Paul Faulkner looked like a proper FA representative with big grin on his face and sauce on his tie. Paul Lambert was calm and collected and came across as someone that isn't going to be messed about and looked as if he had figured out who was the monkey and who was the organ grinder.
The press conference was as expected and what we will read in the papers tomorrow and on websites in about an hour or so will not surprise, but none of us expected to be surprised. Actions and words and all that.
He did tell us he had spoken to Lerner about players he is interested in and he also confirmed he hadn't given a thought to bringing in Holt, which for me is good news as it suggests he isn't interested.
Faulkner also confirmed, sort of, that money would be made available so we can be challenging in the top half. I half expected him to say that the target was Europe like he did last season, but figure someone must have told him that it wasn't his job to talk to the press about setting impossible targets.
After a short break where Faulkner dipped into a roast beef sandwich, the questioning continued and we learnt that Lambert spoke to Martin O'Neill and that he only had good things to say about the club.
Lambert
But I liked how Lambert came across; he looks hard. He looks like someone that could look after himself. He came across as someone that wont be messed about and I like that. The players have to react to that and he has to keep it going, but I suspect he will and I hope they do too.
Faulkner also suggested that some players will be leaving, as well as new ones coming in. I'm not a big fan of a manager coming in and the CEO telling us some players will be going. I just hope it isn't any of the players that have come through the academy. Talking of the younger players, Lambert has made a comment about them, along the lines of it is great to have them, but you have to win games.
All in all though, everything we expected and he even spoke about the European Cup win, the challenge and the expectancy. He even mentioned more than once how he will need the supporters on side and how he is going to do what he can to let the players play with a freedom and hunger to win games. It was all good.
The next few weeks are going to be very interesting to watch and I suspect we will be harder to beat next season and I imagine those players leaving could very well be pretty much our entire back four.