One Moment: The one where I finally gave up on Paul Lambert

It's abundantly clear that Lambert has lost the fans. We may be a fickle bunch but 3 seasons of abject disappointment and footballing horror is just too much. I've yet to see anyone offer a defence of Lambert since Saturday. I've only seen those that don't trust Lerner to replace him with anyone that can do significantly better.

Signing creativity in Carles Gil and Scott Sinclair would be beneficial to the club with the weakest attacking midfield options in the league. But will they make a significant difference to our results in our current system? I highly doubt it. The coaching and planning that goes into our attack just isn't up to scratch. Our continued lack of width in midfield and attack is bafflingly poor management and for me the reason we don't score any goals. You don't need Arjen Robben. You just have to ask someone to play wide. But it's not happening.

One Moment: The one where I finally lost all hope in Lambert's Villa

We were well beaten by the bottom team of the league. They played a standard 4-4-2 formation with their 3 best midfielders missing. It should have been a hell of a lot more than 1 as Guzan, Clark and the woodwork saved us from a heavy defeat while Ben Hamer may as well have been in the Bahamas.

Our current goals per game ratio of 11 in 21 is the worst by any team in Premier League history. We're on course for under 20 goals. Only 3 teams in Premier League history have stayed have stayed up with less than 30 goals, the lowest of which was 28.

We are being beaten, outthought and outplayed by teams with players much worse than our own. The same hopeless issues continue week after week regardless of team selection. It's been 2 and half years. The squad keeps improving thanks to shrewd work in the market - Lambert's only redeeming factor - but the dismal results and performances remain.

In May 2012 the club released a statement about the sacking of Alex McLeish, which you can read here. I would like to draw particular attention to this section:

The club has been disappointed with this season's results, performances and the general message these have sent to our fans. The board wishes to assure supporters that we are conscious in every sense that Villa expects and deserves more and we will strive to deliver this.

Villa chairman Randy Lerner said: "We need to be clear and candid with ourselves and with supporters about what we have lacked in recent years.

"Compelling play and results that instil a sense of confidence that Villa is on the right track have been plainly absent.

"The most immediate action that we can take is to look carefully at our options in terms of bringing in a new manager who sees the club's potential and embraces our collective expectations."

This is as far from compelling as you can get. The results have not improved. The fans do deserve and expect better but we are not getting it. I would ask what has changed though that is obvious - Lerner's desire to sell the club (at least publicly). If Randy still cares for the club at all he must understand that the necessary improvements have not happened on the pitch. This is not acceptable to any of our fans. The poisonous atmosphere is returning. Increasing numbers turn their back on the club they love. A very similar set of circumstances cost McLeish his job and you have to wonder if Lambert doesn't follow...is he being held to a different set of criteria and expectations? If so, why? The lack of accountability and fear of making big decisions is killing this football club.

VERDICT

Change must be made to try to drag the club out of this perpetual under-performance because there is no way the current managerial and coaching set up have enough about them to take us significantly forward. For that Lambert must go and it must be done now because we are sleepwalking our way to relegation. Do it now before it's too late.