[Archived] Official: Paul Lambert Appointed Blackburn Rovers Manager

[Lancaster Rover]

Not sure that's as true as it used to be.

Everton were notoriously skint a few years ago but have managed to start spending big amounts of money since the TV revenue increased (£28 million on Lukaku, £13 million on Niasse). The likes of Stoke, Bournemouth, West Brom, Palace etc have all spent big in the last 12 months too. That's not owners suddenly pumping lots in, that's the riches that come from being in the Premie rLeague.

I think the idea that Everton haven't spent money until recently is a misnomer. They may not have spent massive money but collectively year on year they have been mid tale spenders.

The ideal financial strategy and one which (pains me to say) Burnley have exploited is get promoted and relegated in succession without spending a great deal. Use the parachute payments and year in the prem to build a stronger unit in the championship second time round and get promotion again and be able to compete in the prem. A few yo-yo clubs have done similar, Burnley are probably the best example. Promotion followed by relegation can in some cases have a better long term effect.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Having plenty of dosh isn't always the answer. If it was Woy Boy wouldn't have had us a the bottom of the League and Kiddo wouldn't have relegated us. How much have Leicester spent ?

[tomphil]

So if he hasn't been assured of finances, and Venkys turn round and say there isn't any money to spend, what then for Lambert?

All he's talked about since he arrived has been promotion and turning the club around, rebuilding in the summer and bringing in some quality.

If a lack of funding from the owners prevents this then what does Lambert do? Accept it and try to overcome the odds with no money? Or resign on the basis he hasn't got what he expected and he won't get us up without money to spend?

He won't resign and why would he walk away from his salary after 9 months out of work. Just looking at his situation for a min he was unemployed before he took this job despite there being an absolute merry go round of half decent jobs available. Yet he didn't even seem to figure in many chairmans minds, maybe he was applying maybe he wasn't.

He left the last job under a cloud and he wasn't in a great place himself but I don't believe he just woke up one morning and decided right i'll go back to work and we were on the phone. He's back in football now and back in peoples thoughts so he'd probably bite the bullet, get on with the job and probably put the feelers out for something else.

Hopefully it won't come to that but it's obvious he's had no actual contractual assurances written in before he came. He's more likely been promised money from outgoings and to an extent he's got that with Rhodes wages being spread around for loanees and hopefully an option to buy them. He now seems to be trying to appeal to the owners to spend the rest of that money in summer but it's not unreasonable to think we might get a similar scenario of him having to wheel and deal again if he wants more on top of the 3 who should become perms.

[yoda]

Suppose it would be too much for the PR team (whoever that is now or alternatively Wheelock to ask Lambert) to check why the situation isn't being clarified by Myers or the owners.Yes this type of uncertainty is just what the club needs when season tickets go on sale.

Why put it in the public domain how much money you have to spend, it will only inflate the price of potential targets.

The naivety of some is staggering

[tomphil]

That's another good reason why this £15 million talk is baloney.

[ABBEY]

Why put it in the public domain how much money you have to spend, it will only inflate the price of potential targets.

The naivety of some is staggering

Did you expect anything resembling normal....?

[philipl]

That's another good reason why this £15 million talk is baloney.

We will just have to wait and find out this summer won't we....

[yorkblue]

It would be idiocy if the V's came up short.

Good job they have no track record of that!

[eire3382]

Lambert is so far doing exactly what most managers do when they are new to the job.

He has spent his time assessing the current squad.

He got in a few of his own men to help keep the club in the devision without blowing his budget.

For me spending big in January would have been nuts.

Come the summer he will know the players better and know what he needs.

He will have some kind of budget because he would never have taken the job if he hadn't.

He had just come from a club where he couldn't spend and the team declined as a result.

Why would he do it again

[martonrover]

Lambert is so far doing exactly what most managers do when they are new to the job.

He has spent his time assessing the current squad.

He got in a few of his own men to help keep the club in the devision without blowing his budget.

For me spending big in January would have been nuts.

Come the summer he will know the players better and know what he needs.

He will have some kind of budget because he would never have taken the job if he hadn't.

He had just come from a club where he couldn't spend and the team declined as a result.

Why would he do it again

Because he needed to get back in somewhere, perhaps?

If he's already been guaranteed a specific budget, why would he repeatedly talk about the need for the club to spend in the summer?

