Paul Lambert

[Wainy316]

Morpheus is banned btw.

 

 

[CrackpotForeigner]

He doesn't seem to be. Just gone all quiet, that's all.

[VillaCas]

 

As I've been saying consistently results are constantly improving under Lambert

Haha so consistent you seemed to disappear for a couple of months.

The majority of the season was much worse than how we finished last season and for long parts we were on course to finish with similar points while the football we played was awful.

2 brilliant results and performances so let's hope it continues.

 

 

I think you know my viewpoint which has been unchanged and consistent since Lambert's arrival. - We have an improving trend and with decent backing I expect that improvement to continue - however, anyone expecting improvement to be seamless and relentless, without plenty of ups and down is fooling themselves and doesn't understand much about football

 

Many posters here have massive over-expectations about where we should be and what can be achieved with the meagre resource we are currently employing - it's a completely new paradigm and too many people have failed to adjust accordingly

 

I've got massive admiration for Lambert (and Lerner is this aspect) who has quietly, diligently and professionally gone about transforming a team whilst ignoring the huge and constant pressures

 

We are currently 10th, we have averaged 11th place so far this season and never fallen lower than 13th - quite what more could expected this season is beyond me.

[VillaCas]

 

There'll be some people in the Villa Park crowd who will see evidence like this, shrug their shoulders and continue with their match-going policy of giving both barrels to the manager and team - neanderthals who can't get it into their heads that you can't rebuild a football club from top to bottom in eighteen months. Lambert is doing a superb job.

Maybe because fans will base their opinon on what they see at games instead of a graph.

Any stick lambert has received has been because it wasn't good enough. When things are good then he gets the credit for it and rightly so.

 

 

We are a mid-table team producing typical mid-table football - if we were performing better, we would be earning more points and challenging for Europa League places which would be clearly unrealistic this season

 

 

[VillaCas]

It was a brilliant result for the club, fans and team against Chelsea and that can't be denied by anyone with any sense but by the same token it is not neanderthal thinking to suggest that the manager's record is currently much less than superb. Those who have criticised him have as must right to do that as those who now awash him with praise.

 

.....You were expecting "superb" with a £40m squad and a slashed wage bill???

 

[Richard]

 

As I've been saying consistently results are constantly improving under Lambert

Haha so consistent you seemed to disappear for a couple of months

 

I cant talk for Villacas but if it was anything like my absence it was probably because he was bored with the supposed appetite for the negative view and  not an appetite for a positive look,  or realistic look. In addition I'd say that for me it just seemed that some people wanted to take a stance which was opposite to others purely and simply because they had history and they just wanted to score a few points / continue the rivalry.

 

We are a club pushing for 10th place finish this season.  Not dropping into a 10th place from a position higher than that,  but a club looking to progress ,  move forward and finish in the top half.  When you are a club in that position then guess what your results and performances are going to be around the 10-15 place mark and that is what we have seen this season.  Another reason why I have been quite comfortable with our performances and results in the main as this is my expectation for the club right now.

 

We have had ups and downs,  some good results,  some shocking ones and some cracking ones but in the main our overall performances have been in that ball park.  Even when we have been winning there have been complaints that our possession stats were 20% lower than the other teams!  I couldnt care less about that as our goals scored were 20% higher in the games we won (notably Southampton away).  I'd also add that in my day possession stats meant f all,  it is only since we have sky etc that this seems more important now than results on the pitch

 

Results have improved,  we have made progress this season and we continue to make progress

 

Show me another manager (certainly one we have had in the last 30 years) that could have achieved what Lambert has achieved here under the same policy directive / restrictions.  He has basically removed the majority of our premiership experienced and higher paid players,  replaced them with unknowns and kept us in the division and in fact has improved on year!

 

Turner replaced higher paid spent a fortune for the time and took us down with the help of the woeful Mcneill

Taylor had the benefit of a low base but spent some money and finished second to Milwall

Venglos was caretaker for 12 months and did f all

Atkinson spent on the back of player sales of the higher value (Lambert has basically not had much in the way of sales revenue)

Little spent on the back of some player sales and mostly Sky revenue when the "market" was not as competitive

Gregory spent and wasted some building on the work already done by Little not dismantling and starting again

GTMK2 spent on Crouch et al and almost took us down

Oleary was an arse no more needs saying

Oneill spent a fortune when we were trying to spend to compete,  but then only paid top 6 wages for top 6 finishes

Houllier continued to spend despite the "restrictions" and was an accident waiting to happen that happened

Mcleish spent big too.  Was never going to work as he was a shit manager who had managed a shit team.  

