Paul Lambert

[PompeyVillan]

He's obviously looking for a job. Wouldn't surprise me if he popped up at Newcastle when they sack Mcclaren. He did a very good job of hiding what a diabolical owner Lerner is, he could do the same with Ashley.

I have no ill feelings towards Lambert to be honest, seems like a decent guy just wasnt helped by his bosses 

He will be back at Norwich I think

I'm ambivalent. I don't mind him ripping into Lerner though to be honest. He deserves it.

[Morley_crosses_to_Withe]

What's the point in gobbling off about wanting Bony/Lukaku when he ended up with Benteke instead who is arguably the better striker out of those three. In an ideal world, it would have been nice to have two of the three, but he was barely hard-done by there. You'd think he wanted Bony/Lukaku but ended up with Heskey (although he did manage to make Benteke look like him at the end with the turgid shite he served up). 

I kind of don't mind Lambert again now that he's no where near the club. He's probably the worst manager we've had in a long time*, though.

(*I won't say he's worse than someone like Billy McNeil because he actually got us relegated; claiming someone who didn't actually take us down is worse than someone who actually did is either PFE or retarded). 

[HanoiVillan]

What's the point in gobbling off about wanting Bony/Lukaku when he ended up with Benteke instead who is arguably the better striker out of those three. In an ideal world, it would have been nice to have two of the three, but he was barely hard-done by there. You'd think he wanted Bony/Lukaku but ended up with Heskey (although he did manage to make Benteke look like him at the end with the turgid shite he served up). 

I kind of don't mind Lambert again now that he's no where near the club. He's probably the worst manager we've had in a long time*, though.

(*I won't say he's worse than someone like Billy McNeil because he actually got us relegated; claiming someone who didn't actually take us down is worse than someone who actually did is either PFE or retarded). 

Oooh er!

[Demitri_C]

What's the point in gobbling off about wanting Bony/Lukaku when he ended up with Benteke instead who is arguably the better striker out of those three. In an ideal world, it would have been nice to have two of the three, but he was barely hard-done by there. You'd think he wanted Bony/Lukaku but ended up with Heskey (although he did manage to make Benteke look like him at the end with the turgid shite he served up). 

I kind of don't mind Lambert again now that he's no where near the club. He's probably the worst manager we've had in a long time*, though.

(*I won't say he's worse than someone like Billy McNeil because he actually got us relegated; claiming someone who didn't actually take us down is worse than someone who actually did is either PFE or retarded). 

Sherwood was worse. Lambert at least had one good and half seasons, Sherwood had 4-5 good games than was a complete waste of time. If your judging it purely on his final season with us yes it was terrible, as bad as the taylor mark II days

[Zatman]

Lambert at least had one good and half seasons,

When?

[DCJonah]

He had a good spell at the end of his firsr year but even that only ended up with 41 points. The rest of the time was absolutely abysmal. Easily the worst stuff I've ever seen my team play. 

Edited October 28, 2015 by DCJonah

[Mantis]

We were good/ok under Lambert for most of 2013 but that was about it.

[MrDuck]

Lambert at least had one good and half seasons,

When?

When he was at Norwich

[penguin]

Lambert goes down as the worst manager for me. Bailed out by the best striker we've had in recent times, plus points for buying him though of course, yet still managed to play some of the most dour negative football ive ever seen. The ridiculous run of games last season we went on without a shot on target let alone a goal will forever stick in my head.

[jackbauer24]

I find it a little sad, even frustrating, that most fans can't see past the idea that bad results mean you must have a bad manager. It's so simplistic a view. You can of course have a bad manager getting good results too; the teams aren't organised by best manager come the final league table in May, they're organised largely by the best squads and teams. Moyes did a bad job at Utd, but Utd still finished higher than loads of teams - does that mean he was a better manager than all of them?! Of course not.

Lambert was given the funds and wage structure to compete for 17th. He had a handful of high earners that hadn't performed for a few managers and the rest were sourced from lower leagues and gambles from abroad. The football was largely poor, defensive and resulted in more lows than highs. Is this a surprise?! He kept us up which was all he was tasked with doing. When it looked like he'd fail to do this, he got the boot. He wasn't under threat if he stayed 17th as that's all Lerner wants and invests in.

