Paul Lambert

[Bunnski]

Yes I agree Lambert takes alot of the blame but I also realise that he has been fighting a losing battle due to the chairman and how he changed things when Lambert took over.  He has had to sign unproven players mainly due to wages and had the bomb squad enforced upon him.  Any manager that took over would of had the odds stacked against them, I'm sure some other managers could of done a better job but I'm also sure that plenty of other managers would of had us relegated by now.  

 

It's still early days this season and we have had rotten luck with injuries and illness, I'd also state that out of all the teams in the league we have had the hardest run of fixtures.  The manager deserves the chance to see it through to Xmas atleast and then we can assess things although I can't see Lerner sacking him regardless anyway so give over the moaning and support the players and manager.

[DCJonah]

I'm pretty sure you could of figured that out if you put some thought into it...

Or maybe coaching and management have a part in how a player performs. With your logic anyone could be a successful manager as long as the club signed good players.

[briny_ear]

 Can you not see the big difference  between their situation and ours?  

 

 

 

Yes, two differences to be precise. 1.Their club is well-run with an investment strategy that can survive a massive turnover of their best players like in last summer's window (cf how we managed the aftermath of the sales of Milner, Young, etc.); 2. They have a good manager who can recruit little-known talented players and mould them quickly into an effective team. (cf Lambert's rather shambolic buying, loaning out, loaning in, exiling to "bomb squad" then un-exiling etc.)

 

(Oh, and I don't know this but I'm willing to guess they also have an assistant manager who concentrates on the club and doesn't spend most of his time either working with an international side or being controversial in public to help sell his book.)

Edited November 21, 2014 by briny_ear

[Bunnski]

 

I'm pretty sure you could of figured that out if you put some thought into it...

Or maybe coaching and management have a part in how a player performs. With your logic anyone could be a successful manager as long as the club signed good players.

 

 

That's not my logic at all, but money plays a bigger part in competing in the premier league these days than ever before so when a club like ours spends peanuts on wages and transfers then its without doubt gonna affect our ability to attract quality players and leave us having to sign unproven players, many of which won't work out and in turn affects the overall quality of the team and squad.

 

 Can you not see the big difference  between their situation and ours?  

 

 

 

Yes, two differences to be precise. 1.Their club is well-run with an investment strategy that can survive a massive turnover of their best players like in last summer's window (cf how we managed the aftermath of the sales of Milner, Young, etc.); 2. They have a good manager who can recruit little-known talented players and mould them quickly into an effective team. (cf Lambert's rather shambolic buying, loaning out, loaning in, exiling to "bomb squad" then un-exiling etc.)

 

(Oh, and I don't know this but I'm willing to guess they also have an assistant manager who concentrates on the club and doesn't spend most of his time either working with an international side or being controversial in public to help sell his book.)

 

It has been stated that the bomb squad was enforced upon Lambert by Lerner so you can lay the blame for that with the chairman along with your first point. I'm not saying that Lambert is the messiah but I believe he deserves more of a chance this season and we can see where we stand in a couple of months time. I voted for the third option in the poll.  

 

I agree with your last point about Keane and am finding him a bit tedious at this stage tbh.  Time for an avatar change I think  

[TRO]

 

I have a real concern how Lambert seems to fail to get much out of so many players.

It hasn't gone unnoticed how Ryan Bertrand came in to us in good form.....went out in poor form.....and now with Southampton, coming back to face us in good form.

There is something seriously wrong.

Southampton have the best youth set up in England and thus make extremely high profits on selling their players allowing them to spend more in last Summers transfer window than Lambert has spent in 6 transfer windows. They can also offer the wages required to attract top quality players either on permanent deals or loans.So Bertrand is obviously gonna look better in a team surrounded by quality all over the pitch and on the flip side he is gonna look worse in a team that Lambert has had to put together on Championship standard wages.  I'm pretty sure you could of figured that out if you put some thought into it...

 

 

I can't believe you have said that....what on earth do think we are complaining about.

 

we were supposedly to have one of the best academies in the country ? so where has that line gone, bit the dust has it.

 

The managers/staff  at Southampton have bought and developed their players so why shouldn't they prosper from what they sow...its their ability that has generated the funds so good luck to them...why can't we do it?

