23 Feb 2017 12:15:55
villa80 and others - there's no denying we're treading water at the moment, but i have a slightly different recollection on martin o'neill, did we not buy players like beye from the barcodes on 40 grand a week and then see him sit on the bench for most of the season?

didn't we buy stuart downing while he still had a broken leg, who the heck does that?

and after all the money we spent what did we win, sure, loads of plaudits but diddly squat, and to cap it all o'neill throws a hissy fit and walks out just before the season starts because lerner dared to question some of his signings and how much he wanted going forward.

for me, that's when the rot set in, we've had a number of managers who stumbled by, although for me i think paul lambert did a great job bearing in mind he was told to slash the wage bill, sell players of worth and bring in young talent and work on a budget of tuppence and step in after mcleish.

so we weren't in a happy place already. i know loads on here will disagree, but for me, with the manure sandwich lerner gave him, and also kept on moving the goal posts, i think he showed class and dignity.

since then he did a firefighters job at blackburn, and now at wolves, with a bunch of players who aren't big time charlies, he's got them playing good football with more to come.

so i say, good on ya paul lambert, you deserve some good luck. i like warnock too, but i believe bruce is the man with a plan. it just needs time and double training sessions, so keep the faith and like a pheonix, we'll rise again to where we all think we should be, but hopefully this time we might be a bit more humble!


1.) 23 Feb 2017
23 Feb 2017 16:00:01
Agree that some of his signings were very questionable, and although we qualified for Europe we didn't win anything, and this downward spiral no doubt started when he left.

However your description of how he left doesn't seem very accurate and tbf Downing may have had a broken leg but he then went on to be brilliant and flogged him for 20+ mil, and look at him ever since.

I also rate Lambert, if he had kept the tactics of counter attack, pace on the break I think he'd still be manager now and we'd still be in the premier league, we had the best record against top 6 teams in the league at one point playing that way, switching to possession based rubbish ultimately got him the sack.

I rate warnock for his ability to get results but as a man representing our club, no thanks his embarrassing, essentially assembles a team of thugs to batter their way to the top half and then leaves. Keeping the Faith with Bruce is what we need, teams go on Barron runs and come out the other side better for it, look at Norwich.

Give him time to make this his team, his tactics, his ideas and we will be back up, and for anyone claiming the argument his "yesterday's manager" or "out of date football" it was only last year he got a team out of this division, he is more than capable of doing it here.


2.) 23 Feb 2017
23 Feb 2017 22:26:34
Can't argue with that Chris, bruce is the one for us, i just hope dr. xia keeps believing as well, i see mat kendrick has now started to insinuate bruce is being closely watched by those in the hallowed halls, once there's a crack, no matter how small, people will start chipping away, when in reality the players needs to man up and show some class.


3.) 24 Feb 2017
23 Feb 2017 23:54:28
I agree too. Thought Lambert was decent and also believe of we'd have kept the faith with him we'd still be in the premier league. I know lots will disagree but I think he new how to grind out the results when it mattered and as much as I know that's not enough for Villa he was doing the best he could with what he had and that is only proved by how bad its gone since he left.

We HAVE to stick with Bruce. At times he leaves me scratching my head with some decisions however we need stability and the players need to know that THEY are accountable and that it won't always be the manager that has to leave. Look at Leicester! In my opinion they have no soul! Ranieri delivered them the holy grail and got the best out of an average bunch.

For me, instead of paying off another manager, one with experience of getting out of this league I'd rather pay up the contracts on the players that are sucking the life out of our club and giving nothing in return. Pack them off. We can spend another £50m but it will be a waste of money if you don't get rid of the hangers on that bleed our club.

We need someone to get the lads together, and get them to bond. When hogan got inured the other night it was two Newcastle players that stayed with him. It's disgusting. But if we keep Bruce and get the players to bond over the summer I can see us having a great season next year. I've gone on again. Sorry. You've all made good points though.


4.) 24 Feb 2017
24 Feb 2017 06:13:34
Lambert
No, Came good ideas good start to season. Went to see Pep who helped change the style. We were a laughing stock with the goal
Kick
Match of the day showed it didn't work. Guzan hadn't a chance. Wish we had kept him.
Never
Remember Chelsea 8-0
Could should and I would have shut up shop and kept it 4-0.


5.) 24 Feb 2017
24 Feb 2017 11:24:27
You on the sauce Charmed? You may have made some but good points there but I can't understand any of it mate 😂 Think we're all on the same page tbf lads, only thing I'd question Bruce about the last few weeks is his subs, more so the timing. The rest he has been doing his job well enough, 25 shots on target last 3 games, what more can he do? Go on and score himself. Team needs to start performing.


6.) 25 Feb 2017
25 Feb 2017 06:18:51
Hi ChrisAVFC
it is a bit garbled
Never lambert
Kept Guzan
Goalkick routine was awful
Match of the day laughed at it
Should have shut up shop against Chelsea
Stats mean nothing
We had 12 points under lamberts start of the one season until the change of style to suit stats
Finally
Lambert loses against blues.


7.) 25 Feb 2017
25 Feb 2017 11:13:47
Aye? 1 game doesn't sum up his entire tenure here, as I said, before his change of tactics he was a good manager. Him losing against the blues with another team has nothing to do with him at the villa?