When do you think Evans will sack the hapless Lambert?

[hallamblue]

Evans will sack Lambert at some point. The managers tenure is simply not sustainable is it. So when do you think Evans will pull the trigger?

I think he’ll do it just before season ticket renewals go out. From memory I think this is sometime in March. So we’re looking at a few more weeks yet. By which time, Towns demise this season will once again be “confirmed”, even though we all know that it was over for the team before Christmas.

Money is the thing that drives Evans. Either the threat of further losses, or having to payout unnecessarily. So I’m plumbing for the ST revenue, which unless he takes action , will take a monumental “hit” for the coming season.

The other cost implication that will guide Evans, is what he has to pay out to Lambert in compensation. His contract WILL have triggers. I’ve heard various theories. One being attaining a certain level of productivity/ outcome within 2 years, ( from the signing of his new contract). If this is triggered Evans can sack Lambert with little or no compensation.

But the question is , can Evans afford to wait that long? The abolition of the salary cap will now also be another factor that will affect Evans potential expenditure.


Tbh you wouldn’t want Evans’ job at Town would you, It’s all spend, spend, spend!

[Andym]

I agree; our situation is partly of his own making, but ME is in a very difficult position. A loss-making club with decreasing chances of ever being anything else.

I agree, the trigger will be the looming s/t renewals or whatever trigger clauses they may be. Assuming the season is lost, he has to weigh up the loss of a few thousand season tickets if he waits till the end of the season against the additional payout to PL if he acts sooner. Just suppose he might save half a million by delaying sacking him - that's equivalent to about 1000 season tickets he can afford to lose. Difficult decisions.

[Tangfastic]

I think you’re right. Evans must know the feeling towards Lambert and if we wants to sell season tickets then he has to give the fans something ie get rid of Lambert just before the season tickets go on sale.

I think this won’t be enough and we’re going to lose a hell of a lot of fans.

[Charnwood]

If ever there was a reason to trigger a sacking decision, surely it was last nights performance at Peterborough. If that was the best level the players can perform at, there just has to be something horribly wrong with our training and coaching methods. Or maybe the way our team was set up and tactics deployed before and during the game, or even team selection, I mean why would you make four unenforced changes after a win three days earlier ?

All of the above leads to one simple answer, it’s all down to basic bad management. Lambert out !

In fact I sometimes wonder if Paul Lambert is actually doing his level best to get the sack.

[hallamblue]

That last point Andy, has been suggested elsewhere, and based on last night and recent weeks prior to that game, it seems hard not to be suspicious of his attempts to get himself the sack, doesn’t it. The tossa.

[Dubai Blue]

Well once again I find myself in the minority but I don't think it's as certain as we all seem to think.

For me the next two games are key moments because if we win them both then we are back in the hunt. But if we lose them both then even I would find it hard to argue against PL getting the boot.

I understand what PL was doing last night switching to experience and bearing in mind the Sat-Tues roundabout that we are now into until late March. For me though it would have been better to have the newbies (and I include Kenlock in that bracket) play another game together. I think that kind of pragmatic approach might have been better than PL's.

Still, win the next two and maybe our new faces will be ready to have a pop at Oxford & Hull. I think ME will have 16th Feb as his next checkpoint for maybe taking action.

[Charnwood]

Winning the next two won’t be easy DB, one win maybe with lowly Northampton coming to town, surely we have to win that one with them without an away win for nearly three months. But Shrewsbury away I really can’t see us winning that one, especially given our recent results against Sunderland and Peterborough two teams that Shrewsbury have won against in the past 10 days. That really gives me confidence.

Anyway after those two we have a one month run of 9 really difficult games;

Sat 20 Feb H Oxford United
Tue 23 Feb A Hull City
Sat 27 Feb H Doncaster Rovers
Tue 2 Mar A Accrington Stanley
Sat 6 Mar A Gillingham
Tue 9 Mar H Lincoln City
Sat 13 Mar H Plymouth Argyle
Tue 16 Mar A Fleetwood Town
Sat 20 Mar A Portsmouth

How many points can you see us getting from that run of games, and where might we be in the table at the end of it ?

Given we’re currently only 6 points above Shrewsbury Town in 17th place in the table, I simply dread to think where we might be come 21st March.

Would anyone like to hazard a guess ?

..... and if you come up with a number anywhere near 17, then we’re in danger of getting sucked into a relegation dog fight.

[Shed on tour]

I don't think he will consider getting rid of him at least until it is mathematically impossible to make the playoffs.
What worries me just as much is who he appoints next given his past record.

