The Randy Lerner thread

[thetrees]

Is it not commonplace for owners to loan money, rather than give it?

Abramovich certainly loaned money to Chelsea, although I believe that he subsequently wrote it off.

If Mr Lerner is waiving any interest, then I don't see that it makes too much difference. Certainly not too many people were complaining when he 'embarked on 'his' initial plan' and we were signing big money players for fun.

Why would you expect people to have complained back then?

I wouldn't, but then I wouldn't expect people to complain now about back then

What a stupid thing to say.

We didn't have all the facts back then and we didn't see what it would do to the club.

I actually can't believe you wrote that.

Is it not commonplace for owners to loan money, rather than give it?

Abramovich certainly loaned money to Chelsea, although I believe that he subsequently wrote it off.

If Mr Lerner is waiving any interest, then I don't see that it makes too much difference. Certainly not too many people were complaining when he 'embarked on 'his' initial plan' and we were signing big money players for fun.

Why would you expect people to have complained back then?

I wouldn't, but then I wouldn't expect people to complain now about back then

What a stupid thing to say.

We didn't have all the facts back then and we didn't see what it would do to the club.

I actually can't believe you wrote that.

Clearly you thougt it was very stupid, as you quoted it twice.

So in your world Randy Lerner was being stupid putting in the investment to back the manager to bring in the players who acheved these much lauded consecutive 6th place finishes. He shoud have realised this at the time although, apparently, none of the Villa support were questioning it at the time, pulled the investment then, and put us all firmly in our place?

It's funny that during a positive summer this thread fell to lower pages, remaining there after the two initial positive performances, but the moment a couple of negative results occur, it goes into overdrive.

I have no doubt that this evening it will go further towards meltdown, but then people aren't fickle, they just don't like him.

[Big_John_10]

Is it not commonplace for owners to loan money, rather than give it?

Abramovich certainly loaned money to Chelsea, although I believe that he subsequently wrote it off.

If Mr Lerner is waiving any interest, then I don't see that it makes too much difference. Certainly not too many people were complaining when he 'embarked on 'his' initial plan' and we were signing big money players for fun.

Why would you expect people to have complained back then?

I wouldn't, but then I wouldn't expect people to complain now about back then

What a stupid thing to say.

We didn't have all the facts back then and we didn't see what it would do to the club.

I actually can't believe you wrote that.

Is it not commonplace for owners to loan money, rather than give it?

Abramovich certainly loaned money to Chelsea, although I believe that he subsequently wrote it off.

If Mr Lerner is waiving any interest, then I don't see that it makes too much difference. Certainly not too many people were complaining when he 'embarked on 'his' initial plan' and we were signing big money players for fun.

Why would you expect people to have complained back then?

I wouldn't, but then I wouldn't expect people to complain now about back then

What a stupid thing to say.

We didn't have all the facts back then and we didn't see what it would do to the club.

I actually can't believe you wrote that.

Clearly you thougt it was very stupid, as you quoted it twice.

So in your world Randy Lerner was being stupid putting in the investment to back the manager to bring in the players who acheved these much lauded consecutive 6th place finishes. He shoud have realised this at the time although, apparently, none of the Villa support were questioning it at the time, pulled the investment then, and put us all firmly in our place?

It's funny that during a positive summer this thread fell to lower pages, remaining there after the two initial positive performances, but the moment a couple of negative results occur, it goes into overdrive.

I have no doubt that this evening it will go further towards meltdown, but then people aren't fickle, they just don't like him.

But back during his first few years he was doing what the fans wanted and we had no reason to not believe his talk of plans and ambition. Our whole issue was the wages to income ratio and while some fans, who took an interest in the accounts, may have seen it coming most fans were happy to have faith that the owner of the club knew what he was doing.

Now we can see the full picture we can see that there was spending with little thought for the future and now we can see how we're having to suffer while Lerner can get things in order so he makes sure he doesn't lose anything when he eventually sells. What you said was stupid, now the facts are clear of course people can be critical of what went on.

You carry on cherishing that flag and scarf and enjoy his ownership.

[PaulC]

I think you are being a bit harsh on Lerner. He has invested money the last two summers. The wage bill is still high. Its hard to know what his intentions are because he is so quiet.

[thetrees]

 What you said was stupid, now the facts are clear of course people can be critical of what went on.

You carry on cherishing that flag and scarf and enjoy his ownership.

 

 

I am completely in awe of your grasp of 'the facts'

 

On the other bit, I know that you don't like people to disagree with you, but you could skip the childishness. On the whole I would say that I haven't enjoyed Mr Lerner's ownership, but then the lower division football that we would probably have encountered by now under the previous regime, I would have enjoyed. I certainly did last time that we went down.

