Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Manxman on November 24, 2015, 03:23:23 AM
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Mr Lerner, After the result at Everton I decided to cheer myself up a little by watching a few clips of our club in better times, and something happened while I was watching those clips that prompted me to write this message to you, I will refer back to this later. Now, I wasn't lusting after the glory days by watching cup finals and famous victories, just ordinary games on ordinary days, some of which we won, some of which we didn't but what became very apparent was just what you have taken from our club and it's wonderful supporters. I know your immediate response to this would be regarding finance, because it seems to me the only thing that you value is the dollar,and it is true that financially we aren't competing any more but what you have stripped from this club is worth more than any amount of money. The reason that English football is so special is that coursing through the veins of every club, from the biggest in the premier league, to the non league teams playing in front of 50 fans, are qualities such as heart, passion, soul, pride, commitment, courage, desire and a sheer bloody minded will to do the absolute best for our club. Every one of these qualities you have taken from us leaving us with an empty shell of a club with it seems, no way forward. I know that you don't understand these things, and I know that you care even less, but every day you remain in control of this club plunges the knife a little further into the heart of every supporter who damn well does understand and damn well cares even more.
So, what happened, while I was watching thaose clips that prompted me to write this message ?. Well, Mr Lerner, I am a 17 stone truck driver, an ex military man and not given to being over emotional, but in front of me while I watched was my note pad, on which i was absent mindedly doodling as I watched. After a while I looked down and that note pad was tear stained. That is what you have done to my club, it isn't so much the results, although they are bad enough, it is the total destruction of the heart and soul of this club that is so devastating.
If you were to give this club away for nothing I have no doubt that you and your family won't struggle to meet next months mortgage payments or put food on your table, so get what you can for it and let it go to someone that understands what we are about and let us begin the long road of repairing the huge amount of damage that you have done.
If you have one shred of decency in you, then go and go now, and you can sit back and enjoy the hundreds of millions of Dollars that mean so much to you.
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I.B.T.L.
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It's simple, he's wanted to sell for at least 2 years - it's just that no one wants to buy football clubs anymore.
His main (but not only) problem is he just keeps employing the wrong people who then sign the wrong people.
There are far worse owners out there with far better teams ironically.
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As Ozvilla says, there are far worse owners than Randy Lerner. He is just an easy target. I suggest respectfully that infinitely more blame for our desperate plight lies with the players and previous managers who have, and still do turn up week after week and under perform. They are the true culprits and that is where the rot has to be cut out.
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The last line was just a ridiculous thing to put.
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Letters that contain phrases like "one shred of decency" should really be written in green ink.
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I am sure not a single one of us would knock our house value down by 50% because the neighbours want us to.
How many other clubs are also up for sale. As to the posters point I honestly don't think it could be given away at present
Must be honest I am sick of Lerner getting stick. Every failing is done through either inexperience or business ineptitude not maliciously like Tan , the dildo mob, Ashley,the nutters at Leeds and Hull and let's not forget the hairdresser.hairdresser . We really need to be careful what we wish for
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Trying to square this post with the OP's only other entry in H&V:
Although I'm not a Villa fan I was at tonights game with a few friends and what I saw was truly shocking and I'll try to explain why. My team play at Conference North level and obviously the players on the pitch for Villa are light years ahead of ours in terms of natural ability. However, every time we play there is total commitment, fight, heart, desire, and a bloody minded determination to win. From our manager there is organisation, leadership and an ability to affect the game if it isn't going our way. We don't win every game but anyone that beats us knows they've been in a fight. From Villa I saw nothing of these qualities from either players or manager to such a degree that I would actually fancy our chances if we were to play you. We had to change our manager earlier this season and it isn't an easy decision to make but with Villa's record being so poor it borders on negligence to have let it go this far. I genuinely wish you all the luck in the world for the rest of the season and hope you are in the Premier League next season but unless a change of manager is made now I fear the worst. I hope my comments are accepted in the spirit that they are made as I have total respect fo Aston Villa football club and it's fans, with my own club being just 15 miles from Birmingham, I am aware of what a great club it is.
Mind you the Conference North level bit might have been a bit prescient.
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The tear stained notepad was a nice touch for a self confessed non Villa fan. File under T for Troll.
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As Ozvilla says, there are far worse owners than Randy Lerner. He is just an easy target. I suggest respectfully that infinitely more blame for our desperate plight lies with the players and previous managers who have, and still do turn up week after week and under perform. They are the true culprits and that is where the rot has to be cut out.