[Andym]

Winning the next two won’t be easy DB, one win maybe with lowly Northampton coming to town, surely we have to win that one with them without an away win for nearly three months. But Shrewsbury away I really can’t see us winning that one, especially given our recent results against Sunderland and Peterborough two teams that Shrewsbury have won against in the past 10 days. That really gives me confidence.

Anyway after those two we have a one month run of 9 really difficult games;

Sat 20 Feb H Oxford United
Tue 23 Feb A Hull City
Sat 27 Feb H Doncaster Rovers
Tue 2 Mar A Accrington Stanley
Sat 6 Mar A Gillingham
Tue 9 Mar H Lincoln City
Sat 13 Mar H Plymouth Argyle
Tue 16 Mar A Fleetwood Town
Sat 20 Mar A Portsmouth

How many points can you see us getting from that run of games, and where might we be in the table at the end of it ?

Given we’re currently only 6 points above Shrewsbury Town in 17th place in the table, I simply dread to think where we might be come 21st March.

Would anyone like to hazard a guess ?

..... and if you come up with a number anywhere near 17, then we’re in danger of getting sucked into a relegation dog fight.

Yes, it's hard to see many points coming from that run. We'll do well to get more than 6 points on current form. Actually, on current form we'll do well to get 3.

[Tinytown]

Has the scrapping of the salary cap taken the pressure off PL to get Town promoted this season? ME might take this into consideration. I Really hope not. I think it has already been said, when it is mathamatically impossible to get in the Play offs or season ticket sales dramatically dip thats when he will go.

[Bluemike]

I would think One point from Shrewsbury, Northampton & Oxford games would seal the deal.

[Andym]

Has the scrapping of the salary cap taken the pressure off PL to get Town promoted this season? ME might take this into consideration. I Really hope not. I think it has already been said, when it is mathamatically impossible to get in the Play offs or season ticket sales dramatically dip thats when he will go.

My guess is that there will be some sort of tightening of finances. I just don't understand why they didn't use the existing FFP rules, tweak them a bit and enforce them.

[Charnwood]

I would think One point from Shrewsbury, Northampton & Oxford games would seal the deal.

How many points do you think we’ll get in those 9 games above Mike ?

[Dubai Blue]

Winning the next two won’t be easy DB, one win maybe with lowly Northampton coming to town, surely we have to win that one with them without an away win for nearly three months. But Shrewsbury away I really can’t see us winning that one, especially given our recent results against Sunderland and Peterborough two teams that Shrewsbury have won against in the past 10 days. That really gives me confidence.

Anyway after those two we have a one month run of 9 really difficult games;

Sat 20 Feb H Oxford United
Tue 23 Feb A Hull City
Sat 27 Feb H Doncaster Rovers
Tue 2 Mar A Accrington Stanley
Sat 6 Mar A Gillingham
Tue 9 Mar H Lincoln City
Sat 13 Mar H Plymouth Argyle
Tue 16 Mar A Fleetwood Town
Sat 20 Mar A Portsmouth

How many points can you see us getting from that run of games, and where might we be in the table at the end of it ?

Given we’re currently only 6 points above Shrewsbury Town in 17th place in the table, I simply dread to think where we might be come 21st March.

Would anyone like to hazard a guess ?

..... and if you come up with a number anywhere near 17, then we’re in danger of getting sucked into a relegation dog fight.

Well today I'm not feeling very positive. But there is another way to look at it. We do have one last chance to make it a season to remember. If we can get the newbies well installed and get back to form over the next 2 then maybe we can win some of those tough looking games. Nobody can say that we don't have it in our own hands. WE play pretty much all of the teams at the top in that run.

[Bluemike]

I would think One point from Shrewsbury, Northampton & Oxford games would seal the deal.

How many points do you think we’ll get in those 9 games above Mike ?

Andy I can see 6 at best which is frightening tbh, the thing is with our inability to beat the top sides its also very realistic, Shrewsbury and Northampton are must wins on that basis

[hallamblue]

The thing that really worries me and has been highlighted elsewhere today is the economic stress the Evans Group is under globally due to CoVid. Perhaps Evans simply doesn’t have the cash available to pay compensation to Lambert, even though sacking him is required ASAP?

A further thought could be that ITFC as a loss making subsidiary of the Evans Group, could conceivably be sacrificed by Evans. Maintaining ( ever increasing) losses by ITFC is surely hardly top of his “ to do list” is it. He may decide just to liquidate the Club , or ( hopefully) offload the Club. But there again we don’t know if that’s ju,ping from the frying pan into the fire scenario do we.

ITFC may / could become another business victim of CoVid!

