What can we do about it?

[garyfouroaks]

Next week against Newcastle.

Not ONE person buys a burger/pie/programme/drink inside the ground. Not one person buys anything from the club shop. The only way Lerner will take note is if it is in his pocket. If he can't be arsed to spend money, then neither should we. 

A futile gesture.

The problem is not that Lerner has not spent money, he has, it is that it has largely been squandered. The financial impact of relegation far outweighs the shortfall in a few pie sales.

We are currently experiencing a perfect storm of bad luck, and bad judgement. I agree with those who see no easy escape route.

This window sees a cruel catch 22. Few players with any sense would join us at the moment. Money may lure them, but players lured by money are unlikely to be the answer. Lambert has no experience of buying to rescue a PL berth- and nor does anyone else at the club. Giving him cash does not offer any guarantee that it will be spent wisely.

I think that Lambert has talent. He may also have the skill to lead us out of the Championship. But I do worry that the players have lost confidence in him.

It is curious how Lerner, like many owners, is happy to throw large sums at player and manager wages, but so little at boardroom expertise. David Dein, Brian Barwick and Peter Kenyon ( for example) are all Boardroom Bastards who know what footballing success looks like. Graham Taylor, BFR,  and David Pleat are  “eminence grise” who understand the playing side at football clubs and whose views could easily be harnassed as non exec Directors advising on football. Now I do not want to get hung up on names, some of the above will be popular, some will not, some will favour other names, and that is fine. But the current problem is that those chairs are empty .Any discussion in the Boardroom about Lambert, a replacement, the Championship, transfer funds now and in the summer is fatally flawed. Faulkner is not up to the job.

The inevitable conclusion to the above is a predictable car crash, which will only be avoided by luck. And you can only rely on luck for so long.

[not3bad]

The fans collectively vetoed the employment of Steve McClaren as manager and the club in desperation hired Alex McLeish.

Forgot about that.  We protested against Mclaren and we got Mcleish.  You've got to laugh I suppose.

[AvFc4eVeR]

Next week against Newcastle.

Not ONE person buys a burger/pie/programme/drink inside the ground. Not one person buys anything from the club shop. The only way Lerner will take note is if it is in his pocket. If he can't be arsed to spend money, then neither should we. 

That obviously won't work because if you look at the amount of money this club will lose if we get relegated, that isn't spurring him into action. I think he has lost interest. I suppose earning a shitload of money from selling the browns means he has lots of new toys to play with, so the old ones get discarded!

[danlanza]

What we need to ask for is footballing legacy that comes from the boardroom.

All of the problems we have now come down to the fact that the manager is the be all and end all of the on the pitch aspect of the club (i.e. the important bit).  This means if the manager leaves we have no one to direct things and provide continuity.

All the fans can do is repeatedly ask for a director of football, more money isn't the answer, we've spent lots and have fuck all to show for it because of the complete lack of direction above the manager.

An open letter in the papers that reads:

"Oi Randy, employ a director who knows the game" is all it needs.

Absolutely whole-heartedly agree with that.

And credit to the OP for trying to do something. I think an open-letter in some newspapers would garner a lot of attention and may draw Lerner into at the very least affirming what exactly his plan is.

Lerner.......Has a plan? Now i'm interested.

[dalians umbrella]

Faulkner and Lerner

Get the F 'n' L Out!

[onje_villa]

What we need to ask for is footballing legacy that comes from the boardroom.

All of the problems we have now come down to the fact that the manager is the be all and end all of the on the pitch aspect of the club (i.e. the important bit).  This means if the manager leaves we have no one to direct things and provide continuity.

All the fans can do is repeatedly ask for a director of football, more money isn't the answer, we've spent lots and have fuck all to show for it because of the complete lack of direction above the manager.

An open letter in the papers that reads:

"Oi Randy, employ a director who knows the game" is all it needs.

Absolutely whole-heartedly agree with that.

And credit to the OP for trying to do something. I think an open-letter in some newspapers would garner a lot of attention and may draw Lerner into at the very least affirming what exactly his plan is.

Lerner.......Has a plan? Now i'm interested.

