BREAKING NEWS: Paul Lambert sacked!

Paul Lambert understands why Aston Villa fans ran out of patience





Paul Lambert has said he understands why Aston Villa fans ran out of patience with him after watching their team fall into the relegation places after suffering a 10-match run without a win that led to his sacking on Wednesday evening.


In a statement released through the League Managers Association, Lambert said of the Villa fans, some of whom displayed a Lambert Out banner during Villa’s 2-0 defeat at Hull: “I pay tribute to the supporters who are among the most passionate I have ever encountered. They rightly hold huge expectations for their beloved football club and I sincerely hope they are rewarded with the success they deserve. I completely understand their frustrations and always shared their view that the football club is too big not to be competing at the top end of the table. I hope that can happen.

“You never stop learning in football management and I certainly believe the invaluable experience from my time as Villa manager will prove hugely beneficial in the next stage of my managerial career.”

Lambert also admitted that he found the job of trying to balance the books while maintaining progress on the pitch the most difficult he has yet undertaken. “My initial remit was to conduct a massive overhaul of the playing squad, lower the overall wage structure of the playing staff and achieve this whilst keeping the club in the Premier League.

“There was also a concerted effort to purchase and develop younger players who would provide a solid footing for the football club to move forward and enhance the value of the playing squad in the future.

“When I came on board the club’s owner, Randy Lerner, warned me that I was embarking on the toughest challenge of my working life and he was not wrong. But I have never stepped away from hard work and I put my heart and soul into the job from my first day until my last.”

The first-team coach Scott Marshall and goalkeeping coach Andy Marshall will be charge for Sunday’s home FA Cup tie with Leicester and the former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood, current Real Madrid assistant Paul Clement and USA head coach Jürgen Klinsmann have been installed among the bookmakers’ favourites to replace Lambert.

Lambert thanked Lerner, his coaching staff, the players, the fans and former chief executive Paul Faulkner – but perhaps significantly not Faulkner’s successor Tom Fox.

He said: “To the players, my sincere thanks to each and every one of them. They are a fantastic group of players and I wish them every success for the rest of their playing careers. I hope to see many of them achieve great things in the game.”

Aston Villa’s defeat at the KC Stadium – a fifth in a row in the league – meant Villa sank into the bottom three for the first time this season, having briefly topped the table in August after winning three of their opening four matches. Lambert signed a new four-year deal on 17 September but since then their record has been worse than dismal with only two victories from 21 matches.

That included a run of 659 minutes without a goal until Jores Okore scored in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat against Chelsea – the fourth longest in Premier League history. In fact, only one team in top-flight history (Leicester with 11 in 1977-78) have scored fewer goals after 25 games than the 12 Villa have managed this term.


Source: Guardian