 

So for me this is why Lambert is the best we have had in the last 30 years.  He has dismantled, started again and is improving us.  He may be a stubborn bugger but for me he can be as stubborn as he wants.

 

Sure he has "wasted" some money in transfers.  But it is not the Collymore, Curcic,  Balaban,  Ireland,  Beye type.  The money he has "wasted" is peanuts in comparison and on

 

Tonev - when people said "brilliant we are using Petrov's great advice here"

Helenius - when people said "brilliant we are using laursen's great advice here"

Bennett - when it was a choice of him or cresswell who were seen as two of the best young left backs outside the division

Bowery - for 200K and to be honest talking to some I know from Chesterfield even they dodnt know of him before he moved to us.

 

But you know what we may very well sell a player this summer for our highest receipt and this will enable us to improve our team some more so that fact alone enables me to think "Meh,  I'll let him off some of the potential wastes".  He is allowed that luxury for me given what he has had to do in terms of team building and strengthening.  See he has had to do that as well coupled with a fan base some of whom have wanted quicker progression,  success and seeming expecting top six performances / finishes or so it seemed.  Our model is not the Spurs one that people refer to out of some desire for us to be at that level,  our model is the Everton one,  or at least it is for Lambert

 

For me the bigger question,  the more interesting debate is not on the performance of the manager but the chairman.  What is his strategy for us ?  His long term vision ? Is it to be the next Charlton just surviving finding the odd gem now and again which enables us to invest to find another and stay in the league seeing top 10 and maybe a cup run as success?  Or is it a strategy which is aiming for more than that ? If it is something more than that then we will never achieve it under Lerner.  The days of champions league strategy have gone for good with this owner.  Quite simply this is a money game and he cannot afford it,  the club cannot afford it.  This is the harsh reality of the situation.  When he took over he spent a fortune trying to get there and we failed.  We would need to spend double that now to try and get there and not just in fees but wages.  The club revenue will not support champions league wages and we havent got the cash to cleverly negotiate the FFP rules.  If we want that for our club then we need a new owner with Saudi type money

 

I'd argue that we need a new one anyway with money to enable us to compete in the 5-7th places given what we'd need to spend to achieve even that.  See you just cant carry on selling your best players to generate the cash to invest,  sometimes you have to retain those players and build on what you have not knock it down and start again.  If the strategy is find the odd gem,  develop him ,  flog him and start again I doubt that will provide any consistent success

 

So for me Lambert has been spot on, made some mistakes but improved.  Just like our team.

 

The real question mark continues to be on the Chairman and that should be our focus.

[Big_John_10]

Not league position again. Who gets joy from just looking at a league table? I'm absolutely gutted I missed the chelsea game and looking at us in 10th doesn't provide me with the same joy as being at that game would have.

2 games ago we had 28 points from 27 games, 3 home wins and 8 home losses. I think people who expected better were fine to think that. We expected better and oh look, it can be better as the last two games have shown.

Let's not pretend that this season has been great though because of the 2 previous games and league position.

[Big_John_10]

or realistic look

You made some pretty outrageous claims.

[Mantis]

Let's not pretend that this season has been great though because of the 2 previous games and league position.

Who's saying that? If you read people's posts you'll see that the opinion is very much that we've had a solid if unspectacular season. Nobody is claiming it's been great but equally I don't think you can claim it's been terrible either, certainly not compared to last season.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Mantis

[VillaCas]

 

 

As I've been saying consistently results are constantly improving under Lambert

Haha so consistent you seemed to disappear for a couple of months

 

I cant talk for Villacas but if it was anything like my absence it was probably because he was bored with the supposed appetite for the negative view and  not an appetite for a positive look,  or realistic look. In addition I'd say that for me it just seemed that some people wanted to take a stance which was opposite to others purely and simply because they had history and they just wanted to score a few points / continue the rivalry.

 

We are a club pushing for 10th place finish this season.  Not dropping into a 10th place from a position higher than that,  but a club looking to progress ,  move forward and finish in the top half.  When you are a club in that position then guess what your results and performances are going to be around the 10-15 place mark and that is what we have seen this season.  Another reason why I have been quite comfortable with our performances and results in the main as this is my expectation for the club right now.

