Re: Paul Lambert

by Guest Tue Mar 11, 2014 10:12 pm

I think Lambert is riding a wave of such low expectation that he is getting away with being out of his depth.
Perhaps with more money and better players he could cover up his failings, like most managers.

by Guest Tue Mar 11, 2014 10:19 pm

I've some mates who are Everton fans and they are far happier with Martinez than they were with Moyes. And they love Barry. We must have been brain dead to turn him down.

by Guest Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:15 pm

Brain dead sums us up. Allowing ourselves fall so far behind. It is borderline negligence.

As I said before, why risk an even bigger catastrophe, i.e relegation, to address a problem those who run the club allowed to develop up to McLeish's signings. I am sure there is a way to address wages while remaining more competitive.

by **Trotters** Wed Mar 12, 2014 3:05 am

Holtender1982 wrote:I think Lambert is riding a wave of such low expectation that he is getting away with being out of his depth.

Contrast with the days of The General and talk of "5 year plans". If the current board at Villa have done something right, it's to successfully lower the expectation of the fans - what percentage would be happy with mid-table mediocrity next season as opposed to yet another relegation scrap?

And the man managing those expectations has far less pressure on him than the likes of Big Fat Ron or Brian Little.

I say far less pressure but I think I think a more correct term would be "far greater excuses". Just how long was Lambert's honeymoon period? I think some would argue that he's still in it and will be until Randy releases enough funds to enable Lambert to show what he's truly capable of.

Trouble is that, for me at least, he's only shown what he's capable of on very very rare occasions - rare enough that I question whether it truly was capability rather than blind luck.

Lambert's dogged fixation with formations that don't work, his disdain for wingers that clearly DO work and his ethos of isolating certain players undoes by a factor of 100 all the good things has can do. Or, if I'm honest, will ever do.

I want him gone. But the big downside to that is that any new manager will be appointed by a board incapable of getting the right man. And the man they get will likely be told he has to prove himself capable of doing a better job with the same resources than the previous manager.

Catch 22.

New owner please.
New CEO please (or rather, someone in to manage the football side of things).
New manager please. Preferably European.

by Guest Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:21 am

I remember the talk of five year plans/projects. It's as if all that never happened now.
There was a definite target of Champions League within five years, it was an open secret that's what we were trying to do.

Why did your man Richard FitzGerald go?

by **Trotters** Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:43 am

From memory (which is shit), MoN said "it's him or me". Fucking child!*

*if this proves inaccurate, I still maintain that MoN is a fucking child.

by Guest Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:52 pm

I think Lambert really needs a better sidekick, someone who can point out the wood in the trees, if you know what I mean.

by Guest Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:56 pm

Isn't it one of his assistants that is meant to be the skilled tactics man?

by Guest Wed Mar 12, 2014 3:05 pm

Billy McBingo wrote:Isn't it one of his assistants that is meant to be the skilled tactics man?

So they allege...Karsa I think?

by Guest Wed Mar 12, 2014 3:37 pm

I doesn't how tactically adept you are if the main man won't listen.

by Guest Wed Mar 12, 2014 4:05 pm

Lets hope they sort it all out between them. Soon.

by Guest Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:52 pm

Richard Fitzgerald was a good man, who knew his onions.

by Guest Thu Mar 13, 2014 4:04 pm

On the official site they've put up an effusive interview from one of his ex-team mates today:

Paul Lambert never tired of doing the "dirty work" for the high-flying Borussia Dortmund team of the late 1990s, according to former skipper Matthias Sammer.

And it's this selfless behaviour - and appreciation for the overall importance of the team - that he thinks will serve Villa well as they look for a renaissance in fortunes under the 43-year-old.

Lambert was "here, there and everywhere" on the pitch - giving everything to the side.

The Scotsman was all about the greater good - sacrificing himself for his team-mates.

He appreciated the qualities of each player, says Sammer, and knew that everyone had a specific role to execute.

Sammer thinks this appreciation for "the collective - and the individuals within the collective" is the key characteristic in the makeup of Lambert.

Players like Brad Guzan, Gabby Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann have all come forward to hail the manager for his supportive, encouraging style.

Sammer - who now works as technical director for European powerhouses Bayern Munich - isn't surprised after seeing the "very genuine personality" of Lambert up close.

He said: "Paul was a good team-mate. That was one of his big strengths.

"I think he has a very good instinct for how to deal with players. He had it as a player himself. He now has it as a manager.

"He has a very genuine personality. That's important in football. Paul will always do what's best for the team and the club. That's how I remember him.

"It was sad to see him leave Dortmund but we've kept in touch since then. I'm pleased that he's established himself as a manager now.

"It's great to see him at Aston Villa, a club which boasts a long tradition and is undoubtedly one of the top teams in Britain.

"I hope that he'll be able to work with this great club for a long time and I am confident he will be successful.

