Manager Paul Lambert

[AVFCforever1991]

Lambert new contract would top it all off.. Please oh please sign him up!!

[villarule123]

I still wouldn't give him one until some results have been produced, what I will say though is that he has obviously been working his ass off all summer so far and deserves 10/10 for his efforts

I was very critical of him around the Bradford games but I never wanted him sacked as I always had a feeling he'd turn things around

[Panto_Villan]

I am a little bit in love with him. He seems to possess the gift of common sense, which in reality is anything but.

 

The only time that I recall him taking a trip to the Bizarro Land where most managers seem to reside was the "three at the back" thing, which was infuriating.

 

It's really encouraging to see that he seems to realise the areas of the team that need strengthening and actually tries to address them, and does so quickly, the way a sensible human being would do. I'm sure someone like Wenger would currently be trying to grow a new defence from magic beans if he was in charge.

[tonyh29]

nice positive article on Lambert here :

 

NEVER mind Christian Benteke.

If I was Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner I would be drawing up a lucrative new contract for Paul Lambert pronto.

The ruthlessly efficient Scot is by far the biggest asset Villa have had in years.

Benteke may have doubled his money when he agreed a bumper new, £56,000-a-week deal last week.

But the real winner was Lambert, who took control of a potentially catastrophic situation for Villa and turned it to his advantage with the minimum of fuss.

The way Lambert dealt with Benteke reminded me of the master himself, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Whenever Fergie came into conflict with an errant player he had a knack of strengthening his own hand, whatever the outcome.

From the early days when he did the unthinkable and showed Paul McGrath the door, Ferguson managed to tighten his grip on United in virtually every confrontation with a player during his stellar career.

McGrath went on to become a Villa legend after he left Old Trafford.

However Ferguson sacrificed a truly great defender and fans’ favourite to draw the line in the sand he needed, to demonstrate NOBODY was bigger than the club.

Contrast that with Eric Cantona.

Ferguson stood by his prize jewel because he knew it was in his, and United’s, best interest to do so.

Jaap Stam was jettisoned. Bryan Robson revered. Beckham was binned. Ryan Giggs shifted around masterly to prolong his greatness.

Roy Keane culled when he started calling the shots too often for Ferguson’s liking.

Paul Scholes granted leave to retire, then cajoled back to oversee another title win. Sheer Genius.

Wayne Rooney would have left United vulnerable if he’d gone to rivals City a couple of seasons ago. Now who is in the driving seat?

Cristiano Ronaldo was denied a move to Real Madrid – on the understanding he could leave without fuss the following summer.

Fergie had the player for another season and controlled Ronaldo’s inevitable exit. It was crisis management at its best.

Likewise, Lambert dealt with Benteke brilliantly.

When confronted by his star player demanding a move, Lambert didn’t blink.

Any criticism was shrewdly aimed towards the player’s advisors, rather than Villa’s top scorer as Lambert cleverly avoided burning any bridges with his prize player.

The worst accusation Lambert aimed at Benteke was that he was young, a bit naive and was receiving poor advice.

Lambert was ever-so-subtly driving a wedge between player and his agent.

Then came the carrot. Stay and enjoy a stable build-up to next summer’s world cup when you can really put yourself in the shop window.

Score goals in Brazil and it won’t be Spurs who are coming for you it will be the really big boys of world football like Barca, Real, Bayern and Manchester United. With a good world cup you could become a GLOBAL star.

Lambert knew a long time ago he had a potential problem on his hands with Benteke this summer.

So it probably wasn’t any coincidence he signed Nicklas Helenius, a 6ft 5ins striker, with the dust barely settled on the old season.

There was a subliminal message that if he needed to sit Benteke on the bench – a la Darren Bent – Lambert had another option open to him.

It was a gentle flexing of his managerial muscle.

Then when Benteke’s transfer request landed on his desk Lambert shrewdly withdrew slightly and conceded ground.

He gave the Belgian an extra week off to re-assess the situation.

