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News Thread for the 2014-15 Season

Lambert took Norwich to back to back promotions from League One to the Championship to the Prem in 09-10 and 10-11. Not being a follower of either team, I have no idea about what he did in either place. Did he forget how to manage at Villa? How much is on him and how much is on Lerner?
 
I don't know. This isn't like Alex McLeish where I just thought he was the problem and was absolutely ready to stop being a Villa fan until he was gone. There's been a lack of backing, but there's also been a slew of injuries to key players year after year and just players who went out of form. They've never found anyone to replace what Petrov did in the middle of the pitch. They got by for one year on Benteke's physical dominance which has since completely disappeared due to injury and apparent lack of effort. And the back line is a plague of injuries, inconsistencies and cheapness. Randy Lerner has been exactly what you'd expect of a legacy kid. Threw lots of money at the team at first, didn't know what to do, cut spending like crazy and has been trying to bail just like he did on the Browns. Next year we're probably going to see the second biggest city in England without a prem team and one of it's most forgotten history teams. It and Everton are the only two teams to have over 100 seasons in England's first division. Seven first league titles put it fifth all time. I've managed to make myself depressed.
 
Lambert is a good manager, he will bounce back somewhere next year.

I think the pressure to cut costs and keep salaries down really crippled Villa over the last 2 or 3 years.

Was looking online at the transfer in and outs at Villa and found a site listing the top 5 failures in the transfer market by Lambert at Villa.......... the parts in bold pretty much explain it all. You are forced to shop in the bargain basement you don't get bargains, you get junk nobody else wants.

1. Aleksandar Tonev (£2million from Lech Poznan, June 2013).
2. Nicklas Helenius (£1.2million from Aalborg, June 2013).
3. Jordan Bowery (£600,000 from Chesterfield, Aug 2012).
4. Antonio Luna (£1.2million from Sevilla, June 2013).
5. Yacouba Sylla (minimal fee from Clermont, Jan 2013).
 
Yeah ... it's not all about garbage in garbage out although the budget cuts have certainly hurt the club. Lambert managed to completely lose the ear of anybody he did have at hand who had any offensive ability, and they never settled into any kind of recognizable systems of play over the last two years. It was scramble up willy nilly and then scramble back willy nilly. I like Lambert and really liked what he did with the club that first season. But when those same guys are tuning you out tactically only a year and a half later ... yeah, he's got some responsibility there.
 
VinatieriDefinesClutch said:
And we're relegated. I wonder what the cost of pulis would have been. Probably a lot less than the cost of no longer being in the prems.
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I don't think Pulis was ever an option. It would have looked horrible for him to walk out on WBA after a few weeks. The press gave him a pass on walking out on Palace but he wouldn't have gotten that pass again.

Problem at the moment is there are no good options around, that's why Newcastle and especially QPR ended up with assistants taking over till the end of the year.
 
Well, they got two whole goals v Leicester today to move to the Cup quarters. Dead cat bounce? Will they pull a Wigan? Or did they just need anyone not named Lambert in the room?
 
HNIM said:
Well, they got two whole goals v Leicester today to move to the Cup quarters. Dead cat bounce? Will they pull a Wigan? Or did they just need anyone not named Lambert in the room?
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I'm starting to see some reports that indicate that Lambert did well and truly lose the core group. Benteke in particular had completely shut him out. So look ... you make Benteke more comfortable, regardless of the long term implications and you score enough goals to survive this season. Then you sort out the damage in the summer. This roster is in need of an overhaul anyway. So who really cares if you alienate Weimann and Gabby in the process? I know I don't. Lambert over-valued those guys because of their work rate, but neither one can convert work rate into goals. And that's how they keep score these days.

And no ... I can't believe that Pulis was ever a real option. He's nowhere near cold blooded enough to walk out on Albion a couple of weeks into that gig only to stroll down the road to another Midlands club. Nah. Only the English press could be that stupid. Sherwood is what he is ... a well earned rep for working with young players and he did manage the near impossible at White Hart Lane by getting Adebayor looking vaguely interested. We'll see.
 
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After the fans reaction on Saturday I think that was always going to happen.

Not sure whoever replaces Poyet has enough time to turn this around.
 
davemess said:
After the fans reaction on Saturday I think that was always going to happen.

Not sure whoever replaces Poyet has enough time to turn this around.
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Yeah ... that was rough. Not sure how long it's been since I've seen an exiting crowd that visibly angry at their own side.
 
Dick Advocaat takes over for Gus Poyet. That's an interesting choice. Hope it works out for them.

Sunderland have appointed Dick Advocaat as their new manager until the end of the season.

The former Netherlands coach takes over a day after the sacking of Gus Poyet with the Black Cats one point above the Premier League relegation zone.

"We have one aim only now - to climb the table - and everyone is fully focused on the task ahead of us," said Sunderland chairman Ellis Short.

Advocaat, 67, said: "I can't wait to get started."
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Advocaat takes over at Stadium of Light
 
I like Dick Advocaat as a manager but I am not sure he is the type for this kind of short term fix.

He is a get players to play better through fear and detail type coach rather than a happy lift the players spirits type coach.

I think given the time left he wont be able to get the style/approach sorted out and get the results needed.
 
Igor Akinfeev said to be okay

CSKA Moscow says Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev should be ready to play this weekend after recovering from being hit in the head with a flare during a European Championship qualifying match against Montenegro.

A flare thrown from an area occupied by Montenegro fans hit Akinfeev in the back of the head during Friday's game. He was rushed to the hospital and treated for burns and a concussion.
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Akinfeev should be cleared to play for CSKA
 
Jurgen Klopp out at Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season. He said he doesn't have another job lined up but plans to coach next year. Dortmund won back to back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012 and went to the Champions League final in 2013 and the DFB Pokal final last year. But raids by Bayern that grabbed Goetze and Lewandowski left the cupboard relatively bare. They spent a good part of the early season in the relegation zone but are 10th now.

http://www.espnfc.com/borussia-dort...firms-borussia-dortmund-exit-at-end-of-season
 
That's not good news for Manuel Pellegrini.

I thought he might keep his job due to lack of suitable options but Klopp on the open market gives the managerial merry-go-round a big push.

Could see Klopp at Real Madrid and CA at City.
 
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Yeah. Klopp won't be long for the open market if he decides he wants to go straight back to work.
 
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