28 Oct 2014 16:40:28
No passion, no willingness to run etc etc. Gaby should go along with Westwood, Clark, Weimann. 65/35 possession, more attempts than for the rest of the season but no goals. Defensively we were crap, Austin had two efforts and two goals. The team are inept and must carry a huge amount of blame. PL does seem like a rabbit in the headlights and what is Keane doing? He sat there revealing little emotion, not like his mate ONeil who would have been bawling at the players. PL will carry the can but it is the players that are on the pitch. I do feel sympathy towards PL as he has carried out the orders of Lerner who is the real Villan of the piece. If he was not doing as Lerner wants he would not of got a new contract. Any new manager would have to change the attitude of the players before he even thought about moving up the table. I have supported PL but if the players are not supporting him what chance does he have? Pullis would come to VP but I doubt that Moyes would under the restraints that Lerner has in place.
Oldvillian I have agreed with you most the time, but at this stage I have had enough pl has signed players who is training with the youths orthers have gone out on loan because these are all crap, you will point to Big Ben buts that's the best out of a bad bunch, look what we had on the pitch last night did we have 3 players to would get into any of the top 6 sides maybe Big Ben and vlaar, would we have had any that would get into from 6 to 12 maybe Sanchez after that championship players at best, pl has had enough transfer windows to address that by now and my feeling now is get rid of him before he makes another mess with the January window
Your support of Lambert is admirable old villain and I do share your view that Lerner is largely culpable. But ( you knew there would be one) I think Dave Woodhall has summarised the situation perfectly
" this is not a top six side and for that you can blame the chairman. But it' s not a bottom six side either; for that you can blame the manager"
Oldvillan.
Paul Lambert stated on the radio this morning that he is NOT unduly concerned at the teams inability to score just yet.
Make of that what you will.
But for me that is not good enough.
I have said before and it was alarmingly evident again last night, we are shocking in the final third of the pitch.
I also think that Vlarr has gone, his mind is elsewhere.
Lambert must go, and go now.
His body language said it all last night, the man does not know what to do next, and Roy Keane was nothing more than a spectator.
Surface damage can be salvaged, but body rot not so easily.
We must look at facts, not wishes. PL has a new contract so he is going nowhere in the near future. Lerner will not pay him his severance pay simply because he will not spend money!! So his coaching can be questioned, his buys can be questioned but what we have is what we got. Players must step up to the mark and produce the goods, they are all good standard not top 6 not bottom 6 but as names they are prem. players. Some are/should be on their bike while others must own the problem on the pitch. We don't have a leader on the pitch, just headless chickens looking for a kick up the arse. I see no one giving out bollackings or encouraging others. As a captain Vlaar is ok but his deputy is not worth the armband, in fact there is not a captain worth the role on the pitch. Where is the Roy Keane figure, in fact where is Roy Keane? We had such hopes but he has become an invisible man who hid behind his growth. Throughout the club the attitude has to change now not later or we could be visiting St Andrews very soon. We wear the shirts with pride, did you see anyone wearing the shirt with pride on the pitch Monday? I didn't.
So if you accept that these are not bottom six players the only conclusion is that this mess we are in is as result of the manager rather than the chairman; surely ?
I accept your assumption that we may well be stuck with Lambert due to Lerners stupidity in giving him a new contract. That does not mean that we should ignore the glaringly obvious fact that Lambert is the principal cause of our current woes rather than luck lay the blame elsewhere.
We are fans, not club accountants
Lambert out
Hi Mendax, I acknowledge what you say and agree that we need to change. The fall guy will always be the manager but I still believe that PL has been strung up by following instructions from his employer. Do you think that Pullis, Moyes, Bruce etc etc would be prepared to work within the restrictions set out? PL must have thought that he could do the job layed before him and also that he may get more cash than he has been given. Lerner will not give a new manager anymore cash so that is what has to change, but will Lerner open the trap door or his purse? Personally I think he will get the WD 40 out before Xmas and give PL a small wad of money to get some players in with the hope that a buyer might be found. You know what I called Lerner but some posters do not like me slagging him off, but I do think that Lerner is a Dickens character.
I don't know whether any of the managers you mention would work under the restristictions imposed by Lerner. But, I do know that they are what Lambert agreed to. Nobody put a gun to his head. He has a squad that a better manager could do a better job with and that is what he should be judged by.
By the way. I certainly wouldn't want Bruce and although I reckon we' d be safe with Pulis I' d prefer a more progressive manager