Huge Summer....

[SoccerHQ]

I don't expect any change of ownership this summer.

I would be surprised though if Randy's still our owner in 18 months/2 years time.

Just hope we survive in this league in the meantime.

[dave.woodhall]

I don't expect any change of ownership this summer.

I would be surprised though if Randy's still our owner in 18 months/2 years time.

Just hope we survive in this league in the meantime.

Please, someone explain to me how he's suddenly become such a bad owner that relegation is inevitable.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

I don't expect any change of ownership this summer.

I would be surprised though if Randy's still our owner in 18 months/2 years time.

Just hope we survive in this league in the meantime.

This.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

I don't expect any change of ownership this summer.

I would be surprised though if Randy's still our owner in 18 months/2 years time.

Just hope we survive in this league in the meantime.

Please, someone explain to me how he's suddenly become such a bad owner that relegation is inevitable.

It isn't inevitable Dave. That's why we HOPE we'll survive.
I hope we'll steadily climb the table and finish a very creditable 6th. Just can't see it happening at the moment.

[Ian.]

We've been saying it's a big summer for a few years now.  During O'Neill's time it was about getting the final piece of the jigsaw and keeping our better players (which we failed to do), now it's replacing most of the first team defence and retaining the better players (Bent, Gabby) and the more promising kids (Gardener). 

Will we do those things?  If so we can expect higher mid-table. 

I think if we'd sign Bent at any point in MON's reign, we'd have made the top 4 in one of those seasons.

Ridiculous MON never went in for him when he signed for Sunderland for 10m and we signed Downing for 12m with a broken leg.

I wonder what MON actually thinks?  Does he think he done right or dropped a clanger and should have had Bent up front against Utd in the final weeks of the 2010 season and not Heskey. The stubborn fool probably thinks Bent is shit and Heskey is the dogs watsits.

[dave.woodhall]

I don't expect any change of ownership this summer.

I would be surprised though if Randy's still our owner in 18 months/2 years time.

Just hope we survive in this league in the meantime.

Please, someone explain to me how he's suddenly become such a bad owner that relegation is inevitable.

It isn't inevitable Dave. That's why we HOPE we'll survive.
I hope we'll steadily climb the table and finish a very creditable 6th. Just can't see it happening at the moment.

Alright then, why has he suddenly become so bad that we have to HOPE to survive?

[Dave]

I don't expect any change of ownership this summer.

I would be surprised though if Randy's still our owner in 18 months/2 years time.

Just hope we survive in this league in the meantime.

Please, someone explain to me how he's suddenly become such a bad owner that relegation is inevitable.

It isn't inevitable Dave. That's why we HOPE we'll survive.
I hope we'll steadily climb the table and finish a very creditable 6th. Just can't see it happening at the moment.

Alright then, why has he suddenly become so bad that we have to HOPE to survive?

I don't think that we have to 'hope to survive' because Randy is a particularly bad owner.

I'm pretty sure that we'll finish in the mid-table area that most people expected at the start of the season, but the very fact that we're as many points away from bottom as we are from 6th means hoping that we survive isn't a particularly outlandish standpoint.

[dave.woodhall]

I don't think that we have to 'hope to survive' because Randy is a particularly bad owner.

I'm pretty sure that we'll finish in the mid-table area that most people expected at the start of the season, but the very fact that we're as many points away from bottom as we are from 6th means hoping that we survive isn't a particularly outlandish standpoint.

It's part of the idea that I don't understand, as taken to extremis by dazzy & co, that not challenging at the top inevitably means we'll be struggling.

[SoccerHQ]

Dave, I just see parallels with Newcastle the season before they went down. Bit different the way Mike Ashley went about things appointing a very popular manager in Keegan but there was a lot of cost cutting and selling of good players (like Milner) which left them with a squad full of egos on ridiculous wages.

Another one was Leeds the season before they went down. Sold the likes of Ferdinand but kept the likes of Kewell and Viduka who won enough games to keep them up just. That summer both went and their squad didn't have individual quality to cope and went down.

