Turmoil

[pauliewalnuts]

Does anyone else find themselves worried by the amount of uncertainty we seem to have behind the scenes? Even if you don't focus on the on-pitch stuff, the amount of "churn" going on behind the scenes seems to suggest a certain amount of instability, to say the least.

Sometimes when clubs go down, they do so with a similar level of off-pitch unsettledness, and I have to say, looking at events here in the last twelve months, then looking at the utter guff on the pitch, I do wonder if we're starting to resemble relegation season Newcastle.

In the last year or so ...

The manager's two trusted lieutenants, Karsa and Culverhouse, not only leave the club, but do so having been sacked - something which never seems to happen to football people usually. Rumours of bullying abound.

The chairman comes out and admits he wants to sell the club (and in doing so talks about the Shummanite).

One of the bomb squad, Shay Given, finds himself not only let back into the fold, but on the bench as part of an impromptu coaching team.

The CEO, who has worked with the chairman for years, leaves the club.

The media manager leaves and goes to Everton.

Roy Keane, the new assistant manager arrives and leaves within a couple of months, citing the inability to combine the two jobs, despite Ireland having two matches in the next ten months, the next of which isn't until March.

The rest of the bomb squad, ostracised from the main squad and forced to play frisbee with the youth team for an entire season or more now find themselves brought back.


If it were just a matter of looking at the utter rubbish on the pitch, it'd be easier to understand, but looking at all the above, I start to wonder if there isn't something seriously wrong at the heart of the club. Something looks like it isn't right.

If any one of the above had happened, you might just write it off as one of those things, but there seems to be a serious amount of instability.

Why?

[AV82EC]

1) the chairmans lack of leadership and arms length fiddling
2) the managers lack of ability
3) the lack of Footballing nous on the board
4) the lack of a clear football structure at the club
5) coaching and medical inadequacies

[hilts_coolerking]

I think when a club starts to make bad decisions and fortunes decline then eventually the brighter talent (on or off the pitch, behind the scenes or whatever) moves away to be replaced by lesser talent.  So the decision making gets worse: as walnuts points out, our list of bad decisions is as long as your arm.  And then inevitably the decline gathers pace until it reaches a point where it seems unstoppable.  The net effect of that I think is that it reduces morale and motivation to negligible levels and, at a time when the club desperately needs good, swift decisions, it finds its best people are long gone.

So I don't think there's anything particularly rotten at the heart of the club, it's just that there doesn't seem to be anybody left with much common sense, decisiveness, impetus, bravery, you name it.  Or money.  But, as has been said before, the club is in such a state that even if we did have money we'd probably do something ridiculous with it.

[Toronto Villa]

It's mistake after mistake. It just keeps adding up and piling on to what has become a very unappealing heap. It's not one thing its several. If the football was better the background stuff is hidden more. Let's face it, it's not as if everything was rosy even we sat near the top of the table. This was always going to happen because the primary components causing the problems are still at the club. It won't end until everything has changed which might not happen for a good while yet. This is looking every bit as bleak as the dark days of McLeish. Maybe worse.

[papa lazarou]

There's no drive, initiative, target. I reckon someone has probably decided that we are good enough to survive this season. The apathy has filtered out to many of our fellow supporters and the media couldn't give a flying fuck. The owner has to take responsibility but we know he's not overly concerned, perpetuating the current banality. There won't be a change until we have a new owner with a plan and a few shillings. Could be a while.

[tomd2103]

I think when a club starts to make bad decisions and fortunes decline then eventually the brighter talent (on or off the pitch, behind the scenes or whatever) moves away to be replaced by lesser talent.  So the decision making gets worse: as walnuts points out, our list of bad decisions is as long as your arm.  And then inevitably the decline gathers pace until it reaches a point where it seems unstoppable.  The net effect of that I think is that it reduces morale and motivation to negligible levels and, at a time when the club desperately needs good, swift decisions, it finds its best people are long gone.

So I don't think there's anything particularly rotten at the heart of the club, it's just that there doesn't seem to be anybody left with much common sense, decisiveness, impetus, bravery, you name it.  Or money.  But, as has been said before, the club is in such a state that even if we did have money we'd probably do something ridiculous with it.

I do and it is going to take something drastic to change it.     

[ChicagoLion]

I think you are absolutely right Mr Walnuts. These events are indicative of an organisation that has lost its way and is in serious decline. No direction, no ambition, no plan and completely devoid of Leadership.
Unless Lerner shows some leadership (because I think we can forget about new owners any time soon) then the inevitable will happen. I don't think sacking Lambert will be enough unless this is part of a new plan and strategy for the club.

[adrenachrome]

I have thought this is the case for some time. I think I used the phrases "permanent transition",  "the mother of all transitions" and "total flux".

As I said to a bemused chap in the concourse of the upper witton on Monday, "if this experimentation continues unabated we will soon be digging up the dead body of Joe Mercer and resurrecting him with high voltage and putting Gary Glitter and Rolf Harris in charge of the kids".

Randy Lerner came with good intentions but the club is now a metaphorical Frankenstein lurching from one disaster to the next. 

[TheMalandro]

I'm not sure what will happen if randy is here another summer. Benteke, delph, vlaar and perhaps even guzan will be gone.

[garyshawsknee]

Its said to say but I'm kind of use to a rudderless ship at the club now,seems to have been the norm for far too long .

[oldtimernow]

We're doomed .....I tell you...we're doomed....

[bob]

looking at all the above, I start to wonder if there isn't something seriously wrong at the heart of the club. Something looks like it isn't right.

You should be a detective.

Or the Villa chairman.

[Mister E]

There is one element that is consistent with HDE's final years as Chairman: the absence of a discernible guiding philosophy; a clear lack of strategic direction; an apparent unwillingness to think and act for the long term.
As hilts says, when things get tough in organisations, those that can leave (i.e. those with market value and demonstrable capability) normally do, leaving a rump of people for whom it's harder to up and go. We're seeing this now at VP to an extent.
The solution is a leader (chairman) who has the commitment and long term perspective to rally people to a credible cause ...
... We're still waiting for the sale of the club.

[silhillvilla]

I was hoping Tom Fox was going to steady the ship a bit but it may have gone too far for a quick turnaround. He may be merely "rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic".

[Villa in Denmark]

There is one element that is consistent with HDE's final years as Chairman: the absence of a discernible guiding philosophy; a clear lack of strategic direction; an apparent unwillingness to think and act for the long term.
As hilts says, when things get tough in organisations, those that can leave (i.e. those with market value and demonstrable capability) normally do, leaving a rump of people for whom it's harder to up and go. We're seeing this now at VP to an extent.
The solution is a leader (chairman) who has the commitment and long term perspective to rally people to a credible cause ...
... We're still waiting for the sale of the club.

In hindsight I don't think that there's been one since the day he walked through the door.

Plan A.  Throw money at it with a manager everybody keeps telling me is the puppies plums.
Plan B.  Oh f&%k, we've used the budget, what do we do now?  "Don't panic Mr Mainwaring!"