The 2016 Takeover Thread

[Rob182]

Thanks@Deisler123 for those translated comments. I like that he's said they'll suggest young Chinese players to the manager. We have a direct link to that part of the world now, and it'll be great to exploit it by attracting more fans from over there.

On a different note, and nothing you've said Deisler, I'm disappointed to have seen a number of 'better fan' comments in the last 12 hours. Because some fans are willing to embrace the way that modern football clubs are funded and operated, does not mean that we're worse fans, or sheep, or happy to destroy the soul of Aston Villa. Sometimes you have to just roll with the punches.

This is the way football has changed, like many other ways it has changed over the years, and some clubs need to embrace it if they want to stay at the top level of football. I'm not going to stop following football and the team that I love, because our new owner appears to be making changes that many current teams have made to keep us (get us!) back to where we all want us to be in the league.

As others have said, a possible name change to Lotus Villa Park isn't a drastic change like building and naming a brand new stadium would be. The name 'Villa Park' will still be used by everyone other than Gary Lineker and Jeff Stelling. Currently Villa Park is plastered in adverts for Fiat, ViaGogo or whatever else, so if Xia wants to swap those adverts for adverts that he benefits from, and he can use as a tool to fund Aston Villa, I'm fine with that.

[Neil]

5 minutes ago, Rob182 said:

On a different note, and nothing you've said Deisler, I'm disappointed to have seen a number of 'better fan' comments in the last 12 hours. Because some fans are willing to embrace the way that modern football clubs are funded and operated, does not mean that we're worse fans, or sheep, or happy to destroy the soul of Aston Villa. Sometimes you have to just roll with the punches.

This is the way football has changed, like many other ways it has changed over the years, and some clubs need to embrace it if they want to stay at the top level of football. I'm not going to stop following football and the team that I love, because our new owner appears to be making changes that many current teams have made to keep us (get us!) back to where we all want us to be in the league

To those who think we're not sticking with tradition, you'd think that Aston villa were traditionally a club used to being the worst footballing team on the planet.  A team that's happy with relegation form with who's only outlook was dropping even further.

For the most parts, to be successful now you have to compete with the sheiks of man city, the Russians of Chelsea even the Americans of liverplop...willing to make large sums of money available.  Tell you even Leicester, people forget they're owned by a Thai billionaire.

Unless my memory of history is skewed, Aston villa likes to have its tradition of being successful and only recent years has it been the worst ever.  To continue that tradition it had to bring in someone outside to give us a platform to compete from.

[Ginko]

Totally agree Rob. In an ideal world I'm sure we'd all love for it to just be about the football and that the corporate side of things have sucked the soul out of the game but it's just the way things are done nowadays.

Personally I'm rather excited at the fact we have a new owner with such a vast business portfolio because we can finally benefit from some of these huge sponsorship deals the big boys all have and finally make FFP work in our favour.

It's not like we haven't been selling out to businesses for years already but at least now we can really benefit from doing so. 

[Jarpie]

I'm glad we (probably) have progressively thinking new owner, the football clubs can't be run like they were ran in the past. I've followed both premier league and NHL for years, and I have noticed difference between how the teams are run in both, and I have to say that english football clubs could learn thing or two from the north american teams...or franchises as they're called in there.

I know the culture is different, but in today's world you have to run the clubs in much more "business"-like fashion, and PR should go much further than just your own fans or the england/UK. Just making AVTV free would be a decent start, nowdays making video service where you show highlights, interviews etc subscription based is IMO hindering your own visibility. I might be wrong, but AFAIK all NHL teams own video-sections are free, even the highlights. Any potential new fans who comes to see the website first goes to see the video section, and the highlights and other videos.

I know it costs to produce the videos but the potential PR benefit would make it worh the cost IMO, and I hope they'll revamp Villa's website too, as it looks a bit too "busy" and not eyecatching.

This takeover would be incredible opportunity to get publicity and PR, and I imagine that's why Dr. Xia is doing all those interviews, you gotta make it a big thing to get into the news and create a positive wibe around it. The new progressive take on the club and getting a good wibe makes it easier to attract new sponsors and partners around, which is not easy as we'll be playing in the championship next season, but you use what you can.

When Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg, and brought back "my team" in NHL, Winnipeg Jets, they (IIRC) made it into the big thing, and created a good buzz about it.

[Jareth]

8 hours ago, Deisler123 said:

'we will recommend a few talents chinese youth players to the club, but the coach has final decision. We will not just send them to the club '

I think this is a great idea, always have since Chinese ownership was mentioned. If we can integrate the best of emerging Chinese talent in our youth system, in two or three years we could have some great prospects ready to go and shirt sales like nobody has ever seen before. Every club has done it at one point or other, cynically just for shirt sales, but we could genuinely benefit from this system when it comes to the squad.

[alreadyexists]

Also... He hasn't actually done anything wrong yet! He hasn't renamed the stadium, or moved us, or called us silly names. He hasn't done anything right either, but he has said some things that I agree with and things that I'm more skeptical about. Why don't we wait and see and judge him and his ownership on actions, results and what actually happens rather than some projected image (for good or for bad). Nothing wrong with hope though, at the end of the day I think that's all supporting is about for me, the hope of something different/better. No matter how good we've been (I wasn't alive in 82) I've always hoped for more, however unrealistic. The bottom line is I love this club, and wherever it goes I'll follow.

[sexbelowsound]

The only way a name change truly sticks is when it is given to a new stadium. It'll always be Villa Park and will be called as such by fans and traditionalists. If the simple addition of 'Lotus' in front of the current name is all that happens and it helps us to compete in the modern game then I really can't see any negatives.

I don't think I'd mind if he changed it to Dr Xia's magical fun land to be honest.

Edited May 20, 2016 by sexbelowsound

[Demitri_C]

In one day Dr Xia has done more interviews than Lerner has in 10 years. #GoTeamXia

[chrisvilla4]

I live in Yorkshire (born and bred Brummie from Handsworth and Kingstanding) been supporting Villa almost all my life (I'm 40 now). 

My son is 5 and has just started football sessions in his villa kit alongside other kids in Barcelona, Real Madrid, man city etc kits. My concern was as he gets older how am I going to be able to get him to support my beloved team and hopefully his kids after him in the current state we are in? 

This takeover could change so much for us and the future of Aston Villa (without getting carried away of course) in that it makes us relevant and exciting again. Yes there may be changes (Lotus etc) and people won't like it but in life you have to adapt and change or you will be stuck in a rut as we have been. 

If we are at least competing again and not getting spanked by Arsenal 4-0 every season hopefully my son and many like him in Birmingham and beyond will be supporting Villa instead of Man city etc. 

Players, managers and owners come and go and things change but villa fans will always be VTID. 

[sexbelowsound]

4 minutes ago, chrisvilla4 said:

I live in Yorkshire (born and bred Brummie from Handsworth and Kingstanding) been supporting Villa almost all my life (I'm 40 now). 

My son is 5 and has just started football sessions in his villa kit alongside other kids in Barcelona, Real Madrid, man city etc kits. My concern was as he gets older how am I going to be able to get him to support my beloved team and hopefully his kids after him in the current state we are in? 

This takeover could change so much for us and the future of Aston Villa (without getting carried away of course) in that it makes us relevant and exciting again. Yes there may be changes (Lotus etc) and people won't like it but in life you have to adapt and change or you will be stuck in a rut as we have been. 

If we are at least competing again and not getting spanked by Arsenal 4-0 every season hopefully my son and many like him in Birmingham and beyond will be supporting Villa instead of Man city etc. 

Players, managers and owners come and go and things change but villa fans will always be VTID. 

Through bribery. Who is going to buy him kits if you don't?

When I have kids if I can get them to support Villa through thick and thin I'll be chuffed because that kid will have learned some really solid life lessons.

