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Last Chance Saloon for Lambert

Smell the Glove says:

If Villa fans were in any doubt as to the severity of our plight before Saturday afternoon`s game against Southampton, its result brought it into sharp relief.

The ignominy of yet another home defeat to a relegation-threatened rival, coupled with the familiar lacklustre and spiritless performance from Paul Lambert`s team, saw the club plumb new depths in our abysmal campaign so far.

Our capitulations to the likes of Wigan, Tottenham, the aberration at Stamford Bridge and our humiliating mauling in the league cup at Bradford City was tempered afterwards by the supposition that the club has reached its nadir; that surely we had reached rock bottom.

Conversely, each new defeat has heaped further misery on the long-suffering fans, whose fears could be allayed and doubts assuaged if they were to witness just a faint semblance of a cohesive and committed performance from their team. Instead, akin to a cruel mistress who spurns and mocks those who fall in love with her, Aston Villa Football Club excels in inflicting anguish upon her devotees.

This weekend`s descent into the league`s relegation zone saw the five other relegation candidates all pick up priceless points. Our ailing team have been written off as relegation certainties by the football press and pundits alike. With the worst goal difference in the league, an impotent goal threat, our confidence shot and a paltry 30 points from our last 38 league games, who could argue otherwise?

Opposing teams have our card marked before a ball has even been kicked. They exploit Villa`s obvious naivety, lack of physical presence and wreak havoc in our final third. Our own lack of cohesion and competence at this level has been plain to see, and not even the staunchest of Lambert`s fans could deny that his tactics and selection policy have been anything but dubious of late. Lambert`s lions have looked more like lambs to the slaughter.

Whether it is blind faith or delusion that has gripped our fanbase, the consensus appears to be that Paul Lambert should be afforded the time (and club financing) to stabilise the club and avert the catastrophe of relegation. This season`s reliance on youth and untried rookies has backfired spectacularly thus far. The paucity of league experience within our squad is glaringly obvious and needs to be remedied immediately.

When pushed for answers and explanations by the press, the brevity of Lambert`s response can at times be disconcerting. His flippant replies may hint at a dislike of the football press in general, but his prosaic musings on the exclusion of Darren Bent and more recently the massive relegation concerns of Villa fans, did little to dispel the notion that he`s struggling to find the solution to our problems.

The well-documented financial constraints imposed upon Lambert by owner Randy Lerner should in no way be ignored. Nor should the lack of foresight of Chief Executive Paul Faulkner, who at the end of last season said: 'A disaster would have been getting relegated but this was too close for comfort'. The limited funds they afforded Lambert last summer suggests that they were willing to paper over the very obvious cracks of our threadbare squad.

Relinquishing the talents of quality players like Gareth Barry, James Milner, Ashley Young and Stewart Downing for purely financial reasons and without sourcing adequate replacements is not only foolish but incompetent too. It is self-inflicted damage committed by the very people whose remit is to keep our club stable and competitive.

If adequate funding is not forthcoming now, Lerner and Faulkner should both question their own aptitude for their respective roles. If this fine football club of ours is to sink further into the mire without any kind of fight, then they`ve only themselves to blame.

UTV.

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Writer: Smell the Glove

Date:Tuesday January 15 2013

Time: 11:30AM

Your Comments

Been mocked and abused for prediciting we would finish 18th on here few months ago. Hate to say it but it looks like likely. Lambert is doing a TERRIBLE job. He will take us down.

We're Not Fickle

So it's last chance saloon for Lambert but the last 2 paragraphs were admitting that he had a very average squad to work with (the worst in the prem bar reading IMO.) Who's going to come in on these meagre backings and get us where we want??? Lambert may not be perfect but everyone replacing him will have the same problems.

Villan444

Very eloquent who do you think would take over as :- 1)Manager 2)Chairman I think we all have to bite the bullet see where we land at the end of the season and trust in the current Manager. Because lets face it we are averaging nearly 2 Managers a season at the moment. I am impressed on every bodies hind sight abilities though.

