The Randy Lerner thread

[Harry]

He spent without a long term plan and lost complete financial control and then instead of curing costs slowly it came to a full stop. He then hired 2 shocking managers while wasting money on compensation to plenty of people and Birmingham City football club.

In 2 years we went from best points total in a 38 game prem season to lowest points total in a 38 game prem season. And this isn't a problem? No one seems bothered by dropping more than any other club in the league. We also now sit in 18th place with the relegation battle looking very much on and people are surprised some aren't impressed with how he's run the club.

I love how all of it is just shrugged off as 'oh well he tried'

If a player constantly under performs and makes terrible decisions we want him out the team. If a manager constantly under performs and makes terrible decisions we want him gone. Randy Lerner though makes the worst decisions which cost us more dearly than anything any player or manager has done and yet he is still fully supported. Why? Why are fans of Aston Villa so happy to see their club performing at such a low level? What is it about Lerner that's made people lower expectations to such a level where some will blindly defend this man?

The defence of him is absolutely laughable. Look at his record with the browns, look at the reaction of their fans now he's gone. Any of them upset? Bothered? Dissapointed? Speaks volumes.

Any other business if an owner purchased a company, spent money and years later had them in a worse position than when he took over he'd be considered a failure. Most other teams he'd be considered a failure. I just don't know what Lerner has done to convince some fans he's actually been good for this club.

Can anyone tell me what will be differen this Saturday than when Doug was in charge? How has Lerner made supporting or going to villa park better for you than when Doug was in charge?

So what is your ideal solution? What do you want to happen? Let us hear your vision for solving the all the problems you have identified.

[mykeyb]

Yes I was happy with the 3 season we finished 6th because we were competing.

If we had a manager that won us the league and then 2 seasons later got us relegated would people on here honestly say were you complaining about him when he won us the league?

What do I want Lerner to do?

Get someone in who understands football, put them on the board and then try and come up with some stratergy to make sure we can compete with the likes of Swansea & Stoke before we set our sights a little higher.

If we get relegated I want him to do the decent thing and sell up.

[Stevo985]

I'd like some indication he's not just happy being a mediocre nothing club.

I'd like consistent spending at a sensible level in line with a long term plan.

I was never happy being a nothing club under Doug so I'm certainly not going to be happy being a nothing club under Lerner. Not sure why others are now.

These are things he is capable of doing and he certainly has a chance to change the way he's run the club so far.

He's been nothing short of abysmal so far but with lambert he has a chance to redeem himself.

I think he's doing all of those things.

It's just that we'd got ourselves into such a hole financially (for which he obviously has to accept a lot of the blame (although naieveity more than any malice is to blame I'd say)) that the drastic cutbacks had/have become necessary.

I don't think there's any indication that he's stopped spending or that he wants us to be a nothing club.

Just the stark realisation that our initial tactic of spend spend spend to get into the CL had failed and we need to start again and be more sensible.

[Stevo985]

I still don't see much of an answer to the questions I posed earlier.

"consistent spending at a sensible level" is the only answer so far. And I don't think there's anything to prove that isn't happening or going to happen in future.

[Eames]

Carew

Heskey

Friedel

NRC

Cuellar

Melberg

Sorenson

Beye

Bouma

Harewood

Approximate Cost £43 million

All left without a single penny coming in

Warnock

Dunne

Makoun

Approximate Cost £18 million

All look likely to follow

Sidwell

Shorey

Collins

L. Young

C. Davies

Approximate Cost £26 million

All left for far smaller fees than was paid for them.

I reckon that we have lost (or will have lost) £80 million on this lot and the list is by no means exhaustive.

Now somebody tell me again that our Chairman is a shrewd businessman.

If it was Randy doing the scouting then I would be in compelte agreement with you.

Except we both know that he wasn't. At the time most of those players were signed, we had a hugely respected (rightly or wrongly) manager who had the trust of the Chairman because he was delivering what was required on the pitch.

Did we overpay for many of those players? Yes absolutely. Could Randy have stopped that? Yes absolutely. Would events with MON have come to a head sooner had say the purchase of his second back 4 in two seasons been vetoed? Yes absolutely.

