Paul Lambert stares into the abyss of an uncertain future

Despite the fact that he has successfully shepherded Aston Villa to Premier League safety, Paul Lambert still cannot confirm whether or not he has a future with the club. Just like the rest of us, Lambert is waiting on Randy Lerner's statement. "We had to get over the line and then the chairman will come out and say what he will... The season finishes on Sunday and I am pretty sure he will say it after that."

Of course, Lambert may have to wait longer than that to determine his future. If Lerner decides that he will be selling the club, the new owners would likely be left with the decision of whether or not to keep Lambert around for the final year of his contract. There are really only two scenarios that see a Lambert decision soon. The first is that Lerner has decided to keep the club and he reaffirms Lambert's status. The second is that Lerner already has a buyer lined up and the sale of the club is nothing but a formality now. In that case, new owners could, in theory, make a quick decision.

If we can believe Lambert that he is genuinely unaware of his status with the club–and I think that we can–it is just another reason that things need to be resolved as quickly as is possible. Signing players over the summer will be very difficult if they aren't sure under whom they will ply their trade next season.