The Randy Lerner thread

[VillaAndLoyal]

Risso! So true....

[TrentVilla]

If you're going to think of Villa as doing up a car, then it would an old Jaguar that has had far too much spent on crap parts like big bore exhausts and body kit, that weren't required. In the mean time, other lesser classic cars like a Triumph Dolomite have been sensitively restored, and are roaring past us on the M6, while we wait on the hard shoulder for the AA to turn up. Our classic car owner, a right thicky who borrowed money off his dad, now refuses to spend money on basics like oil and petrol, has filled it up with diesel instead, and it now sits rusting on his drive next to the knackered Pontiac Firebird he inherited off his dad.

Brilliant!

I would say though that Villa is kind of like a Reliant Robin, when we "turn the corner" as some say, this usually happens...

We do nothing with corners.

[VillaGoMarching]

[Dodgyknees]

**** off Lerner.

[mykeyb]

I think almost everyone can see that for the good of Aston Villa Football Club he needs to remove McLeish at the end of the season, everyone except Lerner.

If he again ignores the fans and keeps the manager in situ for next season I fully expect Lerner himself to become the target of our vitriol and in all honesty I will have no sympathy for him.

Change now or lose your customers............

[VillaRoy]

If it was in Lerner's plan to cut costs this season, then strengthen this summer, I wonder if he took into account that if we had such a rubbish season (like we are having), decent transfer targets might not want to come to the club anymore. Bas Dost doesn't want to come because we are not competitive anymore. Back to square one Randy you absolute plonker. New manager and a positive/clear outlook is needed to give fans and good transfer targets a reason to come to the club or even go to games in fan's cases.

[iancharlie]

If it was in Lerner's plan to cut costs this season, then strengthen this summer, I wonder if he took into account that if we had such a rubbish season (like we are having), decent transfer targets might not want to come to the club anymore. Bas Dost doesn't want to come because we are not competitive anymore. Back to square one Randy you absolute plonker. New manager and a positive/clear outlook is needed to give fans and good transfer targets a reason to come to the club or even go to games in fan's cases.

it was a mad brave decision to appoint mccleish and after the deal was done i wanted it to be really successful. however this is one of the worst seasons to support villa in my living memory (inc Dr Jo in that - at least we beat Inter 2-0) and i agree that a new positive approach is need a new atmosphere is required to sweep this gloom away that has eaten the club up all year. it is sad. i hope randy actually takes note and thinks carefully about next steps - appointing mccleish was difficult from day one due to the blue connection and should never really have happened in the first place - he was no george graham (spurs after arsenal and bungs) and unfortunately for him winning the villa faithful over was alowasy going to be a mission impossible, made worse by both his mannerisms, the teams inept performances and just the lack of soul and belief.

at least the seaosn under little (well half season) where we nearly went down we knew there was something there (despite the 4-4 draw with leicester) god, even that excitement would be good now! i cant see us finishing 4th, winning the league cup and getting to the semi of the fa cup next season as little did!

[redrum]

Sunderland will thump us, no doubt about it. O'Neill will be so fired up for this.

He'll be dying to smirk to those who wanted rid of him because of his desire to invest and push forward, rather than sell all and hope for the best. There's a big I told you so on the way this weekend.

[Mantis]

those who wanted rid of him because of his desire to invest and push forward

What? :?

[spiezels]

and pay Habib bêye 42k a week.

He wasn't a god ffs.

[smetrov]

If it was in Lerner's plan to cut costs this season, then strengthen this summer, I wonder if he took into account that if we had such a rubbish season (like we are having), decent transfer targets might not want to come to the club anymore. Bas Dost doesn't want to come because we are not competitive anymore. Back to square one Randy you absolute plonker. New manager and a positive/clear outlook is needed to give fans and good transfer targets a reason to come to the club or even go to games in fan's cases.

I don't think he did. Like I said earlier the expectation was that Mcleish would quickly ride out the protests. - Quite the opposite is happening. The penny must be dropping that keeping Mcleish just isn't going to work - its getting though the easy option is to dispense with him. Which I believe will happen

[TrentVilla]

If it was in Lerner's plan to cut costs this season, then strengthen this summer

You mean like his plan to do that last summer that people were talking about this time last year?

[pacbuddies]

If it was in Lerner's plan to cut costs this season, then strengthen this summer

You mean like his plan to do that last summer that people were talking about this time last year?

Or maybe is it like his 5 year plan (that started 6 years ago) to get us into the Champions League?

[Moorski]

If it was in Lerner's plan to cut costs this season, then strengthen this summer

You mean like his plan to do that last summer that people were talking about this time last year?

Or maybe is it like his 5 year plan (that started 6 years ago) to get us into the Champions League?

