Tony Xia (no longer involved with AVFC)

[Eastie]

5 minutes ago, mykeyb said:

I am pretty sure that rich business men dont stay rich business men by pouring money into a football club in the hope that at some point in the future the brand is valuable enough to be of enough worth to either keep as some kind of status symbol or sell and hope to recoup the investment with a return.

I am hoping the lack of investment is because they realised that Bruce wasnt going to cut it and so reduced funds but do wonder if this is all about self-sufficiency and the Dr hoping we can gain promotion in the next couple of years and then he will offload us.

I think the lack of spending is down to ffp , let's remember we brought 8 players in in January so 12 have come in the last 2 windows - the players bought should be more than enough - it the manager who needs to get them playing !

[Eastie]

2 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I'm ok with people being unconvinced.

But those who have already turned on him, I can't understand.

What do people want from him?

Steve bruce to be  sacked ?

Edited August 17, 2017 by Eastie

[sne]

1 minute ago, Stevo985 said:

I'm ok with people being unconvinced.

But those who have already turned on him, I can't understand.

What do people want from him?

To sack Bruce, Calderwood, Wyness and possibly Round?

Think it's too early to turn on Xia, he has put in a lot of effort and money into the club. Problem being the people he has employed has been poor.

Unless he correct this I can see why people would start to question his decisions .

[Stevo985]

7 minutes ago, Eastie said:

Steve bruce to be  sacked ?

 

6 minutes ago, sne said:

To sack Bruce, Calderwood, Wyness and possibly Round?

Think it's too early to turn on Xia, he has put in a lot of effort and money into the club. Problem being the people he has employed has been poor.

Unless he correct this I can see why people would start to question his decisions .

Well yes, quite. But I think he undoubtedly will unless Bruce miraculously turns this around.

I don't think sacking Bruce slightly later than someone personally desires is enough to turn on the chairman.

And are the people he's employed so bad?
Yes ultimately we've made a poor managerial choice, but given that Bruce's appointment was roundly applauded at the time and it's end result has been pretty unpredictable, can that choice really be derided so much? I'm not sure it can. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Plus, we don't see 90% of what these guys do. We're judging the entire outcome of who Xia has employed by events on the pitch.

 

For all we know, Xia might sack Bruce, employ a new manager and we go up at the end of the season with exactly the same people Xi has appointed in place.

 

 

It's too soon to be so negative against the chairman, imo.

[sne]

40 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

 

Well yes, quite. But I think he undoubtedly will unless Bruce miraculously turns this around.

I don't think sacking Bruce slightly later than someone personally desires is enough to turn on the chairman.

And are the people he's employed so bad?
Yes ultimately we've made a poor managerial choice, but given that Bruce's appointment was roundly applauded at the time and it's end result has been pretty unpredictable, can that choice really be derided so much? I'm not sure it can. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Plus, we don't see 90% of what these guys do. We're judging the entire outcome of who Xia has employed by events on the pitch.

 

For all we know, Xia might sack Bruce, employ a new manager and we go up at the end of the season with exactly the same people Xi has appointed in place.

 

 

It's too soon to be so negative against the chairman, imo.

As I wrote, I agree. Too early.

As for his appointments you are right, we only see the football side of things.

But the way they have made Xia's £60-100m investments in players disappear or decrease in value would be bordering on criminal  had it not been football.

As for Bruce, he was a "safe" appointment and I can see why the one's running the club would choose him. They are part of the same football family.

I've never disliked Bruce, but I've always seen him as a bit of a joke, like McLeish, McClaren or Woy. He would not have been on any list of potential managers I had.

But that's preference and taste in football.

[MikeMcKenna]

3 hours ago, Jareth said:

What hype? He is a billionaire businessman who owns Recon group which owns a shed load of companies. How can that accomplishment fall outside of the definition of 'super-smart'?  The guy has literally just turned 40 as well, who on this planet has currently achieved as much as him? This all just smacks of a plain old unfounded grudge.

