Paul Lambert

[Tomaszk]

"Lamebert" is excellent, not seen that before I'll make sure to put it in all my posts so I can annoy the narcissists.

 

He's so terrible, he's taking attention away from the chairman who is the real one holding us back.

 

Real shame that he's leading our club.

[Villanun]

BBC interviewer: "Have you ever known a phase like this, in either your playing or managerial career?"

Lambert: "It's hard to say."

No, it isn't! It's a very simple question with a yes or no answer! I understand that post match interview are crap and that Lambert wants to protect the club and the players, but surely he can provide a straight answer to a question as simple as that?

The fact that we were better in the second half when we put on an attacking player only reinforces how poor we were in first when Lambert set us up with four central midfielders. It could be argued that we were unlucky not to score during that period of sustained pressure, but we could easily have been two behind if Sterling hadn't tried to chip Guzman. Lambert set us up to not lose and we still managed it.

Put simply, his tactical limitations have been found out. He continuously fails to get the best out of his squad, and insists on playing poorly-performing players out of position rather than fitting the formation to the players. He has presided over a record-breakingly bad run and it's time for him to go.

[DCJonah]

The more it goes on the less I see the financial limitations as a valid excuse.

I look at our players and I genuinely don't think they're poor.

We have a top class keeper. The defence is solid, Sanchez and delph are top half midfield players, benteke has world class potential and now Gill looks very promising.

The owners financial restrictions are not holding us back right now. The manager and his coaching and decision making are looking far more responsible than Lerner holding back the cash.

[Mantis]

The financial limitations are always a valid "excuse" to a certain extent, it's just that the more this goes on the more of the blame that Lambert has to take as well. Right now it's a case of both the financial restrictions and the manager holding us back.

[PieFacE]

I can't believe we're still 14th. The Premier League is so poor really. If we can get through the next 2 games and still not be in the bottom 3 I'll be amazed. We really need to start winning games after the next 2. I still think Lambert can redeem himself this season if we manage to improve on last season's position once you're season is finished, but I fear we won't.

[DCJonah]

The financial limitations are always a valid "excuse" to a certain extent, it's just that the more this goes on the more of the blame that Lambert has to take as well. Right now it's a case of both the financial restrictions and the manager holding us back.

That's kind of what I said. The more it goes on the more it moves on to Lambert IMO.

Our financial restrictions are not valid to excuse 12 points from 18 games and 11 goals in 22.

For me the restrictions are holding us back from being a top 8/9 team, Lambert is holding us back from being midtable or actually improving.

[DCJonah]

I can't believe we're still 14th. The Premier League is so poor really. If we can get through the next 2 games and still not be in the bottom 3 I'll be amazed. We really need to start winning games after the next 2. I still think Lambert can redeem himself this season if we manage to improve on last season's position once you're season is finished, but I fear we won't.

I've give up hoping for improvement. I'm just worrying about survival.

I'd be very surprised if we get above the 42 points he achieved in his first season.

[TRO]

when so many players are playing below the true level of their capabilities its time to look at the Manager.

 

The whole club seems to be a comatose state on the playing side....even the reserves are now struggling. The whole thing lacks Drive.

 

When was the last time a player was pulled off mid game for not performing?....surely that sends a message out to the others that sub performance won't be tolerated....instead sub performance is tolerated and thats one of the reasons we have what we have....everything is passive and the manager treads on egg shells with the players.

 

However, The manager will remain, because the owner has no plan to fund a new manager....Paul Lambert, remains because no manager of any ilk would take this on.

 

we are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

[Morley_crosses_to_Withe]

The more it goes on the less I see the financial limitations as a valid excuse.

I look at our players and I genuinely don't think they're poor.

We have a top class keeper. The defence is solid, Sanchez and delph are top half midfield players, benteke has world class potential and now Gill looks very promising.

The owners financial restrictions are not holding us back right now. The manager and his coaching and decision making are looking far more responsible than Lerner holding back the cash.

I don't normally agree with you but this is bang on the money.

[P3te]

I find it funny that many members will use a stupid name when talking about other football clubs but get offended when its used against our manager,which is right and which is wrong children?

They're equally retarded

[HanoiVillan]

 

The more it goes on the less I see the financial limitations as a valid excuse.

I look at our players and I genuinely don't think they're poor.

We have a top class keeper. The defence is solid, Sanchez and delph are top half midfield players, benteke has world class potential and now Gill looks very promising.

