Manager Paul Lambert

[Mantis]

The only thing BJ10 is guilty of is the consistency of his debate while you.....?

Not really. Like most people his support for Lambert has waned in recent weeks and I can see why.

Honestly, why the **** does it even matter whether someone's debate has been consistent? This is football. Things can change rapidly, and with Villa they have. We've gone from being inconsistent with some bright patches to absolutely dire every game and constantly losing.

As I said, I get criticised for continuing to back a manager despite poor results and performances but get slaughtered when I no longer support a manager who has presided over such a dramatic slide.

[foreveryoung]

You can Blame Lerner as much as you like. Lambert knew the financial contraints when he came in an believed he could make this team successful. He could have done 20 mil on midfield/wingers to supply bent. Staunton was on sky saying there is just no leadership anywhere on the pitch. To make 23 year old Clarke captain is just stupid. We need a captain to take owner ship of the team get there heads up when there down, he should have bought a big man in the summer and he didn't. For me I was a big Lambert fan but be has lost me now, its a utter shambles on the pitch he should be taking control! If a department at work was a mess you wouldn't be blaming the owner, you would be blaming the department manager I.e Lambert here!

[AVFCforever1991]

On another note, how about popping a suit on Lambert rather than sitting in the dugout looking like a stig? You're supposed to be in charge of this leaderless bunch of kids, so try looking like a leader ands stick a suit and tie on. Unless you're coming on to play, which probably couldn't hurt.

Maybe results would change

AVB for the first couple of games wore a tracksuit thing, and then changed to a suit after a run of bad results, since he has worn a suit they are on good form. Maybe its a psychological thing with the players.

Edited January 13, 2013 by AVFCforever1991

[markavfc40]

I'm just wondering what Lambert has actually said to the chairman?

'I've watched the lads in training and they're an honest bunch who with just one or two more signings will be alright.' Or 'look Mr Lerner I've really messed up here and have wasted millions of your money on players that as a collective have made us worse than your team was last season so I need another 20m to put it right and in doing so it will increase the wage budget again.'

I wouldn't have too many fears in giving Lambert another 20 odd mill to spend. In the main he has spent the money well. In fact if you think he got Benteke, Vlaar, Westwood and Lowton for about 16 mill combined it looks excellent business. KEA and Bennett at the moment look poor signings. Bowery for 500k looks decent and one more for the future.

I don't think Lambert is a fool. If he is given significant backing he will know he needs players that can come in now and make an instant impact not players that are likely to take weeks to settle in and adjust to this league/level. I really hope Lerner gives him the backing in fees and wages as with it I am confident he would keep us up.

Edited January 13, 2013 by markavfc40

[Villarocker]

I see Henke might be leaving us. It just gets better and better...

Pointless him being here if the owner won't release money for transfers.

[Morpheus]

Pointless him being here if the owner won't release money for transfers.

More wages off the books.

The club is imploding right in front of us. I wonder how Lambert and the board are going to explain this?

[Morpheus]

I wouldn't have too many fears in giving Lambert another 20 odd mill to spend. In the main he has spent the money well. In fact if you think he got Benteke, Vlaar, Westwood and Lowton for about 16 mill combined it looks excellent business. KEA and Bennett at the moment look poor signings. Bowery for 500k looks decent and one more for the future.

I don't think Lambert is a fool. If he is given significant backing he will know he needs players that can come in now and make an instant impact not players that are likely to take weeks to settle in and adjust to this league/level. I really hope Lerner gives him the backing in fees and wages as with it I am confident he would keep us up.

Do you not see the contradiction between your first and second paragraph?

The players he signed at the start of the season haven't made the required impact so now he needs to 'go again.'

[markavfc40]

Do you not see the contradiction between your first and second paragraph?

The players he signed at the start of the season haven't made the required impact so now he needs to 'go again.'

There is no contradiction. I have said from day one that I didn't think for a 17 mill net spend over the summer and having what appeared have to at best balance the wage bill and most likely reduce it was going to be enough. We needed quantity and proven quality and for that kind of outlay we were not getting both.

For me I can't argue with the signings of Vlaar, Westwood,Lowton and Benteke. Where I will acknowledge Lambert **** up was in not filling the glaring hole in our midfield where we have no defensive midfielder someone who can help protect the back four and also in not buying another experienced centre back who had proven himself at this level. He knew Dunne was out for at least 3 months. He can however if he is given the required funds correct those errors and fill those gaps.

