Manager Paul Lambert

[KennyPowers]

Mambo you should read Big John's comments. I respect that you're trying to be positive about the team but you're just tying yourself in knots.

 

The best explanation I have for Lambert's decisions this year is that he is a manager who relies on team spirit. He's not a tactician or a man motivator, he's a guy who relies on building a team spirit, a shared mentality throughout the team. He has removed experienced players who wouldn't buy into this and favoured young players who are easier to control. It's not an absurd strategy, it's somewhat clever but it has largely failed.

 

But you're ignoring the fact that we had to lower the wage bill. I'm sorry but that is absolutely key to everything. 

 

I don't know what else to say. Big John has destroyed your argument's one by one, I don't need to.

 

Cuellar and Heskey were out of contract, fine, we let them go and lowered the wage bill.

 

We bought Lowton, Bennett and Westwood when we could have been playing Hutton, Warnock and Ireland who we have paid up until January and are mostly STILL paying. That's not lowering the wage bill. You're giving Lambert credit for removing Cuellar and Heskey but he didn't sell them. He sold Collins and replaced him with Vlaar which is close to financially neutral. He has not lowered the wage bill at all.

[praisedmambo]

 

Mambo you should read Big John's comments. I respect that you're trying to be positive about the team but you're just tying yourself in knots.

 

The best explanation I have for Lambert's decisions this year is that he is a manager who relies on team spirit. He's not a tactician or a man motivator, he's a guy who relies on building a team spirit, a shared mentality throughout the team. He has removed experienced players who wouldn't buy into this and favoured young players who are easier to control. It's not an absurd strategy, it's somewhat clever but it has largely failed.

 

But you're ignoring the fact that we had to lower the wage bill. I'm sorry but that is absolutely key to everything. 

How was adding two new fullbacks in the summer while still having hutton and warnock training with the youth team helping to lower the wage bill?

Everyone accepts he had to lower the wage bill. No one is arguing with you about that.

What some don't accept is that he spent his limited budget wisely and that actually his decisions in terms of tactics and attitude towards to certain senior players have played a bit part in this awful season.

You seem to excuse everything soley on the fact our wage bill needed to be lowered. It's ridiculous.

 

As I said I'm sure the plan was to move on Hutton and Warnock. 

 

 

Mambo you should read Big John's comments. I respect that you're trying to be positive about the team but you're just tying yourself in knots.

 

The best explanation I have for Lambert's decisions this year is that he is a manager who relies on team spirit. He's not a tactician or a man motivator, he's a guy who relies on building a team spirit, a shared mentality throughout the team. He has removed experienced players who wouldn't buy into this and favoured young players who are easier to control. It's not an absurd strategy, it's somewhat clever but it has largely failed.

 

But you're ignoring the fact that we had to lower the wage bill. I'm sorry but that is absolutely key to everything. 

 

I don't know what else to say. Big John has destroyed your argument's one by one, I don't need to.

 

Cuellar and Heskey were out of contract, fine, we let them go and lowered the wage bill.

 

We bought Lowton, Bennett and Westwood when we could have been playing Hutton, Warnock and Ireland who we have paid up until January and are mostly STILL paying. That's not lowering the wage bill. You're giving Lambert credit for removing Cuellar and Heskey but he didn't sell them. He sold Collins and replaced him with Vlaar which is close to financially neutral. He has not lowered the wage bill at all.

 

His job is to lower the wage bill, hence the decisions. You can't just give these players away though, someone has to come in and buy them. Big John has destroyed nothing - go back and read the start of my discussion with him and see how this has been taken away somewhat from my original point. I'm pretty sure, also, that if Hutton, Warnock, Ireland, Bent had the attitude of Petrov, then they might not have been treated in exactly the same way. The face is none of us know the truth behind all this and I've seen enough of those players to side with the manager. I think the Villa job was about the toughest one going and with regards to the squad I see in principle what he's trying to do. The job just isn't finished yet. 

Edited March 10, 2013 by praisedmambo

[Big_John_10]

Big John has destroyed nothing - go back and read the start of my discussion with him and see how this has been taken away somewhat from my original point

You originally argued that he hasn't made us worse than last season. Which is just not true.

You then went on to make a lot of excuses for all our problems blaiming the wage bill and lack of experience but fail to blame Lambert for any of this. It was also made clear to you that your list of experienced players he had to sell was utter rubbish.

You also seem to ignore the poor tactical decisions he has made which has cost us important points this season.

Edited March 10, 2013 by Big_John_10

[VillanousOne]

so come the end of the season there is going to be one major exodus even if we stay up.

 

most of the below will be either released or sold at a pittance.

