So I come in from work to find that Ian Culverhouse and Gary Karsa our assistant manager and director of football operations respectively have been suspended.
To quote a rather superb group (the Rutles), “I’m shocked” “and stunned”. “Very stunned”.
What the hell has gone on here?
This to me, at first glance raises more questions than it answers, with the first being, if Lambert brought these people in, why hasn’t he been suspended as well?
First reports I’ve read are suggesting that they’ve been suspended for lack of performance.
This might actually make sense, as it would seem to be perfectly true.
We’ve all been asking for months what the team are actually being taught in training, after all.
But again, Lambert brought them in, so the responsibility lies ultimately with him. His choices haven’t worked, so Lambert himself has to go.
So then I go on to read that there is talk of bullying and big arguments between the players and staff.
Again, these staff are Lambert’s choices, so again, Lambert has to go.
But he hasn’t, yet at least.
So what might the reasoning be?
Lambert himself dobbed them in? I doubt it. Lambert strikes me as a man who would back his team and walk away.
But then, he did hint that things weren’t right at the Villa, so I guess it’s possible.
A couple of million quid can turn a bloke, I suppose.
And then there’s the appointment of Given as a coach or assistant manager or whatever his role is.
How on earth does that work?
Given was frozen out by either one of the board or Lambert himself.
So if he was frozen out by Lambert, this appointment can only have been made to get Lambert to walk.
Would you be able to work with a bloke you’d told you didn’t want for whatever reason? It’d be at least uncomfortable.
And if he was frozen out by the board, what does this say to Lambert?
“We think a bloke we wanted gone is better than the choice you brought in” ????
I just can’t see the logic behind any of this and don’t believe any good will come of it.
Except maybe Lambert getting the bullet or walking.
Actually no, I don’t think Lambert will walk, as there’s too much money at stake.
Indeed, it would seem that his future is practically assured at the Villa, which quite simply amazes me.
The only two options I can see are that he’s either a total sycophant to the board or a totally treacherous man, willing to backstab anybody, including the very people he brought in, who you would think were allies and probably friends.
I doubt it’s the former.
I see the squad are supposed to have been “buoyant” after the suspensions.
So what does this suggest?
That Culverhouse and Karsa were hated, but Lambert wasn’t?
I can only read into that, that it means that Lambert is also in the firing line.
After all, if you’re being bullied and the gaffer allows it to go on, you’re going to hate him too, for allowing it to go on, aren’t you?
No, my guess is Lambert’s days are even more numbered, regardless of what the reports say about his job being safe.
But in the meantime, what a laughing stock we have become, particularly after Paul Faulkner’s now ridiculous statement just yesterday.
I’m just totally stunned by it all and now my focus has to move to the person in charge of the whole madhouse.
