Dodgyknees Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 We've got a thread asking if the time is right to bring in a new manager, so I want to put the other side of the view. Does Lerner need to sell up? He came to the club with what he called a 5 year plan, when somebody tells me they have a plan, this suggests it is something that has been put together with thought and detail. Unfortunately it seems the plan consisted of one single idea.. Spend loads and loads, have the 6th highest wage budget and don't plan for tomorrow. Of course when he realised he couldn't afford it, some three years later, he pulled the plug, MON walked and Lerner went into shutdown, the money dried up. Out of the blue though, we smashed our transfer record, which came months after he had appointed a manager with a poor health record, who hadn't managed in this country for a number of years. Although there were warnings previously about this mans health, Lerner for some reason felt he could manage a massive bunch of egos, who were struggling down near the bottom of the table. Before the end of the season, the manager was back in hospital and by the summer he had been removed from his post with a massive payment. Next up - and strangely - we started hearing rumours about Alex McLeish, which fans did not believe, after all he had just relegated our neighbours with some awful football. But he was appointed and made sure the fans knew there was not enough money to spend and that this was a rebuilding job. He also had to deal with the sale of two influential players, receiving only half the funds in return. Of course, the fans knew what was coming and were right, dire football and a relegation scrap. The odd thing in this is that although we were apparently looking to remove high earners, we have Given a 5 year contract on 50k per week, it seemed the lessons of Beye had still not been learned. Of course, it didn't end well, it was obvious there were a number of players who needed to go, but so did the manager, a terrible appointment. He was removed and received a massive pay off. We were still throwing money at stupid decisions 18 months ago. So Lambert comes in and has to rebuild, two defenders, full backs, central midfield, wingers, strikers, back up players, he needs the lot, whilst trimming this high earning squad. Over 18 months he brings in 16 players at an average of 2.5m each, this is a budget which has to somehow stop us getting relegated. We have heard numerous times before, as soon as the books are balanced and wages are down, we can move on. And they are. £40m would be a great amount if there was a team already there, but the agenda is to get rid of the high earners, leaving a skeleton of below average youth, topped up with players who are not yet strong enough to take games by the scruff of the neck. 40m however, is not enough to build a team from scratch, it means you have to be very lucky and you must be successful with 80% of the players you find. If this was possible, teams would fill their squads with these players - teams who already have good first team players. 40m for a squad is not enough, as seen a few injuries leaves us threadbare and looking very much like a lower league team. In short. There was no plan, we spent money which the chairman didn't have to spend. He realised this was too late, bit still continued with mistakes which cost us financially. Even though cut backs were happening, high fees for Given and others were still paid. The remit of clear the high earners was given, but there was not enough money given in return to replace players, considering we lost 15 including Petrov. The cuts being made are affecting the football side. The cuts being made are stopping us progressing. The cuts which have been made have turned us from a sleeping giant, into one in a coma. Mistakes ranging from one disaster to another, no middle ground, no idea and no proof this man is capable of running a club he apparently loves. So, is it time for him to go? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMAICAN-VILLAN Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Yes. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vandaq Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Yeah, I think so. He also makes the job for Lambert way harder than it should be. He has failed and it is time to move on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted December 22, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted December 22, 2013 Compared to other owners, Lerner is fine. I like that he does his own thing and leaves the club in other people's hands. I wouldn't want some desperate-for-fame dictator like Ashley. The problem is money. He has money, but he is unwilling to spend big. We spend enough to keep us ticking along and no more. I'm not sure if FFP plays a part in our new policy, but whatever the case we'll be relegated before long if we continue spending little on average players. Now, what kind of owner will we get if Lerner moves on? Another Tan? A Sheik? It's a gamble, and I'm not sure I'm willing to take that risk if the PL let any egotistical fool with money run a club. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.I.C.O. Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Abso-bloody-lutely. Lerner has overstayed his welcome here by about 3 years. The guy has'nt been arsed to come over here and watch his own team play for going on 18 months. Something is going desperately wrong for someone to be THAT disinterested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 (edited) Maybe. I'd rather the current owner just invested a little bit more though. Aside from the money he's been alright. I wouldn't want some nutcase coming in here and trying to change the traditions of the club, no matter how much money they spent. Edited December 22, 2013 by Mantis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterfingers Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Yes 100% Lerner clearly isn't interested anymore since the penny dropped that we are not going to be the cash cow for him that he first thought. I heard a story yesterday of Faulkner no longer being interested & has aspirations way above his head, away from Villa. Would be happy to see both go. Investment is desperately needed here, it's no use blaming Lambert given the remit he has to work under. The blame rests firmly at the door of the owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbr600rr Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Merry xmas.. i think unless RL can sell to a very rich person who intends to do a city we might as well stick with RL, i do fear this plan under RL & PL will take us into the championship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 At the moment you'd have to say yes. That could change in the summer though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark8691 Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Definitely. This club is in a coma until he moves on. Of course, a new owner doesn't guarantee that we'll move forwards, but we certainly won't be under the lost Lerner. He came, he saw, he didn't have a clue, he lost his passion and he hid from sight.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted December 22, 2013 Moderator Share Posted December 22, 2013 It got to the point where the Cleveland Browns fans hounded him out too. They were fed up with his record of appointing crap coaches and paying fortunes to replace them too. I keep thinking back to this video a few months before he finally sold up. Could be any one of us outside VP to be honest - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 How are they doing now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted December 22, 2013 Moderator Share Posted December 22, 2013 No idea. I have no interest in the sport whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyM3000 Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 How are they doing now? Of the last 9 games they have won 1 so I'd say not too good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mart-L7 Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 I lost faith in old Randy the moment Alex came in, I've got nothing personal against Alex he a nice bloke but for manage of Villa? WTF was Randy thinking?. Doug would never EVER pull that crap on the club or the fans. The sooner he sells up the better 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabby Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Without a doubt Clearly he want's out too, whats point of owning a club you never see play in person !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tayls Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 (edited) Yes he should sell. The past 4 seasons have been very depressing indeed. Makes me not wanna go watch games, or spend any sort of money relating to villa what so ever. He has no idea how to run a sporting franchise and so therefore should not only be involved with one of the premier leagues founder clubs, but one of Footballs founder clubs! Get out, and sell us to someone who gives a crap! Edited December 22, 2013 by Tayls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted December 22, 2013 Author Share Posted December 22, 2013 Can we have a poll here mods? Stay Sell Unsure ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danwichmann Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 No. We could get lucky an be bought by a billionaire a la Man City and Chelsea, and while I'm sure we'd all enjoy the ride for a while, ultimately it's that sort of massive money that ruins the competitiveness of football and I don't want Villa to be a part of that problem. More likely we'd get bought by some joker like Carson Yeung, Vincent Tan the Venkys or Assem Allam If Villa fans think we'd be better off with any of those, they really have lost the plot and all grasp of reality. The alternative would be some sort of fan buyout, which would be attractive and a definite point of pride for us fans. But I don't think we'd see any more money being invested in the club as it would have to be run sustainably so at best I think we'd see matters on the pitch stay the same, or very likely get worse as the reality of running a financially sustainable Premier League club hits home. I think Lerner has learnt from his mistakes in the past, and has made good investments in terms of the training ground and club infrastructure which are helping us in the longer term. He may have lost some of his enthusiasm but I still see the club as in far better shape than in the last years of Ellis and he isn't sucking out money in the way he did. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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