Edited May 20, 2016 by sexbelowsound

[Daweii]

16 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

In one day Dr Xia has done more interviews than Lerner has in 10 years. #GoTeamXia

I think there is a middle ground here and I'm sure we'll find it soon enough. If he talks too much he'll wind up pissing us off in due time. Just imagine if this is standard for Xia interviews every other week blabbing about transfer budgets and the criteria that gets the manager sacked. It's one thing to have an absurdly rich owner but if every club is like "our player is £120 million for you" or every club tries harder knowing a loss puts us 7th and gets the manager sacked. Sometimes keeping quiet also helps. That said I get that he's a new owner and every media company wants an interview I just hope it dies down a bit over time.

[kurtsimonw]

16 minutes ago, chrisvilla4 said:

I live in Yorkshire (born and bred Brummie from Handsworth and Kingstanding) been supporting Villa almost all my life (I'm 40 now). 

My son is 5 and has just started football sessions in his villa kit alongside other kids in Barcelona, Real Madrid, man city etc kits. My concern was as he gets older how am I going to be able to get him to support my beloved team and hopefully his kids after him in the current state we are in? 

Make him sleep in the shed until he signs a life contract as a Villa fan.

[Jareth]

18 minutes ago, chrisvilla4 said:

I live in Yorkshire (born and bred Brummie from Handsworth and Kingstanding) been supporting Villa almost all my life (I'm 40 now). 

My son is 5 and has just started football sessions in his villa kit alongside other kids in Barcelona, Real Madrid, man city etc kits. My concern was as he gets older how am I going to be able to get him to support my beloved team and hopefully his kids after him in the current state we are in? 

This takeover could change so much for us and the future of Aston Villa (without getting carried away of course) in that it makes us relevant and exciting again. Yes there may be changes (Lotus etc) and people won't like it but in life you have to adapt and change or you will be stuck in a rut as we have been. 

Same here, he's 3 and I had the prospect of seeing him in a barca shirt or worse still another club from England - this takeover has literally improved future life quality for me 10 fold - the effects of football are often underestimated! 

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

so how involved are the guvmint

[mjmooney]

So, he can sack the manager if we're not in the top six? If that's a true quote, he's an idiot and we're heading for embarrassment. 

[Godders]

6 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

So, he can sack the manager if we're not in the top six? If that's a true quote, he's an idiot and we're heading for embarrassment. 

Why is he an idiot for implying he's going to incentivise success? We've all been moaning how players aren't trying, don't give a rats arse about the club or the fans etc.

Our new owner says he wants to reserve the right to sack his manager if he thinks he/she is underperforming. Thats all he's saying here. Setting the expectation that he expects the club to be top 6 means everyone can work towards that. 

I'm incentivised for succeeding in my job and hitting my objectives, and it's clear to me that missing those objectives means my job is on the line. Why should football operate any differently? 

[Demitri_C]

12 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

So, he can sack the manager if we're not in the top six? If that's a true quote, he's an idiot and we're heading for embarrassment. 

Where has he said that?

[sharkyvilla]

1 minute ago, Godders said:

Why is he an idiot for implying he's going to incentivise success? We've all been moaning how players aren't trying, don't give a rats arse about the club or the fans etc.

Our new owner says he wants to reserve the right to sack his manager if he thinks he/she is underperforming. Thats all he's saying here. Setting the expectation that he expects the club to be top 6 means everyone can work towards that. 

I'm incentivised for succeeding in my job and hitting my objectives, and it's clear to me that missing those objectives means my job is on the line. Why should football operate any differently? 

I think mooney's made his mind up this takeover won't be a good thing, which is fair enough.  If it means we won't have to pay out millions in compo if the manager falls up short, then it sounds a good idea to me.  Depends on how realistic Xia is and how quick we see expected to shoot up the leagues.

[Phumfeinz]

I assume that Dr. Xia meant that if we finish the season below 6th then he'll look at firing the manager, and not that he'll fire the manager during the season if at any time we drop below 6th.

I hope that's what he meant.

[sexbelowsound]

Just now, Phumfeinz said:

I assume that Dr. Xia meant that if we finish the season below 6th then he'll look at firing the manager, and not that he'll fire the manager during the season if at any time we drop below 6th.

I hope that's what he meant.

Of course that's what he meant.