barry'sboots Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 For me, despite mistakes, he's a good owner, certainly better than the previous Chairman. His reluctance to communicate with us is disappointing and I think it's the lack of coherent clear communication and information that perhaps brings about much of the criticism - if we can't see the full picture, we can't form fully rounded judgement of how things are going. Why is he so much better than HDE? His communication is poor, but, as many have said, this doesn't matter when things are going well. He wouldn't need to communicate, for me, he had not made the managerial appointments that he had made over the last 18 months and if he had a half decent board. Indeed if he had the latter they would communicate for him as Levy does for Lewis, Llambias for Ashley, Kenyon for Abramovich, etc.. The biggest thing I want explained - and I would be happy for any of the board to do this if they could - is why McLeish is with us. I still don't understand this one bit. The only communication I have seen is the letter from Faulkner when I did not renew and that was, at best, poor and niave. I don't understand why anyone is described as a "good owner" because they have a "good heart" even when they basically don't know what they are doing for the most part and, even worse than this, do not seek out the right help or put the right infrastructure around them to allow them to do a decent job. The guy is a quirky control freak who surrounds himself with inexperienced "yes" men from what I can see. The most significant good thing that he has done for the club is chuck money at it and now that has disappeared he adds very little IMO and is a negative. To make matters worse the appointment of McLeish and the ticket pricing shows that he cares very little for the thoughts of the average Villa fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted November 11, 2011 Author Share Posted November 11, 2011 Actually what is meant by "Good heart" ?? All the money he's pumped in is in the form of business loans on which he gets a handsome return Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 His almost complete silence and absence from VP this season has cast a new and tarnished light for me on his running of AVFC. It's hard to avoid the conclusiuon that he has just lost interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted November 11, 2011 Moderator Share Posted November 11, 2011 We still signed Given and N'Zogbia on big wages. McLeish also said that there is no issue with any of the first team players been on big wages, it's the players that aren't in the first team that are. Surely wage bill is a problem when we are paying massive money to the likes of Beye, Ireland and Cueller who hardley feature. It still doesn't add up. It isn't about what individual's earn it is about the total wage bill and the total wage bill in relation to the clubs income, its about the % of the income going on wages. We have significantly and I do mean significantly reduced our wage bill yet the total is still too high. It doesn't matter what the likes of Beye earn in isolation we are simply spending too much on wages. I therefore simply do not see how we could have afforded the improved contracts we were supposed to be offering our want away stars. It leaves only 3 possible conclusions. 1. Randy was willing/able to pay the money but their departure has seen him give up on the dream and so stop spending. 2. Something has drastically changed since then financially or with his plans. 3. We were never serious about the offers. I don't know which of these it is but as far as I can see it has to be one of them because I fail to see how we could have afforded to keep them given our continued attempts to reduce the overall wage bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted November 11, 2011 Moderator Share Posted November 11, 2011 That we didn't get any shiny baubles to show for Randy's initial throwing of money and hands-off approach (when to be fair he didn't have the experience to do it any other way) is a shame for him and us. I don't really think a lack of experience is an acceptable excuse for poor judgement and a lack of control. He according to Paul Faulkner spent the best part of two years thinking about buying a football club and looking at the pro's and con's of various teams and cities while trying to find the right option. This idea he was a Villa fan buying the team he loved simply isn't true. At the time of buying the club he was an experienced sports 'franchise' owner and even more experienced business man. As such if he had a lack of understanding he should have been able to recognise that and to deal with it as most businessmen do buy buying in experience. Randy hired and fired people with experience then opted to do it himself so I don't really accept lack of experience as a defence or as justification for his mistakes or what I believe are his mistakes. He might not have had the experience but he had choices and he made bad ones. The thing is, you hope and expect he learns from the good and bad choices he makes and becomes better at it, as time goes on. Well he has been here for 6 years in August and when they arrived they were talking about being here for 10 years. I don't though see any signs in improvement, I guess the greater financial control could be seen as improvement but then he is making huge errors elsewhere in ticket policies, managerial appointments and communication. I don't really seen any reasons to believe 5 1/2 years in to running the club that Randy is going to suddenly start learning. I have to ask did the shambles of managerial appointment this summer suggest Randy had learned from the summer before? I would suggest not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I don't really understand this praise for him just because he wants the best for the club. I'm sure houllier wanted the best for this club but it doesn't change the fact that he didn't have the ability to deliver this. I'm sure heskey wants the best for