The Whispers Are Amplifying – Lambert Must Go

David Moore asks:

How much longer will the Villa fanbase support the inept Lambert?

I have been absolutely amazed at how much patience the majority of us Villa fans have had in relation to this man. At the games I went to over the Christmas period (about 6 in all), I heard quiet discontent, murmurings of ‘Lambert out’ etc. Surely this sentiment is now growing after the latest of a series of embarrassing results that sees us, yet again, dangling over the danger zone.

Watching us yesterday was actually quite depressing. What is more depressing is the fact that we have played this way more often than not this season. What happened to the exciting brand of football, the energetic, youth-driven, fearless type of football that was meant to be played under Lambert? After a few seasons (seems like a decade) under this man, we have seen absolutely NO progress. I have not seen us play this bad since McLeish. If it is Lambert’s intent to have Villa play long ball after long ball from the back (mostly Guzan), have no creative midfielder and fail to strong passes together, than he is succeeding.

Tactically, nothing has changed to suggest that he has any real idea. He is a reactive tactician. The good managers (e.g. Martinez (wish he’d never rejected us), Rogers etc. will read the game and make changes that will likely produce a benefit to their side. Not our manager. He waits until something happens and then makes a reactive move. A good example, last night, he waited until we went 1-0 down, and then, in the 81st minute, he decides to bring on two attacking players. Albrighton and Weimann had all over 9 minutes of regular play to make a breakthrough (granted, Weimann nearly did, but for a good save). Why not make these changes in the 70th minute? It is like he is too scared to take risks. Clueless.

The Lambert apologists will keep on giving this man a chance, I am sure. But he has had 3 seasons now to prove that he is moving this club forward. We are seeing no improvement in the league table and no improvement in the brand of football that we are playing. The growing wave of discontent for this man will see protests in the near future I am sure. Some of thee protests will be directed at Lerner and Faulkner (rightly so), but let’s face it, Lambert has been backed financially. He has obviously had a brief to cut wages, fair call. But sending a striker of the quality of Darren Bent out on loan and bringing in someone like Grant Holt? It is almost like he is trying to turn us into Norwich. He’s succeeding, because there is only 2 points difference between us and them.

We are 4 points above the relegation zone. We have very tough games coming up as the season draws to a close. Southampton at home (a place we can’t seem to win at), Man City and Tottenham away will also see us sink deeper into the brown stuff. I really can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. All we can hope for is that teams below us keep on losing, or this once great club will e plying its trade in the Championship.

When are fans going to realise that Lambert is NOT worthy of Villa? Some fans seem to buy his post-match clichés and excuses. His incoherent dribbling at the end of each match is the same, week after week:

After the 4-1 drubbing from a decidely average Man United- ‘I thought 4-1 was harsh on us’.

(No, it wasn’t, we were crap- no excuses)

After the 2-1 humiliation to Fulham- ‘You have to go and get over that line as quickly as you can’.

(So, getting over the line is the extent of our ambition now?)

After the 1-4 HOME loss to the mighty Stoke City- ‘In a strange way when the bigger teams come you are naturally up for it anyway but when you play teams in and about you it becomes reality. These games can be more difficult because of the nature of that but that wasn’t good enough.’

(It becomes reality- what do you mean?)

And this latest word nourishment to keep us going until next week’s loss (post Palace loss)-

‘It is what it is at the moment. There are a lot of teams and a lot of games to play. You have to get over that finishing line as quick as you can’. (Thanks Mr Lambert, we’ll sleep well tonight knowing that we are still paying our hard earned cash to watch Villa get over that mystical ‘finishing line’.

Quite simply, I have no faith in Villa. Have supported my club for over 25 years and have not been this pessimistic about our chances week in week out, and long term, ever. Could you imagine Lambert’s performance if he was given a Doug Ellis budget?

The sooner this mono-syllabic, tactically deficient, out-of-his-depth manager leaves this club, the better. If he wants youth, atleast have them playing energetic football, not hoofball. We are morphing into his old club, because that is the level he feels most comfortable in. People say he is a shrewd operater in the transfer market. Let’s see-

– Westwood: Inconsistent
– Vlaar: Overrated. I thought Dutch could pass straight?
– Bennett: No real comment needed here. He speaks for himself.
– Tonev: Worst player I have seen in a Villa shirt and I have seen Balaban
– Helenius: Apparently Grant Holt is a better option

Yes, with the law of averages he gets some correct. Benteke. Credit to him for that piece of business. Kozak looked alright, too, before he got injured. But, overall, for every Benteke, there has been Bennett, Westwood, Tonev etc.

Time for a change. We need some experience, blended wit decent youth. I am sick of this arrogant persistence with a system that is not working.

Lambert must go. The whispers are starting to amplify. The Lambert brigade are running out of excuses, and even they must surely not believe the excuses they are giving.