I agree with your first sentence Brian, but not with the latter two. I spend my life examining and helping out failing companies and the success of any organisation is always down to good or bad leadership at the top
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Good spot Woofles.
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I always respect your posts Richard as you know. What we have in common is proximity to struggling companies. You advise them, I own or direct them. I have never had one go tits up on me yet though one or two have gone close. I find at the root of under performing businesses are under performing employees and executives, not chairmen.
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The last line was just a ridiculous thing to put.
Just the last line?
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You may have a few employees under performing but not the whole company. It's the owners / board who set the strategy, make the decisions. I work at a large company and some of the decisions made have cost us. The employees still do the job asked of them. If there are poor performing employees it is up to tue management to sort them out.
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TLDR but thanks to those that did and unmasked the poster as a less than committed party. An Open Invitation for Ridicule would be a more accurate title.
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Open Letter on the Internet = LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME.
Supports a Conference North team though eh? Wonder if I know him.
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As Ozvilla says, there are far worse owners than Randy Lerner. He is just an easy target. I suggest respectfully that infinitely more blame for our desperate plight lies with the players and previous managers who have, and still do turn up week after week and under perform. They are the true culprits and that is where the rot has to be cut out.
Lerner may leave a lot to be desired, but fundamentally, he seems a decent bloke, if somewhat misguided, but I agree there are many worse owners than Lerner.
The previous team management and players however, are far more to blame for the Villa's demise. I'm hopeful Garde is a step in the right direction and that's it's not too late to stave off relegation, but Randy needs to back him this January and hope we get the right players and not so far adrift it's an impossible task. With Sunderland's win, we're now two wins off getting out of the bottom three and we could do with a great big slice of luck the next few matches.
UTV
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I always respect your posts Richard as you know. What we have in common is proximity to struggling companies. You advise them, I own or direct them. I have never had one go tits up on me yet though one or two have gone close. I find at the root of under performing businesses are under performing employees and executives, not chairmen.
I always respect your posts Richard as you know. What we have in common is proximity to struggling companies. You advise them, I own or direct them. I have never had one go tits up on me yet though one or two have gone close. I find at the root of under performing businesses are under performing employees and executives, not chairmen.
Yes, I'm sure you are right Brian, I meant it more in terms of leadership at the top and because of the fairly flat management structure at AVFC, I include Lerner very much in that. Normally, in a lot of companies, it wouldn't be about the chairman or governing body or similar
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Open Letter on the Internet = LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME.
I am a 17 stone truck driver, an ex military man and not given to being over emotional...
Is he advertising something here?
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Problem Brian and Richard with classing a football club with other businesses is the employees of that club/ business.
We have a group of people who since an early age have had a higher than average salary, all their medical worries taken care off to the highest standard, their day to day annoying things looked after, so you produce on the whole a selfish group of individuals, there in is where the problem starts. Give a professional footballer a reason to hide behind, instead of looking in the mirror and accepting their individual responsibility and they will take it as a gift from the heavens, again not all but a high percentage.
At Villa park we have had a management structure that is woefully in-balanced as to the requirements of running a 21st century football club, very little football knowledge and for all their supposed business knowledge, I would love to see apart from the increase in television revenue which has been a gimme, exactly what percentage increase have we seen on commercial revenue. To add to the problem that business knowledge again has been shown to be very weak if the information leaked over the time of Lerner's tenure reference players contracts.
Footballers as highlighted earlier will see this as an angel sent gift from the heavens to hide their own inadequacies and this club since pube head did one has allowed that to manifest.
Dunn and Collins, Lamberts old boy network of coaches, Sherwoods "Was'nt me governor" and on and on.
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Open Letter on the Internet = LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME.
I am a 17 stone truck driver, an ex military man and not given to being over emotional...
Is he advertising something here?
Maybe he accidentally copied and pasted part of his Grindr profile?
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I am looking forward to Manxmans reply.....
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Open Letter on the Internet = LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME.
I am a 17 stone truck driver, an ex military man and not given to being over emotional...
Is he advertising something here?
Maybe he accidentally copied and pasted part of his Grindr profile?
Lot of work for his type in Kurdistan
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Thanks Richard, thanks Kuwait.
It is of course a massive factor that the economics of football are bloated and that assets in the form of players are often insecure and unreliable. Getting administrative efficiency and financial stringency into a football club is infinitely harder than in most other commercial enterprises. I see it as being like trying to remove the appendix of a massively obese person.