[suttonpaul]

 

waaa waaa!!!!

Grow up he owns the club and can do as he sees fit.

Don't like it then done spend money on its products or watch tv games that contribute to the clubs coffers like a sky subscription.

Fact is he doesn't want to throw money at a COMPANY he owns for it to make losses.

Move on if someone wanted to buy the club who was super rich they would anyway therefore no one does.

Wow.

 

Awesome, a reply from one of the people that post was aimed at.

[Big_John_10]

What you said was stupid, now the facts are clear of course people can be critical of what went on.

You carry on cherishing that flag and scarf and enjoy his ownership.

I am completely in awe of your grasp of 'the facts'

On the other bit, I know that you don't like people to disagree with you, but you could skip the childishness. On the whole I would say that I haven't enjoyed Mr Lerner's ownership, but then the lower division football that we would probably have encountered by now under the previous regime, I would have enjoyed. I certainly did last time that we went down.

You don't have to be in awe, anyone can see the problems he caused by spending with no thought, cutting costs and hiring bad managers.

And as for childish, that was in response to your final line.

waaa waaa!!!!

Grow up he owns the club and can do as he sees fit.

Don't like it then done spend money on its products or watch tv games that contribute to the clubs coffers like a sky subscription.

Fact is he doesn't want to throw money at a COMPANY he owns for it to make losses.

Move on if someone wanted to buy the club who was super rich they would anyway therefore no one does.

Wow.

Awesome, a reply from one of the people that post was aimed at.

Glad it worked out for you.

[suttonpaul]

It would work out with me if fellow fans realised the club isn't owned by them it is owned by the guy who paid the money for it, and there is no written rule it should make losses every year just so you can be happy. RL has the right to make it run so it breaks even. No one is saying it should make a profit that isn't really what owning a sports club is about but breaking even spending when you get means the club will always be around and will buy what it deserves as that is all the income us as fans have given it. Want more? Pay more.

[Big_John_10]

It would work out with me if fellow fans realised the club isn't owned by them it is owned by the guy who paid the money for it, and there is no written rule it should make losses every year just so you can be happy. RL has the right to make it run so it breaks even. No one is saying it should make a profit that isn't really what owning a sports club is about but breaking even spending when you get means the club will always be around and will buy what it deserves as that is all the income us as fans have given it. Want more? Pay more.

The clubs main source of income is off a tv deal not what villa fans specifically give the club.

I thought football was about winning and being competitive. If the owners aim is to have a business that breaks even then maybe he shouldn't have bought a football club and invested his money elsewhere.

[thetrees]

 

It would work out with me if fellow fans realised the club isn't owned by them it is owned by the guy who paid the money for it, and there is no written rule it should make losses every year just so you can be happy. RL has the right to make it run so it breaks even. No one is saying it should make a profit that isn't really what owning a sports club is about but breaking even spending when you get means the club will always be around and will buy what it deserves as that is all the income us as fans have given it. Want more? Pay more.

The clubs main source of income is off a tv deal not what villa fans specifically give the club.

I thought football was about winning and being competitive. If the owners aim is to have a business that breaks even then maybe he shouldn't have bought a football club and invested his money elsewhere.

 

Amen to that.

 

Perhaps then we would be playing real football in the lower divisions, and one or two of our impatient contributors would be populating the Man City and Chelsea boards.

[Kwan]

BJ, whilst I agree with you in most aspects, none of us know the facts. Absence of evidence is not evidence. This "everyone can see" stuff is still conjecture.

Maybe RL told PL you have to reach a certain point before I can give Xbox amount of money. Maybe he's balancing to sell. We just don't know.

But ask yourself this. Is someone who plunked down all that money for MON then our record signing for Bent suddenly going to say, "This is it. Midtable only."

[foreveryoung]

Xbox money, how you put it will never be spent again at the Villa. Stop kidding yourselves lads. Even if we turn a profit, the priority will be to increase that profit year after year without spending increasing to top 4 budgets.

[Big_John_10]

It would work out with me if fellow fans realised the club isn't owned by them it is owned by the guy who paid the money for it, and there is no written rule it should make losses every year just so you can be happy. RL has the right to make it run so it breaks even. No one is saying it should make a profit that isn't really what owning a sports club is about but breaking even spending when you get means the club will always be around and will buy what it deserves as that is all the income us as fans have given it. Want more? Pay more.

The clubs main source of income is off a tv deal not what villa fans specifically give the club.