Can you imagine the problems at that point if Lambert had been jumping on a flight to Asia, Australia, or the States, like the majority of the Premier League?

I’m sure Lerner wouldn’t have been averse to pocketing a few quid for Villa by hawking his players halfway around the globe for sponsorship and marketing opportunities.

But after a strength-sapping tour of the States last year Lambert laid down the law this summer and said Germany, his spiritual home, was as far as he was going with his players.

He got his way. And he got his man because he was able to return home swiftly to tackle Benteke when he got back from his period of contemplation.

Amy chance of resolving the situation would have been weakened if Lambert had been on the other side of the world in a different time zone.

Instead he was there to welcome Benteke back personally when the big Belgian returned a week later.

Unlike Bent, Steven Ireland, Alan Hutton and the rest of the Villa ‘Bomb Squad,’ Benteke wasn’t sent into exile on a far-flung training pitch.

Unlike Bent, who has been publicly stripped of his coveted No 9 jersey, Benteke wasn’t humiliated.

He wasn’t sent off to sulk, he worked on his own while Lambert got to work on him.

First-team carrot on one side – a stick dubbed the ‘Bomb Squad,’ on the other side.

Whatever he said to him on that first day back, Lambert got inside Benteke’s head and got what he wanted for Villa.

He kept his top scorer and, just as importantly, he kept the striker happy by doubling his wages.

The kid striker didn’t lose face and will return to work this season with a positive attitude.

Whether Lambert also kept Benteke sweet by promising he could leave without fuss next summer is between manager and player.

On paper Villa have the Belgian for the next four years.

Instead of being left in limbo, Lambert emerged from the Benteke saga looking like Rambo in the eyes of grateful Villa fans.

The Belgian hitman may be 6ft 3ins of rippling muscle... but Lambo is the real iron man at Aston Villa

 

[TRO]

Its still early days and this hard work and shrewd business moves have to find their way on to the pitch in the way of good performances and subsequently results.

The signs are very good and he does seem to have the knack of making decisions understandable/feasible much like Fergie. There will be mistakes as with all good managers...but they get more right than wrong.

I am fully behind his " young hungry" players prophecy, but like all plans, they ultimately have to work...There is an acid test to all this.

What I like about him he does seem to be fearless with his decisions and appears very sure footed in what he is doing. I was most impressed with his interview alongside Alan McAnally before the Euro Cup Final, seemed very clear in his plans and confident of himself.

[abdomlahor]

So impressed with Lambert this Summer. Knows exactly what he wants and has been ruthless in getting it.

Edited July 26, 2013 by adz.villa

[KSV]

so if were in a relegation battle like last season.. is that acceptable? or should we be aiming for midtable this season.

I wonder what his personal target will be and what the fans expectations will be. Or better yet.. Randy's.

[dudevillaisnice]

so if were in a relegation battle like last season.. is that acceptable?

 

No.

 

Aiming for mid table should be the target.

[TRO]

Its no good looking for a house/car until you have the money.

point being we need to improve our game before we start falling over our bootlaces about where we are going to finish.

When we can keep the ball, move the ball, pass and move, score goals regularly from outfield play...when we have reasonable control of a game, when our first touch is greeted with a "wow under our breath and when we can trap a ball with aplomb and move it in almost the same movement....it will be reasonable to have a look at the league to see where we are...glance at a cup with an air of hope and getting a bit of pace in our stride on the way to the match.

first things first, boys.

PS The League is just a measurement of the whole season, it can be a world of difference what you do in August compared with May especially for a developing team like ours.

The games tell you almost everything and its roughly where we are at any given time.

[LondonLax]

I don't think he'd be sacked if we had another relegation battle but survived.

I think from the owners point of view, survival whilst cutting the wage bill is an acceptable season.

[Shillzz]

He's been better off the pitch than on it.

 

The work he's done within the club with regards to player selection and recruitment has been both refreshing and encouraging. He's brought in young and hungry players, on sensible wages, while getting rid of the over paid prima-donnas who have plagued our wage bill over recent seasons.