 

We have had ups and downs,  some good results,  some shocking ones and some cracking ones but in the main our overall performances have been in that ball park.  Even when we have been winning there have been complaints that our possession stats were 20% lower than the other teams!  I couldnt care less about that as our goals scored were 20% higher in the games we won (notably Southampton away).  I'd also add that in my day possession stats meant f all,  it is only since we have sky etc that this seems more important now than results on the pitch

 

Results have improved,  we have made progress this season and we continue to make progress

 

Show me another manager (certainly one we have had in the last 30 years) that could have achieved what Lambert has achieved here under the same policy directive / restrictions.  He has basically removed the majority of our premiership experienced and higher paid players,  replaced them with unknowns and kept us in the division and in fact has improved on year!

 

Turner replaced higher paid spent a fortune for the time and took us down with the help of the woeful Mcneill

Taylor had the benefit of a low base but spent some money and finished second to Milwall

Venglos was caretaker for 12 months and did f all

Atkinson spent on the back of player sales of the higher value (Lambert has basically not had much in the way of sales revenue)

Little spent on the back of some player sales and mostly Sky revenue when the "market" was not as competitive

Gregory spent and wasted some building on the work already done by Little not dismantling and starting again

GTMK2 spent on Crouch et al and almost took us down

Oleary was an arse no more needs saying

Oneill spent a fortune when we were trying to spend to compete,  but then only paid top 6 wages for top 6 finishes

Houllier continued to spend despite the "restrictions" and was an accident waiting to happen that happened

Mcleish spent big too.  Was never going to work as he was a shit manager who had managed a shit team.  

 

So for me this is why Lambert is the best we have had in the last 30 years.  He has dismantled, started again and is improving us.  He may be a stubborn bugger but for me he can be as stubborn as he wants.

 

Sure he has "wasted" some money in transfers.  But it is not the Collymore, Curcic,  Balaban,  Ireland,  Beye type.  The money he has "wasted" is peanuts in comparison and on

 

Tonev - when people said "brilliant we are using Petrov's great advice here"

Helenius - when people said "brilliant we are using laursen's great advice here"

Bennett - when it was a choice of him or cresswell who were seen as two of the best young left backs outside the division

Bowery - for 200K and to be honest talking to some I know from Chesterfield even they dodnt know of him before he moved to us.

 

But you know what we may very well sell a player this summer for our highest receipt and this will enable us to improve our team some more so that fact alone enables me to think "Meh,  I'll let him off some of the potential wastes".  He is allowed that luxury for me given what he has had to do in terms of team building and strengthening.  See he has had to do that as well coupled with a fan base some of whom have wanted quicker progression,  success and seeming expecting top six performances / finishes or so it seemed.  Our model is not the Spurs one that people refer to out of some desire for us to be at that level,  our model is the Everton one,  or at least it is for Lambert

 

For me the bigger question,  the more interesting debate is not on the performance of the manager but the chairman.  What is his strategy for us ?  His long term vision ? Is it to be the next Charlton just surviving finding the odd gem now and again which enables us to invest to find another and stay in the league seeing top 10 and maybe a cup run as success?  Or is it a strategy which is aiming for more than that ? If it is something more than that then we will never achieve it under Lerner.  The days of champions league strategy have gone for good with this owner.  Quite simply this is a money game and he cannot afford it,  the club cannot afford it.  This is the harsh reality of the situation.  When he took over he spent a fortune trying to get there and we failed.  We would need to spend double that now to try and get there and not just in fees but wages.  The club revenue will not support champions league wages and we havent got the cash to cleverly negotiate the FFP rules.  If we want that for our club then we need a new owner with Saudi type money

 

I'd argue that we need a new one anyway with money to enable us to compete in the 5-7th places given what we'd need to spend to achieve even that.  See you just cant carry on selling your best players to generate the cash to invest,  sometimes you have to retain those players and build on what you have not knock it down and start again.  If the strategy is find the odd gem,  develop him ,  flog him and start again I doubt that will provide any consistent success

 

So for me Lambert has been spot on, made some mistakes but improved.  Just like our team.

 

The real question mark continues to be on the Chairman and that should be our focus.

 

 

This is EXACTLY my view Richard

[Big_John_10]

I think 2 games ago it was terrible. What's not terrible about 28 pts from 27 games and our abysmal home record? Combined with truly awful football to watch. That's not terrible?

[VillaForever1970]

We’re inconsistent like the vast majority of the league, its why only a few teams can win the league because they are the only consistent ones.

Start of the season a mid table finish the vast majority people would be happy with it ‘looks’ like that is on the cards.

Oh but only mid-table playing amazing football, did i forget to say that, sorry? I can moan because we’re mid table but are shit to watch.