No one can argue that Lambert hasn't made mistakes. He has made plenty but I genuinely think with the return of Vlaar and potentially Dunne and with the backing to buy 2 or 3 players who can step straight in and make an instant impact then Lambert is still the best man to keep us up.

Edited January 13, 2013 by markavfc40

[chappy]

On another note, how about popping a suit on Lambert rather than sitting in the dugout looking like a stig? You're supposed to be in charge of this leaderless bunch of kids, so try looking like a leader ands stick a suit and tie on. Unless you're coming on to play, which probably couldn't hurt.

not sure if serious...

[mykeyb]

I think Lambert would like some experience brought in which is why he mentioned Parker and Lescott the other day.

[drat01]

If Lerner did the honourable thing and left the club there is a debate or two going on based on who would come in and how good would they be etc. At the end of the day you will never know I suppose unless you just do it. Lerner, Faulkner are performing very poorly in respect to their roles at the club, that goes without saying. If the club is to have any sort of future they need to move on. Would a new chairman actually keep Lambert based on what he has (not) achieved to date?

Lambert remains a clueless manager IMO, showing little in the way of dealing with a situation that while he is not the cause of, has certainly contributed to. What exactly is he bringing to the table at the moment in terms of managerial ability? There just seems to be a lack of desire and fight all around the playing side of things, a lack of leadership and a certain lack of ability to deal with what is pretty big problem.

As said I appreciate that Lerner is a massive issue here and his time really needs to come to an end and move on. But Lambert, a so called professional manager is doing very little in the way of convincing me at least that he has the skill, bottle, desire and ability for the job in hand.

Let's see what happens next in the circus that is AVFC

[VillaCas]

Come on VillaCas.

We have no organisation at the back.

We play formations that don't work.

We play weimman in a wide position.

He has to take some of the blame. Even if it is a small percentage he is still not doing a good enough job.

Sorry BJ but I just don't see it, I really don't - either PL is a crap manager OR our playing sqaud is so poor that even the best manager in the world wouldn't make a difference. I'm going for the latter

I'm not claiming Lambert is perfect, not by a long way and I'm sure that given a rewind he would do some things differently but I'm judging him based on the tools he has to work with

All this nonsense about "he's had a massive transfer fund" + "he's bought the wrong players" (not you saying this but others on here) is just that, nonsense - we have lost £40m of players from a squad that finished 16th and replaced them with £18m worth. I know for sure that these were not Lambert's dream buys and that he has cut his cloth according to the funds available

I thought we looked a little better at the back yesterday - a few dodgy moments but thought generally "ok". Players seem to be giving their all for PL (we even got a half decent performance out of Delph). Personally, I thought we were worth a point. The bottom line though is that we just haven't got the players at the moment

All these fans calling for Lambert's head just don't get it - Lambert knew what he was getting into and I know that he has told RL that he needs more resources. There is no way RL will sack him, absolutely no way at all.

My stance as you know is that my concern is not that Lambert is a bad manager but in fact is a very decent manager - that makes our situation all the worse.

PL asked for funds to sign Sissoko but has been told that that is not achieveable (£3.5m and £75k a week). Sunderland have already signed one DM and are trying for Sissoko too - how is Lambert to compete with that? By rotating Westwood, Bannan and Delph???

I'm annoyed with RL and PF - they are the people letting us down. They hid behind McLeish last season (who I didn't want but who was not backed in the way we were told he would be - perhaps good because I think he wasted the money he spent), now they are hiding behind PL.

Huge mistakes have been made in the past - MON's uncontrolled spending, The odd appointment of Houillier, The poor appointment of McLeish, now PL is in the firing line BUT THERE IS ONE COMMON DENOMINATOR all the way through.

Lambert is a very decent manager and looks to me like a man giving it all he has - if Lambert were to go we would be in serious serious trouble

[StanBalaban]

I'm just wondering what Lambert has actually said to the chairman?

'I've watched the lads in training and they're an honest bunch who with just one or two more signings will be alright.' Or 'look Mr Lerner I've really messed up here and have wasted millions of your money on players that as a collective have made us worse than your team was last season so I need another 20m to put it right and in doing so it will increase the wage budget again.'

I don't think he's wasted Lerner's money in the sense that that money is now lost though. Irrespective of our season so far, Lowton, Westwood, Benteke and possibly Vlaar providing he stays injury free when he returns, will mow e worth significantly more than what we paid for them.

