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To many, I know the guy can do no wrong, so please don't give me abuse. The guy has been instrumental in getting two successive promotions and I am in no way detracting from that. I love the guy and would be sad to see him leave.

 

Sad, but not angry or scared and here's why:

 

Lambert has earnt himself an awful lot of influence over the last few years. Even now he's shed the pounds, he's still a hefty bloke and running isn't his strong suit. Some hefty strikers make up for their lack of speed by leaving the play behind and using intelligent movement to sniff out goals, while some use their ability with the ball to be involved more in play. Lambert is very much in the latter category. In a 442, this works fine as the second striker simply runs ahead of him. In a 4231 though, the '3' don't arrive until later in the move and the ball-playing striker has to hold the ball up until the '3' are on hand because he hasn't run into a goalscoring positoin himself and is surrounded by defenders. Sound familiar?

 

Taking Jay Rodriguez' goal against Chelsea, I don't think Lambert would have scored that. Not because of the touch or the finish (very nice btw), but I doubt Lambert would have made the run to get on the end of the pass. In fact Puncheon probably wouldn't have made the pass if the run wasn't there.

 

Lambert holds the ball up, but couldn't the team take responsibility for not giving the ball away, so the striker can find himself at the top of the tree, where he should be? We'd score more goals if we did that and see less of trying to walk the ball into the net.

 

I'm not convinced that Lambert is the right man to take us forward. I wouldn't suggest moving him on now, as we can't afford the transition in the middle of a relegation battle, but head over heart, I can't see that he has a future here beyond this season. I'd like to see more of Rodriguez as I do think the lad has a bit about him. Lambert for me is more influential than is healthy and against good defenders, that brings out his weaknesses.

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Taking Jay Rodriguez' goal against Chelsea, I don't think Lambert would have scored that.

 

You mean, except for all the goals he's scored for us that were quite a lot like it? He's scored plenty on the shoulder of the last defender. Personally, if Lambert was to get a nasty injury now I would consider us to be in pretty major trouble.

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I agree in theory, but as shown against Stoke, play him the right way ans he is still capable of taking teams apart.

 

We do have much less movement around the box when he spearheads us though, and I am concerned that although we now seem to be starting to get into our grove in regards to the way we like to keep possession etc we dont seem to carve out any real chances, and that for me is due to movement around the main areas.

 

On another note though pace down the wings would warrant the continued inclusion of Rickie as it would be their focus to get behind the opponents backline.

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Plus he fell over when he could have won it for us against Arsenal...

 

 

Honestly most "world class cb's" in the league have struggled with Lambert, the ones that have done ok against him have been raping him for piggy back rides with the ref providing the lube...

 

He is our best striker because he has everything bar that yard of pace. He offers a lot more than Rodriquez in the same position because his movement and arial ability is one of the best in the league (party his ability to not jump for things in the air seems to baffle almost everyone and lead to chances on the floor).

 

All he needs is the 3 support attackers (Lallana, Gaston and Punch or who ever is in the positions) to end up in more forward areas and goals will come more easily for the team. Individually I would like Lambert to hit it one or two more times a game, so much power in his shots which he just needs to try for goal a couple more times a game for him to look like the real deal again ;)

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Lambert is a very good footballer in terms of football brain and technique. We all know he lacks mobility but his goals record speaks for itself. He is the glue of our team for sure and when he is missing we almost seem clueless on how to attack.

 

I also believe JRod is going to be a top top player and his finish against chelsea was great and was a type of goal we do not typically score. Whilst Lambert is fit and scoring goals he is the main man but JRod will no doubt learn alot from him and will eventually take his crown.

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You mean, except for all the goals he's scored for us that were quite a lot like it? He's scored plenty on the shoulder of the last defender. Personally, if Lambert was to get a nasty injury now I would consider us to be in pretty major trouble.

 

TBF I do agree with the OP on that point. That goal from JR wasn't IMO the kind that Lambert would get against Cahill and Ivanovic, just as there are many types that Lambert would score that JR wouldn't.

 

It was a great run and finish from Jay.

