The Randy Lerner thread

[LondonLax]

I agree that responsibility for today's disaster lies squarely at the managers door but 18 points from 18 games and a 3rd season battling relegation is largely down to the owners crazy spending then rapid gutting of the squad.

[jim]

What happened to the backing and then some?

[Richard]

What happened to the backing and then some?

20m in the summer jim. January finished yet?

[markavfc40]

20m in the summer jim. January finished yet?

Approx 17 mill over the summer was never enough Richard. We needed quantity and quality and for 17 mill you are not getting both. Be interesting to see how much he backs Lambert in January though. Two years ago Lerner crapped himself and gave Houllier 30 mill to get us out of the shit. Last year he gave McLeish **** all.

The problems are there for all to see. Defensively at times we are an absolute shambles and going forward we lack any creativity. These are backed up by the fact we are the lowest scorers and have one of the worst defensive records.

I was as guilty as anyone with getting carried away with the last few results pre Chelsea but lets not kid ourselves this team needs major investment. We need at least 2 or 3 players of proven quality who can make an instant impact. We don't have the luxury of signing players in January who will take 6, 10, 12...games to find their feet. We need players who will hit the ground running. Proven quality will usually cost you big in fees and wages. Lets hope Lerner provides those funds.

[Richard]

Not much to disagree with there mark. But! We needed a lt of players in the summer, the situation we found ourselves in was never going to be repaired in one window and with our club making as much loss as we have done in the last two or three years. One window to fix that? Never.

To spend as much as we did ( and lambert did not spend all of his summer allowance ) was as much as anyone could have anticipated. Lets see what January brings.

[Big_John_10]

Most sensible people could see our summer spending was not enough yet Lerner was praised for it.

Lerner is not responsible for yesterday's result but he's mainly responsible for our squad being so poor.

Broke some abysmal club records last year and now followed it up with our worst ever premiership start and now the first time in our top flight history where we've conceded 8.

Good times.

[NIVillan]

If we get 3 points from games away to Liverpool and Chelsea I will be happy.

Guess I'm happy.

I take a tonking against Chelsea as long as we beat say wigan etc to beating Chelsea and losing to Swansea like last year.

Losing to the top teams doesnt affect our position that much but beating the teams around us will.

[blandy]

the situation we found ourselves in was never going to be repaired in one window and with our club making as much loss as we have done in the last two or three years. One window to fix that? Never.

To spend as much as we did... was as much as anyone could have anticipated.

I agree. The mess both on and off the pitch wasn't and isn't going to be sorted out in the first 6 months. It'll take time.

[Mantis]

Most sensible people could see our summer spending was not enough yet Lerner was praised for it.

Lerner is not responsible for yesterday's result but he's mainly responsible for our squad being so poor.

Broke some abysmal club records last year and now followed it up with our worst ever premiership start and now the first time in our top flight history where we've conceded 8.

Good times.

Just out curiosity, would it bother you less if we'd lost 7-1 again? There's not a whole lot of different between 7-1 and 8-0. Both are embarrassing humiliations. You keep mentioning that it's a new record but really who gives a **** about records? I care that we were trounced by such a large scoreline. It makes no difference to me that this hasn't happened before in the top flight.

[terrytini]

What a lot of tedious over reactions.

As for buying 'proven premiership quality' I for one thank God I know - well I hope I know - neither Lambert or Lerner are stupid enough to think there is any future down that road.

Who will these players be ? If they are so good who will sell ? How much will they want ? How well are other Clubs doing that have gone down that road ? What sort of long term plan is it ? How do you know they will come off ? What message will it send to the others ?

Nah, it is easy to say but in the end puts us back on a pointless unfulfilling short term merry go round.

It is just a defeat. Prior we have had good results defensively, and have shown, albeit in the Cup, we can score.

Every team I have watched in the Prem, other than maybe Stoke, have looked frail defensively at different times, the comments here could be transposed to almost any Club, it is a silly self perpetuating circle of going nowhere.

[Richard]

What a lot of tedious over reactions.

As for buying 'proven premiership quality' I for one thank God I know - well I hope I know - neither Lambert or Lerner are stupid enough to think there is any future down that road.

Who will these players be ? If they are so good who will sell ? How much will they want ? How well are other Clubs doing that have gone down that road ? What sort of long term plan is it ? How do you know they will come off ? What message will it send to the others ?

