Kendrick Says It's Time To Ask Questions

[Fergal]

If we continue with Lerner, Faulkner and Lambert indefinitely, I fear years of pain and unsatisfactory results unless they have a major rethink and change their attitudes and strategies.

That statement is hard to disagree with.

[Fergal]

Just found this posted on Facebook.

http://avillafan.com/site/11469/the-hodgson-report-on-aston-villa-11-years-after-the-original/

Can this response be verified as genuine?

Because if it is I may have to adjust my position on the Board being in any way approachable and get the bed sheet out of the washing and start photocopying the £ signs...

"The Hodgson Report"

What a self important twat.

To be fair his name is Hodgson and it is a report, but I get what you mean.

[pauliewalnuts]

what exactly is running a football club? Because again, by your very last statement you are saying he doesn't know how to run one, yet there is evidence to the contrary that he has got some things right and some things wrong. You are failing to accept that there is a middle ground. You have put all of your eggs in the financial side of things which are partly to do with his backing of the manager which is part of running a football club. He could have had a shirt sponsor but took Acorns for a year - part of running a football club. He's improved the stadium - part of running a football club. He appointed two managers that were popular choices - part of running a football club. It hasn't all worked out - again part of running a football club. That's why in a league of multi millionaire or even billionaire owners not everyone finishes top, and 3 get relegated.

I'm quite plainly not putting all of my eggs in the financial basket; there's a good few in the footballing basket too.  I think you're conflating Randy's wealth and altruism with skill at running a football club.  He's got bags of the former and very little of the latter.

Unfortunately, there is plenty of evidence that he's not the greatest at running a football club. Look at the figures, and then look at the last four seasons. Then look at the squad.

Someone was overseeing the entire 8 years, managing the assets of the club and we've brilliantly combined huge amounts of spending with winding up with one of the worst squads in the top flight.

That's one thing, though, but when people start banging on and either imply he is taking money out or is on course for a big fat profit, though, that is clearly demonstrable bollocks. It's just not the case.

It's like when people start moaning that Lambert mumbles or he doesn't say much in his interviews or he's wearing the wrong colour jumper or he looks a bit shifty or whatever pisses them off - isn't it enough to be moaning about the things that are actually moan worthy and at least have some relevance or basis in the truth?

It's just not enough for some people. Lerner has got to be paying himself fat sums. He's got to be on course for an earner. It's just so pathetic.

[dave.woodhall]

It could be taken a bit more seriously if he hadn't just had a falling out with the board.

[Witton Warrior]

I think this was written by the chap that used to sit in the Directors Box until recently but was removed for various comments he made.  He could have an axe to grind.

Bit like a lot of us then?

[rob_bridge]

Just found this posted on Facebook.

http://avillafan.com/site/11469/the-hodgson-report-on-aston-villa-11-years-after-the-original/

Can this response be verified as genuine?

Because if it is I may have to adjust my position on the Board being in any way approachable and get the bed sheet out of the washing and start photocopying the £ signs...

"The Hodgson Report"

What a self important twat.

Agreed - but did / does it necessarily make him wrong?

I am sometimes bemused by the fortified defences of 'The Board' members on here.

[Dave Clark Five]

Interesting how there has become a very strong defence of Lerner the longer the week has gone on but some noticeable shifting of stance on the footballing side and therefore Lambert.
This started after the West Ham game and is now more noticeable. If Lambert does not get sacked soon you can be certain that his future is being discussed and people are being canvassed.

[hilts_coolerking]

It could be taken a bit more seriously if he hadn't just had a falling out with the board.

About what?

[pauliewalnuts]

It's been well documented, but MON walking out when he did made things much more difficult to get the right person. I'm not of the school that deemed the Houllier period a disaster. That is a debate for another day. I think we all agree on McLeish being a complete failure for which Lerner cannot be defended, and like I said Lambert was by consensus a popular appointment. The club has tried to back the current manager while at the same time cleaning up the mess of the three regimes prior to him. That they backed the previous managers in wages and transfers should be commended from a spending standpoint even if the contracts turned into anchors. They still spent the money is the point.

I think if we're debating Lerner's ability to run a football club, his presiding over a situation where the finances were mishandled to the extent that three years later we're still cleaning the mess up is pretty damning evidence.

not really, and it is an overly simplistic way of looking at things. He allowed a highly reputable manager to run the football club which only in hindsight have we come to realise it was mishandled. I find it funny listening to the argument that Randy should have been more hands on in light of all of the years Doug was accused of interfering.

Hang on, though, that's an even bigger over simplification.

When MON was spending all that money, I can remember lots of occasions when Gen Krulak was regularly on here, and people specifically told him they were worried about the finances, and more often than not, they mentioned the wage bill to him.

Every single time, the answer was "Honestly, don't worry about the finances, we know exactly what we're doing". Every time. Then, within a year of him fucking off, it turns out we're in big trouble with the wage bill.

Ultimately, Randy was the one with the overview of the finances. It's not like he just let MON do what he want with the money, he must have had some level of control, surely?

And if he didn't, if it really was MON spending uncontrollably, then that is even worse

There's no possible way that a manager spending the club to the brink of extinction can possibly not be ultimately Randy's misjudgement.

[dave.woodhall]

It could be taken a bit more seriously if he hadn't just had a falling out with the board.

About what?

It's mentioned in there, or at least his side of it is.

[pauliewalnuts]

Just found this posted on Facebook.

http://avillafan.com/site/11469/the-hodgson-report-on-aston-villa-11-years-after-the-original/

Can this response be verified as genuine?

Because if it is I may have to adjust my position on the Board being in any way approachable and get the bed sheet out of the washing and start photocopying the £ signs...

"The Hodgson Report"

What a self important twat.

Agreed - but did / does it necessarily make him wrong?

I am sometimes bemused by the fortified defences of 'The Board' members on here.

Who are you referring to with that, though? I think he's probably right about the board on a lot of counts, and I personally am hugely sceptical of their inability to distinguish their arses from their elbows in a lot of senses, but that Hodgson bloke is right up there with Fear on the self publicising thing.

[hilts_coolerking]

It's mentioned in there, or at least his side of it is.

Gah.  I'm going to have to read it now.

[ciggiesnbeer]

I think this was written by the chap that used to sit in the Directors Box until recently but was removed for various comments he made.  He could have an axe to grind.

He does. But to be fair to him he is a Villa fan through and through.

I dont think his "report" or Kendricks meaningless article achieve anything though.

They boil down to :

"I do not like to see Villa lose and I think the people running the club should fix that or go."

Well gee whizz, it was all so simple!

[b23]

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



A sneaking suspicion Fergal ?

Of course he will make a very tidy amount of money.

How much did he lose when he sold the Cleveland Browns ?

Credit to Lerner for giving it a go with his first Manager, Acorns, the Holte pub and the training facilities.

Of course he will make a very tidy amount of money.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think this was written by the chap that used to sit in the Directors Box until recently but was removed for various comments he made.  He could have an axe to grind.

He does. But to be fair to him he is a Villa fan through and through.

I dont think his "report" or Kendricks meaningless article achieve anything though.

That's the thing. "Report" suggests it is some kind of analysis based on factual investigation. Whereas, actually, it's just another loudly shouted opinion on the internet.