I know there was talk of this a few weeks back, but the story seemed to peter out and nothing really came of it.
The Telegraph seem to have got their hands on something a bit more concrete though and they’re saying that the club have sounded out Paul Lambert and he’s receptive to signing to signing a new three year deal on improved terms.
Whatever you think of this, two things cross my mind.
The first is, what’s the rush?
Lambert is contracted until the summer of 2015 and unless you’re a club who wants a manager whose seeming best ability is to run a club on even less than a shoestring, I don’t exactly see anyone queueing up to acquire his services.
The second is, this has to be an indicator that either Randy Lerner or Paul Faulkner are ecstatic about Lambert’s performance. Well, similar to my first point, it can only be about money.
It certainly won’t be our style of football, after all, will it?
So, we’re going to be stuck with what we have now, it would seem.
A third point has just crossed my mind.
Is looking to extend the manager’s contract, when there’s no pressing need, really something an owner who is looking to sell would do?
Or is it maybe just a smokescreen to deflect away from that story?
While I can understand the club wanting stability, I can’t say I’m exactly elated about this story and I’d have left it until nearer this time next year, when we’ll be able to make a better judgement.
What price we extend his contract and are even worse next season?
Would that scenario really surprise anyone?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/10615174/Aston-Villa-ready-to-offer-manager-Paul-Lambert-a-new-contract.html
Charlie Wyett of the Sun (according to on facebook, haven’t actually read anything) supposedly believes that Randy is really looking to sell Villa and will ensure Villa go into “safe hands”… So two totally different stories…
Of course the first thing “fans” will look towards is that Lerner won’t need to spend to keep Lambert happy, which is true, Lambert will be happy just being in the job, but trusting him with another 3 years still? Too me also sounds like it could be that he’s going to trust him, and give him more and more money each year as he sees Lambert as someone to make Villa better and better and not some BS “no money”.
Though Kendrick’s now reporting the 3 year deal.
Could always be complete bullshit.
To tie down a manager no one else would want on a long term contract for a team that is almost guranteed to be in a relegation scrap for all of those years is boardering on maddness it benefits nobody but Lambert i just cant see the point. Another mad decision if its true
Fuck knows what to make of the rumours,do i want that twat for another 3yrs at the club do i fuck.he’s really lost with idea’s tactically no way will the team improve imo.as for lerner he can just fuck off.we’re a club stood still.
We are a club stood still, that’s for sure.
It would take about £500m – £1bn to make us competitive in terms of CL places.
Screaming for Lerner out is like suggesting that Canute needed deposing as he couldn’t turn back the tide.
Can’t see the point in extending Lambert’s contract right now, but I really don’t think that Lerner is looking to sell either.
As I’ve said a yank with his little puppet, all that yank wants is a business in this country, cut down as much as he can and just stay in the premier league to take the money. We will not see a challenging team just a team to get what it can. In Lerner we have a conman reaping the assets and biding his time to sell. Piss him off now.
Mixed thoughts on this one. If Randy continues to penny pinch, then Lambert has shown that he can keep us up on a very limited budget….he is to be commended for that! However, that is nowhere near good enough for a club of this stature. We dont know, will we ever know whether he would perform better with a substantially higher budget? I think Randy should give Lambert a ‘realistic budget’ in the summer, not over the top, but say 40 mil…thats easily affordable! We will then be better equipped to judge Lambert fairly. If he fails then its time to move on.
Wise words Landford, just let’s live in hope. But don’t hold your breath.
A truly discusting decision if true. Lamberk has done nothing to warrant a new contract.
Lerner is a clueless idiot.
Get out of our club, your a disgrace.
When’s this so called transition period at an end?possibly their extending his contract to fulfill this?lol.lerner loves the bloke low maintenance all the way.we will wallow in mid table mediocroty whilst both parties are in charge.obviously it’s easier to replace the manager but saying that any new manager coming in with ambition would find it very difficult to do it on a shoestring so the position isn’t very attractable.so get used to being in a rut for a long time to come.
never it will never end if we keep hiring and firing ..
Badger…on reflection. I agree with you. Give Lambert until this time this year (as long as he is given a decent budget in the summer). That will be the appropiate time to judge him IMO. Its Randy who is taking the piss. Give the man the same chance as MON was afforded. I know we are not going to spend that much again. However, 40 mil is a realistic budget. Whatever, the ‘transitional’ excuse cannot be tolerated any longer. We need to see significant improvement next season. No more lame excuses!