It's pretty obvious he's doing it to put as much pressure as possible on the owners.

[gumboots]

I'm not sure his need to get back in was that great. He was on radio quote a bit, talking about where he'd been etc in his time out and was obviously keen to put some of what he'd seen into practice, but I don't think his need was that great that he'd have taken just any job.

[arbitro]

Because he needed to get back in somewhere, perhaps?

If he's already been guaranteed a specific budget, why would he repeatedly talk about the need for the club to spend in the summer?

It's pretty obvious he's doing it to put as much pressure as possible on the owners.

Lambert has been around long enough to know not to shout from the rooftops how much money he has to spend. All that would do is alert clubs and agents to the fact and the selling prices and wage demands would go up. For the first time in a while we have a manager with enough experience to work the media, agents and other clubs. He knows exactly what is required and I would be amazed if contact hasn't already been made with prospective signings.

[DaveyB]

I refuse to believe that Lambert took on this job and has spent 4 months talking about promotion if he didn't at least have some form of assurance of funds. He might not have had cast in stone specific numbers, but he was surely told by either Venkys or their middle man that he would be given the tools to improve the squad significantly.

I wonder if the Venky's did promise some money, but are now starting to have second thoughts. It was stated when Lambert signed that the owners had gone for him as he had a promotion on his CV and that was what they were aiming for. However, it's fair to say that he has not exactly set the place on fire in his first few months in the job (although we hopefully seem to have turned a corner recently) and so, maybe, they are getting cold feet about throwing money at it as there's obviously no guarantee that it will equal promotion.

Certainly Lambert's comments today in the LT suggest that it's about more than just persuading the Venky's to spend money, but rather convincing them that he's the right man to be trusted with that money.

Let's hope that our recent mini upturn continues and that they do indeed see that there's potential for success next season during the summer. Because I'm not sure I can stand another season like this one

[philipl]

Lambert has been around long enough to know not to shout from the rooftops how much money he has to spend. All that would do is alert clubs and agents to the fact and the selling prices and wage demands would go up. For the first time in a while we have a manager with enough experience to work the media, agents and other clubs. He knows exactly what is required and I would be amazed if contact hasn't already been made with prospective signings.

I will be worried and unhappy if Lambert were saying things like this in the summer BUT he probably has a different problem...

1) Apart from Shebby splurging on Rhodes, Rovers have not been in significant buying mode for a while so Lambert needs to signal to the world that we are back in the market so he does get the unexpected muffled telephone calls we all know goes on.

2) Probably the most influential agent around is he who cannot be named and all his entourage, mates and folks who owe favours etc. I doubt he is doing Rovers any favours whatso evereven if there is the smell of money at Ewood again so Lambert needs to signal to the rest of football.

[JHRover]

The last 4 months have seen unprecedented sensible behaviour from Venkys. The planned and coherent appointment of Lambert and his coaching staff, ensuring that Bowyer was only sacked once a replacement had been agreed and was ready to join with his staff, the major step to overcome the transfer embargo, allowing the sale of Rhodes having previously turned down bids higher than that we got from Middlesbrough in January - all point towards them operating with sense and whoever they are listening to (Pascha?) having significant influence over them.

We just have to hope that this influence continues into the summer transfer market and the club has a long overdue spend. Quite possibly Lambert keeps saying these things in the media to keep the pressure up on Venkys to deliver their side of the bargain so they don't 'forget' the arrangement he agreed to in November just because we're improving without spending money.

I don't expect or believe it is necessary to go out and spend Derby/Middlesbrough levels of money. The likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Cardiff, Brighton and Ipswich have shown what can be done with some sensible spending on the right level of players. Lambert has started to do it here with a couple of quality loans, but it needs to extend to permanent signings throughout the squad. After next to no transfer fees in close to 2 years now I don't think its unreasonable to expect some sort of significant spend, especially when you factor in the huge amounts brought in through player sales.

Next season if we want promotion we are likely to be needing to compete with the likes of Derby, Wednesday, Villa, Norwich - shrugging our shoulders and saying we can't compete won't be good enough.

[martonrover]

I'm not sure his need to get back in was that great. He was on radio quote a bit, talking about where he'd been etc in his time out and was obviously keen to put some of what he'd seen into practice, but I don't think his need was that great that he'd have taken just any job.

But he still needed to get back in, even after the sabbatical, and a Championship club was realistically his best bet.