I thought football was about winning and being competitive. If the owners aim is to have a business that breaks even then maybe he shouldn't have bought a football club and invested his money elsewhere.

Amen to that.

Perhaps then we would be playing real football in the lower divisions, and one or two of our impatient contributors would be populating the Man City and Chelsea boards.

Another childish response. Did you say the same to anyone who held up a £ sign years ago?

I guess it shows how great Lerner has been when your argument is we probably would have gone down if he hadn't bought the club. Not sure why that means we should be happy

[Big_John_10]

BJ, whilst I agree with you in most aspects, none of us know the facts. Absence of evidence is not evidence. This "everyone can see" stuff is still conjecture.

Maybe RL told PL you have to reach a certain point before I can give Xbox amount of money. Maybe he's balancing to sell. We just don't know.

But ask yourself this. Is someone who plunked down all that money for MON then our record signing for Bent suddenly going to say, "This is it. Midtable only."

When I say everyone can see I'm talking about what's happened before.

I agree it's not 100% that we'll just settle for survival while keeping costs low but it's what looks like happening to me.

In regards to your last point the money to MON was his original intention but that doesn't mean he'll do it again and we signed bent after selling Milner and knowing young was leaving 6 months later.

[sne]

The way Lerner has managed to lower expectations among the supporters is nothing short of amazing.

We now have to endure mediocrity, at best, while being passed by clubs like Swansea and Southampton 

I sometimes wonder if hiring McLeish wasn't a calculated move by Lerner to let him continuing with the cut backs and downsizing of the squad without getting too much stick.

Because anything happening now is at least better than under McLeish, right?

The 5 year plan thing wasn't working anymore, so now we have "the bigger picture" that we all must see...

[Big_John_10]

The way Lerner has managed to lower expectations among the supporters is nothing short of amazing.

We now have to endure mediocrity, at best, while being passed by clubs like Swansea and Southampton

I sometimes wonder if hiring McLeish wasn't a calculated move by Lerner to let him continuing with the cut backs and downsizing of the squad without getting too much stick.

Because anything happening now is at least better than under McLeish, right?

The 5 year plan thing wasn't working anymore, so now we have "the bigger picture" that we all must see...

Agree about the lowered expectations.

It's incredible how such a consistent level of shit has been defended.

[suttonpaul]

 

 

 

It would work out with me if fellow fans realised the club isn't owned by them it is owned by the guy who paid the money for it, and there is no written rule it should make losses every year just so you can be happy. RL has the right to make it run so it breaks even. No one is saying it should make a profit that isn't really what owning a sports club is about but breaking even spending when you get means the club will always be around and will buy what it deserves as that is all the income us as fans have given it. Want more? Pay more.

The clubs main source of income is off a tv deal not what villa fans specifically give the club.

I thought football was about winning and being competitive. If the owners aim is to have a business that breaks even then maybe he shouldn't have bought a football club and invested his money elsewhere.

Amen to that.

Perhaps then we would be playing real football in the lower divisions, and one or two of our impatient contributors would be populating the Man City and Chelsea boards.

Another childish response. Did you say the same to anyone who held up a £ sign years ago?

I guess it shows how great Lerner has been when your argument is we probably would have gone down if he hadn't bought the club. Not sure why that means we should be happy

 

 The difference between now and pound sign days is that 20 million back then would get you somewhere, these days it gets you nowhere.

 

Please explain why anyone should come in buy the club for 100 - 150m quid then fund over and above continually what we receive in revenue.

 

 

PLEASE EXPLAIN

[sharkyvilla]

Another impressive display from Randy

[leviramsey]

[Mantis]

Another win today. What a terrible owner!

 

[Dodgyknees]

So sad people have to come on here and have a go at fans, over an owner who put us in position to be another Leeds and then put us in the position to be fighting relegation, after appointing consecutive poor managers (one the worst in our bloody history).

 

Lerner out.

 

Win, lose or draw. I want him gone and I want somebody in charge who doesn't have to use a tattoo and scarf PR campaign to win over fans, but will manage the club in the best way possible so we can get results ON THE PITCH. (small print, more than a few matches).

 

First two and a half years he did really well, but then pulled the carpet out from under the club and almost cost us our premiership place.

 

Stoke, Swansea, West Brom and other teams have overtaken us in his stewardship and Spurs and Everton have pulled miles clear. So far ahead we will not be able to catch them spending £10m per premiership season or by selling Downing and Young and replacing two wingers with one winger in N'Zogbia.

 

Mistake after mistake after mistake and now he stays well clear because he damn well knows he has let us fans down.

 

I back Lambert. (Have to put this in, small print etc)

Edited September 28, 2013 by dodgyknees