Manager Paul Lambert

[Mantis]

Would anyone else agree that we dropped a clanger in not getting Barry in on loan in the summer

 

He was available and would have walked straight into our midfield bringing much needed experience and steel

 

While I agree he would walk straight into our midfield, no I wouldn't say they "dropped a clanger" because we don't know know whether getting Barry on loan was actually a viable option.

[Avflife]

 

could of been

Was calling yourself a journalist an ironic joke?

 

Haha definitely, I haven't been published in the Birmingham Mail for starters for nothing  Barry should of been brought back in the Summer without doubt, dominated the midfield in the game against us and Chelsea as well.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Avflife

[praisedmambo]

 

He told O'Neill continually that he had to bring the wages under control at some point because it was unsustainable at its current level. Transfer window after transfer window, Lerner to his own detriment continued to fund O'Neill's purchases beyond the point that was reasonable or sensible.

If true what a weak and pathetic owner who had no balls to stand up to a man he employs or thought about the future of his investment.

Since then, through Houllier's tenure and McLeish's tenure we have tried to bring the running costs of the club back down to a level commensurate with our income

Like signing a 35 year old keeper on a massive 5 year deal? Or give Stephen Ireland a £70,000 a week contract when no manager was around.

Your first theory would have more credibility if we didn't continue to do what we did under MoN for two more years. Also again look at the damage the owner did, while trying to bring spending down we have to pay £16 million in compensation due to the owners terrible mistakes.

I agree with other parts of your post but most of it is based on this rather hopeful assumption that the current owner want anything more than surviving on the cheap.

Unfortunatley I can see the fans turning on lambert before they turn on Lerner.

 

I don't know if you've considered this, but there is a contradiction here. If the current owner was only after surviving on the cheap, then why did he sign a 35 year old goalkeeper (who to be fair came with a great reputation) on a massive 5 year deal, and why did he sign Stephen Ireland on a £70,000 a week contract.

 

Now I'm not saying they were good ideas, but they don't seem to be the decisions of a chairman who is after nothing more than surviving on the cheap. If Given and Ireland had managed to justify their paypackets (especially Ireland) during the length of their respective contracts, then it is very possible we would be doing much better than 'surviving' the way we have the last few years. 

 

Bad decisions have definitely been made which have affected things, but I don't agree with any of this sensational 'Lerner is turning us into a two-bit joke'-esque arguments that are going around. The current financial situation has come about from a complicated few years at the club and requires more than black and white thinking. 

Edited November 6, 2013 by praisedmambo

[TRO]

I don't know if you've considered this, but there is a contradiction here. If the current owner was only after surviving on the cheap, then why did he sign a 35 year old goalkeeper (who to be fair came with a great reputation) on a massive 5 year deal, and why did he sign Stephen Ireland on a £70,000 a week contract.

 

Now I'm not saying they were good ideas, but they don't seem to be the decisions of a chairman who is after anything more than surviving on the cheap. If Given and Ireland had managed to justify their paypackets (especially Ireland) during the length of their respective contracts, then it is very possible we would be doing much better than 'surviving' the way we have the last few years. 

 

Bad decisions have definitely been made which have affected things, but I don't agree with any of this sensational 'Lerner is turning us into a two-bit joke'-esque arguments that are going around. The current financial situation has come about from a complicated few years at the club and requires more than black and white thinking. 

 

....spot on.

[Richard]

Would anyone else agree that we dropped a clanger in not getting Barry in on loan in the summer

 

He was available and would have walked straight into our midfield bringing much needed experience and steel

thing about Gareth was he never had pace so didn't have it to lose. He always relied on his brain and I would agree it us something we could definitely do with now

[Keyblade]

A win gives people short memories

 

So do losses. Weird phenomenon.

[Keyblade]

 

 

could of been

Was calling yourself a journalist an ironic joke?

 

Haha definitely, I haven't been published in the Birmingham Mail for starters for nothing  Barry should of been brought back in the Summer without doubt, dominated the midfield in the game against us and Chelsea as well.

