Manager Paul Lambert

[StanBalaban]

I am sat here delighted we are in the top half in all honesty. For the record, I support Paul Lambert. I think there is much better, but I think there is much worse too. Taking everything into account (including hindsight and backing etc), he is probably the one manager with the potential to take us further than any manager we have had in the last 10-15 years. 

 

We are improving, there is just simply no denying it. Sure, I would love results to be better, and the football (which is no worse to the tripe that has been constantly dished up for as long as I can remember) to be slicker, more creative and exciting. However, for those that are wanting Lambert out, I think the expectations are just way too high. Not so much of Aston Villa, but of this current team.

 

I mean, if people are truly honest with themselves, and take the bias away from it, the two teams yesterday (on paper) - there is not a lot of difference. And that really showed on the field. I spent the Summer, gob smacked at the over the top positivity that was on here. Nothing wrong with being positive of course, but when you are unrealistic, you set yourself up for disappointment. It seemed that all people thought was, oh we have played well the last few weeks of last season so we are going to really kick on and be top half (which ironically, we are). Westwood was going to be the next England captain, Gabby had scored 2 at Norwich so was going to be the superstar we have all hoped he would be for what? 7 years now? Matty Lowton (based on a wonder goal at Stoke and an absolute brilliant performance vs Sunderland) was going to be England's first choice RB. He isnt even our first choice RB. And the 7 signings, that no buggar had ever heard of were all going to add to the quality we had already got.

 

I even remember posts saying that they had never been so excited about a season for decades. What on earth was it based on?

 

The current team on paper is not very good. Simple as. Yes Lambert has bought them (I question most of his signings tbh), but he is buying players that he can 'potentially' mould into decent assets. He is not buying players (bar 1 or 2) to go straight into the team and perform. That is why it will take time, but atm, as we are improving, its undeniably working. Chill Out, we are doing ok and are probably only a fully fit/firing Benteke away from having a very decent season.

Sad thing is that without a fully fit/fully firing Benteke we are far from a decent team. We rely too heavily on one player and without him we flounder and other teams know this so when we play him they just snuff him out and we are screwed.

We keep clean sheets against dross teams like Hull,...

Dross that's beating Liverpool 3-1?

You rate Hull then do you? Great side, can't believe I ever rubbished them.

Like it or not, due to our spending power we are also one of those "dross" teams. We have no divine right to beat any other Premier League team considering our budget is probably in the bottom 5.

[foreveryoung]

Southampton I believe will be the big test for Lambert. There manager will see straight through Lamberts inadequate tactics. The only thing Lambert will have over him is his English and even that's questionable.

[VillaCas]

I'd be prepared to give Lambert all the time he needed if I though the end result would be worthwhile.  I don't though.  His brand of football is horrible, and giving him more money will just lead to more expensive players playing that style of football.  Nothing in his career to date suggests that he's suddenly going to turn into a Martinez/Rodgers/Pochettino type, playing an expansive, European style of football.  There'd be an outcry if somebody suggested appointing Tony Pulis, but we've got a manager who plays exactly that type of football.

 

People a like a spoilt children

 

I imagine that there is a 12-y-o somewhere in Liverpool typing exactly the same comment about Rodgers, after their 3-1 defeat, right this minute

 

"nothing in his career suggests he is going to turn into a Martinez or a Pochettino"   Martinez relegated Wigan and is now riding on the coat-tails of a manager who built a team over ten years - his three best players won't be there next season. Pochettino has been at Southampton five minutes and inherited an unusually talented group of youngsters.

 

Mouriniho, Wenger, Moyes, Pellegrini are better managers than Lambert at the moment, the rest not so much

 

What an absolute joke - who do you want as manager if not Lambert - name some names?

 

STOP PRESS: I hear Martin Jol is available

 

Edited December 1, 2013 by VillaCas

[Morpheus]

 

 

A manager needs time or money. Lambert hasn't had much money in prem terms - and certainly not for a club regularly pulling in 36k crowds. Yes the football at the moment is pretty poor - and that has to be addressed in the transfer windows from here on in. 