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The Bradford vs Villa match report clearly says that it was Bradford's aerial power that undid Villa. In fact all 3 goals came from headers I think. So next Saturday is, surely, exactly the sort of game where we need a Lambert type striker??

 

Be interesting to see if he can dominate

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Taking Jay Rodriguez' goal against Chelsea, I don't think Lambert would have scored that. Not because of the touch or the finish (very nice btw), but I doubt Lambert would have made the run to get on the end of the pass. In fact Puncheon probably wouldn't have made the pass if the run wasn't there.

 

Funnily enough I said the same thing to my son walking back to the station after the game. Happy to be proven wrong but I don't think Rickie scores many goals running onto fast through balls?

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Lambert is an absolute diamond. He holds the ball up so well and even when he doesnt win a ball to hold it up he puts the defenders under a lot of pressure and hurries their clearances. The result? We win a lot of possession from passes and picking up loose balls in the last third of the pitch.

 

We have pace, guile and superb fitness from the two holding midfielders and the three behind Lambo when (and this is not always the case) he plays as the front man. Lambert provides the ball, they provide the runs from deep, and that is much harder for defenders to pick up.

 

There arent many, if any, like Lambert in the Prem and I for one am delighted to have him in our team.

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I think we keep him around.

 

HOWEVER, if one were to sell him, his value is at its peak right now. He's proven he can play in the Prem and he's 30. Soon he'll start declining and at the moment his 8 goals are quite impressive so everyone is thinking "hey, maybe this guy is better than we thought." Thus, if you want to sell it should be now.

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People are way too polarised on Lambert.

 

We've got one camp that seems to think he's little more than a talentless try-hard clogger who can only score headers and boot it in in the abysmal lower leagues and others who think he could play for England.

 

He's not bad

He's not brilliant

He's just...y'know...good.

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The problem the OP has is that he is trying to link a formation to Lambert's effectiveness. 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1.. Football is not played to rigid formations. The FACT is that without Lambert we are totally devoid of ideas... worrying given he's 31 but true nevertheless.

Think of his ball control, vision, passing ability and awareness, not the fact that he lacks pace. Sheringham lacked pace and Lambert is on that level.

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The Bradford vs Villa match report clearly says that it was Bradford's aerial power that undid Villa. In fact all 3 goals came from headers I think. So next Saturday is, surely, exactly the sort of game where we need a Lambert type striker??

 

Be interesting to see if he can dominate

 

this is interesting - i do feel that wit hhim dropping off in to build up play we have seen less of him at the back post. good that were not just relying on that to score goals but would maybe like to see him in the mix more for balls slung in (hes scored a few like that this season i know but like to see it more)

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An eloquent argument but I think that he offers more variation than our alternatives. He can be the 'knock down at the far post' target, he has a superb touch and weights and times his through balls better than any other forward on our books - Lallana and Gaston are his only peers in this. On top of all that he can hold up play, take a battering from the two opposition markers who are usually designated to watch him.

 

I know you weren't knocking but I just think that there are many other elements of his game (and I haven't even mentioned penalties, free kicks and open play scoring) that make him essential to our cause this season.

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A Villa supporting mate tells me that Incontinence Pads were delivered to Villa Park today for their defence on Saturday because SRL frightens the s..t out of them both in the air and on the ground. He reckons we'll run riot through their defence. I'm hoping for a big score.

COYS

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People are way too polarised on Lambert.

 

We've got one camp that seems to think he's little more than a talentless try-hard clogger who can only score headers and boot it in in the abysmal lower leagues and others who think he could play for England.

 

He's not bad

He's not brilliant

He's just...y'know...good.

 

Not trying to say that he's a bad player, because he's far from it. He's just not the sort of player who suits the way we want to play but he's earnt so much influence here that it's hard to see an alternative while he's still here. Just look at Andy Carroll - great at Newcastle, but a flop at Liverpool. There are parallels in him being big, powerful and decent on the ball, but Liverpool have a reputation fo flowing football and Carroll had the same problem of being expected to be the furthest man forward. Is he injured at the moment? I had expected him to do well in West Ham's direct 433.