 

He's not exactly a tactical genius though. I hope he goes into this season having learnt that there are better formations than 352, and that when your team needs a goal - the answer isn't always to play with 6 strikers. He also needs to steady up our defense and learn when to play a bit more conservatively, because no one enjoys watching Chelsea knocking 8 past their team.

 

Overall he has us pointing in the right direction, but there's going to be plenty more lows along the way.

Edited July 26, 2013 by Shillzz

[Mantis]

I think from the owners point of view, survival whilst cutting the wage bill is an acceptable season.

And how do you know this?

[Zatman]

 

I think from the owners point of view, survival whilst cutting the wage bill is an acceptable season.

And how do you know this?

 

 

he said he thinks

[Villa87]

He's been better off the pitch than on it.

 

The work he's done within the club with regards to player selection and recruitment has been both refreshing and encouraging. He's brought in young and hungry players, on sensible wages, while getting rid of the over paid prima-donnas who have plagued our wage bill over recent seasons.

 

He's not exactly a tactical genius though. I hope he goes into this season having learnt that there are better formations than 352, and that when your team needs a goal - the answer isn't always to play with 6 strikers. He also needs to steady up our defense and learn when to play a bit more conservatively, because no one enjoys watching Chelsea knocking 8 past their team.

 

Overall he has us pointing in the right direction, but there's going to be plenty more lows along the way.

 

Spot on.

[ArteSuave]

I think from the owners point of view, survival whilst cutting the wage bill is an acceptable season.

And how do you know this?

Erm.

[Panto_Villan]

A thought just struck me today - with Moyes moving to United and Pulis getting the boot, is Lambert now one of the top 5 longest-serving managers in the league?

[chappy]

Wenger, Rodgers (by one day), Jol, Pardew were in their jobs before him of teams in the Prem at the time yeah.

[VILLAMARV]

Mackay has been in his job longer too - if you include teams not in the prem at the time

 

Wenger - Arsenal - 17 seasons (Sep '96)
Pardew - Newcastle - 3 seasons (Dec '10)
Allardyce - West Ham - 2 seasons (Jun '11)
Jol - Fulham - 2 seasons (Jun '11)
Mackay - Cardiff - 2 seasons (Jun '11)

Rodgers - Liverpool - 1 season (Jun '12)

LAMBERT - VILLA - 1 season (Jun '12)

Hughton - Norwich - 1 season (Jun '12)

Bruce - Hull - 1 season (Jun '12)

Clarke - West Brom - 1 season (Jun '12)

Laudrup - Swansea - 1 season (Jun '12)

AVB - Tottenham - 1 season (Jul '12)

Holloway - Crystal Palace - 1 season (Jul '12)

Pochettino - Southampton - 0 seasons (Jan '13)

Di Canio - Sunderland - 0 seasons (Mar '13)

Moyes - Man Utd - 0 seasons (May '13)

Hughes - Stoke - 0 seasons (May '13)

Mourinho - Chelsea (second stint) (Jun '13)

Martinez - Everton - 0 seasons (Jun '13)

Pellegrini - Man City - 0 seasons (Jun '13)

[Panto_Villan]

Thanks guys. I think we can discount Mackay because it's not a season in the Premier League if you're in the Championship, leaving Lambert 6th overall after one season. Madness.

 

I really hope he sticks around for at least three seasons, because by then he'll have a squad entirely filled with players he bought or kept rather than players he inherited. There must come a point where your performances are improved by actually having the players you want to play the system you want to play.

 

I also think that the "buy young" idea means he'll be more likely to stay than the average manager. It's not like being a chequebook manager where you can just buy half a new team immediately - the buying young philosophy takes time to bear fruit and hopefully Lambert will want to be around to see the results.

[AntrimBlack]

I like Paul Lambert's philosophy and attitude, though he can be surprisingly rash at times. In spite of the tribulations of last season, it was quite exciting towards the end of the campaign. The way we broke forward at times was absolutely thrilling. This could well be another bumpy season, but I can see the plan, and I get the feeling that manager and owner work together well and are committed to that plan.