn't enjoy (as you're still grinding away at your axe). All the games are worth the same, hence why the league table is the best judge of our overall performances. How can be be "poor" if we're better than than 10 other teams? How can we be poor if we're better than 10 other teams? Quite easily if the other 10 are performing poorly also. We had the worst home record in the league and average barely a point a game before last night. That's poor regardless of where you sit in the league. I'm not sure how it can be classed as anything but poor. I sometimes wonder why some bother watching, why not just check the table every couple of weeks and cheer for that? We finished 9th under houllier and I didn't enjoy that season much. Do the last two games count for less? No they were great. They were brilliant. I want to watch more of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Lions_Roar Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We're where we are because of other teams? OK then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We're where we are because of other teams? OK then! No, we're where we are because we're doing better than those teams. That doesn't stop us from being poor though. Unless you're going to tell me having the worst home form in the league and averaging around a point a game is considered good now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Lions_Roar Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We're where we are because of other teams? OK then! No, we're where we are because we're doing better than those teams. That doesn't stop us from being poor though. Unless you're going to tell me having the worst home form in the league and averaging around a point a game is considered good now? Its not good but its ok when we're picking up points away from home. If we weren't picking up points away then it'd be a concern. If the 2 forms were swapped around then are you saying this would be ok as you don't mention our away form? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We're where we are because of other teams? OK then!No, we're where we are because we're doing better than those teams. That doesn't stop us from being poor though. Unless you're going to tell me having the worst home form in the league and averaging around a point a game is considered good now? Its not good but its ok when we're picking up points away from home. If we weren't picking up points away then it'd be a concern. If the 2 forms were swapped around then are you saying this would be ok as you don't mention our away form? Home form and away form combined for around a point a game. That's poor. Surely you can't disagree with that? It looks like that's going to improve now and playing like we have should see that happen. But sitting in 10th last week did not make our results and performances better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3te Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We're where we are because of other teams? OK then! No, we're where we are because we're doing better than those teams. That doesn't stop us from being poor though. Unless you're going to tell me having the worst home form in the league and averaging around a point a game is considered good now? So where should we be in the league? Top 6? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Lions_Roar Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We're where we are because of other teams? OK then!No, we're where we are because we're doing better than those teams. That doesn't stop us from being poor though. Unless you're going to tell me having the worst home form in the league and averaging around a point a game is considered good now?Its not good but its ok when we're picking up points away from home. If we weren't picking up points away then it'd be a concern. If the 2 forms were swapped around then are you saying this would be ok as you don't mention our away form? Home form and away form combined for around a point a game. That's poor. Surely you can't disagree with that? It looks like that's going to improve now and playing like we have should see that happen. But sitting in 10th last week did not make our results and performances better. So 10th last week was rubbish but 10th this week is ok. Why don't you just judge at the end of the season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted January 30, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted January 30, 2014 Hes ripped the rotten core out of a high cost, high maintenance villa team and replaced them with a low cost version who are performing to a similar standard..... He's been allowed to do it by the fans with a minimum amount of fuss great support despite some terrible performances, credit has to be given to us all. The owner has obviously outlined this criteria, hopefully before Lambert came, Lambert must have been mad tbh, to swap what Norwich had for Villa under those circumstances was a massive gamble that now looks as though its starting to pay off. I have my doubts with some of his decisions but I have a growing admiration for him and I just hope he's backed with some real money in the summer, its time for Lerner to show him the faith 99% of the fans have. UTV 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morpheus Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Top tip for VTers: If you're on a life mission to pan the manager, be sure to change your avatar frequently. That way some people will think you're actually some new poster full of fresh ideas, rather than the same desperate campaigner of old. No disguising the same old posters though who will go to any length to have a dig rather than debate. Incidentally, Morpheus, why is 10th not a good result? You can't say we're there by chance when nearly two thirds of the season is gone. I haven't said we're 10th by chance PV. I was commenting on Lambert's overall record with us which the usual posters would rather not discus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We're where we are because of other teams? OK then!No, we're where we are because we're doing better than those teams. That doesn't stop us from being poor though. Unless you're going to tell me having the worst home form in the league and averaging around a point a game is considered good now? So where should we be in the league? Top 6? I haven't actually had a moan about our league position. I think its good. My point is though that you can't just say we're 10th so we've been good. Like I said why go to games if you're enjoyment