Manager Paul Lambert

[Big_John_10]

Yes, considering we beat them 4-1 just a few weeks ago.

I guess we could mock Liverpool fans as well.

Probably look pretty stupid though.

[Big_John_10]

I expected more from Lambert but maybe that shows the size of the task was even bigger than realised

We have reached record levels of shitness.

I don't think the task to not be this shit was too much to expect.

[Mantis]

I guess we could mock Liverpool fans as well.

Probably look pretty stupid though.

I wouldn't go on a Norwich forum to mock them but if a Norwich fan comes here and mocks us we have every right to give it back. Edited December 30, 2012 by Mantis

[VillaCas]

I'm less confident about his signings. Benteke looks top class but the rest have looked just ok.

Westwood has looked good in games but I wonder if that's because we're used to having to watch shit. Would Westwood currently start week in week out for a team in the top half? I'm not so sure he would.

The same goes for Lowton, he's been a bit hit and miss recently and like Westwood does he look good because of the shit before him? Again would he be playing week in week out for a top half team?

Bennet looks miles off the pace and KEA already looks a complete flop.

Vlaar has looked decent but IMO not a massive step up from what we had before.

Bowery was a complete waste of a signing so far, although i blame Lerner for that, as who could we realistically get for the fee and wages involved in that deal?

I thought after the Liverpool game that things with these players had clicked and we could start to see their full potential come out but TBH Lowton and Westwood look better than our own shit youth players but i question how good they currently really are.

Obviously the potential in those players is there but it's no guarantee they will fulfil it with us and so I hope we have a completely different approach in January.

If our approach in the summer was so good why are we now relying on January to save our entire season?

I imagine Lambert had limited funds and needed to plug a lot of holes - if he had had £50m to buy 7 players, I imagine he would have bought differently

Would Westwood play week in week out for a top side - probably not but he cost £2m FFS - my guess is that he was bought as a development, squad player but everything else around was so shit he's been forced to play him

Lowton has looked well worth £3m and Bennett may do once he's had a settled run, Benteke has shown he could be a class CF and Vlaar has been decent and very well worth £3m. Bowery has been bought as one for the future, as was stated when he was signed - the fact that he appears on the bench or on the pitch shows what few option we have

KEA has been very poor so far

To sign 7 players for less than Liverpool paid for Downing is not going to buy you top half quality - Lambert has been given limited funds and has cut his cloth accordingly

The best signing of the season my yet turn out to be Henke - let's hope so for all our sakes

[Hairyhands]

Some people on here really need to take a look at themselves and their attitude. What did they expect Lambert to do - come in, wave a magic wand and convert the club from being a team fighting to avoid the drop into a team pushing for Europe in the space of five months and just one transfer window? A lot of folk are sensible enough to know the current manager is having to deal with problems created by previous ones - none more so than McLeish!

How much money has he spent? He spent decent money on Benteke and delivered a top player who could be sold in January for easily double what he cost. Westwood is another good player who will get better and better. He didn't cost much and neither did the rest. It isn't as though he has come in, spend £30m and signed duds is it? And it isn't as though he has come in and decided he doesn't need to spend money. You can only spend what is available.

Whether any of you like it or not....this season was always going to be the toughest. Lambert knew that. It is simply about trying to avoid the drop and after that finishing as high up the table as possible. After that, it is about progress. This is a long-term project - the manager made that clear from day one. Forget tactics and formation - football is all about players and at this moment in time Villa don't have enough good ones. With just one window to play with and not a lot to spend, hardly Lambert's fault.

But new players will arrive in Jan. If you think over £30m will be spend then forget it. It won't even be as much as £15. Slowly but surely, the big-earning duds will leave and free up more and more money for Lambert to bring in better players giving value for money. It might not sound like fairytale stuff but that is the harsh reality of where the club are at this moment in time.

Prepare yourselfs for one or two of the big-earners leaving and a few players from abroad coming in. Things will turn but there isn't an overnight solution to this.