 

Your argument is just that it is everyone else's fault bar the manager.

its his job to find talent and develop it....its his job to find the staff to do it..... whats with all this one of the best academies in the country if we can't produce players that will make an impact on the first team like southampton....do we just make claims and run away from them when it don't work out.

 

I would tender sir, that some of you live in a world of make believe and all these claims are just a figment of the imagination of fans that are desperate for a bit of positivity to feed their passion.

I will let you in to a secret...I'm as passionate as the next villa fan but i will be damned to say a pigs ear is a silk purse when i clearly know its not.

 

We all want to be positive, but right now we are having the proverbial Pee taken out of us, by the people running this club and you are not helping by creating mythical mitigating circumstances at every opportunity.

In all the years i have been supporting this club I have rarely seen results and performances dished out like this and the  manager been granted asylum in the manner this man has.....is it because we have had so many poor managers on the trot that some of us have taken leave of our senses.

 

We buy players and fully amortise them to cut our losses, whose fault is that and if it is the owner for denying him the funds why like a lot of managers does he not come out and say so.....we have now spent 110 mill to end up with this excuse for football.

 

I'm sorry, but i simply do not share your view in the slightest.

Edited November 22, 2014 by TRO

[markavfc40]

I'd love to disagree with you TRO but I can't. You are spot on mate.

Edited November 21, 2014 by markavfc40

[TRO]

I'd love to disagree with you TRO but I can't. You are spot on mate.

 

Mark, I truly, hate saying it and it hurts inside to do so.... we are seeing Liverpool fans raising questions about Rodgers and Pelligrini having to fetch out his tin hat , I'm not necessarily agreeing with all that but it just illustrates how other clubs have a much lower tolerance than us about accepting second best.

 

Right now we are a joke.... and some of us are in complete denial.

[markavfc40]

 

I'd love to disagree with you TRO but I can't. You are spot on mate.

 

Mark, I truly, hate saying it and it hurts inside to do so.... we are seeing Liverpool fans raising questions about Rodgers and Pelligrini having to fetch out his tin hat , I'm not necessarily agreeing with all that but it just illustrates how other clubs have a much lower tolerance than us about accepting second best.

 

Right now we are a joke.... and some of us are in complete denial.

 

 

I'm inclined to agree. The decline was swift but we have now just bottomed out as a club that sees survival as success and that can never be right for Aston Villa

I have always believed that as supporters we have a responsibility to set our bar high and to not be simply willing to accept a lowering of standards that have been passed down from generations over many years. If we aren't demanding in ensuring this great club strives to be the best it can then no one else will.

No one person is to blame for where we are now. Some have been more culpable than others but blaming those that can do f all about the here and now will serve very little purpose and only provides an excuse for those with the responsibility now.

With regard to Lambert then he has certainly not been graced with the best of funds and hasn't been blessed with luck in terms of injuries to key players. However this can't excuse the fact that we haven't made any improvement in two and a half years. We now for me have a squad of players that should not find itself battling relegation this season. During Lamberts tenure there has been a big overhaul of players and a change in coaching staff and still no improvement. The owner is not going anywhere so It is now unfortunately time for a change in manager to at least give us a chance of improving.

Edited November 22, 2014 by markavfc40

[villan501]

Paul lambert = 100% not right to manager villa and it also = relegaton this season he is such a shit manager with completely shit tactics.

[villan501]

Get ready for the excuses when we get hammered monday. " we go again weve had massive injuries to important players". Also if okore dosnt feature he is more of a helmut than i think and at mo i think hes a conplete bellend.

[Bunnski]

 

 

I have a real concern how Lambert seems to fail to get much out of so many players.

It hasn't gone unnoticed how Ryan Bertrand came in to us in good form.....went out in poor form.....and now with Southampton, coming back to face us in good form.

There is something seriously wrong.

Southampton have the best youth set up in England and thus make extremely high profits on selling their players allowing them to spend more in last Summers transfer window than Lambert has spent in 6 transfer windows. They can also offer the wages required to attract top quality players either on permanent deals or loans.So Bertrand is obviously gonna look better in a team surrounded by quality all over the pitch and on the flip side he is gonna look worse in a team that Lambert has had to put together on Championship standard wages.  I'm pretty sure you could of figured that out if you put some thought into it...

