The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[lovejoy]

It struck me earlier that we're probably the only ever-present PL team not to look like we belong in the league. We haven't had a decent title challenge since '93, haven't troubled fourth since '96, haven't had a sniff of a CL challenge since that Stoke equaliser and haven't won a pot in nearly twenty years.

Not sure I agree with that at all.

Who are these clubs, for example, records since 1992:

Club 1

7 bottom half finishes
6 top six finishes
Best finish 4th

Club 2

6 bottom half finishes
9 top six finishes
Best finish: 2nd

Club 1 is Spurs. Club 2 is us.

Cut it off in 2008 and re work.

[silhillvilla]

To a point yes.
The other extreme is arsenal and their ticket prices , what was it £160 for a standard seat v Bayern ?
What price "success" ??

Who's that you're referring too? Not Citeh? I actually went to that game. My ticket was £40.00

No the arsenal v Bayern game

[Chris Smith]

I would be delighted to be like Man City. Big investment, extremely respectful owners who have put a lot of money in the clubs foundations.

And turn a blind eye to the accusations of human rights abuse levelled at them?

[olaftab]

It struck me earlier that we're probably the only ever-present PL team not to look like we belong in the league. We haven't had a decent title challenge since '93, haven't troubled fourth since '96,

This statement is unbelievably untrue and has been answered very well by other posters ....so ...ermmm so I don't really know why I am wasting my time writing this.

[olaftab]

I would be delighted to be like Man City. Big investment, extremely respectful owners who have put a lot of money in the clubs foundations.

And turn a blind eye to the accusations of human rights abuse levelled at them?

Yes ask the mothers of hundreds of young men from the sub continent who's bodies have been returned home, just this year, deaths due to work place  conditions as to how respectable these people are?

[nigel]

I find it a great shame that the man who revived this club and gave us back real pride will be remembered only for bringing us TSM and Paul Lambert.

Don't forget Houllier!

Don't you think Houllier was on the right road, though?

[Ron Manager]

Have to remember it took Man City two billionaire owners before they became who they are even if the first was massively shady. If our next owners build on some of the good things started by Randy but from a football side do everything right to put the right players on the pitch, management team off it, I can enjoy whatever years I have left in the knowledge that every single season we will be going for things. Quite frankly I'll gladly accept the Liverpool model of JW Henry who spent a bunch, finally got the right manager and are about to win the league. It shows you don't need stupid amounts of money to win it, just money spent on good players with a manager who knows how to get the best out of them.

Doug picked the right owner to sell to. A great pity Martin O' Neil couldn't get it right for him, and he came very close. If Randy Lerner does
sell to Americans during the summer and that looks a distinct possibility I hope they are sensible to make contact with Brad Friedel who has played in our football at the top for many years and therefore has the hands on knowledge to offer them informed advice to whom they should employ as team manager.

[Jimbo]

I find it a great shame that the man who revived this club and gave us back real pride will be remembered only for bringing us TSM and Paul Lambert.

Don't forget Houllier!

Don't you think Houllier was on the right road, though?

Remember losing at home to Wolves? That was in mid-March. We were utterly useless that day, with a far stronger squad than we have now, yet the performance wasn't an anomaly. We were smack bang in a relegation fight with a manager who: a) seemed to have a very poor grasp of the ethos of the club; b) tried to change our 'system' too quickly; and c) was liable to bow out any minute with a dodgy ticker. Houllier was a dreadful appointment, made in farcical circumstances. Sadly, it was the first of three such appointments.   

[rob_bridge]

I find it a great shame that the man who revived this club and gave us back real pride will be remembered only for bringing us TSM and Paul Lambert.

Don't forget Houllier!

Don't you think Houllier was on the right road, though?

Nope

[nigel]

I find it a great shame that the man who revived this club and gave us back real pride will be remembered only for bringing us TSM and Paul Lambert.

Don't forget Houllier!

Don't you think Houllier was on the right road, though?

Remember losing at home to Wolves? That was in mid-March. We were utterly useless that day, with a far stronger squad than we have now, yet the performance wasn't an anomaly. We were smack bang in a relegation fight with a manager who: a) seemed to have a very poor grasp of the ethos of the club; b) tried to change our 'system' too quickly; and c) was liable to bow out any minute with a dodgy ticker. Houllier was a dreadful appointment, made in farcical circumstances. Sadly, it was the first of three such appointments.

Not going to disagree with any of that. Point (b) was certainly a major issue for me.
I just felt that come the final few games we looked like we'd turned the corner. We only lost 1 of our final 8 games, the final two we looked pretty good beating Arsenal and Liverpool.

[Steve67]

Houllier was doing ok but his love fest with Liverpool and talking us down at his initial press conference had us judging him far too quickly. Given the circumstances in which he joined the club, he should be forgiven for some of it. TSM was a terrible appointment, We all thought the Lambert one was a good one. The next one is the most important one. Do you trust Randy to get it right? Not too sure.

[rob_bridge]

I would be delighted to be like Man City. Big investment, extremely respectful owners who have put a lot of money in the clubs foundations.

And turn a blind eye to the accusations of human rights abuse levelled at them?

Yes ask the mothers of hundreds of young men from the sub continent who's bodies have been returned home, just this year, deaths due to work place  conditions as to how respectable these people are?

It's ok though because Western Governments like that Islamic Facist regime. Same as Saudi and Bahrain - indeed when the people of Bahrain tried their 'revolution' the Western governments shrugged their shoulders, can't upset the Grand Prix calenda. Bsides the despots in charge of those countries are called Your Highness so they must be legitimate.

[Jimbo]

Houllier was doing ok but his love fest with Liverpool and talking us down at his initial press conference had us judging him far too quickly. Given the circumstances in which he joined the club, he should be forgiven for some of it. TSM was a terrible appointment, We all thought the Lambert one was a good one. The next one is the most important one. Do you trust Randy to get it right? Not too sure.

Hopefully it won't be a decision Randy has to make.

[pauliewalnuts]

It struck me earlier that we're probably the only ever-present PL team not to look like we belong in the league. We haven't had a decent title challenge since '93, haven't troubled fourth since '96, haven't had a sniff of a CL challenge since that Stoke equaliser and haven't won a pot in nearly twenty years.

Not sure I agree with that at all.

Who are these clubs, for example, records since 1992:

Club 1

7 bottom half finishes
6 top six finishes
Best finish 4th

Club 2

6 bottom half finishes
9 top six finishes
Best finish: 2nd

Club 1 is Spurs. Club 2 is us.

Cut it off in 2008 and re work.

Why?

The original post didn't say since 2008.

I agree we have been poor in recent years but I don't see why it needs to be spun out to be worse than it already is. Other clubs of our station have had add many poor spells as we Have - I don't hugely care about anyone who isn't Villa but to suggest we are the only ever presents to look like we don't belong is not true.

[rob_bridge]

Houllier was a dreadful appointment bringing in a lackey with a very average record with teams in the division below.

He was yesterday's man. A backward looking appointment. And he didn't give a shit about Villa - one of only two along with McNeill who didn't. In hindsight it may appear a recruitment masterstroke compared to the next one (who at least gave a shit about Villa). But it wasn't - anyone with a smidgen of foresight could see how it was likely to end though few envisaged a relegation battle would be sandwiched in between.