Well last season we were good to watch but couldn’t defend, you moaned then as well.

So which is it?

Round and round the modern football fans go...

[Big_John_10]

We’re inconsistent like the vast majority of the league, its why only a few teams can win the league because they are the only consistent ones.

Start of the season a mid table finish the vast majority people would be happy with it ‘looks’ like that is on the cards.

Oh but only mid-table playing amazing football, did i forget to say that, sorry? I can moan because we’re mid table but are shit to watch.

Well last season we were good to watch but couldn’t defend, you moaned then as well.

So which is it?

Round and round the modern football fans go...

Haha I do enjoy your rants against other fans.

[Richard]

 

or realistic look

You made some pretty outrageous claims.

 

You started it

[VillaCas]

Not league position again. Who gets joy from just looking at a league table? I'm absolutely gutted I missed the chelsea game and looking at us in 10th doesn't provide me with the same joy as being at that game would have.

2 games ago we had 28 points from 27 games, 3 home wins and 8 home losses. I think people who expected better were fine to think that. We expected better and oh look, it can be better as the last two games have shown.

Let's not pretend that this season has been great though because of the 2 previous games and league position.

 

Of course league position matters!!!! I for one get real pleasure from seeing us in the top half rather than the bottom half. It's not the same pleasure I got as when Delph scored but pleasure none the less. League tables are the method by which we judge success so an improvement of more than 5 places on last season tells me that things continue to move in the right direction

 

Anyway, I've spotted what you are trying to do so see you in a couple of months BJ

[terrytini]

Brilliant Post Richard as regards why people have stopped posting and in its assessment of PL. I also think he is our best Manager, and best hope, since Saunders.

The only bit I disagree with is over the new owner.

I'm not sure any owner, other than the Man City type, will invest what is needed for 6th, in wages terms. We may get it through other means like scouting, tactics etc, but it is a huge extra investment if by wages. I dont like most of what I have seen of the 'next tier down' type of owner.

I am not keen on the Man City model - they are no longer a Club but a brand which happens to be based in Manchester.

As such, although he has many faults - hopefully largely now historic rather than present - I can see arguments for sticking with Randy.

Edited March 17, 2014 by terrytini

[Richard]

Not league position again. Who gets joy from just looking at a league table? I'm absolutely gutted I missed the chelsea game and looking at us in 10th doesn't provide me with the same joy as being at that game would have.

 

Thats how people determine the success of a football club.  Always has been.

 

So we lose 4-3 every week playing superb exapnsive (whatever that means) open football and we finish 20th.  You'd be happy with performances and not give a shit about league position?

[Xann]

Combined with truly awful football to watch.

 

There's no denying that.

 

That's not terrible?

 

It's not finished yet, still in transition on a shoestring - Which hasn't been completely without pleasant surprises.

[Richard]

Brilliant Post Richard as regards why people have stopped posting and in its assessment of PL. I also think he is our best Manager, and best hope, since Saunders.

The only bit I disagree with is over the new owner.

I'm not sure any owner, other than the Man City type, will invest what is needed for 6th, in wages terms. We may get it through other means like scouting, tactics etc, but it is a huge extra investment if by wages. I dont like most of what I have seen of the 'next tier down' type of owner.

I am not keen on the Man City model - they are no longer a Club but a brand which happens to be based in Manchester.

As such, although he has many faults - hopefully largely now historic rather than present - I can see arguments for sticking with Randy.

And that is an opinion I am happy to accept and debate Terry,  but for me that is the far more important and interesting debate we should all be having.  Not changing the manager yet again

[Big_John_10]

Not league position again. Who gets joy from just looking at a league table? I'm absolutely gutted I missed the chelsea game and looking at us in 10th doesn't provide me with the same joy as being at that game would have.

2 games ago we had 28 points from 27 games, 3 home wins and 8 home losses. I think people who expected better were fine to think that. We expected better and oh look, it can be better as the last two games have shown.

Let's not pretend that this season has been great though because of the 2 previous games and league position.

Of course league position matters!!!! I for one get real pleasure from seeing us in the top half rather than the bottom half. It's not the same pleasure I got as when Delph scored but pleasure none the less. League tables are the method by which we judge success so an improvement of more than 5 places on last season tells me that things continue to move in the right direction

Anyway, I've spotted what you are trying to do so see you in a couple of months BJ

Points show how we are doing.

League position shows how we are doing compared to everyone else.

More teams being poor this season hasn't made watching poor results and performances better. Like I said 2 games ago we had 28 points from 27 games.