Nah, it is easy to say but in the end puts us back on a pointless unfulfilling short term merry go round.

It is just a defeat. Prior we have had good results defensively, and have shown, albeit in the Cup, we can score.

Every team I have watched in the Prem, other than maybe Stoke, have looked frail defensively at different times, the comments here could be transposed to almost any Club, it is a silly self perpetuating circle of going nowhere.

I think it is wise to keep your head, and a sense of perspective, even if there are those prone to a little over reaction! Lambert will be keeping his head and I thank god for that

[Jarpie]

Someone mentioned Huddlestone...really? The player who is guaranteed to be injured half of the season? No thanks to another crocked Spurs reject.

[CI]

What happened to the backing and then some?

It never materialised did it . And it probably won't in Jan either.

[AvfcRigo82]

It never materialised did it . And it probably won't in Jan either.

Wow!

Could you tell me what I'm getting for Christmas and hand me the winning Euro millions numbers for tonight while your at it.

.

[Big_John_10]

Just out curiosity, would it bother you less if we'd lost 7-1 again? There's not a whole lot of different between 7-1 and 8-0. Both are embarrassing humiliations. You keep mentioning that it's a new record but really who gives a **** about records? I care that we were trounced by such a large scoreline. It makes no difference to me that this hasn't happened before in the top flight.

No it wouldn't bother me less, both are horrendous results. The fact its never happened before is a big deal. Its another low this club experiences under the ownership of lerner.

And i guarantee had we set a new record for goals scored in a match you'd be all over it.

[MikeMcKenna]

Interesting to see comments like "What a lot of tedious over reactions"!!!

If you cannot over react to an 8-0 defeat when can you?

Lerner, Lambert etc well & truly f****d up just in time for the season of goodwill!

That said I got my tickets for Bradford away semi final earlier, so maybe I am fickle as as well as being prone to over reacting!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Edited December 24, 2012 by MikeMcKenna

[TRO]

If we get 3 points from games away to Liverpool and Chelsea I will be happy.

Guess I'm happy.

I take a tonking against Chelsea as long as we beat say wigan etc to beating Chelsea and losing to Swansea like last year.

Losing to the top teams doesnt affect our position that much but beating the teams around us will.

Taking a tonking is never a good sign for a "work in progress" team .... you are basically only as good as your worst result.

[TRO]

I seriously don't see any point labouring the defeat.

The manager, the players and the fans must get over it.. and quick.

The best response is a stadium atmosphere against Spurs as if we have beat Chelsea 8-0

But guys in reality ( whispering very quietly)....it was a bad un.

[TRO]

Lerner has had the task of balancing books on the back of some poor signings in recent times.

Not sure how any resaonably wealthy man can keep funding poor/average signings.

We would hope moving forward the deadwood can be cleared making way for some decent players.

Ps If most of our signings had of had a similar impact to Benteke, we wouldn't be in this mess.

[Laivasse]

Just out curiosity, would it bother you less if we'd lost 7-1 again? There's not a whole lot of different between 7-1 and 8-0. Both are embarrassing humiliations. You keep mentioning that it's a new record but really who gives a **** about records? I care that we were trounced by such a large scoreline. It makes no difference to me that this hasn't happened before in the top flight.

I know you weren't asking me, but personally a 7-1 scoreline would bother me less. A 6 goal winning margin is about as shameful and shitty as it gets, and the player reaction after the 7-1 defeat duly reflected that. Remember Collins' "ashamed to be a footballer" tweet? But to perform so badly that the margin is 2 goals worse than that is another category of disgrace. Consider that winning by 2 goals is a nice solid win.

Granted, there may not necessarily be much difference between the kind of performance that nets you 7-1 or 8-0 losses, but in our own case, I think there was a difference between those losses. The 7-1 defeat boiled down to a 20 minute period where the players just appeared to stop giving a ****. Yesterday, I missed the second half but we obviously weren't even in the game from the moment the whistle blew. From reading about it, it sounds like Chelsea deserved every inch of the scoreline and could have had even more. There are tiers of disgrace, and that loss is on the very bottom, quite apart from any single result result I've seen from this club.

Edited December 24, 2012 by Laivasse