Surpsy

What is anyone supposed to do with one of the poorest squads I have ever witnessed as a Villa fan? We nearly went down with Houllier who had a pretty decent team, we were extremely lucky to stay up with McLeish who had lost Young and Downing at the start of the season and now we simply don't have the strength or quality to compete. If Houllier did not have Young or Downing, I am almost certain we would have been relegated back then. It all comes from the top, if we don't spend money which unfortunately is what is required in todays game, then the other teams will only continue to improve leaving us behind. We are in serious trouble and if and when we do go, because it's been coming for a while, I would not want Lambert sacked. I can see what he's trying to do, if only he was allowed to buy experienced players to mix it up.

calavfc

God, I can't believe Southampton are going to sign Forren. So depressing. He is exactly what we need at the back. From Twitter: Cracking left foot. Great in the air. Reads the game. Lightening pace. Great tackler. Top passer. No weaknesses.

olofthegreat

I find it hard to argue with this. I've never been a great one for calling for managers heads etc but I am shocked at just how badly this one is doing. If this had been last season, he who shall not be named would have been shot by snipers by now. It does appear to me that it is Lambert and Lamberts policy alone to have decided youth from lower leagues and no experience was the way to go. he did get £22m and did himself say that there was more if he'd wanted it. Not saying above is blameless, of course it isn't, we've seen too many exits (and the first manager had far too much of a free reign) but blimey, Lambert, surely he could have us around 12th and not in relegation danger? He appears to me to be the new tinkerman, changes so often, even after wins, no wonder the players look like they don't know what they are doing.

Got the same in the forum we're not fickle, including angry pm's. Was quite surprised as it doesn't look like rocket science to me!

The Fear

I agree Villan444. Yes Lambert hasn't enjoyed a great first 6 months at our club but calling for him to be sacked at this stage is a joke. No one better would take over, and no one else could turn this team around at the moment. He inherited a very poor team and was given £20m in the summer to rebuild? We needed a dozen very good players and you can't do that with £20m, so no wonder he went into the lower divisions. You couldnt have signed 7 players from top top leagues that we need for the money he was given. Also, surely the last three years have taught us that constant chop and changing and instability is adding to this great club's downfall? 5 managers in 3 years (including caretakers).. who's going to want to join a club when they know the manager that signed them could be out the door 6 months later? I'm not saying Lambert has done everything right at all, but no one can do better out there and we need to stick by him and the team. Just pray to God that Randy loosens the pursestrings and helps him out a bit in these last two weeks of the transfer window

Villa2610

Olof I agree we really should be going for Forren.. looks a very good player both for now and the future.

Villa2610

Lets be realistic for a second or two. Randy is going nowhere. If he chooses not to spend any money in the current transfer window then I, like the vast majority of fans on here, think we'll be relegated. Sacking the manager? Not for me. I still think Lambert will come good given time. Also for all the calls to sack him on this site I have not heard one good suggestion of who will replace him. Who is the amazing manager that will want to take over? Anyone? ...

Bobby Norman

We should be blaming a manager for our plight, not PL though, there is only one to blame and that is O'Neill, it was a very dark day for our club when he was appointed. Yes he brought us some good times especially beating Manure 1-0 however the mess he left after him and the waste of the Chairman’s money has caused much of our problem. We are the worst team in the division at the moment, we would probably need 6 wins to stay up and that is not going to happen. There will be at least two second City derbies next year and we are as well to face up to that fact, that is provided the noses are not relegated themselves. COTVABU

irish villa

Just to clarify - I don't want Lambert sacked. I wanted him here in the first place and I retain hope that he's able to change our fortunes. That said, the man's not blameless for our current situation and should also be held accountable. I believe that if he's given substantial finance in this transfer window and then recruits the requisite quality (and quantity) of players, we may just turn our season around.

Smell The Glove

The focus on youth has not "failed spectacularly", but has had some clear successes and one or two failures. The lack of Vlaar, the left back problem, and some experience in a midfield general has disasterously undermined the results, teamwork, and yes, the performances of the young team - but there has been a large chunk of bad luck with injuries, and is not all PL 's fault. The lack of contribution from experienced players who are on the book has been a disaster too, and we await this being addressed now there is a transfer window. We were not mauled, but embarassingly beaten by Bradford. Those are the kind of games where I agree all would say the underdog deserved their win, but despite our defensive calamities, there is no way we should have lost that. I agree with the majority that if we are to have any chance of climbing out of this mess our chances are hugely better with PL than starting again which would mean we would be down. I think we can still end up with a positive bend too this season. Even the venerable JF who sees all, and speaks so wisely has seemingly lost hope. We all see the problems, but not all see how quickly it can be turned round too. Have faith. We will turn it round. Up the Villa!

stennyvilla

If it wasn't for McLeish last year that poll on the right would look very very different right now.

lurman

Show us the money Randy and either back Lambert or sack him, no other choices im afraid, stay with what we got we are down try throwing a few million quid at it and we are down, the only way is significent funding hurry up Randy mate the clock is ticking is all i have to say ,,,tick tock!!

