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Author Topic: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame  (Read 9637 times)

Offline adam#1

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Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« on: January 06, 2011, 09:46:50 AM »
Ok, so they've done a lot of good since arrival, revamped the Holte pub, invested in the playing staff to a level, stopped child seat prices in the middle Trinity (OK maybe not that one) but I think the following are important negative factors in what is going on here:

The mysterious departure of Richard Fitzgerald and Michael Cunnah.
The replacement appointment of a relatively inexperienced (in football and quite possibly business terms) CEO in Paul Faulkner, who’s main skills for the job seem to be that he’s been part of the inner cycle – one wonders if going out to recruit would have been better..
The failure to manage MON effectively leading to his untimely departure.
The dithering over the appointment of a manager after mismanaging MON’s departure.
The appointment of a manager who is performing poorly.
The cessation of squad investment for the last 18 months.
They are responsible for the relationship between the wage bill and revenue, not the manager.
The retreat from communicating with fans when the going gets tough other than to put out an ill timed backing of a disliked manager after a mediocre result (granted an exciting game) against a failing top 4 side.
The failure to drive up attendances to increase revenue.

I’m not one to start screaming for the Randy Out or Faulkner Out or any such knee jerking, I’m just pointing out that there have been significant failings at a high level and its time they started to correct matters.

Offline jonzy85

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2011, 09:53:42 AM »
I agree with a lot of what you have just said, BUT

We do have to thank them for the good times over the previous 4 years, when we had a team we could be proud, dared to dream a little and provided some of the most exciting times in the PL era.

I especially agree with your point that the board should shoulder blame for the wages, if MON negotiated the wage levels alone (which seems unlikely) why wasnt someone from the board whose expertise was in what wages the club could afford accompanying him at negotiations???

Offline eastie

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2011, 09:57:03 AM »
Good post and whatever they say there is no excuse for taking 5 weeks to appoint a manager .missing the transfer window has cost us big time and we cannot afford not to bring in new players this month.


Offline Risso

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2011, 09:59:34 AM »
I tend to agree.  For the best part of four years they didn't put much of a foot wrong, except for maybe giving O'Neill too much power.  Since then though, hardly anything has gone right.  Things were clearly not right between Lerner and O'Neill, so he should have been replaced before he was allowed to get to the stage where he could walk out as he did.

They then took ages to appoint a manager, clearly chose the wrong man, and the manner in which he started, or didn't, was a farce.  We've had no investment in the team except for Ireland, and a series of other PR disasters including the shirt cock up, and the General's comments on fan websites being picked up in the media.

All in all, not good enough by a long way, and it's culminated in the mess and possible relegation.  I really don't think Randy's heart and wallet are in it any more, despite jumping all over Faulkner in the Chelsea match.

Offline levico

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2011, 10:00:21 AM »
Good post and yes we should be grateful for the good times. Looks like they are well and truly over now though. I think we will be going through a spell similar to the 1960's.

Offline Rico

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2011, 10:02:14 AM »
I posted this comment some time ago and still believe that most problems at clubs are caused by the vanity or inexperience of owners. They can't bare to see someone else's appointment being successful, and then they start tinkering, and before you know it your doing a Newcastle or Leeds.

 I've been giving the situation at Villa Park some thought for quite some considerable time now, and I think we have to look to our recent history for the route of the problem and the solution.

Part of the problem is how Aston Villa are perceived outside of Villa Park . To the media we are no more than a mid table team at best, they continually rate Everton, Spurs and Newcastle as bigger than us. Now i'm pretty sure that our trophy list is bigger than Everton, Spurs, definately Newcastle and maybe even Chelsea. So part of the problem is perception. How are we ever going to attract top players or managers if we are perceived as being a slightly bigger version of Blackburn or Bolton?

Our next problem is chairman/owners. They are the route of all the problems at most clubs. Take a look at Newcastle for a good example of an owner playing god with the club. But it's our history that concerns me. Ron Saunders was easily the most successful manager of modern times but was undone by an owner who wanted to tinker with his contract. Now after just winning the first league championship in 71 years I can understand Mr Saunders annoyance. No wonder he told them to get stuffed. That brings us on nicely to Deadly Doug. Only Doug could have sacked the man who brought us the european cup,and replaced him with the manager of Shrewsbury Town (Graham Turner). No matter what your opinion of Tony Barton was, you don't replace him with Graham Turner. It's like Man Utd winning the champions league, then sacking Fergie and replacing him with Keith Hill from Rochdale. Obviously only a mad man would do that. Not content with the Graham Turner experiment he then inflicted Bingo Billy on us. Sure enough relagation followed and only then did he really see that to run a massive club like Villa you need a massive character, and not a yes man. So well done Doug for the appointment of Sir Graham Taylor. But then look at some of Doug's other appointments. Dr Josef Venglos - once again the Chairman's vanity nearly got us relagated, and once again we went looking for another manager. In stepped Big Fat Ron. It was a case of so near, yet so far. We played exhilarating football at times, but fell at the final hurdle. But Doug being Doug couldn't stand to be in the shadow of Big Fat Ron, so he had to go too. We then had a succession of managers, some more succesful than others, but all with the exception of O'Dreary couldn't or wouldn't work with Doug. Granted Doug then installed MON at the helm, but what promisses or assurances he made is anyone's guess.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is this: History shows us that to be a success at managing a massive club like Villa, you need a massive character, and in my opinion Houllier is not that man, and like many of his predecessors and the media he has been taken by suprise by the passion that the fans have for this club.

