RAL Takeover 5 Years In

[eamonn]

To his credit Randy gave it his best shot, but his investment was placed in the hands of the wrong manager and the plan failed. Now we have to adjust to being happy with Premier League survival, and the occasional cup run if we're lucky, lest we 'do a Leeds'. We may still yet 'do a Leeds' if we do not sturdy ourselves and pull in the same direction for the grind ahead. Appointing a manager with a poor Premier League record from our most hated rivals will do little to unite fans in backing the 'new Villa'* especially in such a precarious transitional season.       

*Some might say this amounts to the same as the old Villa.

£80m invested in the squad over five years isn't enough, regardless of who the manager was/is. There was no reason to assume we could have a top four team based on that level of investment and we did extremely well to get as close as we did.

Extremely well? Nah. MON did the least that what was expected really given the backing and his reputation.
I can't think of many teams that finished below us having outspent us between 2008-'10 (bar maybe Rafa's last fuck-up season and Spurs when Redknapp came after Ramos's disastrous start to 08/09).

[Percy McCarthy]

Maybe Genting will buy him out if the sponsorship goes well.

[Lambert and Payne]

I've lost count of the times I've heard people on here say 'one or two players and we're not far short of being a very good side'.  To be still saying that after 5 years (and in fact it's probably more than one or two now) shows that we've failed to really take things to the next level.

That's the managers fault! And if Randy hadn't backed him he woulda been slaughtered for it. The significant thing I think is that under Doug someone like Heskey or Harewood wouldn't have been regarded as a bad signing. Under RL it was regarded as awful

[Risso]

Lerner's shit. He's done nothing for us. I always said so, I just kept quiet about it for 4 1/2 years. He should sell up now to a consortium of Arab billionaires. There's bound to be one waiting.

There you go - that'll save a few pages.

Grow up.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Lerner's shit. He's done nothing for us. I always said so, I just kept quiet about it for 4 1/2 years. He should sell up now to a consortium of Arab billionaires. There's bound to be one waiting.

There you go - that'll save a few pages.

Grow up.

Which is exactly what Dave would have wrote had somebody posted what he did.

[Jimbo]

I've lost count of the times I've heard people on here say 'one or two players and we're not far short of being a very good side'.  To be still saying that after 5 years (and in fact it's probably more than one or two now) shows that we've failed to really take things to the next level.

As things stand at the moment we're one or two players short of a side, full stop. But I take the point.

[dave.woodhall]

Lerner's shit. He's done nothing for us. I always said so, I just kept quiet about it for 4 1/2 years. He should sell up now to a consortium of Arab billionaires. There's bound to be one waiting.

There you go - that'll save a few pages.

Grow up.

That's rich coming from you.

[Rigadon]

Fans might as well get used to the fact that without a few hundred million we aren't going to be anything more than the bridesmaids bridesmaid (ie 5th or 6th in the league).  Lerner hasn't got that kind of dow to throw in.  His good points FAR outweigh this fact though so I think that;s why, and I'm not directly talking about any single poster here,  it seems a bit rich (forgive the pun) or petulant to me to criticise him for not being rich enough.   If there is a multi billionaire waiting out there and they threw Man City levels of cash at it, people would still moan that we weren't doing it 'the right way' or something similar.

We are what we are - upper mid table club with an outside shot at a cup.  I honestly can't remember it being any different. It's frustrating but what can you do?

[pauliewalnuts]

He's done some good things, he's invested a lot of money in us, there's no getyng way from that.

However, for the last twelve months the management of the club has been hopeless. Events prior to and after  Houllier's appointment were amateurish, but the process we have just been through was farcical and unprofessional on a number of levels.

At the end of last season, we just needed a lift to get back to where we were before last year - make a decent managerial appointment, get the spirits up again, get the positivity back, and reclaim the momentum after a tricky season.

Instead, we have done the complete opposite, made an appointment guaranteed to divide, and add gloom, not lift it, and are in the process of selling our best players yet again.

It isn't Randy's financial commitment I would question above all else, it s the way he is allowing the club to be managed. Throwing money at it is one thing, but look at the enormous sums we have spunked away. How much have we spent on getting rid of, and acquiring new managers in the last few weeks, for example? And for what end result?

[kippaxvilla2]

I suppose a fair summary would be 'long on promise, short on achievement'.  I've lost count of the times I've heard people on here say 'one or two players and we're not far short of being a very good side'.  To be still saying that after 5 years (and in fact it's probably more than one or two now) shows that we've failed to really take things to the next level.

Previously we were a decent upper mid-table side that occasionally got into the UEFA Cup and had the odd cup run.  Which is basically what we are now.  Lerner has done well in his off-the-field endeavours but where things really count, on the pitch, we've not made any significant or, seemingly, lasting progress.

RAL's ownership is what I am analysing - not just Mr Lerner.

[Rigadon]

He's done some good things, he's invested a lot of money in us, there's no getyng way from that.

However, for the last twelve months the management of the club has been hopeless. Events prior to and after  Houllier's appointment were amateurish, but the process we have just been through was farcical and unprofessional on a number of levels.

At the end of last season, we just needed a lift to get back to where we were before last year - make a decent managerial appointment, get the spirits up again, get the positivity back, and reclaim the momentum after a tricky season.

Instead, we have done the complete opposite, made an appointment guaranteed to divide, and add gloom, not lift it, and are in the process of selling our best players yet again.

It isn't Randy's financial commitment I would question above all else, it s the way he is allowing the club to be managed.

As usual, talking a lot of sense.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I can't help thinking that things would have looked a lot different if Steve Stride was still here.

I'm pretty sure the PR gaffes would have been kept to a minimum.

I still think the McLeish appointment, to an extent, was a flexing of the muscles scenario.
A way of saying to the supporters 'Get back in your box'*

* Which is what I dare say McLeish will be screaming from the touchline all next season.

[kippaxvilla2]

I suppose a fair summary would be 'long on promise, short on achievement'.  I've lost count of the times I've heard people on here say 'one or two players and we're not far short of being a very good side'.  To be still saying that after 5 years (and in fact it's probably more than one or two now) shows that we've failed to really take things to the next level.

Previously we were a decent upper mid-table side that occasionally got into the UEFA Cup and had the odd cup run.  Which is basically what we are now.  Lerner has done well in his off-the-field endeavours but where things really count, on the pitch, we've not made any significant or, seemingly, lasting progress.

RAL's ownership is what I am analysing - not just Mr Lerner.

Wrong quote - meant to quote Lee's post.

[Legion]

Thanks for the clarification.

[kippaxvilla2]

I can't help thinking that things would have looked a lot different if Steve Stride was still here.

I'm pretty sure the PR gaffes would have been kept to a minimum.

I still think the McLeish appointment, to an extent, was a flexing of the muscles scenario.
A way of saying to the supporters 'Get back in your box'*

* Which is what I dare say McLeish will be screaming from the touchline all next season.

I was about to post if anyone seriously thinks the Stride 'resignation' has been for the benefit of the club but thought I might be ridiculed.  Especially compared to this serial buffooner we currently have in his position.  He looks like he has just left fuckin school for an apprenticeship.