 

 

Oh man

[VillaCas]

 

 

could of been

Was calling yourself a journalist an ironic joke?

 

Haha definitely, I haven't been published in the Birmingham Mail for starters for nothing  Barry should of been brought back in the Summer without doubt, dominated the midfield in the game against us and Chelsea as well.

 

 

Letters page?

 

[Robbie09]

 

Would anyone else agree that we dropped a clanger in not getting Barry in on loan in the summer

 

He was available and would have walked straight into our midfield bringing much needed experience and steel

thing about Gareth was he never had pace so didn't have it to lose. He always relied on his brain and I would agree it us something we could definitely do with now

 

 

Gaz Baz would've bought invaluable experience to our midfield but let's be realistic, given a choice between playing for us or Everton it's no guarantee he would've chosen us. 

[VillaCas]

Would anyone else agree that we dropped a clanger in not getting Barry in on loan in the summer

 

He was available and would have walked straight into our midfield bringing much needed experience and steel

 

He was a great player for us, but a return would have been a backward step for me - I don't think we need him to keep us up this year and so I would prefer to use that midfield slot to allow a younger player to develop. I'm sure someone will pipe up that the younger players would benefit from his experience but I believe that they would benefit much more from increased game time

 

I'm expecting that during the summer we will see a more permanent solution to our midfield problem arrive as wages get freed up

[villan_007]

I'm still happy with Lambert and can see what the club are trying to do, still happy to back it.

 

I also think we are close to giving someone a real hiding soon, personally don't think we've clicked this season, but have had enough to see a few games out that we would have lost last year, but at the same time the odd ghosts from the start of last season has shown its face.

[Big_John_10]

He's made mistakes but I can think of a lot worse owners than Randy.

I'd love to see this long list of premiership owners that are clearly worse than Lerner.

Too many to list. That's not to say there aren't a lot of better owners as well though.

You can't honestly believe he's one of the worst Premier League owners?

So list some then.

I do believe it, we're having the worst period I've ever experienced as a fan. You don't think that makes him bad?

Of the current PL owners I'd say definitely Tan, Short, Ashley, Gold & Sullivan and whoever owns Palace. I don't know the ins and outs of all the clubs though so there's a few owners who I have no idea about.

The worst you've experienced. I've experienced worse. It's all about opinion really.

No, I don't think it makes him bad. I think he's very naive but not bad.

How are the palace owners bad owners? And out of that list how many of them are currently above us? So from too many to list to what? 2 or 3?

You've experienced worse? When was that then? I'd love to know the period that's been worse than the last 3 years.

[ChrisVillan]

How are the palace owners bad owners? And out of that list how many of them are currently above us? So from too many to list to what? 2 or 3?

You've experienced worse? When was that then? I'd love to know the period that's been worse than the last 3 years.

 

 

Is this a joke? As if it weren't bad enough to judge almost anything to do with ownership on current league position alone (I know you don't, but this most recent post does factor it in very heavily), you are aware that we haven't been relegated into the third division in the last three years?

[Big_John_10]

I don't know if you've considered this, but there is a contradiction here. If the current owner was only after surviving on the cheap, then why did he sign a 35 year old goalkeeper (who to be fair came with a great reputation) on a massive 5 year deal, and why did he sign Stephen Ireland on a £70,000 a week contract.

I didn't say that's always been the aim. I said that seems to be the aim since lambert arrived. Have a look at last years Xmas period and the position we were in. What happened in January? If that's not proof of surviving on the cheap I don't know what is.

Bad decisions have definitely been made which have affected things, but I don't agree with any of this sensational 'Lerner is turning us into a two-bit joke'-esque arguments that are going around.

In premiership history before Lerner we finished bottom half 3 times. We're looking like finishing bottom half for the 3rd consecutive time. We've had 3 consecutive relegation worried seasons. We've just survived inspite of the owner. I think the evidence supports the kind of club some of us have said we've become.

[Big_John_10]

How are the palace owners bad owners? And out of that list how many of them are currently above us? So from too many to list to what? 2 or 3?

