Randy Lerner exclusive on the OS

[VillaAlways]

Coming here when he did, and under the circumstances he did, the absolute worst thing McLeish could choose to do would be to start playing the way he had Blues play.

But why would you think he wouldn't? You don't buy a cat and expect it to start barking.

He made some encouraging noises about the way he wanted us to play when he joined.

I guess he's reverted to type, but it's depressing, nonetheless.

I wonder how he'll set us up against Man U at home, Hutton and Cuellar doubling up on A Young ?

[Dante Lavelli]

I was just thinking that it would be another waste of a couple of million to sack AMc but then realised that it is highly unlikely to happen given that we're pretty much mid-table which is par considering the players we have sold.

The best thing we can hope for is Randy has a word with AMc and asks him to stop playing such joyless football. 
Most football fans are realistic enough to realise that we're not going to win anything so we - the club and the fans - may as well try and enjoy ourselves. 

[Concrete John]

I guess he's reverted to type, but it's depressing, nonetheless.

See, I don't mind him being more defensive against the better teams.  In fact, I expect any competent manager to take into consideration the other team's strengths and plan against them.  And you could argue the stuff we played against Norwich was a decent step in the right direction. 

But then we took huge backwards steps last night and he also gave too much respect to Spurs. 

[PeterWithe]

If he's going to play dull, defensive football I just wished he'd get better at it.

[SoccerHQ]

If he's going to play dull, defensive football I just wished he'd get better at it.

Me too.

For an apparent defensive specialist coach (him and Grant) the defence is pretty much back on last season's form as we're shipping two goals a game on average again.

And what's peed me off this season is still conceding late goals and throwing away leads, where SHA as bad at this last season?

[Compass]

I'll be the first to say it.

Randy Lerner is worse than Doug Ellis.

I would take common sense over money any day. There's no way Doug would have been this stupid.

No doubt some will flame me for it, but it'll probably be the same hypocritial fans who loved Randy for spending money (despite pissing it down the drain and now wants it back), but wouldn't want to see another rich owner. Not only that, but they disliked Ellis for exactly the same reason what Lerner is doing right now, but throw in the fact Lerner makes the most pathetic decisions in football existence he takes the stupidity cake by a large margin.

[saunders_heroes]

Ellis for all his faults wouldn't have dared sell the likes of Barry, Milner, Young and Downing in the space of a couple of years and not bother to replace them. Lerner did though, and now we're in the shit.
Last night was one of the most inept Villa performances I've ever seen. It begets belief what Lerner is playing at.

[eastie]

I'll be the first to say it.

Randy Lerner is worse than Doug Ellis.

I would take common sense over money any day. There's no way Doug would have been this stupid.

No doubt some will flame me for it, but it'll probably be the same hypocritial fans who loved Randy for spending money (despite pissing it down the drain and now wants it back), but wouldn't want to see another rich owner. Not only that, but they disliked Ellis for exactly the same reason what Lerner is doing right now, but throw in the fact Lerner makes the most pathetic decisions in football existence he takes the stupidity cake by a large margin.

Randy gave it his best shot for 4 years and onlu just failed-however since then it has been alarming and it may be for the best if he sells up to someone who can provide the finance needed to challenge the top 6- easier said than done though as everton have found out.

[pauliewalnuts]

Managing and growing the club properly is not just about throwing money at it - unless you have Man City style cash, and nobody has that kind of money.

It is also about clever management of the club - your long term plan, your risk taking, who you appoint to senior positions, your marketing, how you grow the commercial side, and how everything balances out in contributing to the eventual goal of growing things on the football side.

Randy's undoubtedly well-intentioned, and has put a decent amount of money in, but it is getting more and more clear that, with regard to all the other elements of growing the club, the contributing factors, he is absolutely clueless.

Watching that shambles last night, i kept thinking of his words from the other day, "a very special football man".

God help us.

Incidentally, look at Spurs, a club we were largely on a par with a few years ago, and how they have pushed on. They now look light years ahead of us.

I could put up with that if I thought that our general trajectory was upwards, but currently - and this is not at all purely a reflection of last night's events - it is impossible to see a single way in which we could be described as on an upward trajectory in anything we do.