Defouenso
Ireland
Makoun
Lichaj

Hutton

Dunne (god knows why we would give him a new contract)

 

If Benteke gets sold - will we keep Bent?

 

If we get relegated then who knows who we will sell, but Dunne and forced sales aside - it's clear that the above have to go.

[Big_John_10]

Look at the newcastle game.

1st half 3-5-2 and a abysmal performance.

2nd half we put on wide players and improve instantly. Since then we've put in some decent performances and picked up a couple of wins.

Nothing to do with having to lower the wage bill. Poor managerial decisions.

[VillanousOne]

Big John has destroyed nothing - go back and read the start of my discussion with him and see how this has been taken away somewhat from my original point

You originally argued that he hasn't made us worse than last season. Which is just not true.

You then went on to make a lot of excuses for all our problems blaiming the wage bill and lack of experience but fail to blame Lambert for any of this. It was also made clear to you that your list of experienced players he had to sell was utter rubbish.

You also seem to ignore the poor tactical decisions he has made which has cost us important points this season.

No-one can argue that Lambert hasn't gambled wrecklessly with his transfers, team choices and tactics, and he's alienated players that many would have kept onside. BUT you look at the team we have now and you look at the passion hunger and determination of the players and...... just maybe if we did stay up then with a few decent prem experienced players added then the future might even mean mid-table obscurity and the occasional cup run next season?

Edited March 10, 2013 by VillanousOne

[PussEKatt]

A lot of people are going on about cutting  costs, the club is also going on about cutting costs and cutting wages etc.BUT no one has mentioned what level we have to cut costs and wages to ?

What I am trying to say is that you can not run a PL club for free, we all know that but what level is Lerner/Lambert aiming for ? I know we can't afford to keep up with Chelski or ManUre, it sounds like we can't afford to keep up with Stoke or Sunderland eother, so who can we keep up with financelly ? Wigan,Wolves or some team like Colchester ?

Over to you.

[villan_007]

He also did not sell warnock or hutton in the summer.

 

Nobody wanted them - hence why when the second window opened we had to give them away and hutton had to leave the country to get games. But you still think we should have used them??

 

You're also assuming he had to sell collins. I'm sure he chose to sell collins to free up some wages for some of his new signings but that didn't exactly work out to plan did it?

 

If the night club brawl wasn't enough for you it was common knowledge that collins was a bad egg, and also on nearly 50k - yes he had to sell him - it's something you simple can't grasp. Did Benteke work out? I think he did and some of collins wages would have contributed to him coming in.

 

 

He chose to buy two new fullbacks when that money could have gone towards a strong cm player. You're making excuses for him.

 

Without two new fullbacks who would we have used?? See point one - they were finished at the club. Also please name a cracking CM that would have come for 20k a week.

 

 

Lambert chose fo build a new defence in the summer.

 

What else could he do? We didn't have a defence.

 

 

Mainly thanks to his decisions made in the transfer window and his decisions when it comes to players like ireland, bent, hutton and warnock. Again you are just making excuses for him.

 

Bent has baffeled me also - but why you seem to think ireland, hutton and warnock would have solved this problem is simple crazy.

 

Please just do me a favour - you have 20mill and everyone you sign cannot be on more than 20k max - build me a team.

 

I'd say you can't and that's why we are where we are - Lambert is trying to keep us with a chairman that wont give him PL wages or budget

Edited March 11, 2013 by villan_007

[Zatman]

I have seen it all now i think i just read somebody criticizing Lambert for not re-signing Heskey and Cuellar. 2 guys who milked this club and offered very little in return no matter how much of a nice guy Cuellar seemed he was a crap footballer

[MagicMushroom]

Mambo you should read Big John's comments. I respect that you're trying to be positive about the team but you're just tying yourself in knots.

 

The best explanation I have for Lambert's decisions this year is that he is a manager who relies on team spirit. He's not a tactician or a man motivator, he's a guy who relies on building a team spirit, a shared mentality throughout the team. He has removed experienced players who wouldn't buy into this and favoured young players who are easier to control. It's not an absurd strategy, it's somewhat clever but it has largely failed.

 

 

 

I think he underestimated the job at hand. I also think he thought the squad was better than it is.

[Zatman]

Mambo you should read Big John's comments. I respect that you're trying to be positive about the team but you're just tying yourself in knots.

 

The best explanation I have for Lambert's decisions this year is that he is a manager who relies on team spirit. He's not a tactician or a man motivator, he's a guy who relies on building a team spirit, a shared mentality throughout the team. He has removed experienced players who wouldn't buy into this and favoured young players who are easier to control. It's not an absurd strategy, it's somewhat clever but it has largely failed.

 

 

 

I think he underestimated the job at hand. I also think he thought the squad was better than it is.