The owners financial restrictions are not holding us back right now. The manager and his coaching and decision making are looking far more responsible than Lerner holding back the cash.

I don't normally agree with you but this is bang on the money.

 

 

Yep. Ultimately, sure, Lerner to blame. But a different manager could get far, far more out of these players, and someone should be given the opportunity. 

[Nabby]

I can't believe we're still 14th. The Premier League is so poor really. If we can get through the next 2 games and still not be in the bottom 3 I'll be amazed. We really need to start winning games after the next 2. I still think Lambert can redeem himself this season if we manage to improve on last season's position once you're season is finished, but I fear we won't.

 

It is pretty amazing , and helps keep him in a job.By all rights on the run we are on we should be rock bottom.

[weedman]

The way I see it :

1) the financial constraints will not improve while Lerner is in charge

2) we can all pretty much agree that despite one of the lowest transfer budgets in the league, Lambert has built a team that should be capable of say, 10th-12th

3) he consistently cannot get the most out of those players and we seem to end up nearer relegation places (15th)

4) while a new manager may well be capable of getting this squad of players up to about 10th, it's unlikely that he will also have Lamberts eye for a player - managers that can pick up bargain players and get them to consistently over perform won't come to Villa, and if they do it won't be for long as every team would love a manager like this

5) if another manager doesn't have as good a transfer history as Lambert, our squad will gradually become weaker the longer they stay with us

6) a weaker squad will eventually get relegated, regardless of who's in charge

Ask yourselves what you would rather, someone who can take the 18th best transfer budget, and buy players capable of getting 10th underperforming in 15th - or someone who will take the 18th best transfer budget, gradually turn our team into one that can only achieve 18th and inevitably get relegated?

Now obviously it's not as simple as that, but I do worry if we sack Lambert. Yes on the field he's getting it wrong, but him getting it right off the field is what's saving us at the moment. To improve we would need to get a manager who is every bit as good in the transfer market as Lambert AND can consistently get the best out of players, and those managers are hard to find - given Lerners history of employing managers, how anyone trusts him to find that candidate is a mystery and IMO extremely unlikely. It's far more likely we would get some short term improvements before slipping further downwards. Again, nothing is certain, but I'd say that was a more likely scenario given Randy Lerners poor track record and the general difficulty in finding managers that can do that (see Ole Gunnar S... for an example of how easy it is to get wrong)

We are underachieving based on the team we have, but based on the money we've spent we're probably about bang on. The best long term we could realistically expect to happen from signing a new manager (unless by some stroke of pure luck they turn out to be the next Fergie) is short term gain, followed by a gradual decline as our bargain, better quality players get replaced by players that aren't as good. End result being worse players getting largely the same results. That's realistic, worst case we go down, best case we get mid table. Is it worth the risk when the most realistic scenario sees us being the same as we are now but with worse players?

I also find it ridiculous that people suggested Pulis, a true short term manager so desperate to keep his 'never been relegated' USP that he bails the second things don't go his own way or he's told he can't sign a first choice player - which would be as soon as a transfer window opens for us leaving us back at square one.

I hate to say it with the boring football of late, but given the state of our club, Lambert and Villa are a good fit. The transfer budget and wage structure from the club should see us flirting with relegation, and that's exactly what we're doing. Changes can only come from the top and filter down, otherwise it's meaningless.

[Rob182]

As one of Lambert's last supporters, I hereby issue notice that I will be demanding huge respect if he ever turns things around.

Of course it's possible that he won't and that I'm just a bloody fool.

I think he can still turn it round like he has before, but for me, it's too little too late. I'm a fan of Lambert, but we've been here before, too many times. The winless runs, the runs without scoring, the loss to Bradford/Millwall etc. We've had so many lows under Lambert (also, by the way, I find it difficult to put all of these lows down to 'financial restrictions') that I just can't see how he can get the fans back onside, and how he can develop into a manager that doesn't go on these terrible runs.

Yes, he's good in the transfer market, but I don't think that's enough. I'd rather have a 'man manager' that can get the best out of the players he has. Even if said manager ends up bringing in Jason Puncheon. Jason Puncheon on form is better than Benteke and Gabby struggling to control the ball between their feet.

[Rob182]

Question: If we played like that today with the same result but it was a new managers first game what would you think

Well, if it was the new manager's first game, you could put a lot down to teething problems, trying to put his style on the team and it only being his first attempt or you could say that they're not his players, so he might want to bring in some more to piece together the puzzle.