 

A Just wonder how many of his detractors want to change the manager right now.........to me that would be a disaster.....I just hope Lambo can keep on an even keel until Lerner decides to sell. For all lamberts faults I honestly couldn't see anyone else doing much better.

 

He's had over £40m.  That puts him comfortably in the top half of the spending table in the time he has been here.  And I'd get rid of him tomorrow, the football he plays is dire.  His team punted it up to Holt at Norwich, and now we do the same with Benteke at Villa.  

 

 

And replace with whom exactly? I love how the detractors lay out the criticisms without any solutions.

 

Lambert has had to rebuild an entire squad. At least 15 players came in for around the £40-41m mark in two seasons. With quite a few players leaving that re-couped around £10m.

 

We have been outspent by the likes of Swansea, Southampton, Sunderland, West Ham. Yet, we are presently above some of those teams in the league. We have rescued 7 points from losing positions so far this season. Under previous management, we would have capitulated. We are a younger, fitter and more determined team. Yes, there are faults that need to be addressed but we are still playing big wages to players for nothing.

 

• Lambert re-signed Guzan who is an integral part of the team.
• Kept faith in Delph after some very bad injuries and now he looks one of our best players
• Despite his lack of form, Benteke is still highly valued by many.
• Is prepared to find value for money outside of the Premier League.
• Is passionate about the club, fans and has a vision he wants to build.
• Willing to rotate and rest players
• Isn't playing key players out of position consistently

 

Shown his tactical skill and willingness to gamble: For example, bringing on Lowton so Bacuna could push-up and he scores from a free kick against Cardiff. Throwing on our non-match fit players against West Brom and turns defeat into a draw.

 

He's prepared to try different formations and plans: Bringing on two wide players against Sunderland when we could not break them down. Almost paid off.

 

After the disappointments and failures of previous managers, Lambert's approach in many ways is a breath of fresh-air. He's still early in the job and we won't go anywhere by sacking him now. The standard of football is better than anything McLeish served up.

 

Don't really know where to start with this but i'll have a go.

 

'Lambert has had to rebuild an entire squad.' Had he really or was that re-build purely out of personal choice? More importantly, 42m later, has that re-build improved our team? I would suggest no.

 

You've praised him for keeping faith with Delph yet what else could he do since Delph has been injured and like any other manager he needed time to assess Delph's form. Nothing special to write home about there.

 

Concerning your point on Benteke we did put a high value on him which no-one matched.

 

Yes Lambert is prepared to find value for money outside the Premiership but due to limited funding what else could he do and i would say a very large percentage of Premiership managers already do the same whether they have a limited budget or not, so again nothing special there.

 

Bringing three of our best players onto the pitch against West Brom when we were being overrun is a very obvious thing to do so again nothing special about that either.

 

Yep have to give him some praise for changing it against Sunderland and thats why he's probably brought Albrighton back to give us a plan b but again that in itself is nothing special as we've struggled for some considerable time to break teams down at home and i would suggest the ordinary layman on the street may not have sent Albrighton out on loan in the first place especially since Lambert purchased another big striker who thrives on crosses.

 

Last season's run in suggested to me (especially the performance against Sunderland) that i might have been wrong about Lambert and i stated as such. However, to date that has been a false dawn as presently our football has regressed back to the bad old days of last season and therefore i do not yet agree that Lambert's approach is a breath of fresh air.

 

Consequently, i can understand the current comparisons made by several posters to the style of football under Mcleish.

[Morpheus]

Anyone comparing the football to McLeish has a very very short memory. It's simply nothing like it whatsoever.

Yep we're currently playing some fantastic football ripping teams to shreds and scoring plenty of goals.

[Mantis]

 

Anyone comparing the football to McLeish has a very very short memory. It's simply nothing like it whatsoever.

Yep we're currently playing some fantastic football ripping teams to shreds and scoring plenty of goals.

 

So because some people don't think the football is as bad as McLeish's that must mean they think we're playing fantastic football?

[Davkaus]

While he's built the squad, he's simply replaced one bunch of useless bastards with another.

 

Benteke was a fantastic signing, but it's telling that apart from Benteke, and Guzan, the best players are the ones that he inherited.