The basic grammar and syntax of good financial management are the same for football as any business they are just harder to apply. But unless you want to do a Leeds or a Leicester (yes that very same table topping Leicester) and face the bankruptcy courts, sound financial management has to prevail.
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Open Letter on the Internet = LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME.
I am a 17 stone truck driver, an ex military man and not given to being over emotional...
Is he advertising something here?
Is he Jack Reacher?
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As Ozvilla says, there are far worse owners than Randy Lerner. He is just an easy target. I suggest respectfully that infinitely more blame for our desperate plight lies with the players and previous managers who have, and still do turn up week after week and under perform. They are the true culprits and that is where the rot has to be cut out.
Lerner may leave a lot to be desired, but fundamentally, he seems a decent bloke, if somewhat misguided, but I agree there are many worse owners than Lerner.
The previous team management and players however, are far more to blame for the Villa's demise. I'm hopeful Garde is a step in the right direction and that's it's not too late to stave off relegation, but Randy needs to back him this January and hope we get the right players and not so far adrift it's an impossible task. With Sunderland's win, we're now two wins off getting out of the bottom three and we could do with a great big slice of luck the next few matches.
UTV
Not so sure Boz. It was the hierarchy at the club who made the still bewildering appointment of McLeish, persisted with Lambert for far too long and then appointed a novice who was found out after just a couple of months in charge. They may be nice blokes, but they have proven time and time again that they have no feel or instinct for the game. They have failed for five years to take the necessary action to halt the slump and we now find ourselves in a worse position than when Lerner took over which is some achievement.
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Mr Lerner, After the result at Everton I decided to cheer myself up a little by watching a few clips of our club in better times, and something happened while I was watching those clips that prompted me to write this message to you, I will refer back to this later. Now, I wasn't lusting after the glory days by watching cup finals and famous victories, just ordinary games on ordinary days, some of which we won, some of which we didn't but what became very apparent was just what you have taken from our club and it's wonderful supporters. I know your immediate response to this would be regarding finance, because it seems to me the only thing that you value is the dollar,and it is true that financially we aren't competing any more but what you have stripped from this club is worth more than any amount of money. The reason that English football is so special is that coursing through the veins of every club, from the biggest in the premier league, to the non league teams playing in front of 50 fans, are qualities such as heart, passion, soul, pride, commitment, courage, desire and a sheer bloody minded will to do the absolute best for our club. Every one of these qualities you have taken from us leaving us with an empty shell of a club with it seems, no way forward. I know that you don't understand these things, and I know that you care even less, but every day you remain in control of this club plunges the knife a little further into the heart of every supporter who damn well does understand and damn well cares even more.
So, what happened, while I was watching thaose clips that prompted me to write this message ?. Well, Mr Lerner, I am a 17 stone truck driver, an ex military man and not given to being over emotional, but in front of me while I watched was my note pad, on which i was absent mindedly doodling as I watched. After a while I looked down and that note pad was tear stained. That is what you have done to my club, it isn't so much the results, although they are bad enough, it is the total destruction of the heart and soul of this club that is so devastating.
If you were to give this club away for nothing I have no doubt that you and your family won't struggle to meet next months mortgage payments or put food on your table, so get what you can for it and let it go to someone that understands what we are about and let us begin the long road of repairing the huge amount of damage that you have done.
If you have one shred of decency in you, then go and go now, and you can sit back and enjoy the hundreds of millions of Dollars that mean so much to you.
Yeah, I reckon that'll swing it.
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As Ozvilla says, there are far worse owners than Randy Lerner. He is just an easy target. I suggest respectfully that infinitely more blame for our desperate plight lies with the players and previous managers who have, and still do turn up week after week and under perform. They are the true culprits and that is where the rot has to be cut out.
Lerner may leave a lot to be desired, but fundamentally, he seems a decent bloke, if somewhat misguided, but I agree there are many worse owners than Lerner.
The previous team management and players however, are far more to blame for the Villa's demise. I'm hopeful Garde is a step in the right direction and that's it's not too late to stave off relegation, but Randy needs to back him this January and hope we get the right players and not so far adrift it's an impossible task. With Sunderland's win, we're now two wins off getting out of the bottom three and we could do with a great big slice of luck the next few matches.
