useless Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 One thing about appointing a DOF it would make you wonder that Lerner is here to stay for longer than most of us would probably hope. Not sure if it would be wise to make the change in the middle fo the season either. I don't believe it's going to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacketspuds Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Apparently we are the lowest scorers in the top 8 divisions of english football. Quite an achievement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villanun Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 I'm back at the same point I was last season, waking up every morning and hoping that today's news will carry a story about Lambert being sacked, but I don't realistically expect him to be because that would take a level of interest and insight from Lerner that he shows no sign of displaying. Lambert seems pretty much unsinkable at the moment. What I am disappointed by is the lack of interest in the media. Newcastle fans wanting their manager out makes the back pages all the time. If Man U fans were fighting each other in the stands it would be headline news. What a sad indictment of our club's increasing irrelevancy it is that we merit a paragraph in today's I. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nazvfc Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 I'm back at the same point I was last season, waking up every morning and hoping that today's news will carry a story about Lambert being sacked, but I don't realistically expect him to be because that would take a level of interest and insight from Lerner that he shows no sign of displaying. Lambert seems pretty much unsinkable at the moment. What I am disappointed by is the lack of interest in the media. Newcastle fans wanting their manager out makes the back pages all the time. If Man U fans were fighting each other in the stands it would be headline news. What a sad indictment of our club's increasing irrelevancy it is that we merit a paragraph in today's I. The reason is that they had an active campaign with banners and all that stuff wanting him out and they had a high profile one. The media MAY look at a forum but until they get: 1. Some sort of inkling of a planned demo 2. An actual Planned MArch/Demo/Campaign then there is no point reporting it. So until some fans are willing to raise their heads over the parrapit and take the flak that will come (from within thier own fans - I should know - happened to us alot) and from the 'outside' then the press are not interested in a non-story to them as there is no inkling that Lerner is gonna get rid of Lambert! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Apparently we are the lowest scorers in the top 8 divisions of english football. Quite an achievement. It's alright, the next three games look quite eas...oh, bugger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillanousOne Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 One issue is that after 2 seasons of hoof and hope, hit on the break style football - it is really hard to undo that mentality in the squad. Plus the team is built to play like that. It feels like the only reason we stopped playing that style to any degree of success was constant injuries, suspensions or poor form around the front three of Weimann, Benteke and Gabby. All of Lambert's tactics relied on two of those three playing and playing well every game. The trouble is now somehow we have just accepted that Weimann, Benteke, Gabby and Zog are crap or mostly crap, so we are now resorting to wing backs that aren't wingbacks and multiple central midfielders who have no creativity in them whatsoever. Lambert needs to go back to the drawing board with his team selections and tactics. The trouble is the more he does this the more we need to transition to that style of play, so he needs to sort it out soon, as the more he experiments the more games we will lose in the process. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 There surely can't be anyone still backing him? I'm still backing him. I don't think he's the man to take us forward and I'd be pleased to see him replaced. But I still back him. I'd RATHER he turned it round than we replaced him. I just don't think he will turn it round. I think most would be like this but as you acknowledge he's not the man to take us forward. If I back a horse in a race its because i believe it could win. I don't think there's any chance of Lambert turning it around so I can't back him to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexbelowsound Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 It does seem strange that we have gone from one extreme to another. There is clearly a middle ground between hoof-ball and possession football and I think Lambert went to the wrong German team for help (If of course it was his idea). Dortmund, although struggling play a style of football that sits in that middle ground between hoof-ball and possession football and would have been a much easier transition for the players that we have. Someone mentioned, in another thread I believe, that this possession game might not have been Lambert's decision and it may have been one that was made from higher up to make the team more commercially appealing. I think that is a logical theory but if its true its incredibly naive. Passing a ball around the defence and from side to side is not in any way shape or form Barcelona/Bayern-esque and has completely negated any attacking threat we may have had. Another point on that is if Lambert is being dictated to from the top in terms of playing style and he is agreeing to this then I find that really spineless. All conjecture though of course. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 12, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 12, 2015 There surely can't be anyone still backing him? I'm still backing him. I don't think he's the man to take us forward and I'd be pleased to see him replaced. But I still back him. I'd RATHER he turned it round than we replaced him. I just don't think he will turn it round. I think most would be like this but as you acknowledge he's not the man to take us forward. If I back a horse in a race its because i believe it could win. I don't think there's any chance of Lambert turning it around so I can't back him to do it. But you carry on backing that horse until the race is over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 **** horse racing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 I'm still backing him. One reason is that I don't like admitting I was wrong when I wanted him as manager I also like the fact he is proud to be the Villa Manager and is aware of the history etc. I know I will be shot down for this but O'Leary used to really annoy me with the way he put the club down, while he was manager. Lambert though might be missing one vital attribute and that is being a lucky manager. He has built a half decent squad of players on a small budget but he just doesnt have the luck either with Sending offs or Injuries. Just never seems to get going. There is no substitute for talent the one vital attribute he doesnt have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 I'm back at the same point I was last season, waking up every morning and hoping that today's news will carry a story about Lambert being sacked, but I don't realistically expect him to be because that would take a level of interest and insight from Lerner that he shows no sign of displaying. Lambert seems pretty much unsinkable at the moment. What I am disappointed by is the lack of interest in the media. Newcastle fans wanting their manager out makes the back pages all the time. If Man U fans were fighting each other in the stands it would be headline news. What a sad indictment of our club's increasing