Aston Villa chairman Randy Lerner had met Lambert twice in three days and has promised the manager for more funds for the January transfer window to get an experienced centre-back, a left-back and a ball-winning defensive midfielder.
Paul Lambert given £10m to prevent Aston Villa from going into the Championship
Villa have been leaking goals and have conceded 15 goals in the last three games which has sent them back to 17th position in the premier league table, just one point from the relegation position.
Villa will attempt to sell the high earners in the club like the club record signing Darren Bent, Stephen Warnock, Shay Given, Charles N’zogbia, Alan Hutton, Richard Dunne. Lambert’s determination to build the team for the future is brave but flawed and failure to bring in experienced leaders next month will be gambling with Villa’s premier league life. Although his managerial position is safe, he is approaching a difficult phase in his managerial career.
Lerner, the Villa owner, suffered a painful afternoon on a rare visit on Saturday and must have wondered whether his 22million in the transfer window was well spent or not. It is often overlooked that Lambert was in the top six spenders but the upcoming transfer window will ultimately decide whether he emerges from this campaign with his reputation intact.
The goodwill from supporters is dissipating, with the first clear signs of mutiny on Saturday as Wigan Athletic secured only their second win in ten games with embarrassing ease. One can only wonder what the reaction would have been if Alex-McLeish had still been in charge, for the recent statistics are damning. Fifteen goals conceded without scoring in three games has left them with a goal difference that would have severe effect when the nail-biting begins.
Lambert will point to the fact that Villa have reached the semi-final of the capital one cup. His team is also deprived of players through injuries. And while the endeavour of his young team his cannot be questioned, the quality is lacking and there remains serious doubts that they possess the mental strength to survive a relegation battle. Defeats to Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspurs and now Wigan Athletic have left scars that must be healed swiftly. It appears that even the Villa dressing room are seeking reinforcements after this flat defeat left the club a point above the relegation zone while Wigan have proved to be the masters of the relegation battle in the past and usually reserve their heroics for the final two months of the season but this was a resounding victory to end the year.
Tags: Alan Hutton, Aston Villa, Championship, Charles N’zogbia, Darren Bent, Paul Lambert, Randy Lerner, Richard Dunne, Shay Given, Stephen Warnock
