Record Losses....

[Mazrim]

Maz my point that was 18 months ago, you want to burn at the stake that was your bravado comment

I genuinely don't understand this.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Maz my point that was 18 months ago, you want to burn at the stake that was your bravado comment

I genuinely don't understand this.

He's referring to the time you were moaning about the burnt steak you had in a Berni Inns 18 years ago.

[Steve R]

....
Well, I think he's following the third option - batten down the hatches and try and tough out the current financial shit-storm in the hope that the FFP rules will level out the playing field a little.
In the end I think he will sell up, but I'm not sure it's going to happen soon.

The really sad thing is that you could have written almost exactly that 10 years ago.

It really has been a waste of time.

[dave.woodhall]

....
Well, I think he's following the third option - batten down the hatches and try and tough out the current financial shit-storm in the hope that the FFP rules will level out the playing field a little.
In the end I think he will sell up, but I'm not sure it's going to happen soon.

The really sad thing is that you could have written almost exactly that 10 years ago.

It really has been a waste of time.

You could say that about virtually every club.

[glasses]

Faulkner was at the club when Villa played Litex in the Uefa Cup in 2008. He was employed by the club, but not CEO at that time. In a meeting with someone I know, he told them his job was to speak with players agents and arrange contracts. He told them he was a Director of Football. He was apparently a very nice bloke. He also stated that he was Randy's right hand man, and they were very close. These things I have been told

I personally think that the issue O'Neill had was with Faulkner, not Randy and not Villa as a whole. I think that there was a massive breakdown in their relationship, leading to O'Neill walking.

Arranging player contracts? So would it be his fault that we have suffered from so much overpaid dross.

Well, he would certainly have contributed. O'Neill would still have to take some for suggesting/asking/wanting players in the first place, such as Heskey and Beye, but being lumbered with them on massive contracts is perhaps the doing of Faulkner, and some fault would need to lie with him.

Sorry I am wrong , MON a cowadice traitor for take us to sixth and pissing off when he is unhappy.

Burn him at the gates of hell

Lerner and Faulkner are perfectly fine was running up huge losses year on year .

All is well with  the villa hierachy.

Would Faulkner be in charge of say Tesco's if they had multi million pound losses on his patch? if he was in charge

Put simply, the bits that faulkner can control such as sponsorship, kit deals etc have improved significantly since he joined.  I'm not sure he should be held accountable for contracts that were signed before he was promoted.

Didn't someone say yesterday that his previous job at the club was specifically involved with agreeing contracts?

That would be me. To be clear, the person I know met Faulkner around the time we played Litex in the Uefa cup. That was when he said to him, he was employed as a DOF and was involved in negotiating with agents.

He was promoted to CEO in May 2010 I beleive?

[Doorbell]

It's compounding the error. Like putting out a fire with Kerosene.

You dont get Frank Spencer to drive your £2m F1 car because Reubens Barichello took you to the cleaners.

Ooooh Betty, the cat's done a huge shit in my helmet.

You have the best name ever! I hope that being a member of the house of lords, David Cameron orders an inquiry which you head up, into this whole debate.

[VILLA MOLE]

It's compounding the error. Like putting out a fire with Kerosene.

You dont get Frank Spencer to drive your £2m F1 car because Reubens Barichello took you to the cleaners.

Ooooh Betty, the cat's done a huge shit in my helmet.

You have the best name ever! I hope that being a member of the house of lords, David Cameron orders an inquiry which you head up, into this whole debate.

frank never swore , it was woopsy , get on the naughty step

[5ft811st2 Durham]

....
Well, I think he's following the third option - batten down the hatches and try and tough out the current financial shit-storm in the hope that the FFP rules will level out the playing field a little.
In the end I think he will sell up, but I'm not sure it's going to happen soon.

The really sad thing is that you could have written almost exactly that 10 years ago.

It really has been a waste of time.

You could say that about virtually every club.

Except we're the biggest club in the second city, and as such should aspire to so much more than we have achieved.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

....
Well, I think he's following the third option - batten down the hatches and try and tough out the current financial shit-storm in the hope that the FFP rules will level out the playing field a little.
In the end I think he will sell up, but I'm not sure it's going to happen soon.

The really sad thing is that you could have written almost exactly that 10 years ago.

It really has been a waste of time.

You could say that about virtually every club.

