[Archived] Official: Paul Lambert Appointed Blackburn Rovers Manager

[donnermeat]

Fair play to him for speaking his mind, at least we now have a manager with a bit of mettle, not coming out with meaningless platitudes as before.

[booth]

I don't think anyone comes out of it well.

Lambert - poor statements

Rhodes - greedy

Agent - incompetent

Middlesborough - shambles

Rovers - lost the cash/stuck with player

Fans on both sides - missing out on a potentially exciting signing.

[JHRover]

We're 5 points above the relegation zone and haven't won a league game for nearly 2 months with a tough February to come.

I'm not overly confident that selling our top goalscorer at this stage is in our best interests. That money won't be much use if we're in League One.

[DE.]

We're 5 points above the relegation zone and haven't won a league game for nearly 2 months with a tough February to come.

I'm not overly confident that selling our top goalscorer at this stage is in our best interests. That money won't be much use if we're in League One.

Were you under a rock when we beat Oxford bloody United 3-0?

[den]

A lot of supporters are being quick to be 'outraged' by Lambert.

I think he's fustrated by an unusual development. He's been taking unfair critism for the performances of someone else's team, and he's just seen a means of speeding up the rebuild scuppered.

Cut the man some slack FFS.

People have to take a step back and look at the full picture.

Lambert made his name at Norwich, where he got success coupled with playing an attractive passing, high tempo game. That got Villa calling and of course he wanted to prove himself in the Premier. However this was a Aston Villa who had spent big for a long time. The big fees are always coupled with big contracts. Lerner though had pulled the plug. The high spending couldn't go on. Lambert would have known that. He would have known that he had to sell to buy. I think he probably ran up against a number of players sitting on big contracts who he couldn't move on. Did I read for instance that NZogbia was sitting on over 60 grand a week while not playing? So Lambert was left high and dry. He has a way of playing that he believes in, but at Villa he just didn't have the tools to change the squad. So villa had a manager on the touch line watching a group of players who didn't fit his style of football, playing in a way that he didn't want and that he could do little about, without funds. For me, Villa appointed the wrong man at the wrong time. Does that make him a bad manager? I don't think so. Something had to change at villa so he got sacked.

Now then. He comes to rovers where he's told he's got little money, but he has control. The assessment of the squad tells him it needs big changes. Boro come calling. I can imagine Lamberts approach to Rhodes. "Listen Jordan. Boro have made us an offer. I know you want out because every time a club has come in for you, you want to talk to them and to be honest, the way I'm trying to set up here doesn't really suit your style. We're struggling to pay your wages and I desperately need to change the playing squad. Boro have made us a decent offer that we've accepted, so you've asked to talk to them, so off you go." Rhodes goes, comes back and says "I can't agree terms" !

What is Lambert supposed to think? He (Lambert) needs the money. Rhodes wants to talk to every club that's interested in him. Boro have no doubt offered him good money - but he turns up at Ewood again. People suggesting that we shouldn't push him out are asking for us to put him in the same situation he was in at Villa. We brought Lambert in to change the club's fortunes. We have to let him build his own squad for the way he wants to play - or this whole thing won't work.

[1arC]

People have to take a step back and look at the full picture.

Lambert made his name at Norwich, where he got success coupled with playing an attractive passing, high tempo game. That got Villa calling and of course he wanted to prove himself in the Premier. However this was a Aston Villa who had spent big for a long time. The big fees are always coupled with big contracts. Lerner though had pulled the plug. The high spending couldn't go on. Lambert would have known that. He would have known that he had to sell to buy. I think he probably ran up against a number of players sitting on big contracts who he couldn't move on. Did I read for instance that NZogbia was sitting on over 60 grand a week while not playing? So Lambert was left high and dry. He has a way of playing that he believes in, but at Villa he just didn't have the tools to change the squad. So villa had a manager on the touch line watching a group of players who didn't fit his style of football, playing in a way that he didn't want and that he could do little about, without funds. For me, Villa appointed the wrong man at the wrong time. Does that make him a bad manager? I don't think so. Something had to change at villa so he got sacked.

Now then. He comes to rovers where he's told he's got little money, but he has control. The assessment of the squad tells him it needs big changes. Boro come calling. I can imagine Lamberts approach to Rhodes. "Listen Jordan. Boro have made us an offer. I know you want out because every time a club has come in for you, you want to talk to them and to be honest, the way I'm trying to set up here doesn't really suit your style. We're struggling to pay your wages and I desperately need to change the playing squad. Boro have made us a decent offer that we've accepted, so you've asked to talk to them, so off you go." Rhodes goes, comes back and says "I can't agree terms" !