CLIVETHEVILLAN

Losing to the baggies now is unthinkable. Ok, we didnt deserve to lose to Southampton. But we didnt score a goal either..... I do believe we will pick up a point against the baggies as they're not exactly in form right now. 1-1 i'd guess.

leelindsay

Excellent article and a good summation of many of the opinions on the front page boards. The Fear, McLeish has a name and it's McLeish or Eck for short. Not naming him is pointless and gives credence to those who claim he was and is despised because he managed the Blues. He is part of Villa history like it or not and -- arguably -- did a better job in terms of results than Lambert has done thus far. The way some of the so-called fans turn on a sixpence and start slagging off certain personel be it Heskey, McLeish, Hutton and now apparently Bent is scary. Yes, they are well rewarded and sometimes for not much but when they are on the Villa books they are Villans. When off them they are ex-villans. Oh, and while Lerner and Faulkner deserve the lions share of the blame for the current fiasco the fact that Lerner is a Yank and Faulkner is supposedly tubby -- as some fans seem keen to point out -- is pretty irrelevant.

VillaWillRiseAgain

I agree with a lot of that but I am sick of all this talk of ‘financial restraints.’ In the 3 seasons 2008-2011 this club published financial losses of £140 MILLION. Not much if you say it fast. Those sorts of losses would have put bigger clubs than us to the wall. The only reason we did not go under was because of continued cash injections (non repayable) by Randy Lerner, and loans repayable at the lowest interest rate legally allowed in business. The reports and articles are still widely available on the bbc, guardian times websites. A good one from The Telegraph is “randy lerner ploughs in more money as Aston Villa wages soar” Google it if you are interested in facts rather than pantomime villain name calling, And its worth remembering the club lost another £54M in the financial year after those figures were published, which meant he had to bail us out again. Obviously every club has to live within their means Spurs, Newcastle, Everton, Wigan, whoever. And now shock horror, Lerner wants Villa to try to do that instead of us losing millions of pounds every year. Suddenly he is accused of penny-pinching, asset stripping and a lot worse and yet we were still the 5th biggest spenders in the summer.

Withenshawe

I know he has a name villawillriseagain, was trying to reflect that the fans say they don't want him named (voiceoftheholte will soon tell you off) but if it was him, who was either **** or ***** or **** etc he'd have been hung, drawn and quartered. Just shows, for me, that it was personal last year. I hated last season for the *****e thrown his way, fine to call him a poor manager if you want, but the other stuff was horrible. He's a nice guy, genuinely, he was silly to take the job but he didn't deserve the filth he got. Sorry if it looked like I was compounding the situation though!!!

The Fear

Withenshawe, it isn't the amounts spent it's the players it is spent on. Redknapp has been in France looking at -- 'new Vieira' -- M'Vila. MON brought in Sidwell, ffs. The club operates like Europe's top leagues don't exist when it comes to transfers. When was the last time a player was recruited from one of the three other major Euro leagues? (the eredivise doesn't count). The lack of football knowlledge at the top of the club is the problem. Lerner-Faulkner basically have blind faith in the manager and haven't moved with the times. If you sit still you get overtaken and Villa have been and still are being overtaken. QPR already look a different proposition under Harry Redknapp. Swansea have come out of the Championship playing proper football with a legend of European football -- Laudrup -- as coach. Unless there are some major signings fully expect Villa to finish bottom in May.

VillaWillRiseAgain

Good article in the DM: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/aston-villa-why-randy-lerner-must-1535072

PiperUK

Fair enough The Fear but it is SOME of the fans who don't want him to be named. Glad he's no longer in charge but it was RL who appointed him and McLeish can't be blamed for taking the job -- he has to make a living -- that was clearly beyond his capabalilites. The general point about witch hunts against certain personel though is valid. Some people talk about Hutton like he should've ben hanged at Nuremberg.