It's not though, is it? It's a game well into our managers 3rd season, after having 3 summers to put his ideas across and build his own squad.

[TJVilla]

The longer he stays, the less likely he is to work in the Premier League again.

 

Ultimately its not working. Managers, like players, have a glass ceiling in terms of ability. Look at Mick McCarthy. Excellent Championship manager, but not cut out for the Premier League. Lambert just isn't cut out for Premier League management. 

 

He should've had the balls to walk away in the summer and go to Celtic, but now we're seemingly stuck with him for god knows how long cos RL won't sack him. I'm losing count of the amount of records he has to break before RL decides enough is enough. As a scout, he's decent. As a manager, he's awful. 

 

I don't think we can keep talking about 'give him til X' anymore. He's had more than enough time, (and money), and its just not happening. Of course its a risk getting a new manager, but its a risk worth taking, cos lets face it, its take a risk or keep putting up with the utter drivel Lambert is gonna keep serving up every week.

[Mantis]

I'd like to think that Lerner would sack him on the basis of not winning enough games, not getting enough points and not scoring enough goals rather than because he broke records.

Edited January 18, 2015 by Mantis

[briny_ear]

I am in awe of those people who are still prepared to proclaim themselves as "Lambert fans". I'd love to watch you crossing the road in heavy traffic, whistling nonchalantly as the HGVs whistle past you.

[pooligan]

The clueless one broke another club record yesterday.Never in the long history of Villa v Liverpool games had Liverpool managed to win 4 games on the trot at Villa Park. Sadly i think he will break a few more by the end of the season.

[nick76]

The way I see it :

1) the financial constraints will not improve while Lerner is in charge

2) we can all pretty much agree that despite one of the lowest transfer budgets in the league, Lambert has built a team that should be capable of say, 10th-12th

3) he consistently cannot get the most out of those players and we seem to end up nearer relegation places (15th)

4) while a new manager may well be capable of getting this squad of players up to about 10th, it's unlikely that he will also have Lamberts eye for a player - managers that can pick up bargain players and get them to consistently over perform won't come to Villa, and if they do it won't be for long as every team would love a manager like this

5) if another manager doesn't have as good a transfer history as Lambert, our squad will gradually become weaker the longer they stay with us

6) a weaker squad will eventually get relegated, regardless of who's in charge

Ask yourselves what you would rather, someone who can take the 18th best transfer budget, and buy players capable of getting 10th underperforming in 15th - or someone who will take the 18th best transfer budget, gradually turn our team into one that can only achieve 18th and inevitably get relegated?

Now obviously it's not as simple as that, but I do worry if we sack Lambert. Yes on the field he's getting it wrong, but him getting it right off the field is what's saving us at the moment. To improve we would need to get a manager who is every bit as good in the transfer market as Lambert AND can consistently get the best out of players, and those managers are hard to find - given Lerners history of employing managers, how anyone trusts him to find that candidate is a mystery and IMO extremely unlikely. It's far more likely we would get some short term improvements before slipping further downwards. Again, nothing is certain, but I'd say that was a more likely scenario given Randy Lerners poor track record and the general difficulty in finding managers that can do that (see Ole Gunnar S... for an example of how easy it is to get wrong)

We are underachieving based on the team we have, but based on the money we've spent we're probably about bang on. The best long term we could realistically expect to happen from signing a new manager (unless by some stroke of pure luck they turn out to be the next Fergie) is short term gain, followed by a gradual decline as our bargain, better quality players get replaced by players that aren't as good. End result being worse players getting largely the same results. That's realistic, worst case we go down, best case we get mid table. Is it worth the risk when the most realistic scenario sees us being the same as we are now but with worse players?

I also find it ridiculous that people suggested Pulis, a true short term manager so desperate to keep his 'never been relegated' USP that he bails the second things don't go his own way or he's told he can't sign a first choice player - which would be as soon as a transfer window opens for us leaving us back at square one.

I hate to say it with the boring football of late, but given the state of our club, Lambert and Villa are a good fit. The transfer budget and wage structure from the club should see us flirting with relegation, and that's exactly what we're doing. Changes can only come from the top and filter down, otherwise it's meaningless.

great post, well thought out I just don't fully agree. Agree that Lambert has an eye for a player but has also brought some donkeys and all managers have successes and failures, just Lambert is slightly more in the positive than negative at this time. This is his only positive, everything else he has failed at, broken so many unwanted records, believes we are better than we are and the football is the most dire thing to watch. Time to go!