You've experienced worse? When was that then? I'd love to know the period that's been worse than the last 3 years.

Is this a joke? As if it weren't bad enough to judge almost anything to do with ownership on current league position alone (I know you don't, but this most recent post does factor it in very heavily), you are aware that we haven't been relegated into the third division in the last three years?

I wouldn't base it soley on that but at the end of the day in professional sport results are what matter. So while owners obviously do make bad decisions if the results are right it can certainly make up for it.

We haven't been relegated but like I said that's probably inspite of Lerner not because of him. The fact a club like ours has 3 consecutive relegation battles shows how bad he's been.

[Big_John_10]

you are aware that we haven't been relegated into the third division in the last three years?

I misunderstood this first time round.

I was under the impression mantis was not the right age to have experienced that period. I may be wrong though and if that's the case I apologise. However I'm not of that age so that's what my original point of thinking he's one of the worst is based on.

[praisedmambo]

 The current financial situation has come about from a complicated few years at the club and requires more than black and white thinking. 

 

[Big_John_10]

The current financial situation has come about from a complicated few years at the club and requires more than black and white thinking.

That's fine. If you want to ignore what happened last January because it's "complicated" then that's your choice. Also worth adding that even with the tv money set to increase Lerner still decided to give the manager barely and funds when he desperately needed them.

[Mantis]

 

 

 

 

 

He's made mistakes but I can think of a lot worse owners than Randy.

I'd love to see this long list of premiership owners that are clearly worse than Lerner.

Too many to list. That's not to say there aren't a lot of better owners as well though.

You can't honestly believe he's one of the worst Premier League owners?

So list some then.

I do believe it, we're having the worst period I've ever experienced as a fan. You don't think that makes him bad?

Of the current PL owners I'd say definitely Tan, Short, Ashley, Gold & Sullivan and whoever owns Palace. I don't know the ins and outs of all the clubs though so there's a few owners who I have no idea about.

The worst you've experienced. I've experienced worse. It's all about opinion really.

No, I don't think it makes him bad. I think he's very naive but not bad.

How are the palace owners bad owners? And out of that list how many of them are currently above us? So from too many to list to what? 2 or 3?

You've experienced worse? When was that then? I'd love to know the period that's been worse than the last 3 years.

 

 

They've barely spent anything despite needing to to have a chance of staying the league (and spending or lack of it is the main reason why you're so angry at Randy) and supposedly the decision to invest in quantity not quality was the board's choice, not Holloway's.

 

What does league position have to do with it? It literally makes no sense. Does this mean that if we beat Cardiff and other results go our way and we jump up a few places then Randy will suddenly become a better owner than the owners of the clubs we've leapfrogged?

 

 

you are aware that we haven't been relegated into the third division in the last three years?

I misunderstood this first time round.

I was under the impression mantis was not the right age to have experienced that period. I may be wrong though and if that's the case I apologise. However I'm not of that age so that's what my original point of thinking he's one of the worst is based on.

 

 

I'm not, but that doesn't mean I don't think 2005/06 was worse than things are now.

[Zatman]

 

 

 

 

 

He's made mistakes but I can think of a lot worse owners than Randy.

I'd love to see this long list of premiership owners that are clearly worse than Lerner.

Too many to list. That's not to say there aren't a lot of better owners as well though.

You can't honestly believe he's one of the worst Premier League owners?

So list some then.

I do believe it, we're having the worst period I've ever experienced as a fan. You don't think that makes him bad?

Of the current PL owners I'd say definitely Tan, Short, Ashley, Gold & Sullivan and whoever owns Palace. I don't know the ins and outs of all the clubs though so there's a few owners who I have no idea about.

The worst you've experienced. I've experienced worse. It's all about opinion really.

No, I don't think it makes him bad. I think he's very naive but not bad.

How are the palace owners bad owners? And out of that list how many of them are currently above us? So from too many to list to what? 2 or 3?

You've experienced worse? When was that then? I'd love to know the period that's been worse than the last 3 years.

 

 

the 05/06 season was definitely the worst by a long distance