What is Lambert supposed to think? He (Lambert) needs the money. Rhodes wants to talk to every club that's interested in him. Boro have no doubt offered him good money - but he turns up at Ewood again. People suggesting that we shouldn't push him out are asking for us to put him in the same situation he was in at Villa. We brought Lambert in to change the club's fortunes. We have to let him build his own squad for the way he wants to play - or this whole thing won't work.

Spot on and Lamberts cannot win here now. I do believe Lambert will get it right and selling Rhodes in my views, was were it was about to start. I feel sorry for the him and if he ends up unable to start the planning, due to a players demands not being met, by the buying club, what is he supposed to do?

[Paul]

I hadn't thought of it like that den. A very interesting take on things which is probably near the truth.

Personally I'm with Lambert all the way. He has a job to do and until he proves he's not capable I'll be backing him. For the first time in a long while I'm looking forward to a game when I expect to see the reported new pacy, pressing team take on Hull.

[Lancaster Rover]

Can you imagine how Souness or Hughes would have reacted to Rhodes in this situation, they would have bounced him all over Brockhall

[47er]

I find it hard to believe that anyone wasn't appalled by Lambert's comments.

Well I wasn't for one. Think you're too hung up on this.

[RevidgeBlue]

People have to take a step back and look at the full picture.

Lambert made his name at Norwich, where he got success coupled with playing an attractive passing, high tempo game. That got Villa calling and of course he wanted to prove himself in the Premier. However this was a Aston Villa who had spent big for a long time. The big fees are always coupled with big contracts. Lerner though had pulled the plug. The high spending couldn't go on. Lambert would have known that. He would have known that he had to sell to buy. I think he probably ran up against a number of players sitting on big contracts who he couldn't move on. Did I read for instance that NZogbia was sitting on over 60 grand a week while not playing? So Lambert was left high and dry. He has a way of playing that he believes in, but at Villa he just didn't have the tools to change the squad. So villa had a manager on the touch line watching a group of players who didn't fit his style of football, playing in a way that he didn't want and that he could do little about, without funds. For me, Villa appointed the wrong man at the wrong time. Does that make him a bad manager? I don't think so. Something had to change at villa so he got sacked.

Now then. He comes to rovers where he's told he's got little money, but he has control. The assessment of the squad tells him it needs big changes. Boro come calling. I can imagine Lamberts approach to Rhodes. "Listen Jordan. Boro have made us an offer. I know you want out because every time a club has come in for you, you want to talk to them and to be honest, the way I'm trying to set up here doesn't really suit your style. We're struggling to pay your wages and I desperately need to change the playing squad. Boro have made us a decent offer that we've accepted, so you've asked to talk to them, so off you go." Rhodes goes, comes back and says "I can't agree terms" !

What is Lambert supposed to think? He (Lambert) needs the money. Rhodes wants to talk to every club that's interested in him. Boro have no doubt offered him good money - but he turns up at Ewood again. People suggesting that we shouldn't push him out are asking for us to put him in the same situation he was in at Villa. We brought Lambert in to change the club's fortunes. We have to let him build his own squad for the way he wants to play - or this whole thing won't work.

Good post den.

There's nothing wrong with anything you've said at all there until we get to the point where he's gobbing off in the Press about how we should have sold him 2 years ago and on the website about how JR has wanted to leave for the last 3 seasons and how we'll be going with the team that won at Oxford.

If the deal doesn't go through with Boro on the same terms to us today, Lambert's probably cost the Club several million pounds with his comments when he's sold in summer. Can you not see that?

[Roverthechimp]

Good post den.

There's nothing wrong with anything you've said at all there until we get to the point where he's gobbing off in the Press about how we should have sold him 2 years ago and on the website about how JR has wanted to leave for the last 3 seasons and how we'll be going with the team that won at Oxford.

If the deal doesn't go through with Boro on the same terms to us today, Lambert's probably cost the Club several million pounds with his comments when he's sold in summer. Can you not see that?

Fair Point but could also be that he was making it very clear (to other parties) that we won't back out of any sale this time and could (with my glass half full) also be used to pressure the clubs hoping to sell players to us into reducing their prices/terms...

[RevidgeBlue]

Fair Point but could also be that he was making it very clear (to other parties) that we won't back out of any sale this time and could (with my glass half full) also be used to pressure the clubs hoping to sell players to us into reducing their prices/terms...

