VillaAndLoyal

Would love to see all the anger and all the hostility aimed at Randy Lerner. He's the one destroying the club at the moment and he's the one choosing to stick with Mcleish. Maybe if the pressure was on him he wouldn't be able to stick with this manager.

As for booing effecting the team. I thought apart from the last 5 minutes, the fans against Bolton were very supportive. And where did that get us?

**** Lerner and **** Mcleish.

This.

I reckon we will get 1 more win and 2 draws

What are you smoking? I want some.

The day when a minority (with no power) put together a statement to be read on behalf of a majority is a sad day.

The vast, vast majority of Villa fans want McLeish out with immediate effect, realising his position at this club is untenable. I'd argue it has been that way since he first signed the contract on the dotted line, but that's another point.

If you read the OP again, you will see this was an idea in which supporters from a range of internet messageboards and fans' pages could get involved and be behind. These sources represent tens of thousands of Villa fans.

Considering 13,000+ people joined a campaign before he was even appointed, trying to stop the inevitable happening, I find it highly amusing that you think any potential statement on behalf of the fans would be coming from a "minority" and a few "internet warriors". Please do wake up.

I'm glad you find it amusing. Nearly as amusing as stating that the message boards represent "tens of thousands of fans". Take your own medicine and "wake up".

You still haven't answered my point though, have you? Quite clearly any statement, if done correctly, would be coming from a majority of Villa fans. How you can say any different with a straight face is just completely beyond me.

I'm not sure to what extent technology has hit your household yet, but there are most definitely tens of thousands of Villa fans 'online' nowadays. The vast majority of these do not want Alex McLeish. I did not just state 'messageboards' now, did I?

Show me evidence to the contrary and I will gladly retract any previous comment I've made. The official Aston Villa Facebook page has 509,843 people following it, just using one example. Yet you think a fans' statement about McLeish would be coming from a few internet warriors? Christ, maybe you should take some of my medicine?

The day when a minority (with no power) put together a statement to be read on behalf of a majority is a sad day.

The vast, vast majority of Villa fans want McLeish out with immediate effect, realising his position at this club is untenable. I'd argue it has been that way since he first signed the contract on the dotted line, but that's another point.

If you read the OP again, you will see this was an idea in which supporters from a range of internet messageboards and fans' pages could get involved and be behind. These sources represent tens of thousands of Villa fans.

Considering 13,000+ people joined a campaign before he was even appointed, trying to stop the inevitable happening, I find it highly amusing that you think any potential statement on behalf of the fans would be coming from a "minority" and a few "internet warriors". Please do wake up.

Opinion of a Rangers fan on Facebook. It had 46 likes at the time of this post:

Rangers fan here again, sorry if my input's boring. You guys are in the same position as we were a good few years ago - Your owner is fed up with you - Villa is like a broken toy to him that he is trying to sell on eBay....he's pulled investment and is selling off assets. An inept manager is a symptom, not the cause. I will never forgive Eck for the mess he left us in, but the bigger picture is Randy Lerner is the latest in a long line of sugar daddy's who eventually grow bored and leave the club to rot - single owner model is flawed and doesn't work. So yes, pressure your inept manager but pressure your disinterested owner even more. Hope to see you guys back on the up soon.

I'm checking my piggy-bank as we speak...

Stride left on his own accord, he wasn't pushed.

Point taken, but it still doesn't change the fact that he was never replaced by someone who knew English football and knew the club. We're being run by a guy who was working in an American bank just a few years ago, and people wonder why we've become a shambles from top to bottom.

What exactly makes you think his passion is there? Say what you like about Sir Doug but, despite now being very frail, he still attends every game without fail. Where the hell has Lerner been since the going has got tough?

Apart from the renovation of the ground, the regular travelling of thousands of miles to each game, the (not henna tattoo) the reconnection with former players, the training ground, the genuine joy on his face when we win, the millions of pounds of his own money, the time and the effort he's put in....not much. Silly me.

Doug Ellis, bless him, travels a few miles, for a free seat he negotiated for himself, despite being a rich man with money made from the Villa, with a seat looking at a stand that was "surprisingly" named after himself without his knowledge, and hopefully enjoys the games - someone needs to.

Ellis's time has long gone. Randy is struggling, but I think his passion and motivation is more like ours than that of Ellis. Could be wrong mind.

And by the same token, Mr Lerner, bless him, spends a few hours flying across the Atlantic once every couple of months on a private jet. Hardly indicates any deep burning passion for a Club which most of us pour our hard earned cash into, does it?

The renovation of the training ground, I'll give him that. The rest is just aesthetic niceties which have been done as a sure fire way to win the Villa fans over in the early days, and it worked. Some may say it was a clever move by him, it's just a shame his business sense is so fundamentally flawed. He's pumped many millions of his father's inheritance into the club, and loaned many more millions, but why is that used as a positive when it is his use of this money which has played a massive part in getting us into this mess in the first place?