No one really knows why MON and Randy fell out, but one thing is for sure, Randy has most definately not learnt from history. If you have a succesful manager, you back him. If you can't work with him you must absolutely appoint a top manager. Someone hungry, someone with a proven track record. Not an old man! The Graham Taylor experiment(2nd time around proves this).

So what do we do now? I think it's too late this season to change. Big Sam imho is not the answer. I think we need to get our prayer mats out and come May time say thanks to Ged and appoint a new man no matter what division we are in. But, and I hope Randy learns from this experience, and that of our history, we are a massive club. We need a massive character. Not a yes man! Randy, please don't become another Doug. With the right backing and the right man at the helm we can mix it with the best. History proves it!

Offline Merv

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2011, 10:02:29 AM »
The board have been brilliant for four years, but I can't help thinking that the whole thing's been almost a total mess since the final whistle blew at the end of last season. We stood still all summer and now we're going backwards, fast.

We have to bring in some quality this month, the earlier the better. Pay the transfer fees, pay the wages, do whatever to ensure our survival.

Offline stevenjos

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2011, 10:09:42 AM »
Ive begun to feel the same and the summer just gone was one hell of a mess up by them: 

Once Martin had left for reasons we still dont know they dithered and left KMAC in chrage for that long we had no window left to sign reinforcements (and he'd chosen to not bother with Europe). During that time they sold our best payer and replaced him with Ireland. They then looked at only managers who were available. Which is a bit like building your squad on free transfers...

after we look at what sounded like a wonderful bunch of chaps we pick the old french one who has been out of the game for a few years.. instead of looking at him and going: "you know what, lets have a year contract with an option for another year" we go: "stay for 4 years!".

This man has then come in and annoyed all the players and taken us into the relegation zone.. to which the board (if Mat Kendrick is to be believed) have said they will still back him...

.. the organ grinder has made our stand very nice but his latest monkey is an old french one who wont bring in the coins...

Offline lukey27

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2011, 10:17:39 AM »
The board have got themselves in a bit of a muddle unfortunately. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it looks now like we dawdled and procrastinated for five weeks before appointing the wrong man. Because of this muddle / mistake [whatever you want to call it] we're now in a horrible position, in the bottom three and potentially having to sack a bloke we gave a three year contract to not five months ago.

The upshot is the board may now have to show quick thinking, iniative and the investment that they dallied over in August.

Offline Irish villain

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2011, 10:28:24 AM »
I was over for the Blackburn game at the end of last season and even then you could sense something was up. I remember feeling unsettled leaving villa park. I never felt as unsettled about villa as I did that day.

Where to now?

Offline ROBBO

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2011, 10:42:45 AM »
I have had the feeling for a long time that the extended period it took the board to appoint a new manager had a financial influence. MON told to sell players he wasn't using before more money was given him, any new manager with a couple of weeks up his sleeve would demand money to spend. Aston Villa is a business Randys business and he looked at the books and thought it's time to balance them.

Offline stevenjos

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2011, 11:07:50 AM »
I was over for the Blackburn game at the end of last season and even then you could sense something was up. I remember feeling unsettled leaving villa park. I never felt as unsettled about villa as I did that day.

Where to now?

Well if twitter is to be believed and the board are backing Houllier then the championship....

Offline sfx412

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #12 on: January 06, 2011, 11:23:42 AM »
Amazing we fans.

The first sign the wheels are coming off and its the Boards fault, what was it Dol said Fickle.

Rightly or not the Board were left high and dry by probably the worst exit of a manager in Premiership history and whilst I see many still try to blame the Board for that, he left on his own terms taking all the viable coaches with him.

Randy I assume did his selection in an atmosphere of no viable alternatives available and its blown up in his face aided by some lacklustre performances from players who can do better and have done better and an amazing list of injuries
All this had to be dealt with by a manager who had just joined, the club.
Now they are expected to give a knee jerk reaction, sack him during the brief transfer window and leave the club with who, McAllister, Cowans, or even KMac in charge, lunacy.
Throwing money at the problem is not going to help much either, we have too many players who don't give a shit and yes, while another manager might improve that, can we be sure.
No.
Whatever the Board, Randy do, is not going to please some, he was in charge when the mighty Mon quit, yes he quit, so he must be wrong. I'm no fan of our position but I remember Boards who managed relegated Villa sides, Boards who took them into the old Div 3 and believe me I'd rather have Randy, his improvements and the 180 mill he's spent, wasted by Mon, than any of them thank you.
When I look at Blackburn, Blues and other clubs alternatives I think we should be thankful for Randy and Co, they may not be perfect, but using them as part of the blame game because we are in the relegation zone is no more than a cheap shot, a cheap shot by very fickle and disingenuous fans.

I know how I'd feel if I read some of the comments on here and I wouldn't be happy.

Offline darren woolley

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #13 on: January 06, 2011, 11:27:18 AM »
The board have been wonderful for us i really like Randy but he has some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks regarding the manager situation.

Offline ROBBO

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Re: Why the Board need to shoulder most of the blame
« Reply #14 on: January 06, 2011, 11:29:25 AM »
The money wasted by MON has a ring to it, as good an owner as he has been there is a time when you can't throw money around anymore.

 


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