Manager Paul Lambert

[Chap of Steel]

Who says Vlaar being out made all the difference? All some people are saying is that we missed him today and we did. He's by far our best defender and probably one of our best players overall

Vlaar is our best defender and that in itself is a joke. He wouldn't get into the starting 11 at two thirds of Prem clubs.

That's a bit harsh. He regularly plays for the Netherlands.

[Kwan]

He needs to find a formation and stick with it. No one knows where the other players are going to be. How are you supposed to know who to pass it to if you're not going to know their runs or where they are?

It's all down to tactics for me and not for the firs time this season, PL has shown that he doesn't understand how to set up the team.

[sonic_bouma]

I must admit I've been a little bit fooled by Lambert, as I think Lerner and Faulkner have

I thought his teams played better football than what he's serving up at Villa

The board wanted Martinez who every man and his dog knows wants to play possession football no matter the resources or ability of the players

And although I knew Lamberts philosophy wasn't quite in the same mould as Martinez I didn't think it was going to be the polar opposite

I clearly didn't watch Norwich enough

[PieFacE]

 

 

Who says Vlaar being out made all the difference? All some people are saying is that we missed him today and we did. He's by far our best defender and probably one of our best players overall

 

Vlaar is our best defender and that in itself is a joke. He wouldn't get into the starting 11 at two thirds of Prem clubs.

The biggest joke of all though is that we go into a Premiership season with one experienced centre back and three young and inexperienced centre backs two of which had in the main shown themselves to be a liability at this level last season and not ready. Oh and your one experienced centre back has been known in the past to be prone to injury. Don't then be surprised and cry over the fact that at some point you are left with two inexperienced centre backs.

Injuries are a part of football. It's why having a decent squad of players is so crucial. We don't have a decent squad though. We have a decent best 11 and beyond that we are poor. I don't blame Lambert for that though. I'd put the vast majority of the blame for that squarely with Lerner.

 

We've been unlucky though. How many teams in the Premier League have their two main centre backs injured? Going into a season with 4 centre backs is a good amount.  The injury to Okore was just typical.

[drat01]

If he left the club tomorrow would I be upset? Not at all.

I think you would with the replacement who would no doubt follow.

so by that logic we should just accept Lambert and the woeful displays his teams put out?

Who would replace him? I have not got a clue but what we have had inflicted on us over the 18 months in charge has been pretty dire.

[PieFacE]

I must admit I've been a little bit fooled by Lambert, as I think Lerner and Faulkner have

I thought his teams played better football than what he's serving up at Villa

The board wanted Martinez who every man and his dog knows wants to play possession football no matter the resources or ability of the players

And although I knew Lamberts philosophy wasn't quite in the same mould as Martinez I didn't think it was going to be the polar opposite

I clearly didn't watch Norwich enough

Whenever I did watch Norwich they weren't anywhere near as direct as we are now though.

[sharkyvilla]

He needs to find a formation and stick with it. No one knows where the other players are going to be. How are you supposed to know who to pass it to if you're not going to know their runs or where they are?

It's all down to tactics for me and not for the firs time this season, PL has shown that he doesn't understand how to set up the team.

I don't really buy that because we've got points playing with the main 3 up top, 2 big guys up top, 4 at the back, 3 at the back, we even clawed a game back playing 3-4-3 the other week. I don't really think it's the formations, it's just a case of a young, somewhat limited squad being inconsistent and Lambert tries his nuts off to get the right blend for each oppo. If we add another couple of players to the mix in January then I think we will get better and can start to settle a bit more, depending on injuries.

[drat01]

If he left the club tomorrow would I be upset? Not at all.

You wouldn't be upset that we'd have to start all over again and throw away the relative stability we've had recently?

stability at what cost and what objective? Stability is great if what you have is doing OK.

Who knows what the future will bring but as with last season it aint very good, and even the most blinkered fan of Lambert would have difficulty to provide evidence to counter that

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

Norwich were still pretty direct though, with Holt and Morrison up front. It wasn't hoofball direct, but not exactly passing football either.

[drat01]

If he left the club tomorrow would I be upset? Not at all.

And who would you get to replace him? Another manager with more different ideals resulting in more transition?

Yes, we're not playing well at the moment, but I wouldn't say we're in a terrible situation. Sacking Lambert would be madness at this moment in time.

big big difference in what i said and what you think i said.

Where did i say sack him?

[sharkyvilla]

If he left the club tomorrow would I be upset? Not at all.

I think you would with the replacement who would no doubt follow.

so by that logic we should just accept Lambert and the woeful displays his teams put out?

Who would replace him? I have not got a clue but what we have had inflicted on us over the 18 months in charge has been pretty dire.

Well logically you only get rid of someone if you know there is someone better out there. I can think of nobody who could have done a better job in the circumstances that Lambert has had to work in. I can't think of many managers who would even want to try.

[Kwan]

He needs to find a formation and stick with it. No one knows where the other players are going to be. How are you supposed to know who to pass it to if you're not going to know their runs or where they are?

It's all down to tactics for me and not for the firs time this season, PL has shown that he doesn't understand how to set up the team.

I don't really buy that because we've got points playing with the main 3 up top, 2 big guys up top, 4 at the back, 3 at the back, we even clawed a game back playing 3-4-3 the other week. I don't really think it's the formations, it's just a case of a young, somewhat limited squad being inconsistent and Lambert tries his nuts off to get the right blend for each oppo. If we add another couple of players to the mix in January then I think we will get better and can start to settle a bit more, depending on injuries.