"I remember when Paul first came in to Dortmund. He took part in a preliminary training session and impressed me even then.

"He was here, there and everywhere. He was brave and aggressive too.

"I know he has spoken since of feeling anxious about entering a virtually all-German dressing room but we were only interested in a player's quality, not where he came from. As such Paul was a very welcome addition.

"I hadn't heard of him when he joined, I must admit. But his qualities as a person and as a player were immediately obvious.

"He had a modest, reserved manner and fitted in straightaway. And we made sure he knew that he'd been accepted into the group.

"He played a key role for us, of course, make no mistake about that. He was an important player. Every team needs someone who'll do the dirty work.

"He was a strong runner, he had good technique, he was an accurate passer of the ball, an excellent tackler and the link between defence and attack."

The prospect of someone from Scotland joining a big team in Germany would have been dismissed out of hand in the early 1990s - but things changed for Dortmund when Ottmar "Der General" Hitzfeld became boss.

In no time, Dortmund were back at the forefront of German football after several years in the doldrums, and captained by their commanding centre-back Sammer, they won consecutive Bundesliga titles in 1995 and 1996.

However, Dortmund's forays into Europe met with less success.

They were beaten to the 1993 UEFA Cup by Juventus, losing 6-1 on aggregate in the two-leg final, and were knocked out of the 1995-96 Champions League tournament at the quarter-final stage by Ajax.

It was unsurprising therefore that nobody gave Dortmund a chance of winning the biggest prize in European club football when they took their place alongside the likes of Manchester United, Juventus, AC Milan and Ajax in the 1997 tournament.

Hitzfeld however had other ideas - and knew the player he needed to help the club lift the trophy.

"Der General" had an incredibly talented squad, with players like Karl-Heinz Riedle, Stephane Chapuisat and Andreas Möller possessing no shortage of ability and skill.

Dortmund played very attractive, attacking football but Hitzfeld recognised that his side sorely needed a hard man in midfield - an all-action player to run his socks off in the middle of the pitch and get stuck in.

And so, Dortmund's signing of Lambert from Motherwell was agreed.

It was a signing which made little headlines in Germany but eventually proved to be a masterstroke.

Dortmund smoothly negotiated every obstacle in their path before booking a place in the final and a date with Juventus, led by the master technician Zinedine Zidane.

The smart money was on the Italians but Lambert gave Zidane a torrid evening, helping Dortmund emerge victorious 3-1.

Sammer was far from shocked at Lambert's terrific performance.

He added: "He was brilliant that night. On the one hand I was impressed. But on the other hand, I was more than aware of his qualities and knew that he wouldn't let Zidane get into the game. So it proved.

"Of course, he left at the end of that season and everyone was very sad to see him go.

"He made a big impression with Dortmund fans, despite the fact he was only there for one season. I think it was his playing style that made him a favourite with the fans. He is still revered in Dortmund today - and rightly so!

"I think the manager, Hitzfeld, had a huge impact on us of course. We worked perfectly together. Paul would agree with this.

"He was first class - both as a person and as a manager, which is why we were so successful.

"Someone told me in the past few weeks that Paul used to keep a notepad when he was at Dortmund, jotting down things that impressed him about the manager. I didn't know that at the time.

"But it just shows that even back then Paul was looking to the future! That bit doesn't shock me!"

One of the points scribbled down by Lambert was the fact that the desolation of a weekend defeat couldn't linger into Monday.

This is a key attribute that he has brought to Bodymoor Heath with Villa.

Sammer laughs when he hears this approach.

He added: "But when Paul and I played, we never lost!"

Make of that what you will, but the thing that leaps out most immediately to me is this:

"He was a strong runner, he had good technique, he was an accurate passer of the ball, an excellent tackler and the link between defence and attack."

It seems to me that Lambert was exactly the kind of player that we miss most!

by Guest Thu Mar 13, 2014 5:35 pm

Ha, excellent point. For such a good midfielder, it is a surprise that he hasn't given us a better one.I do like Westwood, and Delph has become an important player, but they need a Lambert type player in alongside them.

by Guest Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:03 pm

We need a proper box to box midfielder put Delph in the whole and sit Westwood behind IMO

by Guest Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:26 pm

Lambert looked like a good choice, it's just not working out.

by Guest Thu Mar 13, 2014 7:25 pm

AndyD wrote:We need a proper box to box midfielder put Delph in the whole and sit Westwood behind IMO

Decent shout. Delph would score more goals. I just wonder if he is creative enough and whether or not Westwood offers enough defensive protection?

by Guest Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:02 pm

Westwood I see as the neat tidy player - i see delph as the man in the hole - and the other player the work horse who can tackle and just run all day liek James milner really.

by Guest Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:51 pm

It's cringe worthy that sort of stuff the OS keep sticking up.

by **Trotters** Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:41 pm

Papering over the cracks like crazy, aren't they.