Sorry, I should have qualified that

[eastie]

change the manager while the transfare window is still open give new bloke a chance to get some experience players in

Agreed.

[walsall villain]

change the manager while the transfare window is still open give new bloke a chance to get some experience players in

Agreed.

The last 30 minutes yesterday was as if we hadn't got a manager. Still shocked we could 'play' like that. Much as the Southampton way seems at bit harse it's the way to to do it if you want change. Would L & F have somebody lined up? No, so we are stuck with what we have and the likely fate that awaits.

[Zakk Fatt]

No, No, No, Lambert has to stay, we have to back him fully and trust that he can get us out of the Championship at the first try.  Make no mistake we are relegated. Period.

What I think we have to ask ourselves now is how are we planning to react to this impending relegation?

Go down quietly or voice our opinion as one loud united voice.

Looking on here we share a few things such as: the team aren't good enough, the tactics are crazy, the ambition has gone, the owner is absent, we haven't got any money left, the club appears to have no football strategy.

But we disagree on who's fault it is, I see posts about Lerner being tight, Lerner being generous, Lerner being dissinterested, Managers squandering his cash, directors of football, Faulkener being a clown, Wage pressure, Profit and Loss needing to be managed, posts pleading to spend, spend, spend.

I think whilst we continue to disagree on what the main fundamental problem(s) is/are and what exactly we need to effect a change in them then Supporter Protest/Pressure is doomed to failure.

I think we need to adopt West Bromwich Albion's model of a Director of Football so we can sack managers at will and not feel thier loss for a start but it is just my opinion.

I think Lerner should spend lots of money with no view to ever getting it back on securing some hardened players by next Thursday that MIGHT give us a fighting chance of staying up but this is just my opinion (and a bit of a pipe dream).

I think Lerner should sell the club to someone who cares about the football club as much as we do.

But these are just opinions and until we galvanise our opinions and start a cohesive movement based on our main objectives as supporters then whatever we do can be brushed off as 'just the fans'.

Anyone want to present a manifesto for perusal with the top objectives that we can debate and whittle down to one ot two must happen nows that we can all get behind?

Once we all agree to stick together as one through thick and thin on a couple of fundamental issues then and only then will be listened too.

When we turned on McLeish (all of us together) then he was gone in weeks.  We can do whatever we want but only if thousands of us are completely united and unwavering.  I don't think we can do it but if we can then I'm in 100%.

[mattjpa]

I feel sorry for Dave Woodhall because he knows that when people say that something needs to be done, they include him in those who need to do it.

Work and intrusion which he could probably well do without.

2) I never mentioned Dave.

I never said you did but another poster wrote:

"Im sure if someone (slightly more articulate than me!) were to draft a letter and post it on here and VT, sensible replies and additions could be made to garner a true represenation of what the fans want to ask/say."

Sounds like he might include Dave in that description, to me.

I'm sure Dave really appreciates you sticking up for him but if you read my post properly you would realise that I Didn't insinuate he would have  anything to do with forming said letter. I did mention that he will have good media connections and may be able to help getting it to the right people and attaching some credibility but that's hardly violating the mans civil liberties.
If anything, montberts original article would be a good place to start...

[bertlambshank]

How about a dirty protest.On Tuesday night go for a piss and don't wash your hands.That will make Randy take notice.

[Des Little]

Rather like an alcoholic, Lerner and Ginge need to admit that they have a problem. Until they do that they won't change, and as a result we will all suffer. A tragic end to our 'bright future'.

[Pete3206]

Next week against Newcastle.

Not ONE person buys a burger/pie/programme/drink inside the ground. Not one person buys anything from the club shop. The only way Lerner will take note is if it is in his pocket. If he can't be arsed to spend money, then neither should we. 

Absolutely zero chance of this. Half the Holte End get up and queue up for a pint after 30 minutes play. And who can blame them?

[Legion]

Stick our head in the sand?
Pray?
Cross our fingers?
Wait for a miracle?
Hope for divine intervention?

I think I've just summed up our board's new philosophy there.

[SashasGrandad]

How about a dirty protest.On Tuesday night go for a piss and don't wash your hands.That will make Randy take notice.

Those were the days when you could try and piss over the wall in the old holte end urinals!