 

Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, N'Zogbia, Warnock were all a bit crap, but can you honestly say the likes of Luna and Cardboard Ron are an improvement?

[Mantis]

While he's built the squad, he's simply replaced one bunch of useless bastards with another.

 

Benteke was a fantastic signing, but it's telling that apart from Benteke, and Guzan, the best players are the ones that he inherited.

 

Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, N'Zogbia, Warnock were all a bit crap, but can you honestly say the likes of Luna and Cardboard Ron are an improvement?

Yes.

[StefanAVFC]

While he's built the squad, he's simply replaced one bunch of useless bastards with another.

 

Benteke was a fantastic signing, but it's telling that apart from Benteke, and Guzan, the best players are the ones that he inherited.

 

Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, N'Zogbia, Warnock were all a bit crap, but can you honestly say the likes of Luna and Cardboard Ron are an improvement?

 

This is just ridiculous. He's been widely regarded as one of our best players this season. You're just looking for moans now.

Edited December 1, 2013 by StefanAVFC

[Kwan]

Lol cardboard Ron.

Sheesh

[Morpheus]

 

Also, I am getting really tired of these finger-wagging posts telling us we are not allowed to say anything critical about the team, or manager when they play badly - apparently because we have hit the dizzy heights of TENTH and are not relegation material this year. Big deal..

 

Bollocks to that, is what I say.

 

 

Bollocks.

 

People are using 10th as a marker because it's just clear progress from last year, especially considering our fixtures, not because we should be happy and honoured that we're there. Stop being so patronising and sarcastic.

 

Yet at the same stage last year criticism of our placement was being described as premature.

[StanBalaban]

While he's built the squad, he's simply replaced one bunch of useless bastards with another.

 

Benteke was a fantastic signing, but it's telling that apart from Benteke, and Guzan, the best players are the ones that he inherited.

 

Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, N'Zogbia, Warnock were all a bit crap, but can you honestly say the likes of Luna and Cardboard Ron are an improvement?

Vlaar is better than Cuellar, Dunne and Collins in my opinion, and certainly takes a far lower wage.

Lowton and Bacuna are both better RB's than Hutton. And cheaper.

I'd rather have Luna than Warnock.  Guess what - he's paid a lot less too.

[VillaCas]

 

Anyone comparing the football to McLeish has a very very short memory. It's simply nothing like it whatsoever.

Yep we're currently playing some fantastic football ripping teams to shreds and scoring plenty of goals.

 

 

You're becoming a parody of yourself Morpheus

 

We're not going to win every week but our last 38 games would have got us 9th place last season - I'll take that at the moment

 

PL has spent on average £2m a player, for that you get potential not experience

 

I'm not seeing your recommendations of last season Adam, Bent, Berbatov etc ripping up any trees at the moment

 

Who do you want as manager if not Lambert? name some names

[Morpheus]

 

I find it staggering how older fans, who were brought up in a football era where things took time, can be so short-sighted and so forthright with their 'get rid of Lambert' calls, so soon into his Villa career.

 

I usually agree with your posts but in this case you seem to be making wild generalisations - as someone who watching us win lift the European Cup, I'm a passionate and constant supporter of Lambert

 

Personally, I'm impressed with what he has achieved so far - we were a complete and utter shambles when he took over, with a bunch of un-enthusastic and overpaid players stealing a living. With minimal resources and in double-quick time he has completely revamped the squad and filled it with the young and hungry players.

 

Last season was a struggle as the youngsters bedded in. This season, despite injuries to half a dozen key players we have made a solid start and have made ourselves a hard team to beat

 

With four players back from injury and our best player not hitting form, we are never going to be rolling teams over. A top half finish will exceed my expectations this season and I'm confident that over he next couple of seasons we will be a force to be reckoned with

 

- Get rid of the old guard - he has

- bring the budget under control - he has

- reverse the slide - he has

- bring in players who look proud to pull on the claret and blue - he has

- improve the defence - he has

 

It's a work in progress. Lambert's last 38 games are good enough for a 9th place finish (last year) - considering what he started with I think thats remarkable

 

I'm very very happy with Lambert and 100% behind him

 

There you have it. 'Blue Sky' argument.