UTV
Not so sure Boz. It was the hierarchy at the club who made the still bewildering appointment of McLeish, persisted with Lambert for far too long and then appointed a novice who was found out after just a couple of months in charge. They may be nice blokes, but they have proven time and time again that they have no feel or instinct for the game. They have failed for five years to take the necessary detox to halt the slump and we now find ourselves in a worse position than when Lerner took over which is done achievement.
Well this "nice bloke" Lerner has served up one of the worst Villa teams in decades, has us rock bottom of the league and looking favourites for the drop.
But yeah, lovely bloke...
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The clubs position is a direct reflection of Lerners attitude and state of mind during his Tenure.
From over enthusiastic and wreckless Trusting, knee jerk reactions, antipathy, dis interest, disengagement and abdication of responsibility.
The result are poor decisions which are disconnected to any feasable or tangible plan and devoid of any strategic intent.
Outcome- Bottom of the league and continued failure.
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(http://orig14.deviantart.net/3d1d/f/2011/349/a/6/tear_stained_paper_by_reelay-d4j75pe.jpg)
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Mr Lerner, After the result at Everton I decided to cheer myself up a little by watching a few clips of our club in better times, and something happened while I was watching those clips that prompted me to write this message to you, I will refer back to this later. Now, I wasn't lusting after the glory days by watching cup finals and famous victories, just ordinary games on ordinary days, some of which we won, some of which we didn't but what became very apparent was just what you have taken from our club and it's wonderful supporters. I know your immediate response to this would be regarding finance, because it seems to me the only thing that you value is the dollar,and it is true that financially we aren't competing any more but what you have stripped from this club is worth more than any amount of money. The reason that English football is so special is that coursing through the veins of every club, from the biggest in the premier league, to the non league teams playing in front of 50 fans, are qualities such as heart, passion, soul, pride, commitment, courage, desire and a sheer bloody minded will to do the absolute best for our club. Every one of these qualities you have taken from us leaving us with an empty shell of a club with it seems, no way forward. I know that you don't understand these things, and I know that you care even less, but every day you remain in control of this club plunges the knife a little further into the heart of every supporter who damn well does understand and damn well cares even more.
So, what happened, while I was watching thaose clips that prompted me to write this message ?. Well, Mr Lerner, I am a 17 stone truck driver, an ex military man and not given to being over emotional, but in front of me while I watched was my note pad, on which i was absent mindedly doodling as I watched. After a while I looked down and that note pad was tear stained. That is what you have done to my club, it isn't so much the results, although they are bad enough, it is the total destruction of the heart and soul of this club that is so devastating.
If you were to give this club away for nothing I have no doubt that you and your family won't struggle to meet next months mortgage payments or put food on your table, so get what you can for it and let it go to someone that understands what we are about and let us begin the long road of repairing the huge amount of damage that you have done.
If you have one shred of decency in you, then go and go now, and you can sit back and enjoy the hundreds of millions of Dollars that mean so much to you.
Yeah, I reckon that'll swing it.
I was eating an apple as I read this letter and now tears have fallen upon my Granny.
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Letters that contain phrases like "one shred of decency" should really be written in green ink.
Or underlined ;)
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Whenever I read the term 'open letter' my first thought is how did the author muster enough energy to stop cry-wanking to write it.
As for the subject matter, Lerner is trying to sell. He's not malicious just very naive.
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Not dissimilar from some of the apologists that used to pop up during the Ellis reign. I often reflect on that as I think about the fortune he ripped out of the club whilst preaching parsimony on the spending front.
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What isn't different?
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Whilst I don't blame Learner completely for our current plight I do wish he'd turn up to a game occasionally.
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All my thoughts and prayers are with Manxman tonight.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Candle_flame_(1).jpg)
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There's little point going bat shit crazy on Lerner. Yes he's a big ninny whose business acumen comes into question through his involvement with us. It is a simplitic view but he got his fingers burnt early in his tenure by allowing Pubehead impunity to fritter his money away. He's trying to do what's best for him and us but the arse has fallen out of the market and as a result we spiral towards a footballing nadir not becoming a club of our stature. Suck it up until an eventual change for the better. Whenever that will be.
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He's the custodian of this great club. A total shambles for 5 years. The absent silent landlord. Oh well, he'll pay big time come May.....
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He's the custodian of this great club. A total shambles for 5 years. The absent silent landlord. Oh well, he'll pay big time come May.....
You almost sound like you want him to.
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Cry-wanking....back in a minute x