Did you turn on Randy like a den of vipers?

[pauliewalnuts]

He said we have to get to grips with the wage bill and sell players. He said it on the first day of pre-season training immediately following his son posting an attack on the manager. It may be pure coincidence that we lost our manager, sold our best player and made £20m profit this summer. If it is a coincidence, we'll see them return to investment in January or next summer. If they don't, we'll know it wasn't a coincidence. As things stand, I think they deserve the benefit of the doubt.

As for a host of players who don't get used much. We have only 17 experienced players in our squad, no other squad competing for CL places is as weak. We were very fortunate with injuries last season, let's hope this season is as fortunate.

17 experienced players.

So you reckon Habib Beye represents good value for money? Or Curtis Davies?

Does it not strike you as relevant that the manager fucked off at precisely the time he usually awoke from his summer hibernation and realised that he needed to sign players? Wouldn't you expect there to be something of a glitch in signing plans when the manager leaves at that point?

Here's what he said about the wage bill / selling players

2.  I am not sure what needs to be clarified in my statement.  We have supported Martin for the past 4 years...and are willing to support again.  At the same time, that support has to make sense.  It isn't "all about money" but to think that we can just throw money around...keep players on the wage bill that aren't going to get on the Pitch...and have a successful Club is not reasonable or good business.  Adding players without respect to the total outlay of the Club is the quickest way to get into danger...and this was reiterated many times over the past weeks.  It was NOT a case of spending money...it WAS a case of the weekly wage bill. This was not a shock to Martin or anyone else...it is just smart business and something that even the wealthest Clubs must watch.

I've bolded the important bits, as I suspect those are the ones you've been doing your best to avoid reading up till now. Incidentally, what is your take on the General's comments today on the circumstances of MON's leaving?

I trust you believe him to be lying on that, too. Incidentally, I see you telling everyone of what a shit job the board are doing, how they're skinflints etc etc on threads all over the place, other than General Krulak's thread. Why not raise it there?

As for 17 experienced players, yes, your hero has spent 120 million pounds and managed to accrue 17 experienced players.

Maybe if he hadn't spaffed 9 million pounds on a fourth choice centre back, 3.5m and 60k a week on a striker who goes into a catatonic state when he gets within 10 feet of goal, 8.5 million on a midfielder he ostracised after he looked at him funnily, 5m on a striker who was patently not good enough for Wigan let alone us, but who ran out the full length of his contract, and a big money contract for an ageing right back who then became third choice behind another right back and an out of position 8 milion pound centre back, maybe, just maybe we'd have been able to use that money more effectively and to build a deeper squad.

[Percy McCarthy]

That's a bit one-sided from somebody who is often at pains to portray himself as the voice of reason. He recouped about £70m if you count the sale of Milner, which you have to as you're not counting him as one of our 17 experienced players. £50m net for a squad that includes two players, Ash and Gabby, who are probably worth that on the open market between them.

[eamonn]

Had a quick look on soccerbase and I think he raised closer to £50m than £70m.
Selling off Gabby and Ash would bring in between £35m-40m at best I' d say.

It's not so much the money he spent on players that annoys me, it's the failure to either dispose of a large number who he decided he didn't rate anymore/(and or) the failure to give them more of a chance.
 
The full-back situation in particular was a farce, let's be honest, for most of his time here. Playing Mellberg and Gardner on the right when they were clearly far better in other areas. Dilly-dallying on Luke Young before eventually paying twice as much as we could have got for him a year previously. Panic-buying on Shorey after Bouma's injury and losing faith in him shortly afterwards. Seemingly falling out with both players leading to another centre-back playing out of position (Cuellar) for much of last season and Shorey being replaced by an expensive English replacement in Warnock. His last transfer acts could well have been the combined selling of Shorey and Young for less than what one of them cost two years previously. It's not so much the money, just the sheer frustration at failing to get the best out of certain players - his apparent main gift when it comes to management.

[old man villa fan]

I'm all for letting people have their say but there's a real element of Spoilt Bastard from Viz in this one. "Randy, you better blummin well get me David Moyes or I'm never going to Villa Park again you useless football club chairman."