VillaWillRiseAgain

Withenshawe, Tunnel vision is not even close to describing what you suffer from mate. Some valid points but what about the annual £8mil wage that Randy takes for doing next to nothing and you cannot seriously believe that he won't get all the money that he's invested back. Even Chelsea broke even last year. If Randy has lost money, IT'S HIS OWN BLOODY FAULT. 1 for appointing who he did, 2 for believing in them and 3 for not being able to sell out grounds, 4 for being so niave just to name a few of many reasons. I have not seen this £140 mil loss described anywhere before. Can you please point me in the right direction. 5th biggest spenders in the summer?????? You forget to explain that the club has been asset stripped for 3 years previously where on the other hand you were very keen to point out the "alleged £140mil" over a 3 year period of time as it suited your argument. I dispute your facts again!!!

Villan444

What interest rate exactly is the club ( I assume we mean AVFC Ltd or whatever he called it) paying on these loans, and where did that information come from ?? As regards "putting his own money in" he is diluting the share capital of the business/s to be precise...I doubt that he doesnt have a plan A/B or C to cash out if he decides to. Also - how do we know that this money wasnt borrowed elsewhere (in Japan for example, at an interest rate of f.a. ) with the interest on it more than covered by the £7.5m "fees" we are being charged. We can be guaranteed that this guys tax and business affairs are 'complex' and not easily discoverable and I remain unconvinced, on a personal level, that this venture is purely altruistic ie all for the love of the Villa and not for the lady who loves Milk Tray. Regarding Hutton - he didnt play against Nuremburg (http://www.rangerspedia.org/index.php/FC_Nuremberg_v_Rangers,_Sunday,_26th_July_2009). Probably banned for that game.

malacaxeta

to a degree lambert has been unlucky in having several experienced players injured, however surely in playing them it helps the team and perhaps also puts these players in the shop window. Short od Lambert being stupid or bloody minded, the only other conclusion is that he was effectively told to freeze the players out in the hope that they look to force a move, in doing so that could well save Vill money, but it is a massive gamble that could ultimately prove very costly

oxfordspur

I keep hearing about this supposed youth policy and how we need experiance its not experiance we need its quality Do you still consider Nzobia.Ireland,Delph,Albrighton & Bannan KEA hasnt had much prem experiance but I cast him in this group not inexperianced just not good enough.When you add Dunne ,Warnock & Hutton to this group thats plenty of experiance but how many would you honestly CHOOSE to have in your side ?. We sold our quality players and no one wants whats left,probably including our current manager.

Merlin128777

Good article Smell the Glove. Whenever I look towards Villa Park these days though, it not the glove I smell, but something more odious!

Pride of Lions

Correct Merlin

CDX_EIRE

it was naive of McLeish to think it would work in my humble, but when the few of us met him (if you remember back before the season started) he did admit he hadn't realised the level of feeling and the level of anger. Maybe if he had, he'd have thought again.

But yes, can't blame a manager from taking a decent job and the Club were very silly not listening to some of the reasonable fans who were in contact pleading with them not to do the appointment for all the reasons that then transpired on and off the pitch. Hey ho.

The Fear

The Fear-- When McLeish was appointed some of us -- including this poster -- were *****ed off that he was a former Blues manager. Eventually a lot of us realised that life is too short and it became an issue about his stone age approach to footie. Either way the fans didn't want McLeish and Randy Lerner and Faulkner shouldn't have appointed him. They showed a lack of knowledge of the tribalism of English football and an equally poor knowledge of what makes a succesful coach. There is a good article by James Lawton today about the differences between the NLF in the States and the EPL. The reason so many Yanks are put off buying clubs here is because -- unlike the NFL -- the EPL sums don't add up. Abramovich and Mansour are in it for a hobby in the mad Russian's case and a long term project in the case of the Sheikh. RL should call it a day as he's not going to make Villa a top six club without some serious investment in QUALITY players.

