Have we seen the last of Mr. Lerner and the General?

[midnite]

We could always get a cardboard cut out of him an bring him along to the games. Bit like "where's wally" and place him in different parts of the holte.

I certainly don't think we've seen the last of him or the general.

[Villan For Life]

The absence is worrying and does make the mind consider other scenarios.

The promise of 2006 has been replaced by mediocrity and we seem to be heading down the same also rans avenue as the Browns. Randy seems happy with the Browns in such a position so it follows that he would be happy with the Villa being in the same place.

[Shrek]

Well I think we will spend another 24m in January........

[Dave Clark Five]

He hired McLeish and you're still chanting his name? Whatever floats your boat.

Shall we start a thread up about life in Outer Mongolia and see if you still find some reason to bring McLeish into it? You could go for counselling you know.

[tim]

...he didn't like all the grief he got last year, appointed McCleish to spite us and has then stomped off in a fit of pique.

I really believe that there's truth in that last line. That is certainly the way it seems and I think his interest has taken a large dent as a result. I can't believe he doesn't care - he's a business man and with the potential value of a football club in the league he's hardly going to give it away, but while he owns it and things aren't (to him at least) a disaster, then I think he'll just let it continue for now. Concentrate elsewhere, until he feels the need to jump in again. Or out...

[supertom]

Well I think we will spend another 24m in January........

Yep another desperation splurge to save us from relegation. Only it might not work this time!

The biggest worry I have now, is that with all the money spunked on hiring and firing managers of late, that we can't afford to fuck McLeish off if things get worse, and even if we could just about scrape the pennies to get rid, we'd then not be able to afford a decent manager, though personally I'd be willing to give Sid a pop. Can't be any worse than McLeish. We might start passing t'fucking ball.

[olaftab]

I just want to see Randy at a game.

That would be cruel. We are fans so we can suffer. He is a billionaire so he doesn't need to suffer!

[darren woolley]

I hope he comes back soon because seeing him at Villa Park again will lift everybody I just think he has a busy life at the moment but we will see him again.

[CJ]

Well I think we will spend another 24m in January........

Yep another desperation splurge to save us from relegation. Only it might not work this time!.........

Without wanting to start a January transfer window thread I think the only signing we'll make in January will be Enda Stephens. Last season we needed a goal scorer - easy to identify and, with the players we had to provide service, relatively easy to prise away. This season we all know we need a dominant midfielder. I can't think of who that might be off hand, we'll find it hard to attract anyone special, and we've probably got very little money to spend anyway. I think we're stuck with what we've got this season.

[pauliewalnuts]

They told us repeatedly that they were here through the thick and thin.

It's really, really disappointing to see that, with the first sign of prolonged "thin", they disappear off the face of the earth.

Unfortunately, that makes all the previous communication look like it was aimed at making their own lives easier, as as soon as that stopped, they were gone.

That to me - the making all the previous good work look hollow - should be something they'd want to avoid, even if they were planning to disappear from view.

The fact they clearly weren't bothered about this suggests to me that they simply do not care any more. Combine that with the fact it looks like we're effectively being run by email and set up to coast along, and it is all desperately disappointing and about as far from "Proud History, Bright Future" as you can get.

As for the stick he got last year, anyone who fancies themselves as the owner of sports clubs / franchises for a living needs to have an exceptionally thick skin. If that was enough to make him totally disengage (and I'd hate to see what kind of stick he's had from Browns fans over the years), then maybe he needs to look at a different way of making a living, one where he won't find himself in situations like this.

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

Isn't General Krulak now a headteacher or something somewhere?

It's a good job Faulkner the many football men on the board know what they're doing isn't it?

[IFWaters]

what would it take to get us the feelgood feeling again (apart from 5 back to back wins)

I remember the signings of Ash, Milner, Carew, Delph and Friedel really felt like we were going places.

Who now would you give you that same feeling ? Say 50 million for 4 players - its what we used to spend

[ez]

Imagine if we got to the FA cup final, would he come out of hiding then? We're unlikely to find out i know.

[hawkeye]

We have gone from being an exciting opportunity to a business/ financial problem.RL was an absantee Landlord when the problems with MON developed, he is now even more remote. RL has financial problems AVFC is not on top of his To Do list.
So we have to wait and hope.
One thing you hope is that he does understand that the value of his investment is predicated by PL status. It will be interesting to see what he does in January.

[Sexual Ealing]

Hang on, he's got a tattoo. People with tattoos aren't idiotic, prone impulsiveness and decisions they later regret...