Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[Mazrim]

The lack of communication is a concern, especially when there is so much negativity around us at the moment and you'd think the club would be doing all it could to arrest that.

But I'm sticking to the opinion that Randy still has a lot of credit with me. So rather than try and second guess everything the club is doing or not doing and jumping at shadows, I'm just going to wait and see what transpires this summer and give them a chance to put whatever plans they have in motion and see where it leads us.

I'm not convinced so far but there's plenty of time to change that.

[Concrete John]

You're making assumptions that people are receiving news in a certain way just because they don't like the manager. That isn't correct.

You admit there may have been a change in approach by the board. Can you accept that people agree with that and logically take their views to a more pessimistic conclusion than your own?

I'm not assuming anything. 

If you go back a year the lack of activity was placed fully at MON's door and Randy was being backed for taking a more prudent approach by wanting some players moved on first.  Fastforward 12 months and Randy is cutting costs and wanting to sell the club.

Of course they can.  But if we were in this exact same position with David Moyes as manager what would you expect the atmosphere on here to be like?

[eastie]

Up the road at blues Johnson has signed for wolves and ferguson and Phillips are headed for Blackpool- only dann and foster left who are any good and they look like being really weak next season .

[Concrete John]

Yes, but the board are not sending the right signals to our top players. The board's current strategy is causing these players to seek success elsewhere because they realise they will not achieve top four status here. I accept there's no cast-iron guarantee of achieving top four but at least give the players hope. We have zero chance now of the top four or even top-six. Can you honestly say that the club is moving forwards?

We were moving forward when Barry and Milner wanted out, so does it make all that much difference? 

I think we can get caught up in the idea of signals being sent to the players.  They aren't limited to the media and football forums for their info and how do we know what assurances they've been given by the club?  Ultimately, actions speak louder than words and come 01/09 everyone, media, players and fans will be judging Aston Villa on what we have done and not what they expect us to do.  So why not wait until then before writing off the board?     

[ktvillan]

It's not just communciation that bothers me, it's the apparent lack of any kind of business acumen.  Making big promises, running up an unsustainable wage bill, making poor appointments including hiring people with a record of failure, putting too much power in the hands of unqualified and inexperienced staff, alienating a fair proportion of your fanbase and disappointing many more.   Lerner is a billionaire by inheritance not through his business acumen, and poor communication is just one of the reasons why I doubt he would have made it on his own.  But as Mazrim says he does have some credit in the bank and I hope he and his cronies will sort some of these issues out.

[Rigadon]

Lerner is never going to be the mouthpiece some seem to need.  He's more of an action over words man so we'll just have to wait and see what's in stall - hopefully the credit in the bank is added to during the next few weeks. 
 

[eastie]

I think he had the belief that we could crack the top 4 and backed mon fully in the Market but the failure to crack it and the emergence of man city's millions coupled with the worldwide financial crash over that period may have left randys top 4 dreams in tatters .

I fear we now may have to accept being also rans rather than chasing the top 4 place that can only be achieved with massive spending.

[Rigadon]

I think he had the belief that we could crack the top 4 and backed mon fully in the Market but the failure to crack it and the emergence of man city's millions coupled with the worldwide financial crash over that period may have left randys top 4 dreams in tatters .

I fear we now may have to accept bring also rans rather than chasing the top 4 place that can only be achieved with massive spending.

Along with nearly all of the other teams in the football league.  That's the effing problem isn't it?  Level playing field my a***

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Lerner is never going to be the mouthpiece some seem to need. 
 

He doesn't have to be Rigadon, he just needs to get somebody on board with good PR skills and a reasonable knowledge of the football industry.

It appears to me that we have no one fitting that description at the club.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I fear we now may have to accept bring also rans rather than chasing the top 4 place that can only be achieved with massive spending.

My concern at this present moment is that we don't even come into the 'also ran' category.

[Villafirst]

Yes, but the board are not sending the right signals to our top players. The board's current strategy is causing these players to seek success elsewhere because they realise they will not achieve top four status here. I accept there's no cast-iron guarantee of achieving top four but at least give the players hope. We have zero chance now of the top four or even top-six. Can you honestly say that the club is moving forwards?

We were moving forward when Barry and Milner wanted out, so does it make all that much difference? 

I think we can get caught up in the idea of signals being sent to the players.  They aren't limited to the media and football forums for their info and how do we know what assurances they've been given by the club?  Ultimately, actions speak louder than words and come 01/09 everyone, media, players and fans will be judging Aston Villa on what we have done and not what they expect us to do.  So why not wait until then before writing off the board?     

But the club finished in ninth place last year after three 6th place finishes in the previous seasons. I can't see a top-half finish this coming season which will mean the club is going backwards. I hope I'm wrong but I fear not.

[CJ]

Anyway, back on transfers, for what it's worth I think McLeish will only sign 2 players - a goalkeeper (Given) and a dominant midfielder (not sure who that will be if it's not Parker). Other than that he'll try and get the likes of Ireland and Warnock to start being footballers again, utilise the existing squad, and bring through more of the young players. I think he'll only go for N'Zogbia if Downing goes. I'm certainly not expecting the kind of frenetic trading we may have seen if Houllier was still here.

[Concrete John]

Anyway, back on transfers, for what it's worth I think McLeish will only sign 2 players - a goalkeeper (Given) and a dominant midfielder (not sure who that will be if it's not Parker). Other than that he'll try and get the likes of Ireland and Warnock to start being footballers again, utilise the existing squad, and bring through more of the young players. I think he'll only go for N'Zogbia if Downing goes. I'm certainly not expecting the kind of frenetic trading we may have seen if Houllier was still here.

You might not be too worng there.  And if he can get the likes of Dunne, Ireland and Warnock playing again that would leave us with a pretty decent looking squad. 

However, if he can't they board needs to back him in shiopping them out and getting replacements otherwise we're mid-table at best.

[pedro25]

If we could shift Heskey and Beye that should enable 1 more signing, big if though.

[andyh]

If we could shift Heskey and Beye that should enable 1 more signing, big if though.

I'm sure Heskey could do a job for someone and someone would possibly pay his wages to enable him to move.
But Beye, who the hell is going to buy that sack of shit on the salary that he would demand.
I'm afraid we're stuck with him.