1. Randy, release the moths from your wallet and
2. Lambert spend it wisely
Langfordvilla, that don’t excuse the idiotic decisions that he’s been making of late, hoof ball tactical suicide in matches no mate sorry he’s inept of football what ever you give him.
Is it April 1st today! Offer that useless twat a new contract he should be sacked. So looks like the Lerner and lamberk for years to come fuckin disgrace I’m fuming
According to Kendrick, Villa made a substantial bid for a player but couldn’t get the deal done quick enough.
He’s also had over a 40m net spend in 2 years… But yeah, he gets no money. -cough cough-. Only the 9th most expensive formed current 25 man squad team in the league.
9th most expensively assembled premier league squad?
show me those figures please!
genuinely curious ..
I have a feeling you are including players not signed by Lambert and not even at villa park right now as justification somehow that Lambert has had a competative transfer budget
Do we think Lambert is learning from his mistakes? After the Liverpool and West Brom matches how many of us would have set up the team to attack, rather than sit back, last ditch defend and hope for a draw? Just as Benteke and Wiemann are coming back to life he does that to them and Vlaar gets injured in the process, doing three times the work of a normal defender in a normal PL team.
I just don’t know. He seems to be tactically inept, trying to surprise the opposition with something different. West Ham presumably won’t have a striker able to play this weekend so what is Lambert going to do assuming they’ll play six in midfield and we might not have Vlaar to play five at the back? Unless Gabby is back he can’t play three up front. So a 4-5-1 with Wiemann playing behind Benteke? TBH I’m guessing a 4-4-2 with Holt and Benteke up front. It’s a complete guess though, and I don’t want to see Holt start unless Benteke is injured.
I just don’t know what to make of it. Okore and Vlaar cheap to buy because they are so injury prone? No attacking midfielder? Some players have landed on their feet but some so clearly need to go off and get in some loan playing (Tonev springs to mind) but then we still don’t have a big enough squad so they have to stay.
Back to the attacking midfielder, did Lambert really think he could do without one or did Randy not give him any money at all?
We won’t really know how good or shit the manager is until we find out if he’s being hampered by Randy’s finances or plans to keep the club afloat long enough to sell or trying to do something clever and not spending what’s available to him.
To say that Lerners a conman and only in it for the money – While it may be true, you can argue thats the mentality of all the owners from 10th down…..Yet, other than Newcastle (8th) I hear no whinging from the other clubs below fans about the owners anymore. And they’re all BELOW us.
Although they have all spent quite heavy and strengthened this season , some of them will rue it one day, as we have the last couple season.
As for Lambert, the only thing that pisses me off with him is he’s never honest with us or himself after the games. Rodgers the other week, openly admitted he picked the wrong side for our game with them, and should not have changed things……Why cant Lambert??
We have him for another year whatever happens so I’d like to think Lerner, unless he sells, will give him a bigger purse for some better players in the summer as we save shedloads this window.
UTV – CLARET BLUE ARMY – VTID
What a load of crap so west ham fans are happy and Fulham happy are they fuck all the fans are moaning down the bottom
Helenius only just are they below us, its been hard work for other clubs to keep intouch with us and they are doing it, we seem to struggle to get any results of late. You got to admit to be worried because I’m bloody well am. 70 + years
I totally agree Bill mate, the whole league from us down have struggled this season. It again comes down to finance. We spent loads a few years back, a bit like the clubs below us have done this season yet we are still above them (however close the gap)and it will come back to bite a couple of them in the arse.
Swansea are in a state. They have had a couple of good seasons but this one not so….Little funding meant they could only afford NGog in this window, which to me is a sign of desperation.
Unless we “Do an Arsenal or City” by selling stadium naming rights for untold amounts of money or sell to a Russian Billionaire who needs to get rid of some of him Mafioso cash, this is all we can hope for, for the time being (as much as its hurts every week)
I really think / hope that after this season, as long as Lerner spends well next summer we are a top 10 side again and not a bottom 10. We aren’t too far off it now.
VAZE – Your right in saying we need £500m to compete for CL places, but how many times in 139 years have we had a team competing for CL / European Cup places??? Not many, as we are not and have rarely been a top 4 side.
Yes bill certainly supporting the villa does fuck all for your or alcohol intake mate,by the end of the season i’ll be sectioned for sure.see you in there. 🙂
Giddy I have men in white suits knocking on the door but fuck it not in mate. 🙂 if you don’t laugh you’d go mental, what a state to be in, I’m having nightmares now I’m dreaming Lambert was sacked. off to the quacks Friday. …..
There coming to take us away today ha ha he he ho ho. ;-D
* your health.
aston villa is full of good news lately
i would hold off offering new contracts 2 all the management team personally.
wise langfordvilla is rite lamberts done a top job with nxt 2 no money and reducing wages.
