Manager Paul Lambert

[Mantis]

Te be fair to fellow Villa fans, calls to sack Lambert if we lose at home to Wigan would be completely reasonable imho. What would that be? Worse start in how many seasons? If anything it is astonishing how firmly we have all been behind the new manager.

I remain a Lambert supporter but the results speak for themselves, he has not hit the ground running. I think it will all come good but I certainly respect those fans who think enough is enough.

I don't think they'd be justified at all. Much has been made of the "worst start" thing but what matters is the season as a whole. McLeish had a solid if unspectacular start yet look how that turned out.

He has to be given at least a season.

Edited December 28, 2012 by Mantis

[VillaGoMarching]

This thread is like groundhog day.

Yes we less points than last season, yes we've conceded more goals and scored less goals. I think we've established that now.

I think we've also established that we've not played the same fixtures so no exact comparison from one season to the next can be drawn, or not in order to draw a definitive conclusion on anything.

It is bloody obvious that McLeish had a ok first half of the season before a horrible second half, it is perfectly possible that Lambert will do the reverse.

It is simple bloody fact that when McLeish took the job he inherited a far stronger squad than Lambert inherited this summer. So quite why anyone is surprised that Lambert has a worse record than McLeish is actually beyond me.

Both McLeish and Lambert both spent in the region of £17m each, yet McLeish did so building on a far stronger base. Lambert had to spread his money far thinner in order to cover the holes in the squad which came from players being released.

So in short, yes in a rather meaningless comparison based on two halves of a season McLeish had a better record than Lambert. But so bloody what?

What is this supposed to prove exactly? That McLeish is a better manager than Lambert? That we would be better off with McLeish in charge than Lambert? That we are some how worse off as a club as a result of the change of manager in the summer?

If you think yes to any of the above then, with the upmost respect I personally think you wrong, very very very wrong.

It is absolutely possible to think a club is progressing even if the points total, goals total or whatever stat you want to look at is worse than in a previous season. That is personally where I stand.

I think we were going backwards from the day McLeish turned up and started signing utter crap like Hutton, N'Zogbia and Jenas. I think we were getting worse from his first game to his last and we would have got even worse this season had he been allowed to continue to build a team in his image (shudder).

But as I said previously this comparison is just utterly daft, going around in circles and personally speaking, boring the **** arse of me!

So how about we move the **** on? PLEASE.

This, this and this. Trent Top Post.

[SquaddieVilla]

Te be fair to fellow Villa fans, calls to sack Lambert if we lose at home to Wigan would be completely reasonable imho. What would that be? Worse start in how many seasons? If anything it is astonishing how firmly we have all been behind the new manager.

I remain a Lambert supporter but the results speak for themselves, he has not hit the ground running. I think it will all come good but I certainly respect those fans who think enough is enough.

He has not the ground running is an understatement, i am sorry but the record so far is shocking, some of you are preaching about give him time, WTF, how much more time, when he has wasted, sorry spent more money on some young prospect from the Blue Square league, come on, FFS, get real, no result against Wigan and he should walk.

[Mantis]

Alright then, so what happens if (or more likely when) the next manager performs poorly after a few months? Are we going to get into a cycle where we have a new manager every single season?

[VillaGoMarching]

How has this thread spiralled to the point if Lambert losing his job if we fail to beat Wigan.

Lambert wasting time?!? Lamberts fault for injuries. WTF? This injury crises is worse than any faced by one of our managers in recent time.

[Morpheus]

Alright then, so what happens if (or more likely when) the next manager performs poorly after a few months? Are we going to get into a cycle where we have a new manager every single season?

Not if we finally choose the right one.

[Morpheus]

I think it's fantastic how many fans are level-headed enough to see the bigger picture and stick behind Lambert. It may be because of they see the alternative as another McLeish-like disaster (masterstroke in lowering expectations by Lerner).

Also, I may be the only one, but I've really enjoyed some of the passing, flowing football we've played this season, with the pinnacle that incisive slice through Liverpool's defence.

Remember playing in a five a side game where we scored a terrific goal with one touch passing and a back heel to finish it off. We were crap for the rest of the season though.

[CI]

Last 15 mins of the spurs game, the Holte were united in singing "Paul Lamberts C&B army"

We should stick with Lambert even if we go down IMHO, I can think of no better manager to bring us straight back up

[Mantis]

Not if we finally choose the right one.

And what's to say we haven't got the right one? FFS people at least give him a season before writing him off.

[Keyblade]

@ the completely OTT and opposite reactions to both our two back to back impressive away wins, and our two wallopings.

[snowychap]

We should stick with Lambert even if we go down IMHO

I'm not so sure it would be up to Villa to make that call.

Let's hope that we don't find ourselves in that position.

[tomaspg]

@ the completely OTT and opposite reactions to both our two back to back impressive away wins, and our two wallopings.

some dr jekyll and mr hyde shit going on

[DiegoD]

I don't understand this fascination of comparing Lambert to Mcleish. Almost everyone agreed we were going backwards fast with him charge and that his signings were terrible both financially and in player performance.

Lambert has taken a long term view and is going with players that have big potential for the future and looking to build something that will last at Villa in the long term. Taking Swansea and Norwich as examples, due to the great work done by previous management the new management was able to come in and build on the previous good work to positive effect. When these managers have gone to new teams that were heading backwards they have had to rebuild and this has led to inconsistent performances which are currently below the expectations on the fanbase.