He meant Championship!

[pacbuddies]

If it was in Lerner's plan to cut costs this season, then strengthen this summer

You mean like his plan to do that last summer that people were talking about this time last year?

Or maybe is it like his 5 year plan (that started 6 years ago) to get us into the Champions League?

He meant Championship!

Oh, someone else with slippery keyboard fingers!

[CI]

Been through BHX earlier, no sign of The Falcon

Guess he's not part of the MON welcoming committee this weekend

[briny_ear]

Well he has to divide his time equally betweeen screwing over the Browns and screwing over Villa.

[Mantis]

To be fair I wouldn't say Randy is actively screwing us. It's more neglect than anything.

[CI]

Yeah neglect coupled with incompetence

[thetrees]

A very balanced interview with Graham Taylor on the BBC, pointing out the bizarre nature of the appointment, the negativity of elements of the club's support, and the negativity of the manager.

One thing that shines out is that clubs in general should take absolutely no notice of what is posted on internet fora.

From the BBC

Aston Villa's players must take much of the blame for being in a relegation battle, according to the club's former manager Graham Taylor.

He also feels Villa boss Alex McLeish has found life difficult because he came from big rivals Birmingham.

Taylor told BBC Sport: "A number of Villa players must look at themselves and ask 'have I, every time, committed myself to the cause?'

"There was always going to be a group of fans who would never accept Alex."

It is understood that 'McLeish Out' flyers will be handed out before Saturday's game against Sunderland, who are led by former Villa manager Martin O'Neill.

Taylor says McLeish has been hampered by a tight budget and a failure to replace the likes of Ashley Young and Stewart Downing, who departed in the summer. He thinks Charles N'Zogbia, who joined from Wigan, has been "almost a disaster".

"Some of the supporters have moaned and groaned because they feel Alex has set up his teams not to lose as opposed to set them up to win," said Taylor.

"It's an easy thing to say. The money hasn't been available to Alex that had been to Martin. There was a big financial deficit and that couldn't continue.

"Young and Downing are two attacking players who are very talented and you are going to miss them. Unfortunately, looking at the replacements, N'Zogbia has been almost a disaster, a major disappointment. He just hasn't produced at all."

Ex-England boss Taylor, who was in charge of Villa from 1987 to 1990 and from 2002 to 2003, believes McLeish was in a difficult position on his arrival from St Andrew's.

"Anybody that's at Birmingham City and moves to Villa, if they don't 'win, win, win' as soon as they start, the criticism of their appointment will get fiercer. And that's what happened to Alex to the extent that, when you're not winning games, the players lose confidence.

Worst in Villa's history?

In 16 home games this season, Alex McLeish's team have won just four games. Villa's record low in a season is six (which happened from 19 matches in 2005-6 and also from 21 matches in 1994-5). In 1889-90, they won six and five in 1890-91 - but only 11 home matches were played in those seasons.

"It's been hard for him to make the players get belief in him as to how he wanted them to play."

The sight of O'Neill will be a reminder of happier times for Villa supporters. Sunderland have improved dramatically under the Northern Irishman, positioned in ninth place - six places above McLeish's team.

Taylor said: "There was a fall-out between Martin and the club and Martin left. What is very difficult for Alex - and is not his fault - is that it was most surprising that he was offered the job.

"Before that, Villa supporters got on the internet and said 'we don't want Steve McClaren, we don't want him here'. And Aston Villa called off the interview that they were going to have with Steve.

"I was most surprised at that and thought it was very rude as well. And yet, immediately after that within a week or 10 days, they appointed Alex McLeish from Birmingham.

And there were far more comments on the internet than there had been about Steve McClaren, but they took no notice of them on that occasion."

McLeish still has work to do to keep his side up, but they have a six-point lead above third-bottom Bolton - who have played one fewer match than Villa - and are four points clear of 17th-placed QPR with a game in hand.

After the Sunderland match, Villa's run-in concludes with home games against Bolton and Tottenham and away fixtures at West Brom and Norwich. Taylor would like to see a more attacking style of play from his former club.

The 67-year-old, who led Villa to second place in 1990 before becoming England manager, explained: "I just think it's better to lose a game by trying to win it. I don't expect everyone to agree with me but it's better for the supporters, spectators and the game as a whole.

"If you are preparing your side not to lose - and I'm sure Alex would disagree, but that's how it looks - then, if you don't win that game, you come in for a great deal of criticism and that's what's been happening at Villa."

Discussing the atmosphere at the club, he added: "It's created a very downtrodden air when you go to Villa.

"It's quiet at the moment in a situation where people are worried, they're not happy, they're gloomy and that doesn't help trying to get results on the pitch."