The Randy Lerner thread

[BOF]

So you won't answer who you'd prefer in charge today.

[MikeMcKenna]

That's fine but that doesn't explain why it was easier for Doug. I could understand that point if Doug was the one billionaire that you mention but he wasn't.

I get that it's a lack of understanding. I've tried to help.

I understand fine it's just a rubbish point.

You're talking in general terms about the two different times which is pointless when we're specifically talking about Doug and Lerner and this club.

No one would have to keep pointing it out to you if you didn't keep insisting Doug was somehow better than Lerner for the club.

Debt free, usually finishing in the top 8, won a cup and played in Europe. That's the Ellis premiership years.

We'd love to be that club now.

You are taking this piss! I am no fan of Lerner but Ellis was a grade A arsehole! Slagging Lerner is fair enough but give over about Ellis - he singlehandedly **** up the club.

[Big_John_10]

Today it would be Lerner. No doubt. Doug is a very old man with health issues. I'd never pick current day doug over current day Lerner.

Not much of a choice though.

[Woody1000]

BJ10, whatever your gripes are with Lerner, you've got to drop this thing about Doug Ellis being a 'decent' owner.

He's a self-serving, arrogant piece of s***, who would have relegated us at least once, if not more in the 7 years since he sold.

Do your history homework, and you will find that it is no co-incidence that we won the league and European Cup in between his 2 reigns, and it sums him up that he broke up that team as soon as he could.

I will not shed a tear when he eventually passes on, he's not worth it.

Lerner has made more than a few mistakes, that's for certain, but he is never going to be as low as Herbert Douglas Ellis is in my opinion.

I suppose opinions are opinions, but I just can't believe how it seems like you talk all the time about how good things were under Doug. They could've been good, could've been!

[Big_John_10]

As a fan who's only experienced the premiership years I can't say it was a terrible experience under doug whereas I can say that for the last 3 years. Yes there was the odd bad season under doug but on the whole I have to say I enjoyed being a villa fan during that time.

My point about doug is not to say he was this great owner but he was here before Lerner so its an obvious link to discuss.

I don't buy into this crap that doug had it easier as a way of defending Lerner and I find it amusing that we're now hoping to become the club that wasn't good enough under the last owner and Lerner actually gets defended.

[mykeyb]

Interesting views on both sides.

 

I suspect I wasnt alone in wanting Doug out simply because he wasnt doing a very good job. From where we find ourselves now I have to say I am not sure that Lerner is doing the job very much better.

He has saddled the club with huge debts which mean he is not in a position to sell the club which is unfortunate because he quite clearly has lost his enthusiasm if we are to take his lack of attendance as any guide.

 

Now I do not disagree with him putting the club on healthier financial footing but do think he has been very lucky that the way he went about it nearly relegated the club. What I will question is if he puts clawing his cash back from the club before the ability of the club to compete at a higher level than just survival or mid table.

 

If his tenure as owner at the Browns is any kind of guide then I do not hold out any hopes of Aston Villa achieving anything but mediocrity while he in his words is the Custodian.

[Mantis]

Excellent win last night Randy. Gutsy line-up but it paid off.

[thetrees]

Excellent win last night Randy. Gutsy line-up but it paid off.

You should pop down to B6 and congratulate him in person

[Dodgyknees]

Excellent win last night Randy. Gutsy line-up but it paid off.

Brilliant. Go get a comedy gig, you're by far the funniest person on here.

[Risso]

 

Debt free, usually finishing in the top 8, won a cup and played in Europe. That's the Ellis premiership years.

We'd love to be that club now.

Does a £25-30m overdraft count as being 'debt free'?

 

 

 

Under Doug?  That wasn't the case when he left as I recall.

[thetrees]

Debt free, usually finishing in the top 8, won a cup and played in Europe. That's the Ellis premiership years.

We'd love to be that club now.

Does a £25-30m overdraft count as being 'debt free'?

 

 

Under Doug?  That wasn't the case when he left as I recall.

That is to what I was referring, yes.

[Risso]

Well, it isn't correct.  We were £12.1m overdrawn at 31 May 2006.

[thetrees]

Well, it isn't correct.  We were £12.1m overdrawn at 31 May 2006.

I don't recall stating an exact date!

If you are able to check a little further back, you may find that we are both quoting accurate figures.

[mykeyb]

The level of debt the club had under Doug apparently didn't stop him being able to sell the club, sadly the same cannot be said of the position Lerner is now in.....

[P3te]

The level of debt the club had under Doug apparently didn't stop him being able to sell the club, sadly the same cannot be said of the position Lerner is now in.....

The club doesn't have any debt as such though. Just money owed from Randy to Randy, which increases the cost of the club. It's not debt in a traditional sense, but think of it more like you buy a car for £1000, and put £2000 into it to fix her up. If you're selling it you're going to want at least £3000 to make it worth your while, but the £2000 you put in still isn't debt. That's what Randy has done

[sne]

Me and a friend came up with a (pretty farfetched) idea that Lerner buying Aston Villa might have been part of some crazy Inheritance clause.

You know, like in Brewster's Millions.

In order for Lerner to get his full inheritance he had to spunk away silly amounts of money during a limited time with no chance of doing any profit.

No better way than buying a "Soccer" team, huge money involved and 0% chance of doing any profit.

 

Whatever the terms Lerner has now fulfilled them and moved on to spending money on the things he loves, like art and jets.

 

It started our really good, but fizzled out. Still not the worst plot ever.

Still like the remake with Richard Pryor better... 

[CrackpotForeigner]

According to the Fulham pre-match show on AVTV RL "designed" this year's away kit. Good work, but it makes me think he's probably also responsible for the badge.

[AntrimBlack]

According to the Fulham pre-match show on AVTV RL "designed" this year's away kit. Good work, but it makes me think he's probably also responsible for the badge.

 

Probably the worst badge we have ever had.

Someone will now prove me wrong!

[TRO]

Rarely, can you praise someone unconditionally, or criticise someone unconditionally if your looking to be fair.

 

They are 2 different characters for which they will be praised of criticised for different things.

 

The thing that is ironical for me ( without entering the blame route) is that despite Randy's personal wealth it has little benefit to the team.... as we are right now.

 

The infrastructure of the club has improved, without doubt and that is something we should be proud of....walking past the Holte Pub, resembling something from "Peaky Blinders", wasn't exactly inspiring.

 

If Randy's medium term view is to recover his money by selling up I will be disappointed....I would much prefer him to recognise his short comings, put the club back on a sound financial footing and " go again"...This time with a view to signing players that  worthy of the wages and worthy of the transfer fee.....in other words a bit of Nous in the transfer market.

 

Ps ....as the smell of shit is to Sweet Violets....Doug is to Nelson Mandela. Yes Herberts main flaw was his self - serving persona.

Edited December 7, 2013 by TRO

[Big_John_10]

The level of debt the club had under Doug apparently didn't stop him being able to sell the club, sadly the same cannot be said of the position Lerner is now in.....

The club doesn't have any debt as such though. Just money owed from Randy to Randy, which increases the cost of the club. It's not debt in a traditional sense, but think of it more like you buy a car for £1000, and put £2000 into it to fix her up. If you're selling it you're going to want at least £3000 to make it worth your while, but the £2000 you put in still isn't debt. That's what Randy has done

If I spend money on my car interest isn't owed to me on what I spent. Also it's all well and good wanting to get back the money I spent when I sell it but if I make shit decisions so my car clearly isn't worth that much I'm going to struggle to find someone willing to buy it.