Randy Lerner "State of Aston Villa" Statement

[PaulWinch again]

I read the other day in the Sun (yeah i know what you are thinking) that even though our fans general concensus is that we are totally skint that we are in fact the 7th biggest spenders in the prem this close season

For all the gnashing of teeth by everyone, including me, its really only the usual suspects of

Man U
Man Shitty
Chelsea
Liverpool
Arsenal

that have done real spending - they just happen to be the biggest / richest / most in debt (delete as appropriate) clubs in the league

Sunderland have just spent a huge amount on not a single player that i feel would make our first team


So are we really the paupers of the prem?

I'm not sure how that is possible, we've spent around - £24 million. I'd imagine we are closer to bottom.

[Merv]

Until Arsenal finalise the Fabregas and Nasri deals we're probably the biggest sellers too, though.

We've spent £13m this summer. By the end of August I think we'll be much lower than 7th in the spending list. But no, we're not exactly the PL's paupers.

PS Surely Sunderland have spent more than us? Wickham was £12-13m, Gardner about £5-6....

[exigo]

Tries to begin chant, to the tune of Yellow Submarine:

"have you ever been in the top 20 Euro clubs, top 20 Euro clubs, top 20 Euro clubs?"

Sits back down, in silence.

[Risso]

Proud history, fiscally prudent future.

Exactly, that's the sort of statement you put in a set of company accounts, not into a letter to supporters.  When lLrner took over I thought we were entering a new era where we'd have a great marketing presence, I really couldn't have been more wrong, the man doesn't have a clue.

[cdward]

Different, honest and totally uninspiring.
Almost defiant, by not even trying to encourage people to go to B6. This is how it is, support us if you want.

I almost prefer being bulls***ed to,  Bright Future etc'.

Marketing/PR budget has obviously been cut as well.

Let's hope the team talks are not like that!

[Risso]

Tries to begin chant, to the tune of Yellow Submarine:

"have you ever been in the top 20 Euro clubs, top 20 Euro clubs, top 20 Euro clubs?"

Sits back down, in silence.

"My balance sheet, is bigger than this, my balance sheet is bigger than this"
"My old man, said keep the wages down....."

[Malandro]

I saw it coming when Topps Tiles turned up to do the mosaic

[pauliewalnuts]

Proud history, fiscally prudent future.

Exactly, that's the sort of statement you put in a set of company accounts, not into a letter to supporters.  When lLrner took over I thought we were entering a new era where we'd have a great marketing presence, I really couldn't have been more wrong, the man doesn't have a clue.

I think they are very well meaning, but the leadership of the club seem utterly without a clue.

God knows what the PR department thought they were going to achieve with this letter.

Was it meant to rouse ST holders before the season? I actually feel less inspired after reading it than I did before.

Having come under loads of stick for not spending money, it also seems a bit counterproductive to then write a letter in which you crow about being one of the richest 20 clubs in the world, as it just begs the question "why so tight on the spending, if we're that rich"

[maidstonevillain]

I read the other day in the Sun (yeah i know what you are thinking) that even though our fans general concensus is that we are totally skint that we are in fact the 7th biggest spenders in the prem this close season

Are we talking spenders, or nett spenders.

What is it-minus £21.5M we have spent.

[robbyfvillain]

When I read the letter this morning it said to me that he would like some of his money back.

Totally agree with N'isso and Pauliezognuts with the overall running of the club as being really quite amateurish.

How the hell did he become so rich, if this is how he runs his trust fund I'm not sure he's got enough to stay wealthy.

I would also guess that this might be a precursor to selling the Villa in the next couple of years when he realises how difficult it is to even break even in the premiership.

[exigo]

Tries to begin chant, to the tune of Yellow Submarine:

"have you ever been in the top 20 Euro clubs, top 20 Euro clubs, top 20 Euro clubs?"

Sits back down, in silence.

"My balance sheet, is bigger than this, my balance sheet is bigger than this"
"My old man, said keep the wages down....."

"Oh when fair rules come marching in, oh when fair rules come marching in, I wanna see profit numbers, oh when fair rules come marching in."

[mrfuse]

When I read the letter this morning it said to me that he would like some of his money back.

Totally agree with N'isso and Pauliezognuts with the overall running of the club as being really quite amateurish.

How the hell did he become so rich, if this is how he runs his trust fund I'm not sure he's got enough to stay wealthy.

I would also guess that this might be a precursor to selling the Villa in the next couple of years when he realises how difficult it is to even break even in the premiership.

Yeah made me quite sick, he just inherited his wealth from his father didnt he which is obvious now he couldn't have built it up himself. Im afraid to say as much as it pains me i think this will be my last year as a season ticket holder and i wont be on my own.

[Chris Smith]

Proud history, fiscally prudent future.

Exactly, that's the sort of statement you put in a set of company accounts, not into a letter to supporters.  When lLrner took over I thought we were entering a new era where we'd have a great marketing presence, I really couldn't have been more wrong, the man doesn't have a clue.

I think they are very well meaning, but the leadership of the club seem utterly without a clue.

God knows what the PR department thought they were going to achieve with this letter.

Was it meant to rouse ST holders before the season? I actually feel less inspired after reading it than I did before.

Having come under loads of stick for not spending money, it also seems a bit counterproductive to then write a letter in which you crow about being one of the richest 20 clubs in the world, as it just begs the question "why so tight on the spending, if we're that rich"

I does come across as a letter to Shareholders, but I guess that was the intention. We had all the stuff in the ST pack for the trumpet blowing approach.

[pauliewalnuts]

So why bother with the letter at all?

We're not shareholders.

Assuming the letter was intending to steady nerves amongst the season ticket holders, did they really think that talking about financial performance and targets was going to do it when, actually, it does quite the opposite?

[Ger Regan]

Maybe this is why he doesn't talk to the press?