To solely blame RL is disingenuous in the extreme - you can only sell what someone is willing to buy at the price they are willing to pay - perhaps RLs biggest crime is that he didn't stop MONs crazy spending fast enough.

[VillaForever1970]

So what is your ideal solution? What do you want to happen? Let us hear your vision for solving the all the problems you have identified.

I dont think he has one, just bangs on about Doug even though football is completely different now.

We couldn't sustain our level of spending its really quite simple yet Lerner is a complete bastard it seems for trying to sort it out, well trying to sort it out but being perfect at it in the process.

Big John wants Lerner to spend spend spend even if he hasn't got it and if he hasn't he should sell to someone else who will spend spend spend and of they won't, they should sell to someone who will spend spend spend so on and so fourth.

Very practical.

Basically Big John wants someone who will spunk cash willy nilly, perhaps he should go and support City if he's not happy, as its not going to happen at Villa anytime soon, or the vast majority of clubs in fact. If you can only enjoy a football club that is spending money and winning every week then you've lost the purpose of being a football fan and should find another interest imo.

[Big_John_10]

Well it's interesting to read what I want considering I've never said those things.

Good post though. Any chance you could let me know what I want for tea tonight?

[Big_John_10]

I still don't see much of an answer to the questions I posed earlier.

"consistent spending at a sensible level" is the only answer so far. And I don't think there's anything to prove that isn't happening or going to happen in future.

Well our net spend over the last few years was not good.

I wasn't impressed with how the summer went and January may well see spending to ensure we stay up.

At this moment in time it's more hope than actual evidence to suggest Lerner will take this club back up challenging the big clubs.

[Zatman]

Loved those 6th place finishes and at the time was a massive fan of Lerner. That's mainly because it wasn't obvious during that time how badly the club was being run and how little thought had gone into a long term plan.

Now that's become clear I think it would be pretty stupid to not change my opinion of him when quite clearly he was running the club badly. The last two seasons have then just added to how useless I believe he is with two incredibly poor managerial appointments.

you are quite naive if you didnt think Heskey, Sidwell, Carew, Beye etc werent on big contracts and that money would eventually dry up

[villan_007]

Well it's interesting to read what I want considering I've never said those things.

Good post though. Any chance you could let me know what I want for tea tonight?

"The Almighty says dont change the subject, just answer the **** question!"

[GarethRDR]

Any chance you could let me know what I want for tea tonight?

[Stevo985]

Well our net spend over the last few years was not good.

I wasn't impressed with how the summer went and January may well see spending to ensure we stay up.

At this moment in time it's more hope than actual evidence to suggest Lerner will take this club back up challenging the big clubs.

Well that takes into account th ecutbacks which we've mentioned is necessary.

We spent 20 million (ish) in the summer, and you would expect us to spend again in January. How much more do you want us to spend? Bearing in mind you yourself said you wanted us to keep it sensible.

Again I'm not being faceitious. I don't look in this thread too often but it seems to be a lot of "I hate Lerner he is terrible" but there's no indication of what we'd rather have. Moar spending is about all I've been able to gather.

[VillaForever1970]

At this moment in time it's more hope than actual evidence to suggest Lerner will take this club back up challenging the big clubs.

How is he meant to do this with no money?

Be perfect at running a football club?

Or does my above post actually count...

Basically Big John wants someone who will spunk cash willy nilly, perhaps he should go and support City if he's not happy, as its not going to happen at Villa anytime soon, or the vast majority of clubs in fact. If you can only enjoy a football club that is spending money and winning every week then you've lost the purpose of being a football fan and should find another interest imo.

[NIVillan]

BTW for Big John's love of Doug Consider:

1982 : Doug takes Control of Villa. They are current Champions of Europe and have won the European Supercup.

I think it was just before losing 2-0 to Penerol in World Club Championship.

That Season Finish 6th and qualify for UEFA Cup. We go out of European Cup at quarter against Juventus.

5 Seasons later - 1987 We begin our first season in Division 2 for 21 years.

5 Years to go from European Champions to Relegated.

[dundeevilla]

Lerner has not been good for Aston Villa.

