The Randy Lerner thread

[lexicon]

When is this word removed going to the get all the grief? Against Southampton its all going to be aimed at Lambert. He's going to get a load of abuse. When are we going to turn on this word removed?

 

He's not getting grief because he hasn't done anything wrong since he appointed McLeish. 

[thetrees]

 

Why would you show respect to a billionaire who is allowing the team you support to fail like this so he's as financially OK as he can be? So strange.

 

 

It's fairly simple to me.

 

Aston Villa are my club, just like they are your club BJ10, and the club of all who reside on here and beyond, so I will hereon refer to it as 'our' club.

 

I am incredibly proud of our club. That pride extends far beyond the on the pitch circumstances at any given time, and any comparison to other clubs, because if it did, I would have deserted them long ago.

 

Our club suffered years of decay and missed opportunity under a  skinflint owner who used our club to propel his own very large ego, and treated virtually everyone associated with it, supporters and employees alike, with complete disdain. His lack of personal wealth, outside of his stake in our club, meant that he needed to use the resources of the club to make sure that he was 'financially OK'.

 

In all of his years association with our club, the skinflint owner did one good thing for us, he sold our club to a good man, Randy Lerner.

Mr Lerner came in as the quiet man. This was not a vehicle for his ego, he had plans, and he was prepared to back his plans with hitherto unimaginable amounts of cash.

Relatively small amounts of cash were spent on the improvement and acceleration of some projects, the training ground and the corporate facilities in the Trinity Road stand. Both are up there among the best in the country, and are something to be proud of.

 

A philanthropic project was the restoration of the Holte Pub, removing an eyesore for those who approach the magnificent Villa Park.  This he was lauded for at the time, while we were overspending on players like, for example, Steve Sidwell and Habib Beye, but has since been used as a stick by his detractors who somehow think that a couple of million would make a difference. Nevertheless this is the most obvious legacy of his respect for the history and tradition of our football club.

 

And then the unimaginable amounts of cash, around £250 million, or to make it sound more shocking, a quarter of a billion pounds. Not bad for someone who is trying to make sure that he is 'financially OK'

 

To a large degree I agree with those who question his decision making during his tenure, but I still believe on the football management side he has been largely unlucky. The lack of experience meant that he didn't get rid of O'Neill much earlier, when the signs were obvious to many of us. He has been unlucky with Houllier (health) and plain silly with McLeish, and probably a combination of bad luck and silliness by employing the fan's favourite, Lambert.

 

My hopes are that he has found a buyer who can 'carry the baton'. I believe that he, like the old dictator, will seek to sell to the right person, because I believe that he genuinely cares about our club. Unlike the old dictator, I believe that he will end up taking a substantial loss on his investment, so not 'financially OK' at all.

 

When he goes, and I hope that is soon, he will go with my gratitude and best wishes, for the respect that he has shown to our club, and for the opportunity, however badly spurned, that he gave to us.

 

That is why I have so long been branded a 'defender', because I refuse to be rude about someone who has only shown opportunity and respect to our club. My preference is to forgive failure in the knowledge that someone has at least cared enough to try, and try Randy Lerner has.

[Big_John_10]

Respect? Hiring McLeish? No backing in January windows and gambling with our premiership survival? You seem more concerned with him than the state the club is in. Crazy.

When is this word removed going to the get all the grief? Against Southampton its all going to be aimed at Lambert. He's going to get a load of abuse. When are we going to turn on this word removed?

He's not getting grief because he hasn't done anything wrong since he appointed McLeish.

Haha

Honestly if I had no interest in football and only read your posts I'd think Aston Villa were one of the top teams.

[lexicon]

So catalogue the list of things he's done wrong since he sacked McLeish.

[Dr_Pangloss]

 

When is this word removed going to the get all the grief? Against Southampton its all going to be aimed at Lambert. He's going to get a load of abuse. When are we going to turn on this word removed?

 

He's not getting grief because he hasn't done anything wrong since he appointed McLeish. 

 

LOL

[The_Lions_Roar]

When is this word removed going to the get all the grief? Against Southampton its all going to be aimed at Lambert. He's going to get a load of abuse. When are we going to turn on this word removed?

When people stop blaming Lambert and realise that no manager could work under lerner. 4 managers in 4 years? I think I know the real problem.

[lexicon]

4 managers in 8 years, actually. 

[avfc1982]

When is this word removed going to the get all the grief? Against Southampton its all going to be aimed at Lambert. He's going to get a load of abuse. When are we going to turn on this word removed?

 

He's not getting grief because he hasn't done anything wrong since he appointed McLeish.

Apart from provide the dismal wage budget which has got us into the mess we're in today.

Some people can't see the wood for the trees.

[Big_John_10]

So catalogue the list of things he's done wrong since he sacked McLeish.

The fact you don't see anything wrong just once again shows this warped view of the club right now.

[lexicon]

 

So catalogue the list of things he's done wrong since he sacked McLeish.

The fact you don't see anything wrong just once again shows this warped view of the club right now.

