Lerner's Driver

Admirable sentiment and ultimately the only way you can do your job, but Donald Trump.

Sometimes, on a warm summer evening, with the benefit of hindsight, I sink back into my leather armchair, light up a cigar and take a moment to reflect; wondering if maybe, just maybe, I might've been better off letting that emotion pass without expressing it...

Well, that was an enjoyable watch. Takes a nice set piece, hits it hard, scores long range, scores a lot, nice composure, nice positional awareness. What's not to like? Don't **** it up Villa and yes, can we have another striker too, please?

A Four-Four-Two article with RDM from 2014, which reveals him to be the epitome of urbane... http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/roberto-di-matteo-i-got-rejected-birmingham-dont-believe-everything-you-read Never mind European Cups, the guy has two degrees - he's a winner!

So Dr X has denied that Dr X has completed the takeover, even after Dr X used social media yesterday to announce that Dr X had completed the takeover. Complex guy, our Tone!

I just tweeted the guy who did the recent Daily Mail piece on Xia asking if he knew anything more and he thought the much talked about interview was supposed to be next week, so still a way to go...

A little bird told you? Seems legit.

For all you fans of lazy journalism and the ostrich manager, check out this corker from one of BT's most ITK telephone engineers... The Chinese businessman, 39, this week bought Villa from American Randy Lerner, who had been looking to sell since 2014. Xia needs to pass the customary test in order for his takeover of the club to be completed. Investigations into Xia's conglomerate, Recon Group, are being carried out jointly by the Premier League and Football League as Villa, relegated from the top flight this season, do not officially become a Sky Bet Championship club until June. Xia does not foresee any problems and told the Telegraph: "I think there is no way, and not any excuse, that they should turn me down because I am a person who is doing everything legally. "I am enthusiastic for the club and I will devote myself to it and I am responsible to take it over. "There is no reason they will disapprove of that." Keith Wyness, Chris Samuelson and Jamie Banfill, who are all expected to form part of the new board at Villa, will also need to pass the owners and directors' test so it is unknown how long it may be before Xia's takeover can be finalised. One issue that may be resolved before the purchase of the club is completed is the identity of the new manager with former West Brom and Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo Xia's preferred choice, although ex-Leicester manager Nigel Pearson also remains an option. http://sport.bt.com/football/news/villa-owner-tony-xia-confident-of-passing-fit-and-proper-test-S11364064294347?

You think? He seemed on the verge of tears to me. Either that, or just trying to remember what he wanted to say. Definitely a bit groggy. Be warned Tone, a night on the claret may bring on the blues.

Actually Tro, there's only one, probably... And he's keeping well out of it so far!

More cut and paste 'journalism' - like so much mee-juh these days, it doesn't say anything new. In fact, it's not even news, it's just some bloke's opinion, but it gets clicks because it has Forbes attached to it. Soooo tiresome...

£30 on Moyes

Seconded

Does this further endorse the view that it/we are part of a Govt. initiative, despite Tony's denial?