I still think it was a coup to get him but we were fortunate that Fulham and QPR spent too long procrastinating, and we acted quickly.

Lambert has been around long enough to know not to shout from the rooftops how much money he has to spend. All that would do is alert clubs and agents to the fact and the selling prices and wage demands would go up. For the first time in a while we have a manager with enough experience to work the media, agents and other clubs. He knows exactly what is required and I would be amazed if contact hasn't already been made with prospective signings.

Agreed re broadcasting a specific amount but that's a separate issue.

I still have a positive gut feeling about Lambert and, unlike Bowyer, believe he's a man with a plan.

Let's hope for a positive summer.

[islander200]

But he still needed to get back in, even after the sabbatical, and a Championship club was realistically his best bet.

I still think it was a coup to get him but we were fortunate that Fulham and QPR spent too long procrastinating, and we acted quickly.

Agreed re broadcasting a specific amount but that's a separate issue.

I still have a positive gut feeling about Lambert and, unlike Bowyer, believe he's a man with a plan.

Let's hope for a positive summer.

Lambert recently admitted in a television interview that he had turned down a job at a foreign club.I do think he will be backed in the transfer market,although if venkys don't give him a competitive budget he could walk

[ABBEY]

15 million 👀

[Roverthechimp]

Anybody know how much each League Place is Worth in the 2nd division (sorry "Championship")?

[martonrover]

Lambert recently admitted in a television interview that he had turned down a job at a foreign club.I do think he will be backed in the transfer market,although if venkys don't give him a competitive budget he could walk

Given that he talks about the summer almost everyday, that is also my fear.

It would be interesting to know who the foreign club was.

[philipl]

I understand that Fulham and another Championship club talked with him and a Premier League club had also sounded him out should their existing manager fall under a bus... He is well known internationally and had a number of approaches (including interest from a Scottish club) but apparently he wants to rehabilitate his Managerial career in England and that means getting promotion again to the Premier League.

I think in very many ways we are very fortunate to have got him.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

I understand that Fulham and another Championship club talked with him and a Premier League club had also sounded him out should their existing manager fall under a bus... He is well known internationally and had a number of approaches (including interest from a Scottish club) but apparently he wants to rehabilitate his Managerial career in England and that means getting promotion again to the Premier League.

I think in very many ways we are very fortunate to have got him.

Couldn't agree more. I know the tide on here turns on a game by game basis but I'm pretty confident his slavering critics during the recent bad run will wind up with egg well and truly on their faces sooner or later.

[JHRover]

I think if its true that we got him ahead of Fulham and another Championship club it certainly blows away the myth that we are a small club at this level that is going to struggle to compete. Clearly Lambert doesn't agree.

On another note I do get irritated that after our first impressive win of the season as soon as we're showing good signs of progress the talk immediately starts to edge towards how fortunate we are to have him here and how we might inevitably struggle to hold on to him. How have Burnley managed to keep Dyche for 3.5 years? How have Ipswich managed to keep McCarthy?

It gets on my nerves how as soon as a player/manager starts to perform well at this club talk suddenly turns towards the risk of losing him to a rival.

This is a medium term project, not a quick fix. I will be more than happy if Lambert turns us into a side challenging for the top 6 next season and then build on that going forward, like Karanka has done at Middlesbrough or McCarthy has done at Ipswich. Not approach it as though he's here for next season only and if we don't go up then he's off.

[Pedro]

Suppose it would be too much for the PR team (whoever that is now or alternatively Wheelock to ask Lambert) to check why the situation isn't being clarified by Myers or the owners.Yes this type of uncertainty is just what the club needs when season tickets go on sale.

Why would any management or board say they have X amount to spend? Players would want a pay rise. Teams would want more for their players and regardless, high fees don't always equate to quality or success. So long as Lambert puts together a team capable of promotion, I don't care if it costs 1 million or 20 million and nor should anyone else.

[Stuart]

Why would any management or board say they have X amount to spend? Players would want a pay rise. Teams would want more for their players and regardless, high fees don't always equate to quality or success. So long as Lambert puts together a team capable of promotion, I don't care if it costs 1 million or 20 million and nor should anyone else.

The figure would be nearer to the 20 than the 1 - which is what Lambert seems to be getting at.

But you are right, we shouldn't be talking about it publicly.