"old unfounded grudge" 

Nope. I have had my doubts from the very start and nothing has changed my mind. I don't bear grudges but judge people based on results and track record. You think he is amongst the greatest achievers on the planet, whereas I don't and remain highly sceptical. I don't believe in glorifying owners because they have spent money. I will reserve my congratulations for when and if AVFC returns to the PL. 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2017 by MikeMcKenna

[peterms]

1 hour ago, Stevo985 said:

I'm ok with people being unconvinced.

But those who have already turned on him, I can't understand.

What do people want from him?

What I would like from an owner, if we must have one rather than clubs being owned by supporters, is steady, patient, long-term investment based on a strategic plan that makes sense.

What we've seen from him is pretty substantial investment, what seems to be a series of questionable appointments, a strategy which seems short term rather than long term (for example appointing a manager who could only ever be about a quick promotion rather than a long term plan - though that hasn't worked, as it happens), and some lies about the involvement a year ago of some dick whose name I forget who was all about asset-stripping clubs and shafting the fans, who is now mercifully off the scene.

What I don't know is why he's involved with the club at all, what resources he really has, and how long-term his involvement is going to be.  I suspect he became involved for domestic commercial and political reasons, responding to the Chinese government's call for people to buy into football clubs abroad, in the hope that there would be business benefits back home, maybe in development or something else, from going along with this call.

My concern is that he may not be here for the long term, as I can see no particular reason why he might be, and if so there is the possibility of yet further disruption.

What I don't buy is the line that he's a massively wealthy and brilliant businessman who is here because he loves the club.  I've no idea what the real story is, but I don't find the PR line very convincing, and never have.

[Jareth]

3 hours ago, MikeMcKenna said:

"old unfounded grudge" 

Nope. I have had my doubts from the very start and nothing has changed my mind. I don't bear grudges but judge people based on results and track record. You think he is amongst the greatest achievers on the planet, whereas I don't and remain highly sceptical. I don't believe in glorifying owners because they have spent money. I will reserve my congratulations for when and if AVFC returns to the PL. 

 

 

Yer said Tony was claiming to be a billionaire businessman - that's not the same as waiting till he impresses you, you were on the attack and revelling in undermining the guy. 

[MikeMcKenna]

2 hours ago, Jareth said:

Yer said Tony was claiming to be a billionaire businessman - that's not the same as waiting till he impresses you, you were on the attack and revelling in undermining the guy. 

Really? "Billionaires" are often fabrications in China and I don't believe he is one - but frankly I don't give a shit whether he is or not. I have plenty of experience of rich Chinese business people - do you? Many are not who they seem, prone to exaggerating their worth and more importantly business skills. Xia's tweet was arrogant and amateur. 

 Xia has actually had a shit start compared to Lerner but as usual some fans cannot accept any criticism. Lerner rightly got slammed for signing crap managers and Xia has seemingly struck out on both his appointments. 

As for "revelling in undermining the guy" - give it a rest. My comments on a fan forum may piss you and others off but they will have no impact on Xia's ownership.

 

 

 

[Jareth]

3 minutes ago, MikeMcKenna said:

 I have plenty of experience of rich Chinese business people - do you? Many are not who they seem, prone to exaggerating their worth and more importantly business skills.

Oh hello! Here is the issue. You have just said that you are basing Tony on your experience of Chinese business people. You may as well have said they are all the same. Here's an idea, maybe all brummie business people are all the same, all landlocked and away from the seaside, and negative and generalising. I'd hate to assume that. 

[MikeMcKenna]

3 minutes ago, Jareth said:

Oh hello! Here is the issue. You have just said that you are basing Tony on your experience of Chinese business people. You may as well have said they are all the same. Here's an idea, maybe all brummie business people are all the same, all landlocked and away from the seaside, and negative and generalising. I'd hate to assume that. 

And maybe you are naive or willfully ignorant of the fact that I said "many" rather than all. This is rather like déjà vu. Lerner was a crap businessman and owner yet many fans bigged him up for years because he was a billionaire and spent hundreds of millions. What has Xia done so far? 