Well said.  That and "I want it and I WANT IT NOW"

[sfx412]

how many of those who turned on Randy on the various sites saw and obviously still see Mon as their hero.
How many who have cast slights on the Board especially those who consistently do so have replied to the Generals accusations on any thread let alone the Generals.
I'm sure at some time in the past many of us have questioned General K and received the full blast of his retorts but its never stopped us replying or asking new questions. So why have so few of the Randy conspiracists yet to take the General to task.
Lacking the bottle perhaps or just a genuine lack of a sensible reply.

[Drummond]

Are you just trying to wind people up to cause more disruption?

[Chris Smith]

I think the General is being a little touchy. The owners have been brilliant so far, they've got almost everything right. However, this is by far the biggest test they've had and it's a new one for them while us fans have been through it many times before and are well aware of how easy it is to get wrong. We've also seen that this summer we've made a £20m profit on transfers. It's hardly a surprise that there are a few worries about the immediate future of the club.

[sfx412]

Good point Chris his reactions on another site did suggest so.

Are you just trying to wind people up to cause more disruption?

Where were my questions not valid? I had thought this a site for open discussion, although I must admit it sometimes degenerates into a bitch fight thanks to some who always make it personal. Why in this instance are you trying to.

[Drummond]

how many of those who turned on Randy on the various sites saw and obviously still see Mon as their hero.
How many who have cast slights on the Board especially those who consistently do so have replied to the Generals accusations on any thread let alone the Generals.
I'm sure at some time in the past many of us have questioned General K and received the full blast of his retorts but its never stopped us replying or asking new questions. So why have so few of the Randy conspiracists yet to take the General to task.
Lacking the bottle perhaps or just a genuine lack of a sensible reply.

That was your last post Malcolm; and you accuse me of being bitchy.

Your style is inflammatory and clearly you're just trying to wind people up.

[ROBBO]

The games changed and only Man City are buying big. Apart from them, what other club would have paid that much for him? same for Ash and Gabby wouldn't fetch the same as two years ago. Lets jus wait and see who's appointed i'm just glad MONs gone.

[Percy McCarthy]

Had a quick look on soccerbase and I think he raised closer to £50m than £70m.
Selling off Gabby and Ash would bring in between £35m-40m at best I' d say.

I thought it was about £40m, before Milner and Shorey went. I'd say we got £30m for Milner because Ireland is worth a fair bit more than £8m.

[dave.woodhall]

Good point Chris his reactions on another site did suggest so.

Are you just trying to wind people up to cause more disruption?

Where were my questions not valid? I had thought this a site for open discussion, although I must admit it sometimes degenerates into a bitch fight thanks to some who always make it personal. Why in this instance are you trying to.

Why have you spent years making things personal?

[TimTheVillain]

I think the General is being a little touchy. The owners have been brilliant so far, they've got almost everything right. However, this is by far the biggest test they've had and it's a new one for them while us fans have been through it many times before and are well aware of how easy it is to get wrong. We've also seen that this summer we've made a £20m profit on transfers. It's hardly a surprise that there are a few worries about the immediate future of the club.

I agree Chris.

This is their biggest test, and I think the communicaton levels are what concern us most.

We read ITKs, we read The Mirror, we read all sorts of stuff, but nothing comes from the club other than what The General writes on here and on other sites.

We are a collective bumch of worriers - we worry for our club !

We are anxious for the future and that concern tips over the edge sometimes and especially on forums like H&V.

Chill pills required all round me thinks !

[damon loves JT]

Vipers don't live in dens. That's lions. Or fat middle-aged men with big houses, irritating wives and Sky+.

I think `a nest' of vipers is the appropriate cliche. In French you have a `knot' of vipers but in English it's a nest.

And if we're going to be really picky a viper is unlikely to turn on you unless you actually stand on it. Usually they piss their pants with fear at the sight of a person, or even a football benefactor

[PeterWithe]

And a significant amount of "you're cheap, you're about saving money" after four years of consistent investment and with no actual evidence that is the case.

See also the way "sell to buy" became an accepted truth in the transfers thread.

I think there is a bit of a difference between thinking that the number one priority for this season is getting the income/wages figures in better order, and thinking that RL is cheap.