Lambert-led Villa shoe-ins to finish above Lambert-less Norwich
Published:After two disappointing seasons, Aston Villa fans will be hoping to become competitive again soon and it is 20/1 that Paul Lambert leads the club to a major trophy in his first season at Villa Park.
Lambert handed in his resignation at Norwich earlier this week and the club have finally agreed to allow their boss to leave to join Aston Villa, with a £1m compensation package believed to have been agreed between the pair.
Although Norwich fans may instantly feel let down by Lambert’s actions, he has still left them in a far better position than when he joined three years ago after a 7-1 defeat to Colchester in League One.
Villa are not quite in such a dire period at present, but after consistently finishing sixth in the top flight under Martin O’Neill, the last two seasons have seen a major downturn in fortunes.
The early consensus is that Lambert will receive greater financial backing than former manager Alex McLeish, who was forced to work under tight constraints and substantially cut the wage bill.
As much as £20m has been suggested as a transfer budget for Lambert, alongside any money he can receive for members of the current squad.
Grant Holt is largely expected to follow Lambert out of the Norwich exit and has already submitted a transfer request at Carrow Road.
It is 13/8 that his next club is Aston Villa.
Lambert is thought to have done a phenomenal job in guiding Norwich to 12th in the Premier League this season in their first campaign since promotion from the Championship.
Any new manager may struggle to emulate this achievement and it is 7/4 that Norwich are relegated.
Meanwhile, 1/3 seems decent value that Lambert-led Villa finish higher in the Premier League next season than a Lambert-less Norwich.