Unfortunately too many fans are easily swayed by the traditional belief that a good manager can win you the league despite any investment! These people are Lerner's dream fans. I really can't be bothered to argue this with another fan. All I will say is can you name any manager Villa have had that you think did a good job despite losing loads of games?!

I give you mud and sticks and a good chef will make it look like a pretty pie, a bad chef will make it look inedible pie. However both pies will taste like sh*t; that makes seeing who was the good chef a much harder job.

[maqroll]

[momo]

Hahaha...when your major signings are the free transfers of J.Cole (not the singer) and Senderos, while starting the season with Kozak and Benteke injured, you are dealt a shitty hand by the owner. I know he lost the plot there in the middle of the last season. His main objective became trying not to lose games, because no one was scoring anyway. People who are really good at something, but get thwarted all along will eventually lose motivation and give up subconsciously. People tend to forget that Benkeke and Kozak got injured the season before, so the end of that season was weak as well.

Lambert used 3 years to spend the same of amount of money Sherwood spent in one summer. And Sherwood bought more expensive players. Even so, both types of transfer policies backfired.

[Stevo985]

I'd also say if you're saying Benteke bailed Lambert out, you have to say the same for Sherwood.

[sharkyvilla]

I'd also say if you're saying Benteke bailed Lambert out, you have to say the same for Sherwood.

Also, compare the team's results without Benteke under Lambert and Sherwood and Lambert is the clear winner.  I'd say ever since his Wycombe days, last season was his only real managerial failure if you take into consideration what he was expected to achieve.  That's a decent CV in my book.

[Stevo985]

I'd also say if you're saying Benteke bailed Lambert out, you have to say the same for Sherwood.

Also, compare the team's results without Benteke under Lambert and Sherwood and Lambert is the clear winner.  I'd say ever since his Wycombe days, last season was his only real managerial failure if you take into consideration what he was expected to achieve.  That's a decent CV in my book.

I've said it numerous times, but I think many villa fans will be surprised at how high Lambert's stock still is outside of Villa fans. Rightly or wrongly.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Stevo985

[markavfc40]

I've said it numerous times, but I think many villa fans will be surprised at how high Lambert's stock still is outside of Villa fans. Rightly or wrongly.

 

I think you are probably right. In hindsight I think for Lambert's reputation by sacking him when we did was arguably the best thing that could have happened to him going forward. We were in that much of a rut and Lambert looked that drained and frustrated as to what to do to get us out of the mess we were in that I am certain we’d have been relegated had he stayed. A relegation on his record is the last thing he would have needed. As it is now some time has passed you can look back on his time at Aston Villa and say he came into a club that had just avoided relegation, he was in charge for two full seasons and kept them up and since he has left they are now again struggling.

I think given the finances at the club, especially the continued cutting of wages, then it would have taken a very good manager to have not seen us struggling in the lower third of the table over the last 4 years. In that regard you’d have to say Lambert did about as well as could have been expected overall. That is not to say he shouldn't have been sacked though as there is no doubt he had completely lost his way over that last 5 months he was here. For the good of this club, in terms of staying up last season, and his career prospects as it happens, the best thing that happened was him being sacked.

Edited October 29, 2015 by markavfc40

[Stevo985]

Exactly. In a similar way to how Sherwood is being defended in the press at the moment, Lambert was viewed as having a very very hard job.

He kept us up on a shoestring budget. Never got us relegated, or at least that's how it will be perceived. Once he left it all (potentially) went downhill.

We all know it's not as simple as that, but for those outside of villa fans, I don't think they see it the same way.

[MrDuck]

Who was the last Villa boss to go on and join a decent club and be a success after Villa?

[HanoiVillan]

I don't think there's been one in my lifetime (I'm 29). Taylor went to England, MON went to ROI after Sunderland, but managers going to on to successful club careers, I can't think of one. 

[coda]

No doubt he had a tough job but I think many chairmen would baulk at employing him due to his goalless anti-football. That strange possession without any intent style he evolved here.