Now that I agree with! CanaryRob- I didn't want to sound harsh, I was just contrasting my reaction to Supers'. I don't for a second think that Lambert got us where we are by shouting at players. He took a team that was lacking in tactical direction and created his own squad out of the ashes. A big club that is under achieving is exactly what he needs, just not one with Lerner as chairman.
if the worst happened, one good thing out of this would at least be that it happens now and not in the middle of our summer plans. again, i really can't see him going to villa or in fact to anyone else this summer but just saying
I really hope we can stay objective. Kidding ourselves that he can fulfil his ambitions with us could lead to percieving his next step as disloyalty. When Lambert comes back to Carrow Rd with another club (whether he leaves in 2012, 2013 or 2020) I don't want to be the only one standing up, singing his name and saying THANKYOU LEGEND!
Kind of agree with the OP really.Rather than a big barney just let him go with dignity on both sides.....Then nick Malky off Cardiff
I also hate to admit it, but I also pretty much agree with everything Kenny said in his original post and I also think people are doing Villa a dis-service. They've had a couple of lousy seasons under a couple of lousy managers (just like we did - except our were more than a couple) but the three seasons before that when they had a quality gaffer in charge they finished in the top six with 60+ points each year. They are potentially still a top six club, never been out of the top flight in my time and they do still have some quality players on the books who clearly aren't playing for the current manager. And Shay Given who is still looks an absolutel class act and as good as anyone in the division. Their players on Sunday looked absolutely bereft of motivation and a shadow of the players they can be when bang on form, and that has to be down to the manager having lost the dressing room and the terraces some time ago. They look a mess, although not as much of a mess and with far more available recourses than Norwich City when Lambert took the reins. The impact he could have there could be phenomenal, and what better challenge than to try to better what O'Neill did at Villa Park. (Just another way of looking at it, I don't necessarily think he'll be thinking like that) It's a scary thought, but let's not kid ourselves that Villa wouldn't be step up on the management ladder for someone who three years ago had absolutely no ties with the city of Norwich at all. And while I agree Lerner doesn't appear to be the greatest owner in the world he still has more clout than dear old Delia and who knows, he might not even be the owner for much longer the way the merri-go-gound happens nowadays. All that said, if I had to say one way or another hand on heart then I do honestly think he'll stay with us for a couple more years at least, but let's not think this is a simple one for him if they do come knocking and let's not be completely gobsmacked if he does decide now is the time to move on. Just my seven penneth in this excellent thread
i think its a weird one cos we all seem to want whats best for lambert really, to enhance his career! personally, i feel he should hang on because i think its the wrong time to go to villa, others feel he could do better than villa, others think he probably needs to go to villa before he can get a really top job which makes sense too, others think he should finish the job he started at norwich and then leave... strange isn't it! most clubs fans would hate they guy if he left but i can't see that happening at all with norwich fans - he'd get a heroes welcome whenever he returned!
that'll be the next thing won't it. 'they haven't signed cos they are all following lambert to villa'...
just to add to that, i have heard from a decent source (i'd say his record is 50/50 on transfers) that sunderland are signing whitbread on a free. he was asking to be top earner here and as he wasn't even guaranteed first team football, that was asking for too much!!
Some Good points here What if the board dig deep on the money front and put more in the player budget? I Know bowkett has said we will pay off the debt in 12 months but we don't need to, without risking the finances. I know only the club know the ins and outs, but surely it's a factor if they are going to fight for him? Either way it would be good if it's sorted either way soon
if anyone is interested, here's lambert's speech from last night its really dour... not! some good banter!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujIop5ekD-4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
When you say 'finish the job he started here' what do you mean? When is a managers job ever finished? How much further could he take us if he stayed? If I am honest, I think he has restored Norwich to our rightful place. A side capable of mid-table prem finishes but with the constant worry about relegation if things dont go well with any championship seasons to come having us finishing in the top 6 consistantly and challenging to get back up. In the real world that is where we are as a club. Poor management over a number of years saw us fall from that and Lambert as restored it. Occasionally we may do really well and get a little further up the league or get a decent cup run. Sadly, the playing field is no longer level enough for us to be looking at the 92-93 season as where this club could be. Maybe one day a mega rich benifactor might change that (like Man City, Blackburn (briefly), Chelsea etc) but until then we are what we are. Some would say that the job is already finished....
This Villa had an absolutely dreadful season, their worst home record of all time (just four wins) under a terrible manager and having their £20m international striker injured for several months and their other marquee signing doing diddly squat and they still didn't go down. Ok, it was a bit hairy for a week or so but they were never realistically going to go down as they had picked up enough points before Bent did get injured. However as much as I'm confident that we will be safe, just imagine if we have just half as bad a season as they have by our standards, make signings that don't work and perhaps Holty struggles to recapture this season with another year in his legs then we could easily be gobbled up and be right in a dogfight that could reaslistically see us go down. It wouldn't be that beyond the realms of possibility. Crikey, it's not like me to have a glass half full, just trying to look at it with a more neautral perspective
Fantastic thread guys. Probably the best I've seen on here, everybody giving fantastic viewpoints that I could barely compete with! Trust me there would be a few idiots at Carrow Road who would be quite the opposite unfortunately. I think we always knew there would be a danger of this since the end of our League 1 season. He is a fantastic manager and is going to be wanted, it is something all us fans will have had to prepare for. But he will definitely be treated as a hero after he has left, and rightly so. The way he has influenced this club is fantastic. He has brilliantly turned things around from our worst moment in over 50 years and has improved the club's position beyond expectation.
must just say, i do think one or two are over estimating how good this current villa team is. yes they've had injuries but if it wasn't for shay given this season they would have finished in the bottom three, absolutely no question. in fact, had the season gone on one more week i suspect they'd have gone down. they are a mess, a real mess on the pitch at the moment. now the previous manager should take quite a lot of blame for his negative tactics and houllier before him for taking them downwards and even o'neill for paying silly money for some players who weren't up to it but they are not a good side at the moment, even with returning players. as has rightly been said, a club like villa are more than capable of being a top 6 side but they are a million miles away from that right now. that doesn't mean lambert wouldn't want that challenge, but don't kid yourselves and think villa have a good squad if you scratch the surface - they don't. potentially a massive club but if you asked me to hedge my bets right now, i'd say villa will be in another relegation battle next season, with or without lambert. keep them up and they can, to quote lambert 'kick on', but they are in a serious mess as it stands and there doesn't appear to be a quick fix
How much do you think PL would consult Culverhouse and Karsa if the chance to leave came up? He has taken them wherever he has been so presumably would do so again. Hard to know if their ties with Norwich would influence any decision PL makes. Hard to know what if any difference it would make or influence it would have.
Apologies, I just put this up on a new thread - though I did put a disclaimer to say please merge if duplicated. I love how he rips the piss out of each and every one of 'his' squad