Has he underestimated the quality needed in the team? Definitely, but Randy needs to trust him with funds to add real quality now that we've addressed the issue of quantity.

[VillaCas]

I see Henke might be leaving us. It just gets better and better...

Hope not - Where is this from????

[VillaCas]

You can Blame Lerner as much as you like. Lambert knew the financial contraints when he came in an believed he could make this team successful. He could have done 20 mil on midfield/wingers to supply bent. Staunton was on sky saying there is just no leadership anywhere on the pitch. To make 23 year old Clarke captain is just stupid. We need a captain to take owner ship of the team get there heads up when there down, he should have bought a big man in the summer and he didn't. For me I was a big Lambert fan but be has lost me now, its a utter shambles on the pitch he should be taking control! If a department at work was a mess you wouldn't be blaming the owner, you would be blaming the department manager I.e Lambert here!

I do look at some of the posts here and really wonder if people are taking time to understand what is going on - this makes no sense at all

[AshVilla]

I see Henke might be leaving us. It just gets better and better...

Lerner can't afford his wages

[Big_John_10]

As said I appreciate that Lerner is a massive issue here and his time really needs to come to an end and move on. But Lambert, a so called professional manager is doing very little in the way of convincing me at least that he has the skill, bottle, desire and ability for the job in hand.

We've not agreed much over the years but this is my feeling as well at the moment.

[Big_John_10]

Sorry BJ but I just don't see it, I really don't - either PL is a crap manager OR our playing sqaud is so poor that even the best manager in the world wouldn't make a difference. I'm going for the latter

I think it's somewhere Inbetween. The squad is awful but I don't believe for one second that what we're seeing is all we can expect no matter who was in charge.

While he wasn't fully backed, a different approach could have seen better results and our lack of organisation at the back is completely unacceptable. I truly believe other managers would not have us looking so pathetic at the back. Plenty of shit teams can still be organised at the back to at least put up a challenge. We haven't managed that and Lamber has to take the blame for it.

[StanBalaban]

You can Blame Lerner as much as you like. Lambert knew the financial contraints when he came in an believed he could make this team successful. He could have done 20 mil on midfield/wingers to supply bent. Staunton was on sky saying there is just no leadership anywhere on the pitch. To make 23 year old Clarke captain is just stupid. We need a captain to take owner ship of the team get there heads up when there down, he should have bought a big man in the summer and he didn't. For me I was a big Lambert fan but be has lost me now, its a utter shambles on the pitch he should be taking control! If a department at work was a mess you wouldn't be blaming the owner, you would be blaming the department manager I.e Lambert here!

I think everyone, including PL underestimated just how much was wrong with the team. We looked at AM as a big part of the shitness, but it ran deeper than just him. The squad is shockingly poor, was the worst of the teams that survived last year.

Now the teams that have come up seem to have more quality than the ones that went down, and more money to spend. Our squad was tiny and had some rotten eggs too, so however PL spent the £24m, there would be something that had to give.

Had he added 3 x £8 million players and got the same level of injuries, we'd be asking why he didn't buy more players that were better value. Damned no matter what.

What we need is part 2 of the budget to help complete this phase and push us out of the bottom 3. The combo of Randy and the previous managers have left us in this shit and we've been getting worse year on year whilst the opposition gets stronger. Changing PL won't help, backing him will.

[andym]

All this nonsense about "he's had a massive transfer fund" + "he's bought the wrong players" (not you saying this but others on here) is just that, nonsense - we have lost £40m of players from a squad that finished 16th and replaced them with £18m worth. I know for sure that these were not Lambert's dream buys and that he has cut his cloth according to the funds available

how did we lose £40 mil worth of talent? collins, cuellar and heskey?

and plenty of other teams have signed players on low fees and wages who are not inexperienced kids from the lower leagues. michu is the big one from the summer, reading have just signed the sporting lisbon captain for £600,000. yacob at the baggies was signed for nothing this summer and hes better than any of our midfielders. why is it only lambert who has to sign kids when funds are limited?

and given funds are obviously low, why did he spend a third of his budget on benteke when we already had bent, gabby, weimann and fonz. why did he sign bowery for half a mil, a player who had a 1 in 8 record at chesterfield? delfouneso is the same age and has actually scored in the premier league. might as well just use him.

he has not used what limited budget he had wisely at all. he neglected centre midfield and centreback which were higher priority areas than forward and fullback. and now we are seeing the results.