But very few clubs have been bought by a billionare and had a couple of hundred million spent on them, only to find themselves back where they started in pretty short order.  Not Man City money, for sure, but then I didn't expect to win the league either.

[LeeS]

Dave makes a good point though.

....
Well, I think he's following the third option - batten down the hatches and try and tough out the current financial shit-storm in the hope that the FFP rules will level out the playing field a little.
In the end I think he will sell up, but I'm not sure it's going to happen soon.

The really sad thing is that you could have written almost exactly that 10 years ago.

It really has been a waste of time.

You could say that about virtually every club.

But very few clubs have been bought by a billionare and had a couple of hundred million spent on them, only to find themselves back where they started in pretty short order.  Not Man City money, for sure, but then I didn't expect to win the league either.

I'm with Dave on this. I read this morning that Al Jazeera are thinking of bidding for the UK TV rights and this will mean another huge increase in revenues for the clubs. But all it will mean is players getting even more money and nothing else changing. I cant get excited about xxxmillions being spent or lost because it has no value in the real world. Football money exists in a parallel universe and every club has the same issues.

[Steve R]

....
Well, I think he's following the third option - batten down the hatches and try and tough out the current financial shit-storm in the hope that the FFP rules will level out the playing field a little.
In the end I think he will sell up, but I'm not sure it's going to happen soon.

The really sad thing is that you could have written almost exactly that 10 years ago.

It really has been a waste of time.

You could say that about virtually every club.

Not many have had the chance to do things differently. We have, but for whatever reason it has gained us very little.

[PeterWithesShin]

I had a record loss once. I reckon my mate Dave nicked it. Guns n Roses picture disc it was. Bastard.

[Louzie0]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/feb/28/aston-villa-losses

David Conn who wrote this in the guardian was just interviewed on TalkSport. 
Really interesting.  About how many owners were known to general fans and the public even beyond the local fans about 10-15 years ago (hardly anybody) and how many, now.  (loads in the PL and in the Cjhampionship if they have made major mistakes!)

Also, about how many owners would turn up, week after week, to watch the match.  Yes, even in the good ol days before the russians and the sheiks. Hardly anybody apart from Deadly, of course.  So nowadays is not that different, was his argument.  They may be thousands of miles overseas right now, but back then some owners were a lot nearer and sat on the yacht or in the garden on a saturday afternoon.

Also spoke about how Villa were built up by Randy, and then; did not mention MON exiting by name but apparently it was absolutely obvious (to all in the football stratosphere that he inhabits) that this had a major effect financially on the club - like, downwards.  Also referred to the need to reduce wages and outgoings leading to selling major players and how good an owner RL has been but ultimately, not rich enough to spend another £200million.

Because that's what he actually has spent.  £200million.

I'm not surprised he wants to retrench a bit!

Quite, Louise.
But we still come back to the manner of MON's departure: the spiteful and vindictive timing, followed up by a protracted legal dispute, has knocked the stufffing out of Lerner as well as stripped the cash cupboard somewhat.

You'll get no argument from me about MON's flounce and its effect on our lovely club, or indeed on RL's unwillingness to back another sweet-talkin' big name big spender last summer.

Just hope that when I read RL's interview a couple of months or so ago, that his long-term plan to rebuild is still going the way he thought it would.  The current fallout from retrenchment (disappointment of faithful fans), not to mention long-term injuries to key players may have been things he had planned for in the short term, but I wonder, did he realistically expect the club to be in this situation at this stage of the season? 

No matter how well the books are balancing, it's a bit too close to the wire to be comfortable as a 'transitional season' for most of us, I suspect.

Oh, and then there's the football...(!)

[Vanilla]

Not that it matters much now, but the Daily Mirror report on this issue declares openly that Villa paid dablues compensation for poaching the manager. 

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Manager-changes-leave-Aston-Villa-posting-losses-of-54million-article872154.html

[glasses]

Not that it matters much now, but the Daily Mirror report on this issue declares openly that Villa paid dablues compensation for poaching the manager. 

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Manager-changes-leave-Aston-Villa-posting-losses-of-54million-article872154.html

That £12m can't include compensation to Blues. We installed Eck as manager after 31st May 2011, the date up to which the accounts are made up to.

And, the article states that Houllier left in June 2010. He hadn't even started then! Great journalism that.