comes from the league table and not results and performances? Would you disagree that averaging about 1 point per game is poor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We're where we are because of other teams? OK then!No, we're where we are because we're doing better than those teams. That doesn't stop us from being poor though. Unless you're going to tell me having the worst home form in the league and averaging around a point a game is considered good now?Its not good but its ok when we're picking up points away from home. If we weren't picking up points away then it'd be a concern. If the 2 forms were swapped around then are you saying this would be ok as you don't mention our away form?Home form and away form combined for around a point a game. That's poor. Surely you can't disagree with that? It looks like that's going to improve now and playing like we have should see that happen. But sitting in 10th last week did not make our results and performances better. So 10th last week was rubbish but 10th this week is ok. Why don't you just judge at the end of the season? Of course because I got to watch us get good results and put in good performances. Well we might as well close the site if we can't discuss things till the season is over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morpheus Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 The lack of funding argument has also been dissected. Who have we signed this window and what was the mechanism used? Are you telling me that Lambert could not have exercised that loan policy last season with the same calibre of player? Whilst I agree with your post to some extent Morpheus (i.e: Lambert isn't doing an exceptional job, just a decent one), we can't really comment on last January's window like this. For example, who knows which players were available for loan at the time? Were we in a position to afford their wages? Would they have actually been an improvement on the team? Furthermore, the impetus was to, as repeated several billion times on here, build a squad. Loan players don't give you a squad, they give you a short term solution. What we have now is a squad of players and Lambert seems to be acknowledging that areas need strengthening that haven't worked out within the cheap purchases. Kozak out injured and we need experience? Grant Holt on loan is someone he can trust to do the job short term. Luna and Bennett not quite cutting the grade? We'll bring in Ryan Bertrand for the rest of the season with a view to purchasing him if he plays well. Lack of creativity in the middle of the park? Wes Hoolahan is someone he can trust to do the job and would be a short term, experienced fix. I'd question his tactics at times, but his signings have all been decent for me. Not necessarily how the players have actually performed, but what they potentially offered to the team. As an example, Tonev hasn't worked out - but he looked like the kind of midfielder who would provide goals from an area in which we badly lack them. The good thing with them is that they are no longer having a massive impact on our finances. If they don't work out, we can get rid without much of a dent. As far as putting together an initial squad goes, he's done pretty well. The big test is this summer. He has made one terrific signing in Benteke and three very good signings in Vlaar, Guzan and Bertrand. The rest have been average to poor and that is not the sort of average out of 18 players that you would want including Holt in that. No matter which way you would try and excuse the performances of Tonev, Bennet and Luna they have been rank signings full stop and you can include Bowery in that as well. However I agree that if we can get Hoolahan in now and continue to restructure the midfield in the summer with the right signings this time, then we should see more consistency in performance next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 (edited) What people seem to be forgetting is that very few of Lambert's signings could be called flops. In the majority of cases we've got our money's worth or better, and as we all know Lambert hasn't spent more than 2 or 3 million on very many players since he first came here. It's almost as if people expect Lambert to pick out a gem with every single signing. Edited January 30, 2014 by Mantis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkyvilla Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 What people seem to be forgetting is that very few of Lambert's signings could be called flops. In the majority of cases we've got our money's worth or better, and as we all know Lambert hasn't spent more than 2 or 3 million on very many players since he first came here. It's almost as if people expect Lambert to pick out a gem with every single signing. Even if they are flops, they're inexpensive ones. It's not as if we're writing off £8m each on the likes of Reo-Coker, Cuellar, Davies et al any more. Morpheus describes only 4 as being rank which out of 18 signings is pretty impressive considering how little he has to spend on each one, how hard it has been to shift the bomb squad for any sort of transfer fee and our terrible scouting network. The football has been rank at times but you have to work out how much the ends justifies the means. We're 10th and our key players are just starting to hit form and the football has improved with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I agree, I'm surprised at the stick Lambert gets for his signings really, I know people laugh about Bowery and Tonev but in real premier league terms those two cost us very little, it's the equivilant of Fergie signing Bebe for 7m or Wenger signing that Korean player who's still actually at Arsenal yet hasn't played more than 10 games for them in 3 years. Of course the counter argument is for the 20m, Lambert could've decided to sign 3-4 players to improve the first time rather than flesh out the squad as he's done. But again we don't know exactly the restrictions he is under. We are 10th. I repeat look at the teams above us and ask yourselves how many of them should we be finishing above (we weren't finishing above many of them in the MON 200m days). Only really Southampton and possibly Newcastle will dip now post Cabaye but they're quite a distance infront of us. What's also amusing me is the poster amazed there are actually poor teams in the premier league, I'm sure that's the case every season! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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