We can perhaps put it down to naive enthusiasm when he first took over, but he lost all financial control.

The club is still paying for that now, and as a result we have one of the thinnest squads in the league and relegation is a distinct possibility this season. Relegation would be a disaster for the football club. If we carry on down this road our uck will run out and we will be relegated.

Bad business decisions cost us. His 'Five year Plan' never survived beyond the third year. It failed. The buck stops with him.

Also the utterly bizarre decision to give Alex McLeish the manager's job should on its own be enough evidence for anyone that this is not the man to take us forward. That was simply insane.

[Big_John_10]

Never loved Doug and wanted him gone.

Just see the attitude towards both very hypocritical when it comes to the two.

[Richard]

He spent without a long term plan and lost complete financial control and then instead of curing costs slowly it came to a full stop. He then hired 2 shocking managers while wasting money on compensation to plenty of people and Birmingham City football club.

In 2 years we went from best points total in a 38 game prem season to lowest points total in a 38 game prem season. And this isn't a problem? No one seems bothered by dropping more than any other club in the league. We also now sit in 18th place with the relegation battle looking very much on and people are surprised some aren't impressed with how he's run the club.

I love how all of it is just shrugged off as 'oh well he tried'

If a player constantly under performs and makes terrible decisions we want him out the team. If a manager constantly under performs and makes terrible decisions we want him gone. Randy Lerner though makes the worst decisions which cost us more dearly than anything any player or manager has done and yet he is still fully supported. Why? Why are fans of Aston Villa so happy to see their club performing at such a low level? What is it about Lerner that's made people lower expectations to such a level where some will blindly defend this man?

The defence of him is absolutely laughable. Look at his record with the browns, look at the reaction of their fans now he's gone. Any of them upset? Bothered? Dissapointed? Speaks volumes.

Any other business if an owner purchased a company, spent money and years later had them in a worse position than when he took over he'd be considered a failure. Most other teams he'd be considered a failure. I just don't know what Lerner has done to convince some fans he's actually been good for this club.

Can anyone tell me what will be differen this Saturday than when Doug was in charge? How has Lerner made supporting or going to villa park better for you than when Doug was in charge?

Absolutely heaps for me to agree with and why wouldn't I I have been saying all this since the summer before Oneill was forced to leave.

However, I do think that until such time that we have a new owner our best hope is that Lambert fulfills the belief that many of us have in him. Part of that belief is in his desire and commitment. Those things would not allow him to come here if he was not to be backed

[Big_John_10]

Well that takes into account th ecutbacks which we've mentioned is necessary.

We spent 20 million (ish) in the summer, and you would expect us to spend again in January. How much more do you want us to spend? Bearing in mind you yourself said you wanted us to keep it sensible.

Again I'm not being faceitious. I don't look in this thread too often but it seems to be a lot of "I hate Lerner he is terrible" but there's no indication of what we'd rather have. Moar spending is about all I've been able to gather.

I want sensible spending but with the mess he left us in we needed more than £20 million for 7 players, sorry but that's not a great amount. That's under £3 million a player and don't forget low wages paid to Bennett, Lowton, Westwood and Bowery. What real quality can lambert realistically expect to sign with that sort of backing? I don't think many managers could have signed 7 quality players for the fees and wages he was allowed to spend.

[Big_John_10]

How is he meant to do this with no money?

Be perfect at running a football club?

Or does my above post actually count...

Well hiring the right managers so we don't fork out millions in compensation would help. Not losing complete financial control of the club would help. He had a chance to run this club better, he didn't though and now we've found ourselves dropped down the league more than any other club.

By the way did you hold a £ sign up to Doug? Did you have a go at anybody who did or anybody who wanted him out?

The attitude towards money seems to be very hypocritical. We wanted Doug out because we wanted better, we wanted someone who could spend more and take us on another level. Now the attitude is everyone needs to be happy and content with what we've got. Very strange.

[houllierout]

Some amazing points coming up that ive been making for about 2 years. Welcome onboard. When we go down is the only time the majority will turn on him though. If ever.

Randy Lerner has been terrible for this club.