this club but again it doesn't change the fact that he hasn't the ability to help deliver this. I don't think we need to support and love someone because they have good intentions. Also i think its rubbish to suggest he is going to learn from mistakes and lets be honest he's made some big ones. It's not like mcleish picking the wrong team for a game or collins diving in and costing us a goal. I believe the performance of the browns shows lerners inability to actually learn from his mistakes. Now i'm no nfl expert but hasn't he also made bad decisions there thats held them back? Basically randy was in a win win situation because of who he was replacing and his pr when he first joined was superb. I don't though think thats enough to just be happy with him, as others have said what's so good about a pub, scarf and a free coach when his long term plan, control of his finances and managerial appointments are terrible? And like i've said before, if he really is a big fan then he should be actively looking for the right owner to sell to. It might take a long time but he should certainly be looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Actually what is meant by "Good heart" ?? All the money he's pumped in is in the form of business loans on which he gets a handsome return If this is true why is it ignored so much on here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I don't think he's got either the spare cash or the interest any more to learn from his mistakes. This new period of austerity isn't a decision based on the desire to develop the youth team etc, it's a result of wasting far too much money having lost control of finances. It's the equivalent of shopping at Iceland after you've had a massive night out and blown all your wages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazdavies79 Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 We had a period of spending further beyond our means than perhaps any other club. We tried to get into the cash cow that is the CL, we just missed out. I think as a result our income didn't grow as much as projected and cut backs need to be made. I don't think we've willingly let any of our best players go. He needs to improve on communication, and most importantly, get the right manager in. But relatively speaking, I think Randy is a good chairman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudevillaisnice Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 He needs to improve on communication, and most importantly, get the right manager in. agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picicata Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 He needs to improve on communication, and most importantly, get the right manager in. Do you think he is capable of that? His form isn't good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holtelower Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Just got up to see the close of Soccer AM. I notice Benitez was on it - did he say anything about him applying for the Villa job and why he pulled out ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazdavies79 Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 He needs to improve on communication, and most importantly, get the right manager in. Do you think he is capable of that? His form isn't good!Hypothetically, which Premiership chairman would you swap Randy for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holtelower Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 He needs to improve on communication, and most importantly, get the right manager in. Do you think he is capable of that? His form isn't good!Hypothetically, which Premiership chairman would you swap Randy for? Man City's - does that answer your question (or are we talking actual chairman here, not owner, of CEO - as it seems people are getting mixed up between them all) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazdavies79 Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 He needs to improve on communication, and most importantly, get the right manager in. Do you think he is capable of that? His form isn't good!Hypothetically, which Premiership chairman would you swap Randy for? Man City's - does that answer your question (or are we talking actual chairman here, not owner, of CEO - as it seems people are getting mixed up between them all)Well, guy in charge in the most basic terms. Man City. We can probably discount our club ever being likely to be run like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share Posted November 12, 2011 I think Randy is the best of a bad bunch of predatory foreign businessmen who are here simply to milk the tv money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 I think Randy is the best of a bad bunch of predatory foreign businessmen who are here simply to milk the tv moneyI think that is the view we all had a year or two ago but it doesn't necessarily look like that now. The only way people like the Glazers can achieve their business aims is by having a successful club and that is what they have delivered. Their model may rely on servicing a large level of debt but that hasn't stopped them investing in quality players (including taking away our best player when they chose) and you can't really say we have had the same outcome at Villa, can you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share Posted November 12, 2011 Man Utd are probably an exception though as they are the biggest club in the world with over 300million signed up fan club members Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wedge Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I still think he'll sell up if not in January in the summer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted November 13, 2011 Author Share Posted November 13, 2011 You can only sell if there's a willing buyer He'd have to sell for what £225m to show any sort of return Or perhaps he just wants to cut his losses and run Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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