The joy on his face? Clutching at straws springs to mind, he's hardly going to be frowning, is he? As for the supposed "time and effort" - that is all well and good if he's been doing a good job, but he hasn't, from the very minute he stepped foot inside this football club.

In his main duties as Chairman he has got rid of the football people at this club (Steve Stride etc) and hired non-football people to run us with disastrous consequences. He has spent so unsustainably that at one stage a couple of seasons ago we had a larger wage bill than Spurs despite them quite clearly having a far superior squad in terms of quality and depth. And he has made two of the worst managerial appointments this club has ever seen, wasting yet more millions on illogical compensation payoffs and long-term contracts.

He does not have a clue about how to run this, or any, sports franchise and I'm very surprised so many people still can't see the wood for the trees. Nothing he has done, as we hover on the brink of relegation in a worse state than when he took over, suggests we should still be giving him our backing.

Why would anyone give a flying **** about what Richard Dunne thinks?

Youngsters are affected by booing? Do me a favour. You only have to look at their Twitter accounts these days to see they can give it out just as much as they take it (Barry Bannan being just one example). Not to mention that any dissent has been firmly directed at the manager anyway.

I don't know why people hide behind that pathetic excuse about lowering morale. As far as I can see, morale is at an all-time low anyway.

All that said, I am firmly in favour of a protest outside the ground before Spurs but when that whistle blows we do need to give the team our support. And pack Villa Park for once, after all it could well be our last home game in the Premier League.

I don't think he fully grasps English football, there are just some things you don't do to supporters and he's made some awful decisions this year and if they don't show he lacks respect then it must mean he lacks understanding.

Totally agree. But then I didn't after 5 years of following it and still don't after, er, slightly, ahem, more than that.

I think that his motives are right, his passion for the game and the club is there, but yes, you're spot on, some decisions betray a lack of depth of understanding the thing. That's what you get with a new owner.

What exactly makes you think his passion is there? Say what you like about Sir Doug but, despite now being very frail, he still attends every game without fail. Where the hell has Lerner been since the going has got tough?

Nothing he has done suggests to me he has much passion for the club. A Villa henna tattoo, a pub referb, and a few carefully placed mosaics will not convince me otherwise.

I think this whole situation, and the downward spiral we've now been on for the past 2.5 years has slowly driven a lot of our fans insane, I really do. I know it has certainly stretched my mental capacity at times.

But fans saying they secretly want to lose?

Saying it would be good to tick off new grounds?

Saying they are resigned "to a few years" in the Championship?

What total and utter bollocks. I can't believe I'm reading these comments from fans of this once great Club. How low Aston Villa have sunk in such a short time. And these are the fans I'd suggest our turbulant times have got the better of - because it is just illogical, defeatist and downright stupid talk to say such things.

We are as vulnerable as the next football club in the modern day era. We have no god given right to go down and come back up again. Relegation would be an absolute disaster, in all likelihood. This season, above all others, has shown how massive football clubs (Rangers FC) can quite easily face complete extinction. This is why we should be, as supporters, doing everything we can to make sure we remain in England's top flight. So many years in the top flight has clearly made some people take the Premier League for granted but, trust me, when you're attending Barnsley at home on a cold Tuesday night, with 25,000 max Villa in attendance, you'll soon be wishing we had one of the Sky Four to play the following weekend.

We may have forgotton this, thanks to our manager, but football is about winning. Football is about being in the Premier League and that's where we need to stay otherwise we may never come back. "Be careful what you wish for" is a phrase which needs to ring true with certain people and I'm sure fans of many Football League clubs would tell some of us to give our heads a wobble if we somehow think relegation from the PL is a good thing.

What if relegation ultimately lands us in the same situation as Portsmouth and we eventually go bust? Then you won't have ANY games to 'tick off'.

I just want to shake some Villa fans and shout: "wake the **** up!"

**** off Lerner you parasite. You've just relegated Aston Villa Football Club.

Well said that man. But we're Aston Villa, we're 'above' protesting, did you not know that?

tone down the posts ffs, no doubt some of the ones posting such vitriol were licking his balls a couple seasons ago...

Agreed. He is definitely part to blame for this huge mess we're in, but I'm not going to go OTT with it like others because I was praising him for 3 or 4 years.

In the same way everyone was happy as larry under Labour in the Boom and Bust years. Look how that ended up...

One word: Unsustainable.

Relegation could be a blessing in disguise. Worked wonders at Newcastle.

I think Kev Mac would do well in the Championship with a lot of the youth team and it'd possibly prepare him for the Premiership.

Silver lining and all that.

Yeah you're right, because it worked wonders at Leeds United, Coventry City, Charlton Athletic, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Portsmouth, Derby County etc didn't it!?

Who even says Kevin Mac would get the job? Massive assumption based on no facts whatsoever.

When Newcastle went down they were in a better situation financially and with a bigger fanbase behind them. If we go down, I can't see us returning any time soon. Our Club is in turmoil from top to bottom, crowds would dip to around 25,000 (almost half of what Newcastle got in the second tier), and all our senior players would in all likelihood be sold.