I think we're in that sort of status at the moment. We've sold some very good players, we still have good players in the squad who've helped win enough games to keep our heads reasonably comfortably just above the relegation zone but I worry more selling in the summer could lead us to disaster next season.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

I don't expect any change of ownership this summer.

I would be surprised though if Randy's still our owner in 18 months/2 years time.

Just hope we survive in this league in the meantime.

Please, someone explain to me how he's suddenly become such a bad owner that relegation is inevitable.

It isn't inevitable Dave. That's why we HOPE we'll survive.
I hope we'll steadily climb the table and finish a very creditable 6th. Just can't see it happening at the moment.

Alright then, why has he suddenly become so bad that we have to HOPE to survive?

I don't think Soccer HQ's saying that. He's just being realistic. Randy, perhaps, hasn't become so bad. The club is clearly tightening the reins all round so we assume that comes from the top. On the playing side that means we can't buy/afford the one or two quality players that would make us a better team. Randy's buiness has been hit hard so it's only reasonable to consider that he might want rid of something that may be a drain on his dwindling resources. Like any business, if a buyer comes in with the right price the business will be sold.
We all know that Randy's done some great things for the club. But things are tight at the moment and we are feeling it! 

[dave.woodhall]

It's funny how the parallels are always with doomsday scenarios and never with clubs like Spurs, who had a couple of years in mid-table then came back the better for it. Surely nobody would seriously compare us with Leeds and their financial position.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

It's funny how the parallels are always with doomsday scenarios and never with clubs like Spurs, who had a couple of years in mid-table then came back the better for it. Surely nobody would seriously compare us with Leeds and their financial position.

We're Aston Villa Dave!
European champions in 1982 and out of the top division a few years later! Etc.
I'm always optimistic but the reality of disappointment keeps getting in the way of my dreams!
I have the belief that we'll play some good stuff and get some great results this season, starting with a surprise win over Man City on Sunday. I'll be floating on air for a week if we do.
If we don't.......

[SoccerHQ]

It's funny how the parallels are always with doomsday scenarios and never with clubs like Spurs, who had a couple of years in mid-table then came back the better for it. Surely nobody would seriously compare us with Leeds and their financial position.

Levy was still sanctioning big signings during that time, they just went on the wrong players. Davd Bentley for 14m anyone? And it is fair to say McLeish is no Redknapp.

Everton are in the same boat as us. Again if they lose Moyes and make a poor managerial appointment, they would be another under big threat from relegation as Moyes works miracles there every season imo with the budget he has.

[dave.woodhall]

It's funny how the parallels are always with doomsday scenarios and never with clubs like Spurs, who had a couple of years in mid-table then came back the better for it. Surely nobody would seriously compare us with Leeds and their financial position.

Levy was still sanctioning big signings during that time, they just went on the wrong players. Davd Bentley for 14m anyone? And it is fair to say McLeish is no Redknapp.

Everton are in the same boat as us. Again if they lose Moyes and make a poor managerial appointment, they would be another under big threat from relegation as Moyes works miracles there every season imo with the budget he has.

That's another club. Same history as us, similar scenario. Did they start having protests and worrying after they dropped to mid-table?

[Dave]

It's funny how the parallels are always with doomsday scenarios and never with clubs like Spurs, who had a couple of years in mid-table then came back the better for it. Surely nobody would seriously compare us with Leeds and their financial position.

Levy was still sanctioning big signings during that time, they just went on the wrong players. Davd Bentley for 14m anyone? And it is fair to say McLeish is no Redknapp.

Everton are in the same boat as us. Again if they lose Moyes and make a poor managerial appointment, they would be another under big threat from relegation as Moyes works miracles there every season imo with the budget he has.

That's another club. Same history as us, similar scenario. Did they start having protests and worrying after they dropped to mid-table?

They probably have few dazzyg style dimwits of their own.

If they did and they were as well-organised and well-attended as his protests have been so far, it's no surprise that we heard nothing about them.