I Pity Lambert

I did try to see sense in the Benteke sub, but couldn't other than that PL perhaps feels obliged to play Bent to keep him happy, but I cannot see that Lambert is the real reason why Villa are in this state.

Trying to grow a new team in the Premier League, on the cheap and without on-the-field leadership of quality, is not a thing to be recommended. I think that Villa would have scraped home today but for the sending off, but that's not really the point. We're now in for the trickiest of periods and we'll be lucky if we come out of it with any morale left. Unless the team somehow raises itself. Somehow!

PL hasn't complained about lack of support from the board, but he should i.m.o. It now seems clear that Villa need one or two quality players to lead a young team through this, but you only get those if you're willing to pay the appropriate wage. Lerner is plainly not willing to do that, and to have paid up to £24m. for a striker who now cannot get the kind of ammunition he feeds on, is (and has been) an utter waste.

No, I do not see PL suddenly becoming a bad manager. He may be panicking a bit perhaps (hence the sub he made) but he showed at Norwich that he had the nous to do a good job. What he needed when he came here was some experienced Prem players of quality - just a couple. That he didn't get them is not his fault. Or perhaps he thought that he would get the quality out of Ireland, or was persuaded he had to try that. Surely it's commonsense?

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