[Big_John_10]

Villacas I actually agree with a lot of what you say in that post.

I said it over and over again in the summer.

Edited December 30, 2012 by Big_John_10

[Big_John_10]

Some people on here really need to take a look at themselves and their attitude. What did they expect Lambert to do - come in, wave a magic wand and convert the club from being a team fighting to avoid the drop into a team pushing for Europe in the space of five months and just one transfer window? A lot of folk are sensible enough to know the current manager is having to deal with problems created by previous ones - none more so than McLeish!

How much money has he spent? He spent decent money on Benteke and delivered a top player who could be sold in January for easily double what he cost. Westwood is another good player who will get better and better. He didn't cost much and neither did the rest. It isn't as though he has come in, spend £30m and signed duds is it? And it isn't as though he has come in and decided he doesn't need to spend money. You can only spend what is available.

Whether any of you like it or not....this season was always going to be the toughest. Lambert knew that. It is simply about trying to avoid the drop and after that finishing as high up the table as possible. After that, it is about progress. This is a long-term project - the manager made that clear from day one. Forget tactics and formation - football is all about players and at this moment in time Villa don't have enough good ones. With just one window to play with and not a lot to spend, hardly Lambert's fault.

But new players will arrive in Jan. If you think over £30m will be spend then forget it. It won't even be as much as £15. Slowly but surely, the big-earning duds will leave and free up more and more money for Lambert to bring in better players giving value for money. It might not sound like fairytale stuff but that is the harsh reality of where the club are at this moment in time.

Prepare yourselfs for one or two of the big-earners leaving and a few players from abroad coming in. Things will turn but there isn't an overnight solution to this.

A long load of rubbish really.

Because not a single person who is currently unhappy or worried has ever said they expected everything to be fine and fixed this season.

Before telling people to have a look at themselves you might want to actually look at the worries, concerns and issues they put forward.

[Hairyhands]

A long load of rubbish really.

Because not a single person who is currently unhappy or worried has ever said they expected everything to be fine and fixed this season.

Before telling people to have a look at themselves you might want to actually look at the worries, concerns and issues they put forward.

Well what did you want Lambert to do....come in sign players for next to nothing and all of a sudden be in the top half of the table. The batch of experienced players people keep saying should be playing were all playing last season when they club nearly went down. All I'm saying is give the manager another window to try and improve the team. As a number of people have pointed out, his signings have been fairly decent - most of them anyway and cost not a lot.

The bottom line is the guy took over a rubbish team after a dud of a manager left. He wasn't given a great amount of money to make things better and he probably won't get millions more in the next window either. As they say, you can only pee with the c o c k you've got!

[Big_John_10]

I actually place a lot more blame for our current mess on Lerner and not Lambert.

But at the same time I did not expect us to be the worst attacking side in the league, one of the worst defensive sides in the league and average less than 1 point per game.

I think Lambert does need more time but I won't blindly defend the job he's done so far.

[CI]

Whilst nobody bar a couple expected Lambert to get us challenging for the top 6, I don't think we saw worst attack, worst defence coming and 4 hammerings and crap tactics.

I expect improvement 2nd half

[VillaCas]

This was the dismal squad Lambert took over

Agbonlahor Albrighton Baker Bannan Bent Clark Collins Cuellar Delfounesco Delph Dunne Gardner Given Herd Heskey Hutton Ireland Lichaj Makoun Marshall N'Zogbia Parrish Warnock Weimann

- How many of these would get into a top half side? How many would even make the bench?

Gabby?, Bent? that's about it

- How many of these will still be a Villa in 12-18months?

Agbonlahor Baker Clark Gardner Herd Weimann?

Lambert has a massive re-building job to do and it is not going to happen in one window or in two - so far he has been a derisory £18m to spend (with I guess the hope that we could survive this season on that)

Edited December 30, 2012 by VillaCas

[ciggiesnbeer]

We are well within our rights to mock any fan who does not support Aston Villa. They are either glory hunters or small club no hopers.

Only Aston Villa has true fans. This truth is self evident.