[hallamblue]

My thoughts of possible points over next few games would be this


Sat 20 Feb H Oxford United. 1
Tue 23 Feb A Hull City. 0
Sat 27 Feb H Doncaster Rovers 1
Tue 2 Mar A Accrington Stanley 1
Sat 6 Mar A Gillingham 1
Tue 9 Mar H Lincoln City 0
Sat 13 Mar H Plymouth Argyle 3
Tue 16 Mar A Fleetwood Town 0
Sat 20 Mar A Portsmouth 0

Total 7 out a possible 27

[number 9]

The thing that really worries me and has been highlighted elsewhere today is the economic stress the Evans Group is under globally due to CoVid. Perhaps Evans simply doesn’t have the cash available to pay compensation to Lambert, even though sacking him is required ASAP?

A further thought could be that ITFC as a loss making subsidiary of the Evans Group, could conceivably be sacrificed by Evans. Maintaining ( ever increasing) losses by ITFC is surely hardly top of his “ to do list” is it. He may decide just to liquidate the Club , or ( hopefully) offload the Club. But there again we don’t know if that’s ju,ping from the frying pan into the fire scenario do we.

ITFC may / could become another business victim of CoVid!

I alluded to Evan's Covid financial woes in another thread, and I think that's exactly why he's "backing" Lambert. It has nothing to do with supporting or having confidence in Lambert. This is kind of a loose comparison, but why do people renew lease agreements even when they want to move? It's usually because the move would be cost prohibitive, so you settle for another year of sporadic hot water and failing plumbing...not unlike Evans putting up with Lambert blowing hot hair and throwing sh*t on the pitch. Also, Evans has shown a lack of interest in club operations even when the Evans Group was doing well pre-pandemic. I honestly think ITFC and Lambert are the least of Evan's worries at the moment, and I really don't see him sacking Lambert this season unless we get in a relegation battle.

[Andym]

The thing that really worries me and has been highlighted elsewhere today is the economic stress the Evans Group is under globally due to CoVid. Perhaps Evans simply doesn’t have the cash available to pay compensation to Lambert, even though sacking him is required ASAP?

A further thought could be that ITFC as a loss making subsidiary of the Evans Group, could conceivably be sacrificed by Evans. Maintaining ( ever increasing) losses by ITFC is surely hardly top of his “ to do list” is it. He may decide just to liquidate the Club , or ( hopefully) offload the Club. But there again we don’t know if that’s ju,ping from the frying pan into the fire scenario do we.

ITFC may / could become another business victim of CoVid!

I alluded to Evan's Covid financial woes in another thread, and I think that's exactly why he's "backing" Lambert. It has nothing to do with supporting or having confidence in Lambert. This is kind of a loose comparison, but why do people renew lease agreements even when they want to move? It's usually because the move would be cost prohibitive, so you settle for another year of sporadic hot water and failing plumbing...not unlike Evans putting up with Lambert blowing hot hair and throwing sh*t on the pitch. Also, Evans has shown a lack of interest in club operations even when the Evans Group was doing well pre-pandemic. I honestly think ITFC and Lambert are the least of Evan's worries at the moment, and I really don't see him sacking Lambert this season unless we get in a relegation battle.

That’s a yes then

[number 9]

The thing that really worries me and has been highlighted elsewhere today is the economic stress the Evans Group is under globally due to CoVid. Perhaps Evans simply doesn’t have the cash available to pay compensation to Lambert, even though sacking him is required ASAP?

A further thought could be that ITFC as a loss making subsidiary of the Evans Group, could conceivably be sacrificed by Evans. Maintaining ( ever increasing) losses by ITFC is surely hardly top of his “ to do list” is it. He may decide just to liquidate the Club , or ( hopefully) offload the Club. But there again we don’t know if that’s ju,ping from the frying pan into the fire scenario do we.

ITFC may / could become another business victim of CoVid!

I alluded to Evan's Covid financial woes in another thread, and I think that's exactly why he's "backing" Lambert. It has nothing to do with supporting or having confidence in Lambert. This is kind of a loose comparison, but why do people renew lease agreements even when they want to move? It's usually because the move would be cost prohibitive, so you settle for another year of sporadic hot water and failing plumbing...not unlike Evans putting up with Lambert blowing hot hair and throwing sh*t on the pitch. Also, Evans has shown a lack of interest in club operations even when the Evans Group was doing well pre-pandemic. I honestly think ITFC and Lambert are the least of Evan's worries at the moment, and I really don't see him sacking Lambert this season unless we get in a relegation battle.

That’s a yes then

Trust me though, if he did replace Lambert it would probably be with Dyer.

