Randy Lerner "State of Aston Villa" Statement

[Villa'Zawg]

Then we're stuck with a crap owner unfortunately.

You appear to see everything in black and white terms, Risso.

I think much of what Lerner has done has been very good. I think his mistake was that he expected to increase revenue more quickly than he did. It's an error that we all made, we assumed that Doug was holding us back and that as soon as he left in would be wine and roses all the way. Who knows, if it hadn't been for the global recession and Man City distorting the market it might have worked.

So, now we are we are. To me, whoever is in charge the plan that they've set out seems to me to be the most viable; increase revenue, invest wisely in players, develop our own talent and seek to grow at a sustainable level. That doesn't seem "crap" to me.

Revenue increased from £49m to £90m over the space of four years, I don't think you can hope to grow revenue more quickly than that and that was before we even reached the stage of winning cups and playing in the CL.

[Greg N'Ash]

Not sure 3 billion is the minimum. I just think Lerner no longer has 1billion or anything like that in real money.

So your plan is still "Randy should spend more". I'll ask again, how can you feel comfortable asking him to put in more of his money when you won't spend a penny of your own?

It's ironic that we send so much of our time whinging about how money is ruining football yet when our own club talk about a sustainable operating model we cry foul and call for more spending regardless.

no chris my point is if Randy has lost something like 500+m in the last 12 months in share value then carrying losses of 40m a year is probably no longer something you can ignore or want to ignore if it means you'll be brassic in 5 years. Without success its very hard to get a sustainable business model and you don't get success by selling your best players every year and not replacing them.

My plan is he should bow out if he can't afford to carry on with the business model he originally envisaged.

[Greg N'Ash]

Everton may have reinvested money from the sale of players Greg but they have not invested it in new or better players.   Didn't somebody post that it is two years since they bought a player?

I thinks thats true but then they haven't sold a big name in the same period either. I have no problem with that way of doing things if money is tight. I could live with a sell to buy policy- but we're not. We're selling  and pocketing the majority of the money.

[hawkeye]

The Lerner plan which was based on the  MON plan failed. It now looks like a spectacular failure.
RL thought that he could be successfull as an absantee Landlord.
Well history has proved that he couldnt, now the club are indebted to him for millions and he appears to be in some financial difficulty.

[Chris Smith]

Everton may have reinvested money from the sale of players Greg but they have not invested it in new or better players.   Didn't somebody post that it is two years since they bought a player?

I thinks thats true but then they haven't sold a big name in the same period either. I have no problem with that way of doing things if money is tight. I could live with a sell to buy policy- but we're not. We're selling  and pocketing the majority of the money.

They sold Piennar in January.

[Greg N'Ash]

Everton may have reinvested money from the sale of players Greg but they have not invested it in new or better players.   Didn't somebody post that it is two years since they bought a player?

I thinks thats true but then they haven't sold a big name in the same period either. I have no problem with that way of doing things if money is tight. I could live with a sell to buy policy- but we're not. We're selling  and pocketing the majority of the money.

They sold Piennar in January.


For 3m because he out of contract.. Its not like he went for 20m and the club have kept it all

[Risso]

Not sure 3 billion is the minimum. I just think Lerner no longer has 1billion or anything like that in real money.

So your plan is still "Randy should spend more". I'll ask again, how can you feel comfortable asking him to put in more of his money when you won't spend a penny of your own?

It's ironic that we send so much of our time whinging about how money is ruining football yet when our own club talk about a sustainable operating model we cry foul and call for more spending regardless.

It isn't a model, it's just cutting costs.  The General has been banging on all summer about Lerner backing McLeish, and it just hasn't happened.   If we're going for a more "sustainable model", then why spend such a huge amount on Darren Bent if it wasn't a panic buy (which I firmly believe it was).  What's the point in buying an expensive player on huge wages like Bent, then sell your better players 6 months after and not replace them?  There's no rhyme or reason to how Lerner operates, he really hasn't a clue.  It'd help if he employed people with a bit more ability than the hapless Faulkner.

[Chris Smith]

Everton may have reinvested money from the sale of players Greg but they have not invested it in new or better players.   Didn't somebody post that it is two years since they bought a player?

I thinks thats true but then they haven't sold a big name in the same period either. I have no problem with that way of doing things if money is tight. I could live with a sell to buy policy- but we're not. We're selling  and pocketing the majority of the money.

They sold Piennar in January.


For 3m because he out of contract.. Its not like he went for 20m and the club have kept it all

So losing one of your best players and only getting £3m for him is something we should aspire to?

[Greg N'Ash]

Everton may have reinvested money from the sale of players Greg but they have not invested it in new or better players.   Didn't somebody post that it is two years since they bought a player?

I thinks thats true but then they haven't sold a big name in the same period either. I have no problem with that way of doing things if money is tight. I could live with a sell to buy policy- but we're not. We're selling  and pocketing the majority of the money.

They sold Piennar in January.


For 3m because he out of contract.. Its not like he went for 20m and the club have kept it all

So losing one of your best players and only getting £3m for him is something we should aspire to?

and how is that worse than getting 35m for 2 players and getting less than 15m of it to spend? or in other words 20m of it being mysteriously siphoned off. At least Everton got the use of Pienaar in his last season

[Villa'Zawg]

The Lerner plan which was based on the  MON plan failed. It now looks like a spectacular failure.
RL thought that he could be successfull as an absantee Landlord.
Well history has proved that he couldnt, now the club are indebted to him for millions and he appears to be in some financial difficulty.

Surely it is the abandonment of the strategy that has been a spectacular failure.

[Chris Smith]

In the past 12 months we've bought Ireland, Bent, Makoun, Given and N'Zogbia. That's the best part of £50m spent there, to claim some sort of austerity programme is ludicrous.

[Greg N'Ash]

In the past 12 months we've bought Ireland, Bent, Makoun, Given and N'Zogbia. That's the best part of £50m spent there, to claim some sort of austerity programme is ludicrous.

and sold Milner. but then you knew that.

[Risso]

In the past 12 months we've bought Ireland, Bent, Makoun, Given and N'Zogbia. That's the best part of £50m spent there, to claim some sort of austerity programme is ludicrous.

Your head must be spinning like Randy Lerner trying to make sense of a set of accounts.  A page back you were claiming we're cutting back on spending to try and operate on a more sustainable basis, now you're arguing the exact opposite.

[Chris Smith]

In the past 12 months we've bought Ireland, Bent, Makoun, Given and N'Zogbia. That's the best part of £50m spent there, to claim some sort of austerity programme is ludicrous.

and sold Milner. but then you knew that.

Of course, but from the tone of your posts you'd think we weren't spending anything.

[Greg N'Ash]

In the past 12 months we've bought Ireland, Bent, Makoun, Given and N'Zogbia. That's the best part of £50m spent there, to claim some sort of austerity programme is ludicrous.

and sold Milner. but then you knew that.

Of course, but from the tone of your posts you'd think we weren't spending anything.

we're spending but its easily covered by sales. Ireland and Bent are covered by milner and davies. so that possibly leaves makoun to be added to the expenditure this summer. Still the best part of 15m pocketed by the club