I support AVFC, not the owner, manager or players. They earn respect through achieving success. 

[Jareth]

1 minute ago, MikeMcKenna said:

And maybe you are naive or willfully ignorant of the fact that I said "many" rather than all.

Go on then, give us a case study of a Chinese business person who you have respect for...

[MikeMcKenna]

20 minutes ago, Jareth said:

Go on then, give us a case study of a Chinese business person who you have respect for...

You are boring me now. Good night.

[Jareth]

Just now, MikeMcKenna said:

You are boring me now. Good night.

Good night to you sir, and your dreams of a world where Chinese business-men are some distant alien threat, sleep well, in the 1970s, and when you awake, just remember that when you see someone who doesn't look like you, or is as narrow mined as you, just remember they might support the villa and not be full of prejudice.  

[AvfcRigo82]

8 hours ago, mykeyb said:

I am hoping the lack of investment is because they realised that Bruce wasnt going to cut it and so reduced funds

Yes. This I agree.

8 hours ago, mykeyb said:

But do wonder if this is all about self-sufficiency and the Dr hoping we can gain promotion in the next couple of years and then he will offload us.

I doubt that and don't agree.

The Dr. has already stated his commitment to make us a force.

I still believe this and cannot see him just giving up.

[MrDuck]

9 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

It's too soon to be so negative against the chairman, imo.

 

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too soon

[Kiwivillan]

10 hours ago, Eastie said:

I think the lack of spending is down to ffp , let's remember we brought 8 players in in January so 12 have come in the last 2 windows - the players bought should be more than enough - it the manager who needs to get them playing !

It's exactly this. There's been so many articles the last few months how we're limited on spending due to FFP and some people still think it's just Tony doesn't want to spend money

[DCJonah]

I've got no problem with the spending and investment by Xia so far. It's been outstanding for our level 

But the RDM appointment and then decision to stick with Bruce at the moment is making me lose faith that he's going to be much better than the last owner when it comes to important decisions. 

We're already 8 points off automatic promotion and after tomorrow there's every chance it could be 11. That's starting to become a massive gap already and we look nowhere near a team capable of closing it. 

[Tommo_b]

13 hours ago, peterms said:

What I would like from an owner, if we must have one rather than clubs being owned by supporters, is steady, patient, long-term investment based on a strategic plan that makes sense.

What we've seen from him is pretty substantial investment, what seems to be a series of questionable appointments, a strategy which seems short term rather than long term (for example appointing a manager who could only ever be about a quick promotion rather than a long term plan - though that hasn't worked, as it happens), and some lies about the involvement a year ago of some dick whose name I forget who was all about asset-stripping clubs and shafting the fans, who is now mercifully off the scene.

What I don't know is why he's involved with the club at all, what resources he really has, and how long-term his involvement is going to be.  I suspect he became involved for domestic commercial and political reasons, responding to the Chinese government's call for people to buy into football clubs abroad, in the hope that there would be business benefits back home, maybe in development or something else, from going along with this call.

My concern is that he may not be here for the long term, as I can see no particular reason why he might be, and if so there is the possibility of yet further disruption.

What I don't buy is the line that he's a massively wealthy and brilliant businessman who is here because he loves the club.  I've no idea what the real story is, but I don't find the PR line very convincing, and never have.

Whilst I agree he probably bought the club to curry favour and possibly try get a slice of that champions league money, I do also believe that he now has Villa in his heart, for example if I had bought Hereford United and invested some big money into them, I would probably start to love them as they would be my club that I've invested time and money into and I'd want to We them reach the premier league.

[USA_Villa]

I will re-iterate a previous post. Dr Xia, please do not allow Steve Bruce to make any signings. His plan for the Villa consists of buying what he believes are the best players available, throwing them on the field and hoping it works. It doesn't. Look at Hogan, Dean Smith played to his strengths and he was one of the leagues top scorers. He comes here and it's like we've tied his boot laces together.

I'm begging, do not allow the man to make any more signings and get rid as soon as possible.