irrelevancy it is that we merit a paragraph in today's I. Me for a long time now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 One issue is that after 2 seasons of hoof and hope, hit on the break style football - it is really hard to undo that mentality in the squad. Plus the team is built to play like that. It feels like the only reason we stopped playing that style to any degree of success was constant injuries, suspensions or poor form around the front three of Weimann, Benteke and Gabby. All of Lambert's tactics relied on two of those three playing and playing well every game. The trouble is now somehow we have just accepted that Weimann, Benteke, Gabby and Zog are crap or mostly crap, so we are now resorting to wing backs that aren't wingbacks and multiple central midfielders who have no creativity in them whatsoever. Lambert needs to go back to the .......................................drawing board with his team selections and tactics. The trouble is the more he does this the more we need to transition to that style of play, so he needs to sort it out soon, as the more he experiments the more games we will lose in the process. ................Championship, preferably not taking us with him 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 It does seem strange that we have gone from one extreme to another. There is clearly a middle ground between hoof-ball and possession football and I think Lambert went to the wrong German team for help (If of course it was his idea). Dortmund, although struggling play a style of football that sits in that middle ground between hoof-ball and possession football and would have been a much easier transition for the players that we have. Someone mentioned, in another thread I believe, that this possession game might not have been Lambert's decision and it may have been one that was made from higher up to make the team more commercially appealing. I think that is a logical theory but if its true its incredibly naive. Passing a ball around the defence and from side to side is not in any way shape or form Barcelona/Bayern-esque and has completely negated any attacking threat we may have had. Another point on that is if Lambert is being dictated to from the top in terms of playing style and he is agreeing to this then I find that really spineless. All conjecture though of course. wouldnt suprise me though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntrimBlack Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 One issue is that after 2 seasons of hoof and hope, hit on the break style football - it is really hard to undo that mentality in the squad. Plus the team is built to play like that. It feels like the only reason we stopped playing that style to any degree of success was constant injuries, suspensions or poor form around the front three of Weimann, Benteke and Gabby. All of Lambert's tactics relied on two of those three playing and playing well every game. The trouble is now somehow we have just accepted that Weimann, Benteke, Gabby and Zog are crap or mostly crap, so we are now resorting to wing backs that aren't wingbacks and multiple central midfielders who have no creativity in them whatsoever. Lambert needs to go back to the drawing board with his team selections and tactics. The trouble is the more he does this the more we need to transition to that style of play, so he needs to sort it out soon, as the more he experiments the more games we will lose in the process. Spot on VO. He abandoned the `young cheap and hungry' approach, he abandoned the `bomb squad' approach, now he has abandoned the `hoofball/counter attack' approach. Each change brutally sudden, with no transition from one to the other. And the players are slavishly following his edict to play it out from the back and getting themselves in trouble, instead of mixing it up and hitting long as well. Leicester were getting in their faces at the back and causing havoc. Okore, Clark and Sanchez are good on the ball, but Guzan's short distribution is terrible and makes the whole thing look embarrassing inept. I think Lambert has lost his way completely, and is now thrashing around, hoping he will accidentally hit on a solution. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 There surely can't be anyone still backing him? I'm still backing him. I don't think he's the man to take us forward and I'd be pleased to see him replaced. But I still back him. I'd RATHER he turned it round than we replaced him. I just don't think he will turn it round. I think most would be like this but as you acknowledge he's not the man to take us forward. If I back a horse in a race its because i believe it could win. I don't think there's any chance of Lambert turning it around so I can't back him to do it. But you carry on backing that horse until the race is over. Even when its clear to see that the horse (Lambert) has no chance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 12, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted January 12, 2015 Even when its clear to see that the horse (Lambert) has no chance? This is a really stupid debate over semantics. The point I was making is I'll still support and back the manager because I want him to succeed, even if I don't think he will. I don't blame people for not doing that, I was just answering the question of was there anyone left still "backing" him. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaCas Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 There surely can't be anyone still backing him? I am. Me too Generally, Wages = Success and we are financed to survive. The zone between 10th – 17th is the height of current ambitions. It’s always going to feel precarious! In my opinion, most decent managers would be challenged by the current environment. Whilst there may well be managers who could come in a improve us, I believe that there are many more that could come in and be worse. We have no money and can offer no security. The most likely prospect for a replacement would be an out of work manager but personally I have no confidence at all that recent suggestions would be improvements. It’s all a gamble – for me it is more likely that Lambert can steer us to safety again, than it is that say, Simon Grayson can come in with a couple of weeks of the transfer window left and do the same from a standing start 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 He had £43m for the first two years, and very few people were moaning about the money he had to spend then. Even allowing for the restrictions, he just doesn't have the ability to coach the team properly. How many chances did Albrighton (a player we let go for nothing) create against us on Saturday? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condimentalist Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 I said a couple of months ago when we were on that horrible run of form having played the top 6 that it was unfair to judge Lambert at that point and I would give him until the Leicester game just gone to prove that we are a better side than last year. We then went on a decent run (draws vs West Ham, Saints, Burnley, wins vs Palace and Leicester) and I thought I had been vindicated. We were unlucky at West Brom given the early sending off, and put in an excellent showing against Man United. Unfortunately the last four games have been absolute dogshite and there's no evidence that Lambert's new style of play will work given the paucity of creative talent in the squad. It looks like we're trying to address that this month which would be something at least. Overall I am disappointed with how the Christmas period has gone but Lambert does enough, just about, to retain my support. I actually think we'll get a result at the weekend, heaven knows we need one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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