 

Back to Lambert, he's very good at what he does. I'm just not sure that what he does is what is right going forward. Lambert's class has got him to where he is now, but he is starting to get found out and we need to find other ways round.

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To many, I know the guy can do no wrong, so please don't give me abuse. The guy has been instrumental in getting two successive promotions and I am in no way detracting from that. I love the guy and would be sad to see him leave.

Sad, but not angry or scared and here's why:

Lambert has earnt himself an awful lot of influence over the last few years. Even now he's shed the pounds, he's still a hefty bloke and running isn't his strong suit. Some hefty strikers make up for their lack of speed by leaving the play behind and using intelligent movement to sniff out goals, while some use their ability with the ball to be involved more in play. Lambert is very much in the latter category. In a 442, this works fine as the second striker simply runs ahead of him. In a 4231 though, the '3' don't arrive until later in the move and the ball-playing striker has to hold the ball up until the '3' are on hand because he hasn't run into a goalscoring positoin himself and is surrounded by defenders. Sound familiar?

 

Taking Jay Rodriguez' goal against Chelsea, I don't think Lambert would have scored that. Not because of the touch or the finish (very nice btw), but I doubt Lambert would have made the run to get on the end of the pass. In fact Puncheon probably wouldn't have made the pass if the run wasn't there.

Lambert holds the ball up, but couldn't the team take responsibility for not giving the ball away, so the striker can find himself at the top of the tree, where he should be? We'd score more goals if we did that and see less of trying to walk the ball into the net.

 

I'm not convinced that Lambert is the right man to take us forward. I wouldn't suggest moving him on now, as we can't afford the transition in the middle of a relegation battle, but head over heart, I can't see that he has a future here beyond this season. I'd like to see more of Rodriguez as I do think the lad has a bit about him. Lambert for me is more influential than is healthy and against good defenders, that brings out his weaknesses.

 

 

there will come a time when (sadly) Rickie will play his last game by which time I hope (as do we all) that we will have a suitable replacement.....

MEANTIME .....Jay Rod has had a hard time getting a regular spot, and an even harder time for " fans " who feel he should be scoring every week ...like Messi does.

 

Considering we had next to no Prem. experience in the squad in August, Jay Rod has improved game by game and although we can say his goal at Stoke may have been a trifle fortunate (I can think that a few strikers who might have missed it)...his goal v. Chelsea was class - wasn't it ?

 

Of course Puncheon's pass was inch perfect, but that little toe flick past the keeper showed real promise. I only hope that he gets on a scoring run for some games, and then we'll all sleep a little more soundly.

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To many, I know the guy can do no wrong, so please don't give me abuse. The guy has been instrumental in getting two successive promotions and I am in no way detracting from that. I love the guy and would be sad to see him leave.

 

Sad, but not angry or scared and here's why:

 

Lambert has earnt himself an awful lot of influence over the last few years. Even now he's shed the pounds, he's still a hefty bloke and running isn't his strong suit. Some hefty strikers make up for their lack of speed by leaving the play behind and using intelligent movement to sniff out goals, while some use their ability with the ball to be involved more in play. Lambert is very much in the latter category. In a 442, this works fine as the second striker simply runs ahead of him. In a 4231 though, the '3' don't arrive until later in the move and the ball-playing striker has to hold the ball up until the '3' are on hand because he hasn't run into a goalscoring positoin himself and is surrounded by defenders. Sound familiar?

 

Taking Jay Rodriguez' goal against Chelsea, I don't think Lambert would have scored that. Not because of the touch or the finish (very nice btw), but I doubt Lambert would have made the run to get on the end of the pass. In fact Puncheon probably wouldn't have made the pass if the run wasn't there.

 

Lambert holds the ball up, but couldn't the team take responsibility for not giving the ball away, so the striker can find himself at the top of the tree, where he should be? We'd score more goals if we did that and see less of trying to walk the ball into the net.

 

I'm not convinced that Lambert is the right man to take us forward. I wouldn't suggest moving him on now, as we can't afford the transition in the middle of a relegation battle, but head over heart, I can't see that he has a future here beyond this season. I'd like to see more of Rodriguez as I do think the lad has a bit about him. Lambert for me is more influential than is healthy and against good defenders, that brings out his weaknesses.