Fair point on the first bit, don't see how it has any bearing on other Clubs' attitude towards uswhatsoever though. If we get less for Rhodes that's not their problem.

[Tom]

Well the manager has taken a large risk, cashed in on our only really goalscorer but we weren't exactly heading upwards with him.

The big issue is we don't have any fixures coming up that you would reasonably expect us to win so we could be under huge pressure quickly.

[G Somerset Rover]

Agreed. I also hope for his and ours sake that the £11 million doesn't disappear down the swanny come the summer given we haven't been able to touch it this window (if we're in the championship!!).

[Steve Moss]

I think Lambert has plans and those plans didn't include Rhodes. The owners did the right thing and supporter the manager. I hope the supporters do the same.

And I believe that Lambert's limited moves during this January window have, overall, made the squad stronger. The team is not one player, it's 11 players working as a unit. Lambert will get it right.

[sambo]

In a weird way, selling Rhodes could end up being the best thing Lambert has done in the long run.

The calibre of players he's been looking for in January bodes well, with a summer to really put his stamp on things I truly believe Rhodes will be quickly forgotten.

I love/loved Rhodes but that money is huge, and the constant 'will he, won't he' is finally over.

[DE.]

The next 3 months are make or break for our manager. He's made a huge call in selling the player who has scored the vast majority of our goals over the past few years, against the backdrop of games where we've really been struggling to create chances let alone score goals. We're entering a tough run of games that will likely end with us either in or on the edge of the relegation zone.

The heat is on for Lambo, but I'm keeping my faith in him. If he can come through this and has a decent amount of money to spend in the summer, there's every reason to be optimistic for next season.

[arbitro]

The next 3 months are make or break for our manager. He's made a huge call in selling the player who has scored the vast majority of our goals over the past few years, against the backdrop of games where we've really been struggling to create chances let alone score goals. We're entering a tough run of games that will likely end with us either in or on the edge of the relegation zone.

The heat is on for Lambo, but I'm keeping my faith in him. If he can come through this and has a decent amount of money to spend in the summer, there's every reason to be optimistic for next season.

But fundamentally one of our big problems was that only Rhodes was really scoring and our reliance on this was, in a strange way holding us back. His strengths an weaknesses have been done to death but clearly the Rhodes piece doesn't fit the Lambert jigsaw. You are correct about Lambert being under pressure. He has to come up with a plan where the goals are shared amongst all the other players. I believe he can do this in time.

[sambo]

Gomez could be his most important signing. I remember posing the question: 'people say selling Rhodes will help spread the goals around, but can you see any of our current midfielders scoring goals regardless of who's up top?'

However, in Gomez we have a centre midfielder who can find the net, and is perfectly capable of contributing 10+ goals a season. To summarise this window, I'd say I am much happier with Watt/Graham/Gomez/Jackson than Rhodes/Lawrence

[DE.]

But fundamentally one of our big problems was that only Rhodes was really scoring and our reliance on this was, in a strange way holding us back. His strengths an weaknesses have been done to death but clearly the Rhodes piece doesn't fit the Lambert jigsaw. You are correct about Lambert being under pressure. He has to come up with a plan where the goals are shared amongst all the other players. I believe he can do this in time.

Aye, the key for Lambert now is to change our style of play to share goals across the team whilst continuing to defend well. With the fixtures coming up, it may be a couple of months before we see signs of change though. As others have said, we have to be patient and this season just pick up enough points to survive.

[Jammy]

It's a shame we didn't play Middlesborough at Christmas, as we play them twice soon and we all know that JR likes playing against his old clubs. Looking at the upcoming fixtures I really do hope the changes to team work....

[perthblue02]

It's a shame we didn't play Middlesborough at Christmas, as we play them twice soon and we all know that JR likes playing against his old clubs. Looking at the upcoming fixtures I really do hope the changes to team work....

One crumb of comfort if Rhodes does play is that the players and staff should know how to keep him quiet and subdued, during the game. Got a felling Rhodes will be a sub on Saturday

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

One crumb of comfort if Rhodes does play is that the players and staff should know how to keep him quiet and subdued, during the game. Got a felling Rhodes will be a sub on Saturday

I think he'll start on the bench but I'd be surprised if he doesn't come on at some point.

[Mike Graham]

make Rhodes run for the ball; that will keep him quiet.

[Lancaster Rover]

Play a high line, not much chance of Rhodes running in behind you. You could give him a 5 yard start and still catch him.