 

 

That's not a list of things he's done wrong since he sacked McLeish, try again. 

[Big_John_10]

So catalogue the list of things he's done wrong since he sacked McLeish.

The fact you don't see anything wrong just once again shows this warped view of the club right now.

That's not a list of things he's done wrong since he sacked McLeish, try again.

Drastic cuts to the wage bill.

Limited funds made available to the manager.

Very limited funds given in two January windows when squad was desperate for improvements.

Complete lack of interest.

Complete lack of communication with the fans.

And that's just in this 2 year period which you seem to choose as a cut off point. Why you'd ignore what went before which has led to this mess again shows your desperation to support a billionaire while the team you support struggles.

[Dodgyknees]

So catalogue the list of things he's done wrong since he sacked McLeish.

The fact you don't see anything wrong just once again shows this warped view of the club right now.

That's not a list of things he's done wrong since he sacked McLeish, try again.

.

Do the club pay for your services?

[thetrees]

Respect? Hiring McLeish? No backing in January windows and gambling with our premiership survival?

I personally have no issue with who the club hire in terms of me feeling insulted by it, because I am not.

I have no idea whether backing was refused in January transfer windows, and I doubt whether you do either.

And the 'gambling' bit is simply your opinion, nothing else.

You seem more concerned with him than the state the club is in. Crazy.

BJ10, you asked a question and I showed you the courtesy of offering a reply. I did not expect you to agree with me, but please lay off with making judgements about what concerns me or not, because you are not in a position to judge.

[lexicon]

 

 

 

So catalogue the list of things he's done wrong since he sacked McLeish.

The fact you don't see anything wrong just once again shows this warped view of the club right now.

That's not a list of things he's done wrong since he sacked McLeish, try again.

.

Do the club pay for your services?

 

 

Still not a list of things and no, they don't. Don't try and make out that I'm trying to paint a rosy picture where everything is wonderful though, please - I'm not. I just don't think Lerner deserves the shit he gets. 

[Big_John_10]

I personally have no issue with who the club hire in terms of me feeling insulted by it

Nothing to do with you feeling insulted. You spoke about him respecting the club. How does the hiring of McLeish show that he respects the club?

I have no idea whether backing was refused in January transfer windows, and I doubt whether you do either.

Its called common sense. For 3 years in a row, when the squad was in desperate need of improvement you can sit there and think it was the managers choice to sign no one? Laughable.

And the 'gambling' bit is simply your opinion, nothing else.

No it's not. Look at the league tables the last few years and see how close we came. We came that close because of the decision making of the owner.

[Dodgyknees]

So catalogue the list of things he's done wrong since he sacked McLeish.

The fact you don't see anything wrong just once again shows this warped view of the club right now.

That's not a list of things he's done wrong since he sacked McLeish, try again.

.

Do the club pay for your services?

Still not a list of things and no, they don't. Don't try and make out that I'm trying to paint a rosy picture where everything is wonderful though, please - I'm not. I just don't think Lerner deserves the shit he gets.

Lerner has made mistake after mistake, and just as people use the "Lambert gets an easy ride as he was after McLeish", Lerner does because he isn't Doug. Funny how other teams are able to progress and run a club to be the best it can be, whereas all we can do is run a club like a championship club and cross our fingers. The lack of financial help to a new manager, who has been told to sell the high earners, but then given less than 40m net to build a SQUAD, is one of the reasons why we are in the position we are.

[Dodgyknees]

other fans have come to me and said "Lerner is ruining your club, what is going on" - and as always, outsiders with no links see it very clearly.

Edited April 13, 2014 by dodgyknees

[bose]

When is this word removed going to the get all the grief? Against Southampton its all going to be aimed at Lambert. He's going to get a load of abuse. When are we going to turn on this word removed?

 

Calling people words removed on the internet is pathetic.

[Big_John_10]

When is this word removed going to the get all the grief? Against Southampton its all going to be aimed at Lambert. He's going to get a load of abuse. When are we going to turn on this word removed?

Calling people words removed on the internet is pathetic.

So sorry.

[thetrees]

I personally have no issue with who the club hire in terms of me feeling insulted by it

Nothing to do with you feeling insulted. You spoke about him respecting the club. How does the hiring of McLeish show that he respects the club?

So, in another time, the signing of Peter Withe showed a lack of respect to the club? How different our history might have been.

I have no idea whether backing was refused in January transfer windows, and I doubt whether you do either.

Its called common sense. For 3 years in a row, when the squad was in desperate need of improvement you can sit there and think it was the managers choice to sign no one? Laughable.

Purely an opinion, which is fine, as VT is about opinions. But your opinion is based purely on the fact that something didn't happen that you think should have happened.

And the 'gambling' bit is simply your opinion, nothing else.

No it's not. Look at the league tables the last few years and see how close we came. We came that close because of the decision making of the owner.

Poor decision making is not gambling. The manager has used the resources afforded to him unwisely. That is not the owner's fault. The owner can only be judged on his managerial choice which, coincidentally, was the fan's choice.

So we are all guilty of 'gambling'