[VillaCas]

I actually place a lot more blame for our current mess on Lerner and not Lambert.

But at the same time I did not expect us to be the worst attacking side in the league, one of the worst defensive sides in the league and average less than 1 point per game.

I think Lambert does need more time but I won't blindly defend the job he's done so far.

I actually agree with you on that - I think RL has made a lot of mistakes (well documented on this site)

- not controlling the finances under MON

- an odd appointment in Houllier

- a terrible appointment in McHoof

- trying to balance the books too quickly

I beleive that Lambert is a good manager and that given time and decent resources will sort it out

You'll be pleased to know that even I admit that the improvement is stalled for now - I'll let you know when it's back on

Tough times to be a Villa fan but lets hope the new year brings 5 or 6 new players and an upturn in results

[Mantis]

I'm struggling to find people connected with the club over the past few years that aren't at least a little to blame for our current predicament. I also think luck has not been with us either.

[Big_John_10]

You'll be pleased to know that even I admit that the improvement is stalled for now - I'll let you know when it's back on

Haha I look forward to it.

[andym]

lambert took over a poor squad, but not even mcleish managed to get us relegated with it. i wasnt expecting with 20 mil spent on it for lambert to work miracles and have us easily top half, but i wasnt expecting us to be this bad.

mcleish is one of the worst managers out there, and one of the most negative. yet so far this season under lambert we have managed to be worse attacking, and much much worse defensively. the least amount of goals scored in the league (a pitiful 15 in 20), and the most conceded giving us a woeful -24 GD.

lambert did have a lot of holes to fill, and it seems with a limited budget. however, if he was working with such tight constraints you have to question his wisdom on spending a huge chunk on a striker instead of a midfielder.

benteke looks a good player, but he was not an absolute need. we already had bent, gabby, weimann and fonz. he wasted half a million on bowery as well.

and what is the point of buying a striker if you have neglected the midfield and left it incapable of supplying that striker? the last 3 games benteke has hardly had a touch. midfield is a key area - it creates for the strikers and protects the defense. we have a pathetic midfield and that is clearly shown in the goals for and against. it was an area that needed addressing in the summer with quality and experience bought. it is a huge failing of lamberts that he did not

[PompeyVillan]

Delfouneso, Bannan, Albrighton, Lichaj all need to bugger off. They havnt made the grade. They are not of the right quality for AVFC to progress. Sell them.

Baker, Clark, Weimann, Herd can still offer something to the squad. Good players to have at our disposal.

Stevens, Bennett, Bowery, Carruthers all need longer to show what they have got. If they haven't got it after another season - get rid

Westwood, Lowton, Benteke are three players for the future. We must hold onto them. They should be the beginning of a new core.

Ireland - when does his contract end? I don't really understand what his job role is, freaking useless. Get rid.

Guzan, Given - keep both for the time being. No need to **** around with this position just yet.

Vlaar - seems ok. Though not brilliant. Worth seeing what he has for a 2nd season. Perhaps will work well with baker or Clark - of both if we continue with this three at the back thing.

El Ahmadi - don't really know. Hasn't adjusted yet but could come good. He is without doubt a good player. Another season as a Villa player, no progress- get rid.

Agbonlahor - runs a lot but what else does he really do? Doesn't score, create or command the players when captain. Get rid.

Bent - top finisher. That is all. Doesn't bring anything else to the table. Get rid.

Makoun - **** waste of money. Get rid.

N'Zogbia - lazy bastard, again don't really understand his job role when he manages to make it onto the pitch? Get rid.

Holman - works hard and has scored a few with a couple of assists. Keep for another year, a good squad player.

If no player shows any pride between now and the end of the season those players should be sacked/sold without hesitation. Many players from what I saw yesterday are treading on thin ice.

We'd struggle to put out a team under your management!