 

Well argued and in a way I can see what you are getting at in that teams that play with fluid formations like Saints want to play have a very mobile forward or forwards. But until we unearth a Suarez then Lambert is by far our most effective forward.

 

I'd also have to disagree with your view that Lambert wouldn't have scored the Rodriquez goal against Chelsea. The two he scored away to Ipswich last season spring to mind immediately.

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I want to see rickie be able to do a job I always thought MLT could have done...

Become the heroic super sub who comes on to try to get the result either by closing a game out or getting an equaliser or better still winner but having luxury of if he fails not his fault

 

If his fitness last he could do a job for many seasons to come

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Great astute post - I've been saying pretty much this for a couple of months now. Maybe the reason SRL gets climbed all over every game without protection is because he is too stationary? Look, no-ones saying we should dump Lambert - he's still got something to offer the club, but this league and the way we are set-up to play, is not allowing his body to match his football brain now. The sooner this is sorted out the sooner we will be a real match for teams above 15th in the league.

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Great astute post - I've been saying pretty much this for a couple of months now. Maybe the reason SRL gets climbed all over every game without protection is because he is too stationary? Look, no-ones saying we should dump Lambert - he's still got something to offer the club, but this league and the way we are set-up to play, is not allowing his body to match his football brain now. The sooner this is sorted out the sooner we will be a real match for teams above 15th in the league.

 

You and the op should get a bloomin life. Saints fan my backside.

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Can see where you're coming from OP and definitely an arguement for it. But for now, Rickie is our best striker. J-Rod will learn and will no doubt be our no1 striker within a year, but for the moment, when Lambert doesn't play we just look a bit lost. Don't understate how much we look to hit Lambert with a 30 yard pass. Whether he brings it down and knocks it down or flicks it on, we're best when he is on the pitch. I do agree that 442 suits him a lot more than 4231 though.

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To many, I know the guy can do no wrong, so please don't give me abuse. The guy has been instrumental in getting two successive promotions and I am in no way detracting from that. I love the guy and would be sad to see him leave.

 

Sad, but not angry or scared and here's why:

 

Lambert has earnt himself an awful lot of influence over the last few years. Even now he's shed the pounds, he's still a hefty bloke and running isn't his strong suit. Some hefty strikers make up for their lack of speed by leaving the play behind and using intelligent movement to sniff out goals, while some use their ability with the ball to be involved more in play. Lambert is very much in the latter category. In a 442, this works fine as the second striker simply runs ahead of him. In a 4231 though, the '3' don't arrive until later in the move and the ball-playing striker has to hold the ball up until the '3' are on hand because he hasn't run into a goalscoring positoin himself and is surrounded by defenders. Sound familiar?

 

Taking Jay Rodriguez' goal against Chelsea, I don't think Lambert would have scored that. Not because of the touch or the finish (very nice btw), but I doubt Lambert would have made the run to get on the end of the pass. In fact Puncheon probably wouldn't have made the pass if the run wasn't there.

 

Lambert holds the ball up, but couldn't the team take responsibility for not giving the ball away, so the striker can find himself at the top of the tree, where he should be? We'd score more goals if we did that and see less of trying to walk the ball into the net.

 

I'm not convinced that Lambert is the right man to take us forward. I wouldn't suggest moving him on now, as we can't afford the transition in the middle of a relegation battle, but head over heart, I can't see that he has a future here beyond this season. I'd like to see more of Rodriguez as I do think the lad has a bit about him. Lambert for me is more influential than is healthy and against good defenders, that brings out his weaknesses.

 

Agree 100%. Great post. He still has a massive role to play as a squad player though.

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People are way too polarised on Lambert.

 

We've got one camp that seems to think he's little more than a talentless try-hard clogger who can only score headers and boot it in in the abysmal lower leagues and others who think he could play for England.

 

He's not bad

He's not brilliant

He's just...y'know...good.

 

To be fair I think I'm probably his strongest critic on here and even I don't think he's talentless, a clogger, or that he can only score headers.