We've got points but that doesn't mean they were good performances and as a whole, you've seen this team - bar the first half of Everton where we played the 433 - unable to pass it out of the back 4

He needs to find a formation with proper width and numbers in the middle and players in the right positions (FULLBACKS PLAYING FULLBACKS). Otherwise you'll keep seeing shit like today. Just gaps everywhere

[Dodgyknees]

I find it completely and utterly bizarre how often there are calls for him to go on here.

But in turn, you were one last year. Maybe some people want more evidence. He made mistakes today but they were forced on him by injury, the lack of a squad is not his fault as it is down to those cost cutting at the top. But at the same time people can certainltly be in the opinion he could do more, as you and a few others felt last year.

As it was your opinion then, it is theirs now, like you their opinion might change.

I'm not picking at you either, I'm a Lambert in guy.

[Woodytom]

 

 

If he left the club tomorrow would I be upset? Not at all.

You wouldn't be upset that we'd have to start all over again and throw away the relative stability we've had recently?

 

stability at what cost and what objective? Stability is great if what you have is doing OK.

Who knows what the future will bring but as with last season it aint very good, and even the most blinkered fan of Lambert would have difficulty to provide evidence to counter that

 

 

Serious question though. After last season and the random 'nobody has ever heard of him' signings in the Summer, were you genuinely expecting much better in terms of a) performance and results?? Because I weren't and find it hard to believe that anyone did.

 

I think people got massively carried away with the last five mins v Stoke and the 6-1 win v Sunderland. Massively carried away.

[samjp26]

Thing is, when we do have the ball and don't play direct, the players don't seem to be able to work out how to link the play together.

 

We already know Lambert wants to bring in an attacking playmaker/midfielder since HairyHands told us so, which means he sees the problem and wants to rectify it. Similar to last January really, we needed steel, he brought Sylla in and we improved. I doubt it was entirely down to Sylla but he came in and did a job which wasn't being done before.

 

Now our defence is doing its job we don't need steel right now, we need a player who can create goal threatening opportunities for others as well as themselves. 

 

Difference between last Xmas and this one though is that we're 10th this time, so if we do bring in a player that does the job in the creative position and we still manage to keep our defence solid we could finish in the top half.

 

My view on things anyway, no doubt the attacking/creative side of our game has been crap but defensively we're a lot better thankfully. Last season it seemed to be the other way around.

[LondonLax]

How many times do so fans want to change managers when we fail to look like making the Europe places before they realise that the problem is the level of funding the manager is getting at the moment?

 

You'd think that people would have worked out by now that we are where we should be based on the level of spend from the owner.  

[AndyM3000]

 

I find it completely and utterly bizarre how often there are calls for him to go on here.

 

 

Agreed. The frightening (and positive) thing about performances like today is that we are still (results wise/table position) showing massive improvements. If he could actually seek out decent players who can improve the team straight away, we would probably be top of the league.

 

 

Performances will catch up and balance out the results. Results have been ok overall, table is okay. Performances have been shocking since August IMO. Tell me a game when we have played well? Second half at WBA is about it and we could have been out the game first half and even early on in the second.

 

Results have overshadowed the performances. Man Utd next, then Stoke away, we are 6 points of relegation and I think we are pretty fortunate to be that far away from trouble.

[Mantis]

 

 

Who says Vlaar being out made all the difference? All some people are saying is that we missed him today and we did. He's by far our best defender and probably one of our best players overall

 

Vlaar is our best defender and that in itself is a joke. He wouldn't get into the starting 11 at two thirds of Prem clubs.

The biggest joke of all though is that we go into a Premiership season with one experienced centre back and three young and inexperienced centre backs two of which had in the main shown themselves to be a liability at this level last season and not ready. Oh and your one experienced centre back has been known in the past to be prone to injury. Don't then be surprised and cry over the fact that at some point you are left with two inexperienced centre backs.

Injuries are a part of football. It's why having a decent squad of players is so crucial. We don't have a decent squad though. We have a decent best 11 and beyond that we are poor. I don't blame Lambert for that though. I'd put the vast majority of the blame for that squarely with Lerner.

 

 

How is it a joke? He's been very good this season and I'd say he'd get into the starting 11 of most clubs outside the top 7.

 

Experience is overrated. I don't think there is anything wrong with going into the season with 4 CBs, it's just very unfortunate that Okore got that injury.

 

Yep, injuries are a part of football, but there are very few squads where the quality is evenly spread out. It's ludicrous to act like Vlaar's absence shouldn't have had an impact. Most teams will struggle defensively most of the time if their best defender isn't playing.

[drat01]

If he left the club tomorrow would I be upset? Not at all.

You wouldn't be upset that we'd have to start all over again and throw away the relative stability we've had recently?

stability at what cost and what objective? Stability is great if what you have is doing OK.

Who knows what the future will bring but as with last season it aint very good, and even the most blinkered fan of Lambert would have difficulty to provide evidence to counter that

Serious question though. After last season and the random 'nobody has ever heard of him' signings in the Summer, were you genuinely expecting much better in terms of a) performance and results?? Because I weren't and find it hard to believe that anyone did.

I think people got massively carried away with the last five mins v Stoke and the 6-1 win v Sunderland. Massively carried away.

tom i agree with the ott reactions to certain results, absolutely. As for expectations then i know they have to be lowered because of randy etc, but that should not deflect questioning of the way lambert runs the playing side of things.

Unlike some i do not see what lambert is doing in terms of building anything other than depressing boring football. Each to our own though, its all hypothetical because he wont leave nor will he be offered another job

[Davkaus]

I would have thought after the last few years it's obvious that Lambert is doing exactly what has been asked of him. Running a club that can just about stay afloat in the league with as cheap a squad as possible.