From Beijing AP (via Yahoo news) "BEIJING (AP) — The little-known businessman who bought Aston Villa is hoping to improve both the English club and Chinese soccer in general. Xia Jiantong, who goes by the English name Tony, told The Associated Press he intends to use cutting-edge management theory and sports science to bring Villa to the pinnacle of the European game — and then bring those lessons back to China. "In China's going-out strategy, it's been proven that buying foreign firms with know-how and then bringing that back to the domestic industry has been the most efficient route," Xia said, adding that he would establish extensive programs for Chinese players to train at Aston Villa. Improving Chinese soccer, he said, "is actually our biggest objective." Xia bought Aston Villa, which was relegated from the Premier League after a dismal season in which they finished last, for $87 million. He denied that the deal involved any government or corporate backers aside from his business conglomerate, the Recon Group. Chinese President Xi Jinping recently urged the country to become a global soccer superpower and several high-profile firms have bought stakes in clubs, including Atletico Madrid and Manchester City. But until now, no one had acquired entire clubs. To help improve the game in China, Xia said he is already in talks to bring junior high and high school players to train in Birmingham this summer. A soft-spoken businessman who studied at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Xia heads the Recon Group, which owns Lotus Health Group, the world's second largest maker of the food additive monosodium glutamate. Lotus lost $78 million last year, according to Shanghai stock exchange filings. Another subsidiary produces digital hardware for urban infrastructure. Xia said he considered eight prospective clubs, including teams in Spain and Italy, before settling on Villa, which he said attracted him with its "mature" academy system. He said he pledged to deploy better technology to monitor players' on-field performance, track statistics and gauge physical workloads to minimize injuries — areas in which he said other clubs he visited performed better than Villa. He also intended to use data to award financial bonuses to players. "This isn't different from management science," Xia said in one of several allusions to his business experience. He compared Aston Villa to an undervalued business suffering from "several years of substandard management" and could achieve its potential with better direction from the top. Questioned about his lack of soccer credentials, Xia said he has looked into the business for 10 years and has diligently studied the second-tier English Championship, the league in which Aston Villa will compete in next season. "I actually think I have better foundation in football than other business areas we've recently entered," Xia said. He targeted a swift return to the Premier League but ruled out "burning money" to bring success like Manchester City, whose Qatari owners have pumped in millions. Although he has publicly stated he would spend 50 to 60 million pounds on player transfers, Xia backed away from the figures on Friday, saying he would consult with the new coach he was in the process of hiring. "We want Villa in its genes to be sustainable and healthy, including in academy development," Xia said. "If you look at all the money-burning clubs they're showing problems right now. On the international level, Spain and Germany couldn't sustain their success with just one superstar." Xia said he is now down to three final coaching candidates — one of whom is believed to be former Chelsea manager Robert Di Matteo — but declined to comment, saying he would announce the selection next week. After hiring someone, Xia said his first order of business will be to fix the atmosphere around the relegated club. "This year, Spurs were so good until they lost the chance for the title and lost to a relegated team," he said. "So in sport, it's crucial to consider spirit, psychology, leaders' attitudes. Especially for Villa now, the biggest priority for us is to fix everyone's confidence, from the players to the coaches." https://www.yahoo.com/news/villa-owner-wants-team-promoted-help-soccer-china-161607563.html

Maybe RECON has been 'chosen' to purchase the Villa as a way of penetrating the English market - hence the lack of transparency. Sounds pretty Bond like, but who knows.

No doubt they'll provide some fascinating character analysis and some totally new insights. I'd lay money on it if the Moose gets to contribute...

Not sure what all the fuss is about, If he passes any test, surely it has to be the 'Fit and proper Pearson Test'.

Chap called Pelty on H&V who is attracting some scorn for trying to suggest that all is not quite as it seems in terms of Bernstein & King being the good guys and Randy being the bad guy. Nut job, you may think, but he professes to be The General's son.

If the sale thing is relevant at all, perhaps Bernstein and King did not approve of the interested party - after all, King in particular knows a thing or two about money and whose got it versus A. N. Other Crook. Lerner is definitely capable of selling to the latter. Unlikely, I know, but with him in charge, nothing is impossible...

Given that the offence took place in the past, technically, I would say this is now a 'thinly veiled doug' and if avatars are anything to go by, that don't paint a pretty picture.

Moyes is an intriguing one. On the one hand, you could see the appeal to him of turning us around, but on the other, if he fails with us (as is fairly possible), his career would surely be over. Maybe he's as desperate as we are, but I doubt it. Surely better to make some modest progress somewhere else, rather than risk blowing whats left of his reputation with us. Brave if he does take it. I'd welcome him.

Sad to say, but 'to do a Leicester'... From top to bottom, their togetherness has got them from bottom to top.

For those interested, the email address is unsurprisingly: tom.fox@avfc.co.uk

I sent this email to Tom Fox earlier in the week... Dear Tom, I suspect you aren't feeling too great, what with all the negative press recently, but I'm afraid it's every bit as bad as it appears and worse. Aston Villa is now officially a laughing stock and its your decisions that have got us here. No amount of corporate speak will change that Tom, you and your paymaster are to blame. When you have a moment, read this: http://www.theguardian.com/football/copa90/2016/feb/17/aston-villa-relegation-premier-league-fans Thanks for nothing, Spencer ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And I got this in return... Hello Spencer Many thanks for your email sent to Tom on the 17th February. We very much appreciate the frustrations expressed. I will be collating all comments and suggestions received from our fans and will summarise these for the Executive Team and the Board. Please be assured that all comments and issues raised will be reported accordingly. Best wishes Lee Preece Football Operations / Projects Manager