BUT he has made mistakes tactically, he hasn’t brought through any of our so called youth players. we need 2 know the truth is long ball 2 benteke the way he wants 2 play or is this cos he thinks our midfield is incapable of doing a creative job.
i like 2 know this b4 i av him commit another 3 years. wasn’t it nice 2 see gary cahill play well for a top team. just think if we had a decent manager when he was in the youth team. i don’t want lambert 2 make same mistakes with gary gardiner ~ and other youth team members. cos 2 be fair the players or types we bring in are also not ready 4 the first team aswell.
this story is all over the media so there must be some truth to it.
the verdict on lambert among other professionals, managers, pundits, players ect is that lambert is a good manager who is learning who will become better with experience, believe it or not he is quite highly thought of.
he’s also currently fulfilling his remit, keeping villa in the PL with a minuscule budget. things suggest (although its no done deal yet imo)that we should survive once more this season.
to be fair to lambert under the current constraints I don’t belevie there are others out there who’d do much better, seriously if you put mourinho or pellegrini in charge tomorrow with our budget do you really think they’d be able to do much better? we’re running a premiership club on championship finances.
I believe a lot of clubs will be looking for a new manager come the summer, swans, stoke, Fulham, west ham, Christ the list is endless a new contract for lambert ensures randy can continute with his miserly project and keep other clubs at bay who will be saying ‘if lambert can do that at villa with no money how much better would he be with our budget?’
how many of all those saying last year ‘why cant we get in a manger like laudrup?’ anyone still fancying laudrup at villa?
considering the restraints financially it has to be argued he’s doing a decent job, ive said before we have a squad punching well above their weight most of our 1st team regs are not PL players, some may grow into decent players but at the moment the vast majority of the squad is raw as sushi.
a ‘real’ budget in the summer and who knows.
although of course we will get the same from randy, if there is no significant investment in the summer then I fear until he goes we are destined for much the same season in season out until we eventually do a wigan and go down.
i agree with all Maximus says
i also watched norwich under lambert, he caught my attention at colchester, i rated him from afar but football is dire at best ~ is the style cos of the quality of players or is this the way he wants 2 continue. i have no doubt he doing a great job in all other areas just tactics thers a ? on this
The pundits don’t even watch us at vp they only watch the sky four. Most are probably mates with him so would not criticise anyway. Total joke
Nath.exactly mate….you cant get decent quality with a shit amount of money. I will NEVER be to critical of Lambert until such time he is given a decent budget. And thats entirely down to Lerner. There is no excuse not to invest substantially this summer. If he does, and Lambert still fails to deliver then I will become more critical of him.
We must NOT have another season of mediocrity and crap football. Lerner, be fair to Lambert and the fans, we deserve much, much better. Either that or fuck off, the Villa is ours!
Where’s IanRobo in this discussion? It’s all over the web that Villa are talking to Lambert with a view to extending his contract. Does that really sound like an owner about to sell up? Why on earth would you do that knowing a new owner would probably want his own man and would be saddled with a large payoff to Lambert and his staff?
Personally, I really don’t know whether to praise Lambert for the transition in the squad with meagre resources (given the players he has presumably had to lose along the way) or criticise him for the desperate football we have had to watch all too often. I think the jury is still out and he needs a decent summer window to add a bit of quality now the quantity isn’t needed. 2 or 3 quality additions costing maybe around the £20M mark (in total) could make all the difference. It’s going to be another long tense end to the season though.
Maybe it’s a smokescreen to make us thing the club is not up for sale I hope so anyway. Couldn’t stand another season if those two muppets
spot on guys, personally id have to hope the awful(and it is awful for the most part)football is down to our constrains and playing to strengths, its no good us playing pretty expansive open football and getting tonked by 4/5 goals nearly every game, wigan did that under Martinez who continued to play his pretty style despite the need to get ugly to survive which as we all know they didn’t.
lambert does love the counter game though I think, I belevie this would be his overall style even with decent additions but its a style used very well by very good managers and teams, mourinho and Chelsea are 1st in the que on that one. last nights display by them was a perfect expression of a team set up solid defensively but offering a strong counter threat, chesea could have/should have had 3 or 4 last night to man city for all their huffing and puffing only managed 2 shots on target compared to chelseas 8 and 2 off the woodwork.
lambert still baffles and frustrates me often though like starting holt next to benteke on Saturday, sorry but i’ll never understand that move.
as Langford said without a decent budget im loath to criticise the guy.