 

I do, however, think we're not maximising our use of Ramirez without a sharp (not Sharp) striker running in behind to offer a simple route to goal. At the moment we rely too much on midfielders getting past the opposition back line and Lambert's not going to get younger or faster and will have to be replaced in the next couple of seasons anyway.

 

Though I have only seen us play once since mid-December so that might have changed in the zero matches we've won since then.

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A Villa supporting mate tells me that Incontinence Pads were delivered to Villa Park today for their defence on Saturday because SRL frightens the s..t out of them both in the air and on the ground. He reckons we'll run riot through their defence. I'm hoping for a big score.

COYS

 

Big score? Dream on! Just getting a result would be good - and if it is a win then great bonus.

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To be fair I think I'm probably his strongest critic on here and even I don't think he's talentless, a clogger, or that he can only score headers.

 

I do, however, think we're not maximising our use of Ramirez without a sharp (not Sharp) striker running in behind to offer a simple route to goal. At the moment we rely too much on midfielders getting past the opposition back line and Lambert's not going to get younger or faster and will have to be replaced in the next couple of seasons anyway.

 

Though I have only seen us play once since mid-December so that might have changed in the zero matches we've won since then.

 

 

Given that the chances of Ramirez still being a Saints player next season are practically zero, I'd be inclined to suggest we should be more concerned about maximising our use of Lambert. I would happily sell Ramirez tomorrow if anybody offered us £12 million.

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To be fair I think I'm probably his strongest critic on here and even I don't think he's talentless, a clogger, or that he can only score headers.

 

I do, however, think we're not maximising our use of Ramirez without a sharp (not Sharp) striker running in behind to offer a simple route to goal. At the moment we rely too much on midfielders getting past the opposition back line and Lambert's not going to get younger or faster and will have to be replaced in the next couple of seasons anyway.

 

Though I have only seen us play once since mid-December so that might have changed in the zero matches we've won since then.

 

Billy Sharp is half the player Lambert is with the ball and he's not the quickest either, but he has a selfish streak that lets him make a run or sniff out a goal at the expense of getting involved in play. Lambert I feel is too much of a team player and that compromises his ability to score goals. Championship and L1 defences just aren't up to much and Lambert wasn't really tested. When we had Rasiak, he would get accused of being lazy (he was tbf), but he banged in the goals because he was sniffing out the openings rather than getting involved. Rodriguez isn't the ball-player or physical threat that Lambert is, but he's not bad in that respect and he has a selfish streak and a bit of pace to pick out the holes in defences.

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Given that the chances of Ramirez still being a Saints player next season are practically zero, I'd be inclined to suggest we should be more concerned about maximising our use of Lambert. I would happily sell Ramirez tomorrow if anybody offered us £12 million.

 

Please explain this...

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Given that the chances of Ramirez still being a Saints player next season are practically zero, I'd be inclined to suggest we should be more concerned about maximising our use of Lambert. I would happily sell Ramirez tomorrow if anybody offered us £12 million.

 

Complete madness! Next you'll be crying for a return of Paul Wotton football genius

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Please explain this...

 

 

Stepping stone and all that.......

 

As he admitted himself, he's mainly here for the money. If we go down, he goes. If we just about stay up, he won't be up for another year of struggle near the bottom of the League. Cortese probably told him we'd be in the top six this season.

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Stepping stone and all that.......

 

As he admitted himself, he's mainly here for the money. If we go down, he goes. If we just about stay up, he won't be up for another year of struggle near the bottom of the League. Cortese probably told him we'd be in the top six this season.

 

All in all a bit speculative...

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The Bradford vs Villa match report clearly says that it was Bradford's aerial power that undid Villa. In fact all 3 goals came from headers I think. So next Saturday is, surely, exactly the sort of game where we need a Lambert type striker??

 

Be interesting to see if he can dominate

 

Lambert is (and will be against Villa) great if he gets the delivery, or someone to feed off his knock downs in the box, but utterly wasted (in the current set up) when he drifts deep or wide to retrieve the ball or otherwise in-order to get involved. Lambert is not the problem - it's getting the rest of the team playing to his best attributes, and now that AL is out of the team, it should not be too difficult to figure out who to set the game plan around???

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