VillaWillRiseAgain

Look on the bright side - 2013 brings the first real new Sabbath album in 35 years, their thirteenth. And its called - 13. Good omen. Personally, if he has his coaching badges, I will take Satan as the new gaffer right now. Or Maradona.

malacaxeta

*NFL

VillaWillRiseAgain

I've been trying so hard not to get on his back, as I was sick of spending a whole season doing it last year, and really wanted some success, but.... What does anyone see in him? It really is a case of the Emperor's New Clothes to me. People say keep faith in him, he's a great manager, but I just cant see it. So funds were allegedly limited, but what he did spend he spent on dross - not prospects for the future, as there are some - and we all know who, who will never be premier quality. Secondly with the squad as threadbare as ours, why ostracise senior players by dropping them/sending them to train with the kids? It all seems like he is trying to give it the "big-one" and assert himself, but so unnecessary. Also if your squad is small, and you have limited cash, why not use it wisely to build around an existing £25M asset who is a proven 20+ a season man? Also there is his constant changes to team selections - even after good performances he makes unfathomable changes, so there is no stability. His in game substitutions aren't much better either. His interviews with the media are woeful - he can barely string a sentence together. I might be being unfair, as I wouldn't like a camera shoved in my face either, but it does make me wonder what his team talks are like. Everyone has an opinion on Lerner and whether he has backed the manager sufficiently, but that's all it is - opinion. None of us really know what is going on behind closed doors, and all I have to go on is what I see on the pitch, which is dire. I just want someone to give me some positives about Lambert's management to cling on to, as I'm really struggling here.

BigFatRon

Paul Jackson Nelson While were in the situation we are in the PL debate will continue however what makes me sick to my core is the RL riegn, the total miss management of our club since he took over the nieve and reckless money spending in the O'neal era and the back tracking money pinching since. the shear waste of money paid out to badly choosen appointments ie managers and worse of all the cloak and dagger approach he as addopted with the media. What can we expect from someone who comes from a nation that refures to our game as soccer. football is apparently played by teams who run with the ball tooked under their armpit! Speaking of which I bet there are a lot of long suffering relieved Cleveland Brown armpit supporters out there! how long will we have to suffer this America Idiot? (Green day) I refure to the WII saying over here over paid not welcome I guess we do have something to leaner from our elders! In the Queens language "stop F@@king about and P@ss off!" As for PL he's not a bad manager over night he's not the most experienced granted but he has a decent record and given the propper support think he might do well, but lets blame him and add yet another sacked manager to our recent history, If he is inept we will never know as our board will never tell us what is truely their plan. we will just occationally get some miss guided garbage from RL's favorite lap dog Paul Faulkner!!!!

pauljnelson82

To spell it out plain and simple - if we lose to WBA and dont get through the semi final - will anyone on here change their mind about sacking Lambert ?? What will it take, before its just too ******** late. We need five wins and at least four draws, minimum (losing 7). Alternatively win four and draw seven, losing only five (less likely). Pencil in drawing at Albion and beating Newcastle as part of that equation....after which we have four winnable home games, If we dont meet those next two milestones then it gets really really hard. Regardless of the manager, any signings now are likely to only have an effect on one home game in January, if that. Wake up and smell the coffee children. BTW we need a spell chucker on this site.

malacaxeta

I'm with Paul Jackson Nelson malacaxeta. How many managers will we discard and blame whilst Lerner gets away Scott free due to his previously perceived good intentions and loans to develop training facilities and old monuments ( which benefit him financially long term. Even the donation to the art gallery is tax deductable. Damn, he's turned a fair few fans into Americans where they believe things because they're force fed it through the media rather than working it out for themselves. Lambert isn't perfect but he's shown great potential. Post Liverpool game, he had zero vocal enemies. He cannot turn water into wine. He's tried but he needs some men on the pitch to help the boys through. People talk about sacking him. Lol. We're lucky he doesn't walk out on us. Wouldn't blame him if Lerner doesn't back him. He's got a career to think about. With Stan and Vlaar I reckon we'd be fine but they're big big losses due to the u21s back up that only exists.

Villan444

Malacaxeta one question Who ? Guardiola ? The only ones who'd take the job on are the perpetual no-hopers Dowie & co

AstonBilla

At least Guardiola bleeds claret and blue :-), I see we're in for Sissoko (22) another experienced player, maybe he can show that quality is ageless.

Oscararc

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