The few mentions of Delph in this thread makes me wonder if he's been the difference between us staying in this league or sinking into the championship. With Vlaar being in and out of the squad, it really has all hinged on Delph hasn't it; for me, easily our player of the season.

And I'm absolutely certain that he has been the difference. One player! Our whole season has been down to that.

Which makes me wonder if Randy has ever sat down with Lambert and asked what would happen if a shocking run of injuries occurred like it did a few years ago. Any normal business would have a plan for worst-case eventualities but I think our board has been crossing its fingers, holding its breath and praying to whatever God they worship that luck would be on their side.

Maybe I'm wrong but from the perspective I see of the club, that's how it looks.

by Guest Fri Mar 14, 2014 12:20 am

You are bang on there. That's exactly what it has been like.

Very dicey strategy. The wonder is, given that we have averaged 39.5 points in the past two seasons (and are therefore lucky to have survived), what would have happened had we dropped? More of the same? On reduced sponsorship, prize money and tv revenue we'd have had to flog players on the cheap, further depress the quality of our squad while remaining competitive in a Championship that is a very tough league.

I don't even want to carry that point to its logical conclusion....but there's no evidence to suggest their strategy in such a scenario would be any different than the cross your fingers approach to the Premier League.

by **Trotters** Fri Mar 14, 2014 12:34 am

I would go as far as saying that Lerner and Faulkner wouldn't even have drafted a plan for that eventuality...even though we've flirted with relegation for the last few seasons.

Given that their plans for the club seem to be made largely on the fly, any discussion regarding relegation would only be had in the off season.

by Billy No Mates Sat Mar 15, 2014 1:22 am

I still believe PL can do a job for us in the long term. He does need a good transfer fund, I am convinced Randy Learner will open up the coffers again, and time.
We are 11th in the table and not really looking like relegation candidates. PL is doing the job he needs to do, keep us up and cut costs.
If that was his brief then he is on track for a second season of achieving the owners objectives.
The football might not be great to watch but that has to be sacrificed if we are to progress.

by **Trotters** Sat Mar 15, 2014 3:44 am

I suspect that "11th in the table" is the kind of excuse that certain people will use in order to deflect from reality. And that reality is that we were maybe one injury to Delph and some very spawny unexpected results against Arsenal and Man City away from being in deep, deep doo-doo.

We flirted with relegation a few seasons back and everyone was relieved that that season was over and we could look forward to rebuilding.

The same thing happened the following season and, at the end, we were all a little lighter in fingernails but looked forward to the next season when we'd rebuild.

Etc. And so on.

I, for one, don't have the same enthusiasm for "transition" football as I did a few seasons ago. We will need to sign some very decent players during the off-season and I do wonder who would come to us? Players who've had their relegation clauses triggered? Lower division overseas players looking for the bright lights and (relatively) big pay cheques of the premier league?

That's even assuming that funds will be made available. There's every chance that Randy will get that nice big juicy SKY deposit at the end of the season and stick the majority of it in his ever-shrinking pockets.

I would. I'd be damned if I'd trust Lambert with it. The clown will probably buy another 3 left backs.

We are in a rather good position in that a huge chunk of the (perceived) deadwood has been shifted, the books balanced (albeit in a false way) and we're ready to rebuild.

What needs to happen now is for Lerner to get in a senior football man, a DOF, someone like Sir GT or whoever and tell Lambert that's the way it is (no doubt Lambert would get a call from MoN telling him to jack it in a week before the season starts). No more loaning left backs to replace shitty full backs who've replaced utterly gash fullbacks. No more buying French 3rd division players in the hope they'll come good. Sure, take the odd educated punt here and there but not all over the place!

If Lambert truly wants a German-style approach (and fair play to him if that's the case) then it's up to the DoF or whatever you call him to make that happen, find the players that can make that happen and ask Lambert to run his eye past them to see if he thinks they'll fit. The DoF also ensures that the reserves and academy are following the same lines of coaching.

We get an agent in that understands the scope of what we're looking for and supplies CV's on what he thinks will suit.

That's the footballing part sorted.

Faulkner runs the business and marketing side of things - some of what he's done has been very good and Lerner cuts the cheques.

Checks and balances are what this club needs more than anything else right now. If we don't have that and we don't have a vision for the next ten years, then it won't really matter too much who the manager is or the coach or the scout because we simply won't have a cohesive unit. Ultimately, it'll all become uncoordinated and we WILL get relegated. A club can't bounce around in the basement year in year out without falling through the trap door eventually. A clueless manager will simply expedite that.

A plan of "there should be three teams shittier than us" is unworkable. And so far as I can tell, that's the only plan I've seen from the club in years.

by Guest Sat Mar 15, 2014 7:07 am

When it's put like that you can see just how much work needs to be done to get us into behaving like a premier outfit.

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