Grunthos

Well, I doubt very strongly that MON has somehow failed to grasp the need for immediate imports, or that he is not giving proper time and effort to acquiring useful squad players as well as stars. However, should he prove unable to bring in any reinforcements beyond Bardsley... well, that would be a problem and a major disappointment. January is difficult, no question. But this team is too thin and the consequences of relegation too severe to risk going forward without immediate help.

This strikes me as a strongly one-sided view of the evidence to hand. Over the course of the last few months, MON has repeatedly made statements that are sober and sensible, with intent to evaluate both positive and negative aspects of the situation. It seems that for some, only the negative parts are significant or to be believed. I don't see why MON should be disallowed from pointing out the difficulties inherent in the January window, or why Benitez's statement that he has good backing from his board this week is valid while MON's statements that he has full backing from Randy in previous weeks are irrelevant, especially when he has repeatedly stated that (not being an idiot) he recognizes the squad needs a lot of strengthening and wants to bring quality players to the club. There is fundamentally a contradiction between insisting that the stewards of the club be trustworthy, responsible, and effective on the one hand, while simultaneously never indicating that they are having problems or delays of any kind... let alone paying extra money or rushing to decisions just to spare everyone some angst. You want players, you say. Get decent bodies into the squad. Well, we don't want to buy or loan those bodies and then succeed in acquiring the better players we have targeted, resulting in money wasted and goodwill squandered. Do you want us to buy a second choice winger on starter's wages, then turn around and land a first-choice winger and be paying double for that starting spot, or turning down the first-choice player because the position was filled? Do you want us to loan in players from other clubs on the understanding that they will get first-team time, then buy a starter and have that first-team time dissipate? Be careful what bridges you want to burn and whose hackles you wish to raise and what money you want to waste in your rush to superficially feel good about the team for the next two weeks. Fortunately, it appears MON is more than willing to do his best to get things right. I, for one, do not want to see him buying "quality "players that don't fit the team he wants to build, just to fill holes. That's what loans are for. And if we get, say, three talented players on loan for the rest of the year, then I'm good with that. The manager should build the best total team he can, not just a collection of players sharing the same shirt color. So try to be happy you have a manager who will be selective and look to the future of the club at the same time he looks at the present.

I know I'm late to the party, and I can only imagine the level of impatience 20 years of Deadly Doug has engendered... but there are an awful lot of tantrums being thrown about how we haven't been given our candy on demand. And be clear, these are tantrums. "I want my toys, now, now!, or I'll hate you!" is the tone of most every complaint. As if MON wants to get the club relegated or something. :roll:

Lordy, no. I'm done with incompetent yo-yo pretender clubs.

Allow me to be the first new recruit to congratulate Randy Lerner and General Krulak on their choice of club. As an American who has been clumsily trying to become a fan of an English team for several years (long story - chose Wednesday, followed them briefly, watched them go down, couldn't follow them in the lower divs from across the pond, chose Leeds, followed them briefly, watched them go down, couldn't follow them in the lower divs, wandered aimlessly unwilling to root for a big four team that buys championships or a lesser team with no shot at Europe, all the while thinking Villa would be ideal if only they weren't owned by such a hypocritical skinflint...), I'm thrilled to see this club taken over by such a well-connected, forward-thinking, sensible ownership group. Now I can be confident my third chance will be the charm! Like several other posters, I'm late to this thread because I assumed it was about the ownership - that the good General would actually be posting never crossed my mind, even though I'm familiar with internet-savvy ownership via rooting for the Washington Capitals. It's wonderful to see you reaching out to connect with the supporters, exciting to see how well you recognize Villa's potential, and comfonting to realize that (unlike Capitals owner Ted Leonsis) you can discuss the future of the team with full confidence that your ambition can and will be matched with ample financial backing. On the suggestions front, let me echo the request voiced earlier that you look into overseas broadcasting/webcasts. The Premier League is difficult to follow in the US even on extended cable or dish networks, let alone trying to get by on the internet as I do. Sadly, much of the time the best I can manage are unauthorized feeds from Asia (complete with Chinese language commentary). I'd happily pay to get streams of Villa matches from Villa directly (or Sky, etc.), and I don't think I'm alone in that sentiment, but such services seem to be off the radar screen when broadcast rights get negotiated in Europe. Anything the ownership can do to push the FA and broadcast partners to make subscription web streams available would be greatly appreciated. Obviously my gratitude cannot match that of supporters who have followed this club through thick and thin over the previous ownership's tenure. Nonetheless, I'd like to offer my thanks for your timely acquisition of Aston Villa. Hopefully others in similar situations will see the light as you expand the club's marketing power and join the family.