I have taken the view that given time and backing Lambert will improve the team and set us up to be much stronger in the future. I have been very disappointed by our last two results but provided this isn't going to become a consistent thing I am more that happy to let Lambert continue with his plan for our team.

[Richard]

It seems to me a few people expected lambert to come in, wave some sort of magic wand and everything would be ok again. Or walk out of the shower on day one and the last two and a half years would or have happened it was all a bad dream.

I'm afraid real life isn't like that. Lets look at what has happened to the team over that period

Lost a manager who had been here four years and built up a squad of players and processes behind the team

Had four managers or interim managers in two years each of them bringing a different style, different players and different processes thus total inconsistency

Reductions in the cost base of the club resulting in 9 players from the team who consistently finished top six, challenging for top four, no longer being at the club including the sale of 3 or 4 of the best and most reliable players this club had

The receipts from the sale of those players not being fully reinvested and when transfer purchases were made they were on lower standard older players with limited potential or resale value and as they were made by different managers there was zero consistency or planning in the signings made.

Money was still wasted during this period ( Makoun for six million, Given for four million and extortionate wages, Hutton for 4 million, Nzogbia for 10 million being amongst the worst / best examples of that and totalling 24million in fees alone regardless of wages - what lambert could do with that money)

So inconsistent management, inconsistent style, inconsistent strategy and a club trying to reduc the cost base, ship out its best players and still waste around 24million in the process of buying substandard players not to any plan.

And lambert is supposed to come in and make everything ok again with some sot of "initial impact bounce"? In real life it takes hard work and patience I'm afraid and as for this initial bounce to be honest I'm for long term improvement not some short term high or sort term buzz.

[Foxy1]

Unfortunately a lot of fans (well people in general actually) are unable or unwilling to think about long term.

This probably doesn't set them up very well for life's challenges in general.

[brummybloke]

It seems to me a few people expected lambert to come in, wave some sort of magic wand and everything would be ok again. Or walk out of the shower on day one and the last two and a half years would or have happened it was all a bad dream.

I'm afraid real life isn't like that. Lets look at what has happened to the team over that period

but then again it can be, when he went to norwich he completely changed them around in a season and got them promoted, same with other managers , redknapp did it at spurz when ramos was a disaster

it was done at bolton by coyle.

instant season or half season long improvement is not a myth.

however i think most people can see that we are in style of play, moving forwards. in terms of age of players, lowering them and reducing wages. in terms of results we are not much different to last season.

the last 2 results were expected ( the results NOT the score) and THAT is pretty much ALL that is pissing most people off

beating liverpool, the signs were there for us to be getting a raping, they should have been 4-0 up before we got near their goals. we got some luck, liverpool couldnt score, brad played a blinder and our 2 forwards had a great game.

realistically if someone had told us we would get 3 points from those 3 games i guess 65-70% would be happy enough with the points.

losing 8-0 though is a true ermbarrassment, it finished the same against spurz, they were just gentl;y passing and moving and we were no where near them. that is down to confidence. players too scared to move and intercept the ball and instead waiting which is far too late to react to anything.

as long as this doesnt go all shit because the players are dreaming of wembley, they re organise and lambert sorts their heads out then we should still be able to move towards the middle of the league.

defeat to wigan would be a shocker though.

[Richard]

but then again it can be, when he went to norwich he completely changed them around in a season and got them promoted, same with other managers , redknapp did it at spurz when ramos was a disaster

it was done at bolton by coyle.

exactly the same set of circumstances or expectations at the villa? I think not. Spurs for example had a great squad for redknapp to fall on his feet and inherit . Ramos was just a shockingly bad manager for them

[The_Lions_Roar]

exactly the same set of circumstances or expectations at the villa? I think not. Spurs for example had a great squad for redknapp to fall on his feet and inherit . Ramos was just a shockingly bad manager for them

Exactly, I don't see how people keep ignoring or forgetting this part.

[Ads]

There is a difference when you walk into a job and have Bale and Modric to pick in your midfield, compared to Bannan and Herd on day 1.

Last season was almost the nadir of this club. I walked away from WHL as unhappy about the Villa as I have ever been. I said to my old man on the walk back to the car that performances like that are a cancer that seep through the club.

Lambert has taken over a Villa side at probably its third lowest ebb in its history behind being relegated the third division or going down in the 80's. You could argue the Albion sending us down in the 50's but at least we won The Cup prior to this.

So Lambert has a job as big as any and it takes time. There is hope and I do think we're improving, inspite of the awfulness of the past two matches. I think we'll come through January and be in a much healthier position, with more points on the board, an improved first XI and a cup final to look forward to.

[Big_John_10]

It seems to me a few people expected lambert to come in, wave some sort of magic wand and everything would be ok again

Bullshit.

Maybe just maybe that some of us fully expected it to be a challenge but didn't expect it to reach record breaking levels of shitness.

And also considering Mcleish was probably one of the worst managers this clubs has ever had i didn't expect us to average less points, less goals and concede more. Now not expecting that level of awful performances in no way, shape or form is me expecting everything to be ok. And I've said it before, you only have to look at the reaction towards anyone who predicted a relegation battle in the summer to know a lot of people were also not expecting it to be this bad.