[Jimbo]

The main problem with Randy and his team is they know nothing about football. Ellis at least knew a bit, and was able to get people with football knowledge around him. I also suspect his ego was far too enormous to go asking high profile managers of teams in the same league as us for advice on managerial appointments, although you could argue there are a couple of leagues between us and Man Utd. Villa need a football man at board level, and quick. The people in charge at the moment are hopelessly out of their depth.

[Risso]

I'll be the first to say it.

Randy Lerner is worse than Doug Ellis.

I would take common sense over money any day. There's no way Doug would have been this stupid.

No doubt some will flame me for it, but it'll probably be the same hypocritial fans who loved Randy for spending money (despite pissing it down the drain and now wants it back), but wouldn't want to see another rich owner. Not only that, but they disliked Ellis for exactly the same reason what Lerner is doing right now, but throw in the fact Lerner makes the most pathetic decisions in football existence he takes the stupidity cake by a large margin.

Randy gave it his best shot for 4 years and onlu just failed-however since then it has been alarming and it may be for the best if he sells up to someone who can provide the finance needed to challenge the top 6- easier said than done though as everton have found out.

Everton are a different kettle of fish.  They need a new ground and have a much bigger more glamorous neighbour in the immediate vicinity.  We've been top dogs in the midlands for as long as most people can remember, and the ground is certainly big enough for the forseeable future, and at worst would need the North Stand rebuilding.  Randy got himself a bargain, but then spent far too much on crap players; money that has gone out of the club, never to be seen again.

[Risso]

It comes to something when Lerner's stewardship is making people misty eyed for Ellis, but for all his faults, Ellis delivered actual success and some enjoyable football along the way.  It's now looking like the 1990s were a bit of a purple patch for us, what with two cups and high place league finishes etc.  Plus in Taylor, Atkinson, Little and Gregory, he appointed some fantastic managers who loved the club, and who the fans took to their hearts in return.

Can't see a return to those days under Lerner the way things are going.

[TheSandman]

Not specifically you Eastie, but people often seem to identify Faulkner as being useless, even implying that he has been a catalyst for our demise.    On what basis has everyone, well many people, reached this conclusion?  I'm not saying they're wrong but I just wonder why he has been isolated in this fashion when so many other things have changed as well? 

I've never really been one to criticise him as I've always had the impression that he is a yes man who has been put in place by Lerner who has continued to make the big decisions.

[Shrek]

I was just thinking that it would be another waste of a couple of million to sack AMc but then realised that it is highly unlikely to happen given that we're pretty much mid-table which is par considering the players we have sold.

The best thing we can hope for is Randy has a word with AMc and asks him to stop playing such joyless football. 
Most football fans are realistic enough to realise that we're not going to win anything so we - the club and the fans - may as well try and enjoy ourselves. 

This is the problem, people are deceived!

We are not midtable, when we get to Xmas, we will have played everyone and if we are not in the bottom 5 I'll be amazed.

It's really bad that we have a manager is that scared of a defeat he played with no wingers and 6 defenders. What makes it worse is we were 2 down inside half an hour and he still never changed it.

I was at the time gutted Houllier had to go, he had the club at heart and would have improved us given the summer to sell and buy and implement his style of play with a full pre season.

Is there a manager in the world I'd take Mcleish over? Id have taken Curbishly, Jol, Houghton, Hughes, Bentitez, Hoddle over Mcleish and were all available.

Just so depressing.

[Jimbo]

It comes to something when Lerner's stewardship is making people misty eyed for Ellis, but for all his faults, Ellis delivered actual success and some enjoyable football along the way.  It's now looking like the 1990s were a bit of a purple patch for us, what with two cups and high place league finishes etc.  Plus in Taylor, Atkinson, Little and Gregory, he appointed some fantastic managers who loved the club, and who the fans took to their hearts in return.

Can't see a return to those days under Lerner the way things are going.

Steady on, old chap. I don't know about misty eyed, but we can only use Ellis as a benchmark because that's all most of us can really remember - certainly all we've had to compare in the modern era. But football has changed massively since Ellis. It's even changed hugely during Randy's tenure, and now it takes owners with either masses of money or a keen grasp of the business of football to succeed or even survive. Look at the clowns at Blackburn as an example. I don't want Randy to follow them into the abyss.