I don't see much silver lining at all to be honest.

tone down the posts ffs, no doubt some of the ones posting such vitriol were licking his balls a couple seasons ago...

yes i am completely disillusioned with Lerners owenership, yes he had cocked things up royally and seems to be making one massive misjudgement after another, but theres no need for some of the posts im seeing here.

he has still pumped millions of his own cash into the club, money he wont be getting back. and i have no doubt that despite his mistakes he has the best interests of avfc at heart...

that being said its utterly terrifying how crap he seems to be at running a club! He needs to get some decent advisors on board to tell him some hard truths,and ideally either pass it on or get onboard another party whp can give us the financial investment we need...

unbelievable how quick things change....we doing a semi leeds united, from touching the champions league to the championshop within a couple of years.....

Millions of his father's inheritance don't you mean? And pissed it all up the wall royally in the process! The best interests of Villa at heart? Don't make me laugh! A Villa henna tattoo and a load of wealth won't fool me.

Licking his balls? Unfortunately many Villa fans were and still seem to think this liability of a man can do no wrong, admittedly. I'm glad to say i'm not one of them.

^^^^^Post of the year.

I hate Randy Lerner. Hate him. He is fully responsible for this god awful mess and I will never forgive him.

Calm down? Are you McLeish?

Owner supports McLeish despite loss

Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish insisted he received positive support from club owner Randy Learner after fans called for the Scot to be sacked after a 2-1 home defeat by Bolton Wanderers.

Is anything else needed to mobilise the Villa fan base into action?

Don't want to sound like a rioting student protester here, but something needs to be done. Our fanbase has been far too patient this season, for far too long.

Lerner and McLeish are taking us down.

http://www.espnstar.com/football/premier-league/news/detail/item792013/McLeish:-I-have-Villa-owner's-support/

(Can't do short links. I have tried. And yes, I realise you think it's easy)

Lerner has given him his backing? His backing? I am lost for words. If anyone needed any more evidence that Mr Lerner is the real man taking this club down, then this is it.

Disgraceful. Illogical. Farcical.

Completely stunned by how remarkably similar this season is panning out to small heaths last year when the utter ginger turd dragged them down to the championship. How can this continue? Please, please, please someone explain how things have been allowed to continue in this fashion for so long? I am in a complete state of shock at that second half capitulation.

What on earth are randy lerner and paul faulkener thinking?

This needs addressing NOW, he must go NOW or we will turn into another leeds, sheffield wednesday and tumble down the leagues into oblivion. The way we seem to be heamoriging money, the massive drop in attendances due to the turgid performances and that KNOB in charge we truely are **** doomed I feel.

How can I face my workmates tomorrow? How can I defend our team? It feels like we are a ship dead in the water with the waves lashing over our bows, ready to take us into the murky depths with all on board to a dark, gloomy watery grave.

Why are you posting this on every thread I've been on?

I dont think we will go down. I think we will survive by default. I just cant see the other 4 teams below us all doing enough to leap frog us.

That said, there is a very real chance it could happen and if it does then Que sera sera. Randy Lerner came to this club and inherited a very poor football team. He has spent circa 150m pounds on the club and 5/6 years down the road now has a team of less ability than the one he started with. Staggering.

In Alex Mcleish, Villa have potentially the worst manager to have ever graced the division. Hideous to all 5 senses the man will take us down next season if not this one. The mans position was untenable the day he stepped foot into villa park and this hasn't changed since. Every football fan knew it was a disaster the moment the decision was announced yet Mr Lerner decided he knew best and paid Birmingham City for the privilege.

The club is a complete shambles from head to toe. If we go down, it will be no more than Lerner deserves, its just a shame the great fans of this club have to witness it. Mr Lerner/Alex Mcleish will eventually leave this club with millions of pounds in there pockets and we will be left to pick up the pieces.

AVFC is rotten down to the core.

Up the Villa.

Mcleish/Lerner Out.

Never a truer word spoken.

Get the **** out of my Club Lerner, and take the mess with you.

Lerner should be glad he didn't buy an italian team because the fans there make their owners answer for their actions, just look at what happened in Genoa today where the fans stormed the pitch and demanded the players hand over their jerseys as they deemed them unfit to wear the teams colors. Their owner (Preziosi) had to take the field to try and calm things down.

http://www.football-italia.net/17972/chaos-genoa-siena-halted

Not saying it's the way to go but at least the Genoa fans are making it painfully clear to their owner and players how they feel.

So should we!

Health and safety regulations wouldn't allow it mate.

And what do you know about health and safety regulations?

:?

:? x2

Lerner should be glad he didn't buy an italian team because the fans there make their owners answer for their actions, just look at what happened in Genoa today where the fans stormed the pitch and demanded the players hand over their jerseys as they deemed them unfit to wear the teams colors. Their owner (Preziosi) had to take the field to try and calm things down.

http://www.football-italia.net/17972/chaos-genoa-siena-halted

Not saying it's the way to go but at least the Genoa fans are making it painfully clear to their owner and players how they feel.

So should we!

Health and safety regulations wouldn't allow it mate.