Manager Paul Lambert

[Big_John_10]

Yes well keep telling us how good he is as we have one of the worst seasons in the clubs history.

At least what's actually happens supports my view and those who can see Lambert has been poor so far.

[praisedmambo]

Yes well keep telling us how good he is as we have one of the worst seasons in the clubs history.

At least what's actually happens supports my view and those who can see Lambert has been poor so far.

Which brings us back to the start - isn't it a bit short sighted of you to blame it all on Lambert when we've been in relegation battles for 3 years now? 

[Big_John_10]

Have I blamed it all on Lambert.

Like i said I'm one of the few who have blamed Lerner for our problems for a while now.

But at the same time Lambert has been poor and added to problems we already had.

[Houlston]

Big John, I dont agree with a lot of your opinions but on Lambert I'm totally with you. It seems the only hope people cling to is what Lambert did at Norwich and then some blind faith. No one can seemingly say what good he has done so far at Villa bar a few signings, which were probably scouted and recommended to him by others.

 

He picks and persists with formations which arent working, he continually picks the likes of Clark and Bannan and he has chosen to leave out certain senior players,

 

Not having a team competing in the top 6 is down to Lerner. Having a team totally underachieving breaking every wrong record left, right and centre is down to Lambert. We dont have a great side but its easily better than the position we are in. If we get relegated its Lamberts fault.

 

And I'll say it again not sacking him because who would do a better job is rubbish, at the moment ANYONE would be hard pushed to do a worse job even SGC.

[drat01]

Even his old teams are shit :-)))

[Big_John_10]

It seems the only hope people cling to is what Lambert did at Norwich and then some blind faith.

It's quite ridiculous isn't it?

To ignore some of the poor signings, our horrendous defence, lack of any real attacking plan, poor football and poor tactics is something I can't understand.

[flashingqwerty]

its is definately time for him to syep down or at the very least bring someone in to show him what hes doing wrong

[Tomaszk]

Not having a team competing in the top 6 is down to Lerner. Having a team totally underachieving breaking every wrong record left, right and centre is down to Lambert. We dont have a great side but its easily better than the position we are in. 

This is very fair.

 

Still saying stick with him though. Yes it's blind faith and hope that he can turn us into the team he wants.

Edited January 26, 2013 by Tomaszk

[Milfner]

 We dont have a great side but its easily better than the position we are in. 

 

Do we though?

[Chindie]

Do we though?

Exactly.

 

This team is shite and is around about where it deserves to be. Lambert carries the can for some mistakes and in some instances making it a little worse, but on the whole we've got an awful squad. That is predominately down to the owner. Lambert takes flack there in that much of what he bought hasn't performed, the mitigating factors being whether he could have bought better with the requirements and budget or not.

[Milfner]

Exactly.

 

This team is shite and is around about where it deserves to be. Lambert carries the can for some mistakes and in some instances making it a little worse, but on the whole we've got an awful squad. That is predominately down to the owner. Lambert takes flack there in that much of what he bought hasn't performed, the mitigating factors being whether he could have bought better with the requirements and budget or not.

Agree with that other that "much of what he's bought hasn't performed".

 

Guzan - yes

Lowton - yes

Bennett - awful

Lowton - yes

Vlaar - yes

KEA - pretty bad

Westwood - yes 

Benteke - yes

 

For what he spent, and the wages they are on, I think he's actually done alright. 

[Houlston]

Do we though?

Well, the way I see it is Lambert is picking formations that arent helping The 3 at the back soon becomes a 5, we sit far too deep, we invite pressure its inevitable that we will concede. He's also making subs that arent helping and he's also persisting with certain players that arent playing well or out of position and leaving out players that may have helped. He's also forever changing the starting line up and where players play and that cant help, in fact many players look like they dont know where they should be. For these reasons I believe we are a better side than the position we are in. How much better is debatable but taking the likes of Sunderland I believe we dont have a worse squad than them and they are midtable.

[Chindie]

Agree with that other that "much of what he's bought hasn't performed".

 

Guzan - yes

Lowton - yes

Bennett - awful

Lowton - yes

Vlaar - yes

KEA - pretty bad

Westwood - yes 

Benteke - yes

 

For what he spent, and the wages they are on, I think he's actually done alright. 

 

Fair enough. I would be harsher - I don't think many of the younger purchases have covered themselves in that much glory, for instance, despite Bennett standing out as particularly poor.

 

But fair enough - the main issue stands regardless, the squad is hopeless.

[Milfner]

Fair enough. I would be harsher - I don't think many of the younger purchases have covered themselves in that much glory, for instance, despite Bennett standing out as particularly poor.

 

But fair enough - the main issue stands regardless, the squad is hopeless.

He didn't inherit much of squad though in fairness. 

