Kendrick Says It's Time To Ask Questions

[dave.woodhall]

I have a sneaking suspicion that When Randy sells up he will have made a very tidy amount of money out of us...

I don't see how anyone can possibly suspect that.

Have you seen how much he has had to inject into the club? The loans he has written off?

Loans to himself.  I wonder how much he has taken out in wages and management fees.

You've been told more times than I can remember. Find out for yourself from the published accounts and let us know.

I wouldn't know where to look, but he is either a very astute business man or as inept at finance as he is at running a football club.

Try googling Aston Villa accounts for a start and he doesn't have to be either.

[Fergal]

I think the one thing most of us agree with is that he has not got a clue how to run a football club.

[Irish villain]

I have a sneaking suspicion that When Randy sells up he will have made a very tidy amount of money out of us...

I don't see how anyone can possibly suspect that.

Have you seen how much he has had to inject into the club? The loans he has written off?

Loans to himself.  I wonder how much he has taken out in wages and management fees.

You've been told more times than I can remember. Find out for yourself from the published accounts and let us know.

I wouldn't know where to look, but he is either a very astute business man or as inept at finance as he is at running a football club.

What used those Browns people warn us about years ago?

[ROBBO]

I am deeply cynical about most things if not everything.   I feel it is more honest to write the way I genuinely feel than to seek approval by couching my observations any other way.

Cynicism grows with age Brian i find myself cynical about almost everything because when you get past a certain age you've almost certainly been there before and recognise it for what it is. It really starts with Father Christmas and its all down hill from there.

[olaftab]

I am deeply cynical about most things if not everything.   I feel it is more honest to write the way I genuinely feel than to seek approval by couching my observations any other way.

And from the heart I note and that's how fans should be.

[olaftab]

Cynicism grows with age Brian i find myself cynical about almost everything because when you get past a certain age you've almost certainly been there before and recognise it for what it is. It really starts with Father Christmas and its all down hill from there.

What! Are you saying Randy is not Father Christmas?

[Fergal]

I have a sneaking suspicion that When Randy sells up he will have made a very tidy amount of money out of us...

I don't see how anyone can possibly suspect that.

Have you seen how much he has had to inject into the club? The loans he has written off?

Loans to himself.  I wonder how much he has taken out in wages and management fees.

You've been told more times than I can remember. Find out for yourself from the published accounts and let us know.

I wouldn't know where to look, but he is either a very astute business man or as inept at finance as he is at running a football club.

What used those Browns people warn us about years ago?

True, we were all blinded by the bright future...

[cheltenhamlion]

Old father Cunty Chops.

I will finish my views for the evening thus.

Do you want us to get this right? Of course you do. Do we need the bullshit in between? Of course we don't.

I could go on for hours but balls to it. I don't suck up to people here to curry favour. In fact, I wouldn't do it if it made me a fortune.

What I was getting at was.... Ah, bollocks to it. Why bother.

[Fergal]

Old father Cunty Chops.

I will finish my views for the evening thus.

Do you want us to get this right? Of course you do. Do we need the bullshit in between? Of course we don't.

I could go on for hours but balls to it. I don't suck up to people here to curry favour. In fact, I wouldn't do it if it made me a fortune.

What I was getting at was.... Ah, bollocks to it. Why bother.

Well said

[Irish villain]

Just on the Finances issue, a few things that do not  sit easy with me. Can I preface this by saying I accept, like the majority here, that things got out of hand before 2010 and there had to be a revision of the wage bill. Still:

1. We made huge profits on Downing, Milner, Young and Barry. We also, presumably, were losing some of our highest earners. Those deals therefore represented really good business for Aston Villa. However, The legacy of these to Aston Villa is a woeful squad. How could we manage to screw up so spectacularly? Surely that money should have been invested in the Youngs, Milners and Downings of the future? This would have been good business and good football-wise. This is why I am starting to reappraise  (slightly) my view of MON. Some of the worst decisions were made after he left (Given, Hutton, Jenas, N'Zogbia, Makoun and possibly also Bent). Those post 2010 decisions have been disastrous. Ageing players on high wages and no re-sale value. Our answer? Untried players on a shoestring. From the frying pan to the fire. No wonder we are struggling.

2. I thought the whole point of it being so important we stayed in the League last year was the big TV deal. Presumably we are taking in much more this year on account of this and, with a reduced wage bill, surely this means it is in our interests to start speculating again? Why risk that revenue and Premier League status yet again when we must be financially better off now. If we aren't financially more secure now why not? If revenue is up and wages are down and we are still trimming wages, where the fuck is the money going?

3. Tied in to both above really. Success on the pitch brings financial rewards in terms of prize-money, sponsorship, TV, Europe etc. In my view, paying peanuts for the type of very average players we have will ensure we remain in the bottom half, drifting further away from our glory days (which we can't trade on forever. Chelsea are already notching up the trophies, Man City are now accumulating them too. Who will be next?), and consequently hitting impacting our prize money, tv and sponsorship revenue. Most importantly, fail to strive for the best and you are sure to fail.