[Charnwood]

I hate to admit but I’d rather stay with Lambert than take a risk with Kieron Dyer and that’s something I really don’t want to happen. But neither do I want us to drop to League 2.

[Bluemike]

I'm seeing it differently regarding Evans stance, a couple of bad results in the next Two and I can see him acting.

Agree one million percent with Andy where Dyer is concerned, would rather have Chambers/Skuse in the interim period

[hallamblue]

Town were the topic on Talk sport earlier to day, and this is what Adrian Durham said....

.."I saw a team that has no connection with it's fans, a dirty team, unwatchable, they need to give the fans something, the owner and manager aren't trying to build a strong club or a strong team"



So the plight of ITFC is hitting National media now .

[Bluemike]

Absolutely spot on, I posted during the game last night how dirty we have become, cynical at times.

[Andym]

And of course it has cost us recently. Reds cards. And the winning goal last night from a free kick.

[Charnwood]

Town were the topic on Talk sport earlier to day, and this is what Adrian Durham said....

.."I saw a team that has no connection with it's fans, a dirty team, unwatchable, they need to give the fans something, the owner and manager aren't trying to build a strong club or a strong team"



So the plight of ITFC is hitting National media now .

What on earth has happened to our beloved football club, this really is a shocking state of affairs at Portman Road. Where and when will it end ?

These are indeed very sad times.

[hallamblue]

Absolutely spot on, I posted during the game last night how dirty we have become, cynical at times.

Is this frustration by the players or is it coached into them perhaps? I couldn’t believe the number of fouls we were commuting or being pulled up for. We never used to be a dirty side. I don’t we are now especially, just bloody clumsy.

[Tangfastic]

Absolutely spot on, I posted during the game last night how dirty we have become, cynical at times.

Is this frustration by the players or is it coached into them perhaps? I couldn’t believe the number of fouls we were commuting or being pulled up for. We never used to be a dirty side. I don’t we are now especially, just bloody clumsy.

I don’t think we’re a very physical side, and I wonder if it’s a case of frustration because we’re often bullied and out-muscled. Dozzell’s the worst offender- he can’t tackle, but he’s always picking up cards for sneaky, professional fouls when he’s beaten.

[JOHN DEERE]

I don't think he will consider getting rid of him at least until it is mathematically impossible to make the playoffs.
What worries me just as much is who he appoints next given his past record.

I think this is correct. As long as there is a chance of making the playoffs I think we are stuck with Lambert.

As to his replacement, this is a real problem. Even if Evans could be trusted to source a decent manager, which is not something we can be confident about, who will take the job? We have imploded as a club in the last few years. It gives me no pleasure to say it. What decent manager would look at us and think, 'Hmmm, this looks like a really good career move'? This is a very worrying time for our once great club.

[arana peligrosa]

Evans must have a lot of other business interests to oversee and maintain, somehow you don't imagine this club is anywhere near the top for priority when comes to the immediate interest and wellbeing rather than other enterprises him and his organization are involved in. Taking control back in 2007 was a mistake. Had little to no experience in ownership of a "football" club and debt must have doubled in the 13 years since coming in. The pandemic situation hasn't helped anyone but the problems were evident long before any virus took hold. Must be time arriving for one of Evans (annual, bi-annual etc) 'reasoning to the fans' messages where vague and inadequate reassurances are given out in the hope to pacify supporters the mess / lack of progress at this club isn't quite as bad as you would believe.

I don't know how often Lambert and the owner communicate but there's something amiss out there. Seems at times the manager intentionally wishes to lose games and a range of other bizarre actions and decisions. Is he aware his job is safe no matter how bad he performs here ? After all they gave him a five year extension in the not too distant past. Evans must have faith in him or maybe they're just as clueless as each other.

The time to act would have been before end of year. Get Lambert out there and then while there was still promise in the season and maybe we could be looking towards something in the weeks ahead other than the requisite mid-league finish with near zero in terms of reward or expectation.

It's difficult time for people out there right now wherever you find yourself. In normal circumstances is such a thing exists i.e. sans virus, club debts, a multitude of other business interests to contend with, the manager would well be elsewhere by now. Lambert won't be fired now as it isn't rational, another season is effectively over, the team can hope do to nothing (bringing in a new team coach now isn't viable) so you just evaluate in the summer and wait on the issue.

Lambert won't walk away as it would be real hard for the individual to find employment with another recognized club side particularly as his less than stellar resume since coming in here has taken another embarrassing and substantial hit. Best guess wait for beyond May and take it from there, I don't believe any actions can, or will, be undertaken in the time before.