 

 

I can't believe you have said that....what on earth do think we are complaining about.

 

we were supposedly to have one of the best academies in the country ? so where has that line gone, bit the dust has it.

 

The managers/staff  at Southampton have bought and developed their players so why shouldn't they prosper from what they sow...its their ability that has generated the funds so good luck to them...why can't we do it?

 

Your argument is just that it is everyone else's fault bar the manager.

its his job to find talent and develop it....its his job to find the staff to do it..... whats with all this one of the best academies in the country if we can't produce players that will make an impact on the first team like southampton....do we just make claims and run away from them when it don't work out.

 

I would tender sir, that some of you live in a world of make believe and all these claims are just a figment of the imagination of fans that are desperate for a bit of positivity to feed their passion.

I will let you in to a secret...I'm as passionate as the next villa fan but i will be damned to say a pigs ear is a silk purse when i clearly know its not.

 

We all want to be positive, but right now we are having the proverbial Pee taken out of us, by the people running this club and you are not helping by creating mythical mitigating circumstances at every opportunity.

In all the years i have been supporting this club I have rarely seen results and performances dished out like this and the  manager been granted asylum in the manner this man has.....is it because we have had so many poor managers on the trot that some of us have taken leave of our senses.

 

We buy players and fully amortise them to cut our losses, whose fault is that and if it is the owner for denying him the funds why like a lot of managers does he not come out and say so.....we have now spent 110 mill to end up with this excuse for football.

 

I'm sorry, but i simply do not share your view in the slightest.

 

My argument wasn't that it's everyone elses fault bar the manager so i dunno where you got that from, I stated in a previous post that the manager takes alot of the blame for how things are atm. My argument was that Bertrand looks a better player with Southampton because he is surrounded by better quality players. Southampton are on a different level to us due to how they have been run from the top. Is Nigel Adkins a top manager?  Does he take the credit for the position they are in now after his spell with them or do the people running the club?  The people running Southampton have backed their managers and set up a quality infrastructure and are the reason they are where they are atm. 

 

A different owner with any ambition would of sacked Lambert long ago. Lerner has to take the majority of the blame for how the club is atm.  Just because I'm prepared to wait til Xmas before deciding how I feel about Lambert being our manager doesn't mean that I can't see his faults so spare me the condescending dribble about living in a dream world to feed my passion and need for a positive view on things. Such bs it's actually a pathetic statement by yourself!

[CrackpotForeigner]

Southampton's academy has a million times better record than Aston Villa's. Every fan gets excited about his club's young players, it doesn't mean ours are all good.

[nik986]

It seems as though some will say anything to absolve Lambert from blame.

Yes he has worked under an owner who changes goalposts, wants out, and makes things difficult.

But many managers do.

People aren't saying he is the worst villa manager ever (although stats would back that up to an extent), just that he is not performing as well as we would like, and that others would make more of a difficult situation.

Look at who we have on loan this season - pretty much last years transfer window. He hasn't made the most of limited resources available, the football is atrocious, and his brother in law and best mate are bullies.

We can make excuses and defend Lambert, or we can look at what has happened over 30 months and say that we deserve better, whatever the ownership situation.

[Brumstopdogs]

At all levels Lambert and HIS team are failing with the first team, U21 and U18 all seemingly on the wrong path.

 

Give Lambert the boot now as most managers would struggle to do worse. Pick the right one and they could do much much better.

 

You can't convince me that dull, boring football, playing pretty much the same tactics and the same under performing players each week is good enough for the club.

 

Lambert out.

[nik986]

Southampton's academy has a million times better record than Aston Villa's. Every fan gets excited about his club's young players, it doesn't mean ours are all good.

I agree with this. Which players has our academy produced that are of a Southampton graduate? Barry and Cahill? Both were signed to the academy as late teens.

Steven Davis probably best after that and another one we sold for peanuts.

The academy just isn't as good as we make it out to be.

[AvfcRigo82]

We seem to be caught up in a bit of a trap.

 

We have read that we have the next best thing in our wings.. But how many times over the years has it happened that these players then break into the first team and turn out like they wouldn't get a game for Grimsby town!