Remind me again, why are we debating whether or not Randy knows how to run a football club and is good with finance/business? I think the answers are pretty apparent.

[Fergal]

Just on the Finances issue, a few things that do not  sit easy with me. Can I preface this by saying I accept, like the majority here, that things got out of hand before 2010 and there had to be a revision of the wage bill. Still:

1. We made huge profits on Downing, Milner, Young and Barry. We also, presumably, were losing some of our highest earners. Those deals therefore represented really good business for Aston Villa. However, The legacy of these to Aston Villa is a woeful squad. How could we manage to screw up so spectacularly? Surely that money should have been invested in the Youngs, Milners and Downings of the future? This would have been good business and good football-wise. This is why I am starting to reappraise  (slightly) my view of MON. Some of the worst decisions were made after he left (Given, Hutton, Jenas, N'Zogbia, Makoun and possibly also Bent). Those post 2010 decisions have been disastrous. Aging players on high wages and no re-sale value.

2. I thought the whole point of it being so important we stayed in the League last year was the big TV deal. Presumably we are taking in much more this year on account of this and, with a reduced wage bill, surely this means it is in our interests to start speculating again? Why risk that revenue and Premier League status yet again when we must be financially better off now. If we aren't financially more secure now why not? If revenue is up and wages are down and we are still trimming wages, where the fuck is the money going?

3. Tied in to both above really. Success on the pitch brings financial rewards in terms of prize-money, sponsorship, TV, Europe etc. In my view, paying peanuts for the type of very average players we have will ensure we remain in the bottom half, drifting further away from our glory days (which we can't trade on forever. Chelsea are already notching up the trophies, Man City are nor accumulating them too. Who will be next?), and consequently hitting impacting our prize money, tv and sponsorship revenue. Most importantly, fail to strive for the best and you are sure to fail.

Remind me again, why are we debating whether or not Randy knows how to run a football club and Finance? I think the answers are pretty apparent.

Summed it up better than I could have.  With TV money up and wages down if we are making a serious loss now we are truly in the soft stuff.

[danlanza]

Old father Cunty Chops.

I will finish my views for the evening thus.

Do you want us to get this right? Of course you do. Do we need the bullshit in between? Of course we don't.

I could go on for hours but balls to it. I don't suck up to people here to curry favour. In fact, I wouldn't do it if it made me a fortune.

What I was getting at was.... Ah, bollocks to it. Why bother.

Well said

I have missed loads. Who is ' Old father cunty chops?" Great name by the way.

[Louzie0]

The cynic in me says that it doesn't really make any difference who the manager is provided they have experience of professional footy and an understanding of coaching. It's all about money.
The emergence of Man City killed us when they took our two best players. After that Randy was unable to out spend the others into 4th. He is out of his depth against the rest of the Premier Leagues big clubs. The owners of Everton, Spurs and Newcastle regularly run rings round us off the pitch in commercial terms and in recruitment. Should Everton really appeal more to a Wigan manager than us?

Take away Randy's money then what does he bring to the table? Less than a Doug/Stride combo I'd say.

The above said, although the team is everything, I can't help but like Randy even though I know little about him. The Acorns thing alone makes everything else irrelevant really. That is a more important legacy than footy. I get the feeling with Randy that he has one of those moral compasses that people born into wealth can afford to have, and there is nothing wrong with that, but footy is a ruthless industry that requires sometimes spiteful decision making. Perhaps it's just not his bag.

I like this post.

[Toronto Villa]

I think the one thing most of us agree with is that he has not got a clue how to run a football club.

Speak for yourself. I might not agree with a lot of what he has done but I wouldn't just use a broad brush to describe his ability to run a football club. He's done good things, he's invested heavily and the club has represented itself well outside of the on field events. He appointed a manager that you, me and many others approved of. That it hasn't worked (yet) doesn't make him a bad owner or show an inability to run a football club. There are plenty or worse examples out there of exactly what you are trying to describe and Randy would be a long way down that list.

[hilts_coolerking]

The cynic in me says that it doesn't really make any difference who the manager is provided they have experience of professional footy and an understanding of coaching. It's all about money.
The emergence of Man City killed us when they took our two best players. After that Randy was unable to out spend the others into 4th. He is out of his depth against the rest of the Premier Leagues big clubs. The owners of Everton, Spurs and Newcastle regularly run rings round us off the pitch in commercial terms and in recruitment. Should Everton really appeal more to a Wigan manager than us?

Take away Randy's money then what does he bring to the table? Less than a Doug/Stride combo I'd say.

The above said, although the team is everything, I can't help but like Randy even though I know little about him. The Acorns thing alone makes everything else irrelevant really. That is a more important legacy than footy. I get the feeling with Randy that he has one of those moral compasses that people born into wealth can afford to have, and there is nothing wrong with that, but footy is a ruthless industry that requires sometimes spiteful decision making. Perhaps it's just not his bag.

I like this post.

I was just thinking it was a candidate for Private Eye's OBN section.