In the main, folkiedave, yes! It is their fault. Sometimes though, when the landlord is manager, the brewey or pub chain will impose their will on him or her. Then it is their fault. I keep saying on the 'smoking' threads that the main reason pubs are closing is bad management - not the smoking ban or the supermarkets or any of the other reasons the bad managers choose.
A very wise man called Bill Dermody, rest his soul, once told me thre is no such thing as bad beer. Just bad landlords. It is true. Well, apart from Watneys red barrel and brew XI. But that was as much real beer as Kraft cheese slices are real cheddar:-)