[Nabby]

Good article in the Guardian like the comments from Holman too.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/dec/30/aston-villa-wigan-athletic-report?CMP=twt_gu

Paul Lambert has changed his tune and so have the Aston Villasupporters. The sight of a struggling Wigan Athletic walking all over Villa on their own turf proved to be the tipping point in a miserable season, as previously loyal fans vented their anger at a performance so inept that it forced Lambert to concede for the first time that his players are in a relegation fight.

The boos that greeted the final whistle were predictable on a day when Villa looked like a club sleepwalking towards the Championship. This was their third successive crushing defeat across the space of seven humiliating days in which 15 goals were conceded. Villa head to Swansea on New Year's Day with the lowest goal tally in the league and the worst defensive record. Every alarm bell should be ringing.

Lambert's regular post-match message that the team will "be fine" is kidding nobody; try telling the supporters who headed for the exits on Saturday with 34 minutes remaining that there is nothing to worry about. The fans have been tremendously supportive of Lambert since he took over from the much-maligned Alex McLeish in the summer but faith is not blind. It is one thing to lose 4-0 at home against a resurgent Tottenham Hotspur, as was the case on Boxing Day, but quite another to be thumped by an out-of-form Wigan.

Randy Lerner, Villa's benevolent owner, was there to see the latest debacle unfold and it must have been a chastening experience for a man who has pumped more than £200m into the club, including a sizeable sum on hiring and firing managers as well as a fortune on transfer fees and wages. Villa were among the highest net spenders again this summer but Lambert's decision to splurge £20m on seven players with 45 minutes of Premier League football between them has backfired.

It felt like a gamble at the time, even though Lambert was adamant the strategy would work. When it was put to him on the day the transfer window closed that there is a theory that if you keep signing players from below the Premier League, the team will end up not being in the Premier League, the Villa manager replied: "I had exactly the same question last year and the Norwich lads surpassed everything." Norwich, however, were riding the crest of a wave after back-to-back promotions. Villa have been operating in a culture of underachievement for two years.

Lambert has pointed out that injuries have not helped Villa's cause but of the half a dozen players that are sidelined only Ron Vlaar and Gabriel Agbonlahor have been regular starters. The simple truth is that something has to change.

Lerner and Lambert met on Friday and were scheduled to hold further talks on Sunday. Transfer strategy in January will have been top of the agenda and the indications are that Lambert is prepared to dispense with his policy of signing younger players and instead focus on Premier League experience. A central defender, a ball-winning midfielder, a striker and possibly a left-back will be targeted, although there is no suggestion Lerner is going to be throwing large sums around during the transfer window.

A beleaguered and inexperienced group of players will be grateful for any help that they can get. "If you look at who was on the bench, there's a few reserve players there," said Brett Holman, who at 28 years and nine months was the oldest of the 14 players Lambert used against Wigan. "If the manager feels the need to bring in some players, that's up to him. My opinion is that if there are one or two additions where you could pull players in who might say: 'Keep the ball, calm down here …' that wouldn't be a bad thing."

Villa's frailties from defence through to attack were brutally exposed by a Wigan side who never looked back from the moment Iván Ramis headed them ahead in the third minute. Although Holman hit the bar for Villa just before the interval, the game was over when Wigan scored twice inside the opening 11 minutes of the second half. Emmerson Boyce swept home the second goal shortly before Arouna Koné, who will be a big loss to Wigan when he heads off for the Africa Cup of Nations, rounded Brad Guzan for the third.

It was the perfect result for Roberto Martínez's side before Manchester United's visit on New Year's Day, when Wigan hope to reprise April's memorable 1-0 victory. "We showed last year that on our day we can beat anyone," said Gary Caldwell, the Wigan captain. "It's always a special game when they come and hopefully we'll get the same result as last season.

[Brumerican]

I wouldn't go on a Norwich forum to mock them but if a Norwich fan comes here and mocks us we have every right to give it back.

It's redundant though. They are from Norwich !. Life is mocking them .

[Keyblade]

I wouldn't go on a Norwich forum to mock them but if a Norwich fan comes here and mocks us we have every right to give it back.

To be fair he only came in because his team was inexplicably being mocked.