 

The days where Agbonlahor, Delfouneso, Vassell, Weimann, Albrighton etc. All playing like mini Pele's in the youth team and all excitement and hype etc. but the minute they become first teamers it is like they have been teleported and swapped with a lookalike because they do not come anywhere near fantastic from what they had been bummed up to be from the ages of 16/17 etc.

 

Fans convince themselves of this scenario and convince themselves that we have one of the best youth academy's in England when the evidence of the last 10 years at least shows that we don't.

 

I can't also for the life of me remember any of Aston Villa's youth products eventually further in his career sell for anywhere between 10-80m either.

 

Southampton have a superb youth system that has produced Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale and many more.

 

There's the difference.

[foreveryoung]

According to many on here if Lambert had the money he would take us places. If this is true, he has no need to worry, as im sure the likes of Mansour are already eyeing up his skills to take Pelligrin's job up at Man City and carry on where he left off. Just the team for Lambert to show his true talent and not be held back, as some think is happening at the Villa???

[Villan4Life]

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-tried-sign-southamptons-8149777

 

 

Paul Lambert has revealed how he failed to sign in-form Dusan Tadic for Aston Villa because of his hefty price-tag.

 

The claret and blues were in for the silky-skilled Serbian long before Southampton snapped him up in the summer but they couldn’t agree a deal.

 

When Lambert came calling in January 2013, his former club FC Twente demanded a figure that Villa wouldn’t match.

 

Now the Scot must set up his team on Monday night to contain the influential playmaker who has been one of the main reasons for the Saints’ fine start to the current campaign.

 

“We tried to get Tadic here the January before last,” Lambert confirmed.

 

“We tried to do something but couldn’t do it.

 

“That’s the way it goes because he’s a good player.

 

“We’ve known about his talents for a while now but we couldn’t quite get it done

 

“There were loads of factors which just meant it couldn’t happen.

 

“Twente and they were looking for a right few quid so it wasn’t to be,”

 

Southampton gave the 26-year-old his Premier League chance this summer by splashing out £11million on his services.

 

That the fee was higher than Villa’s entire summer spend goes some way to explaining the difference in the current fortunes of both clubs.

 

After a fine start Villa have suffered a major dip while Ronald Koeman’s troops appear to be getting better with every passing week.

 

Lambert’s previous pursuit of Tadic shows that the club have been too far behind the Premier League’s big-spenders in recent years and until that changes there is only so far Villa can go.

 

Despite Southampton’s so-called ‘problems’ during pre-season where they lost almost all of their top performers from last season, Koeman has managed to turn things around.

 

With Graziano Pelle firing on all cylinders and assists king Tadic providing the ammunition they are a constant threat going forward.

 

Defensively they also look sound as former on-loan Villa left-back Ryan Bertrand and right-back Nathanial Clyne have helped a steady centre-half partnership keep out the goals.

 

“They’ve started the season really well although I’m pretty sure their bigger tests will come when they play the big teams in the coming weeks,” added Lambert.

 

“You can’t take anything away from them, though, they’ve started the season well.

 

“But if we do what we’ve been doing in the last two games we will certainly give them a game, that’s for sure.

 

“I was happy with Tottenham – albeit Christian was sent off. And West Ham we were definitely worthy of a point.”

 

Monday’s clash has already taken on extra significance after Villa’s woeful run of late.

 

The goalless draw against West Ham last time out stopped a run of six consecutive defeats but in the past seven games Villa are winless and have scored just once.

 

While Southampton are approaching a tough set of fixtures after the visit to the Midlands, the claret and blues line up against teams close to and below them in the table.

 

This run-up to Christmas is gearing up to be more important than ever before as the league continues to tighten.

 

[The Fun Factory]

Thing is the successful clubs that we should be competing with (basically Swansea and Southampton) seem to have a successful structure at management levels so when the coach leaves, there is a seamless transition. If we sack Lambert, would you trust Lerner getting the right person in? Could we bring in talented players on the cheap who aren't crap? Exactly. Lambert is part of the general malaise at the club, and unless Fox is the new Billy Beane I can't see much improvement this year.

[George Curtis]

Lowest league attendance for years on Monday will start the death knell for Lambert if we lose.