[Chindie]

Indeed.

 

I'm not particularly down on Lambert. I don't think he's done a particularly good job but I get the feeling he may have under better circumstances. I also feel that nobody could do anything with this squad, in truth. 

 

Ultimately I'm unmoved by Lamberts future - where he sacked or he to walk, I don't think I'd shed a tear. Equally, I wouldn't go out of my way demanding his head because... well... I don't think it's going to make the damnedest bit of difference.

[Milfner]

Indeed.

 

I'm not particularly down on Lambert. I don't think he's done a particularly good job but I get the feeling he may have under better circumstances. I also feel that nobody could do anything with this squad, in truth. 

 

Ultimately I'm unmoved by Lamberts future - where he sacked or he to walk, I don't think I'd shed a tear. Equally, I wouldn't go out of my way demanding his head because... well... I don't think it's going to make the damnedest bit of difference.

Bang on.

[VILLAMARV]

the downing money, like the money from most of the rest of our sales, was spent on the massive deficit the club runs up paying wages every year

 

when we sell someone the money doesnt sit in a box waiting to be spent on players, it's used for the running of the club

thanks for that P3te. I shall spend my time more wisely at Villa Park and stop looking for a box of money to tell me whether the transfer kitty cupboard is bare or not. Should save me hours. 

 

The point was about whether Lerner had "handed" Lambert a kitty of £20m and whether that was from him or not. 

 

Following the last published accounts from 2010/11 It was announced that we were on a costcutting exercise. we know the starting position (£54m loss in the previous year. turnover at £92m wages at £83m) Lerner we know put £25m in (effectively financing the Bent + Makoun initial payments) he may have put in more in the form of loans through the holding company we dont know for sure. We know since may 2011 we had to fork out for Mccleish both in and out and Lambert coming in. 

 

Overall wages have surely fallen with the departures of Downing, A Young, L Young, Makoun (loan), Lowry, Carew, Salifou, NRC, Hogg, Osbourne, Friedel, Pires, Forrester, Bradley (loan return), Beye, Collins, Cuellar, Heskey and then Makoun [out again!], Delfouneso, Warnock, Hutton, Johnson (all loan) since those figures were released

 

although the savings are slightly offset by the arrivals of NZogbia, Hutton, Given, Jenas (loan), Benteke, Vlaar, Lowton, Bennett, KEA, Westwood, Bowery, Holman, Makoun (loan return)

 

I can only guess Lambert and McMuppet are/were on less then Houllier too

 

With attendances down you would assume that the commercial wing have also seen a downturn in profits so with wages at 90% of turnover in 2010/2011 we may well have seen overall spend drop but who knows what percentage of the wage bill the turnover is covering last season and this? we will probably have to wait until march/april/may time to find out the cost of mccleish's reign. 

 

The exodus following Houlliers brief stint: 

 

 

Departures

Stewart Downing               Liverpool     20.064.000 £

Ashley Young                   Man Utd       15.840.000 £

Jean II Makoun (loan fee) Olympiacos    1.364.000 £

Luke Young                      QPR                 990.000 £

Shane Lowry                    Millwall              237.600 £

 

The influx:

Arrivals

Charles N'Zogbia        Wigan                  9.504.000 £

Alan Hutton                 Spurs                  3.960.000 £

Shay Given                 Man City             3.300.000 £

Jermaine Jenas (loan)Spurs                     880.000 £

Enda Stevens             Shamrock Rovers  250.800 £

 

So 2011/12 Transfer balance sheet  +20.600.800 £ (The ONLY time under Lerner we've received more than we spent) 

 

I have said before round here I'm glad McMuppet never got his hands on the other £20m!! Whether thats because Man Utd and Liverpool's payments were staggered over time or whether the club decided to spread the money it took over 2 years to get to the new TV deal who knows? but since the last publicly acknowleged cash injection from Randy the money we've spent on transfers can clearly be traced back imo. culminating in having to sell Collins to free up the cash and wages for Vlaar.

 

so for me to paraphrase that all as "effectively the downing money" I think seems pretty fair myself  

[PompeyVillan]

Just read about Lambert completely ignoring questions from Matt Kendrick last night. 

 

Very unprofessional. 

 

His questions were apparently met with silence, 5 times. 

 

He needs to be careful, I suspect that kind of behaviour will alienate not just Matt, but other journalists as well. And as a manager you need friends in the media, especially the local media. 

[praisedmambo]

Also when it comes to the 'Downing money' or the 'Milner money', shouldn't the amount we paid for them be factored too. I'm just thinking when people moan about Lerner not putting in any dosh. I think sometimes it gets forgotten.

[lp_villa830]

When are the next set of accounts due out? Would be nice to know exactly where we are on that front now, instead of all the hear say and educated guesses.