[Mantis]

Just thought I'd get in there preemptively and say that Redknapp would be a terrible replacement for Lambert.

Edited December 1, 2013 by Mantis

[VillaCas]

While he's built the squad, he's simply replaced one bunch of useless bastards with another.

 

Benteke was a fantastic signing, but it's telling that apart from Benteke, and Guzan, the best players are the ones that he inherited.

 

Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, N'Zogbia, Warnock were all a bit crap, but can you honestly say the likes of Luna and Cardboard Ron are an improvement?

 

Just about sums things up - the dutch international centre half not fit to wear a Villa shirt.......well known as being crap those dutch

[Isa]

I actually laughed out loud at 'Cardboard Ron'. He and Delph have been our best players this season by a country mile.

Edited December 1, 2013 by Isa

[Ghost_of_Pongo_Waring]

 

 

Also, I am getting really tired of these finger-wagging posts telling us we are not allowed to say anything critical about the team, or manager when they play badly - apparently because we have hit the dizzy heights of TENTH and are not relegation material this year. Big deal..

 

Bollocks to that, is what I say.

 

 

Bollocks.

 

People are using 10th as a marker because it's just clear progress from last year, especially considering our fixtures, not because we should be happy and honoured that we're there. Stop being so patronising and sarcastic.

 

Yet at the same stage last year criticism of our placement was being described as premature.

 

 

Conversely last season at the same stage you were critical of our position and now are arguing that it's too early to say there's improvement.

[VillaCas]

 

 

I find it staggering how older fans, who were brought up in a football era where things took time, can be so short-sighted and so forthright with their 'get rid of Lambert' calls, so soon into his Villa career.

 

I usually agree with your posts but in this case you seem to be making wild generalisations - as someone who watching us win lift the European Cup, I'm a passionate and constant supporter of Lambert

 

Personally, I'm impressed with what he has achieved so far - we were a complete and utter shambles when he took over, with a bunch of un-enthusastic and overpaid players stealing a living. With minimal resources and in double-quick time he has completely revamped the squad and filled it with the young and hungry players.

 

Last season was a struggle as the youngsters bedded in. This season, despite injuries to half a dozen key players we have made a solid start and have made ourselves a hard team to beat

 

With four players back from injury and our best player not hitting form, we are never going to be rolling teams over. A top half finish will exceed my expectations this season and I'm confident that over he next couple of seasons we will be a force to be reckoned with

 

- Get rid of the old guard - he has

- bring the budget under control - he has

- reverse the slide - he has

- bring in players who look proud to pull on the claret and blue - he has

- improve the defence - he has

 

It's a work in progress. Lambert's last 38 games are good enough for a 9th place finish (last year) - considering what he started with I think thats remarkable

 

I'm very very happy with Lambert and 100% behind him

 

There you have it. 'Blue Sky' argument.

 

 

What a bollox argument - anything positive is "Blue Sky" is it? I prefer to use words like patience or positivity

 

Lambert took over shit, sorted out the budget, replaced a whole squad on a shoestring and in the last 38 games delivered enough points for 9th place.

 

IMO he will make us better again next year

 

Not good enough? Should we be top 6 and playing like Barcelona.

[Morpheus]

 

 

Anyone comparing the football to McLeish has a very very short memory. It's simply nothing like it whatsoever.

Yep we're currently playing some fantastic football ripping teams to shreds and scoring plenty of goals.

 

 

You're becoming a parody of yourself Morpheus

 

We're not going to win every week but our last 38 games would have got us 9th place last season - I'll take that at the moment

 

PL has spent on average £2m a player, for that you get potential not experience

 

I'm not seeing your recommendations of last season Adam, Bent, Berbatov etc ripping up any trees at the moment

 

Who do you want as manager if not Lambert? name some names

 

Maybe so but reading your posts continually reminds me of the movie 'Groundhog Day.'

 

So i'll just refer you to how well our forward line in particular is doing at the moment and inform you that i'm not paid to find out who is available and who would presently want to manage us.