 

think a lot of people on here underestimated the squad as well. We have one of worst 5 squads in the league so I dont know why people expected Lambert to bring us higher. He arguably left a better squad to come here

[KennyPowers]

 

Without two new fullbacks who would we have used??

 

Why Not Lichaj and Stevens? Why don't they get a chance to have a run in the side.

 

I dislike the way Lowton, Bennett and Westwood have been shoved down our throats this year. Can't argue with Benteke although lets not pretend he hasn't had games where he's looked disinterested and should have been subbed.

 

Lowton, by all accounts, had a bad game on Saturday. What are the chances of him being dropped. Yet Bent comes in, gets 45 mins, plays badly and we don't see him for a month.

 

Baker has been our best CB the last 2 months. Yet when Vlaar comes back from injury it is Baker who is shunted to left back rather than Clark.

 

Ireland gets sent to train with the youth team when he is by far the most suited to play in the hole in a 4-2-3-1.

 

All fans criticise tactics and team selection, that's just how it is. I'm far more baffled this season than most though.

[KennyPowers]

think a lot of people on here underestimated the squad as well. We have one of worst 5 squads in the league so I dont know why people expected Lambert to bring us higher. He arguably left a better squad to come here

 

I think we have a better squad than Wigan, Reading, Norwich and Southampton. There are a couple of other teams who are debatable.

 

I thought we'd finish somewhere from 12th-15th this year, we might still do. The biggest problem is we seem to be trying to build a side for three years down the line and none of the other teams near the bottom are. They are either using the teams they mostly got promoted with and hence have some momentum/togetherness or a team such as Wigan who are using experienced players.

[Richard]

I hope he stays with us,  if he does he will prove to be the best manager we have had in the last 25 years

[AVFCforever1991]

I've always maintained Lambert is the right manager for us, and won't be changing my opinion when things get tough.

[Mantis]

I hope he stays with us,  if he does he will prove to be the best manager we have had in the last 25 years

I think we all hope that's what will happen but to say it will happen is very strange.

[Richard]

I hope he stays with us,  if he does he will prove to be the best manager we have had in the last 25 years

I think we all hope that's what will happen but to say it will happen is very strange.

the IMO was implied

[Houlston]

I have seen it all now i think i just read somebody criticizing Lambert for not re-signing Heskey and Cuellar. 2 guys who milked this club and offered very little in return no matter how much of a nice guy Cuellar seemed he was a crap footballer

And yet people are also suggesting losing these very poor to average players also weakened the squad.

[Big_John_10]

Nobody wanted them - hence why when the second window opened we had to give them away and hutton had to leave the country to get games. But you still think we should have used them??

We have one of the worst defences in the league. Are you really saying they would have done worse? On what basis? They didn't do worse the previous year under Mcleish. No one thinks those two are the future of Aston villa but lambert did have options in the summer. He didn't have to spend his money on those positions.

If the night club brawl wasn't enough for you it was common knowledge that collins was a bad egg, and also on nearly 50k - yes he had to sell him - it's something you simple can't grasp. Did Benteke work out? I think he did and some of collins wages would have contributed to him coming in.

You don't seem to grasp the idea that Lambert didn't have to do everything he did in the summer. You say he had to go because of his attitude. How's that helped us this year? Please let me know.

Without two new fullbacks who would we have used?? See point one - they were finished at the club. Also please name a cracking CM that would have come for 20k a week.

Please see point one.

He did not have to sell them.

With the wages and transfer fee spent on those two he could have strengthened another area. Would it be enough to buy world class? No but Lambert had other options. This blind defence is ridiculous. At the end of the summer loads of fans on here were very happy with what he did. Now it hasn't worked out its endless excuses. It's utter rubbish.

What else could he do? We didn't have a defence.

Err... Yes we did.

Please just do me a favour - you have 20mill and everyone you sign cannot be on more than 20k max - build me a team.

I've never said his situation was easy. But it's also not something so difficult he gets excused for what's been one of the worst seasons in the history of the club.

[briny_ear]

I'd love to see how the statement that Heskey and Cuellar "milked" the club and offered very little in return would actually be backed up with any sort of intelligent argument.* 

 

Whatever you think of their ability, it seems clear they gave 100%+ to the club and strove to do their best whenever they were asked to play. How is that "milking" the club?

 

If the accusation was thrown at someone like Ireland or Makoun (or maybe even Bent), I could see there is a case to be made.

 

But Cuellar and Heskey are the original honest Joes.

 

(BTW, compared with our current squad, they probably would strengthen it if they came back - Cuellar at least.)

 

 

 

 

 

(*On second thoughts, I wouldn't love to hear how this case is made.)