The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[PaulWinch again]

I'm not sure what about that statement is making people think that we'll be sold imminently? There's a pretty big step between being up for sale and being sold.

[pauliewalnuts]

When Randy bought the club it was essentially July/August time. MON joined in late July. It's currently May 12th. As long as we have a new owner in place by July then the new manager/ownership still will have time to set up for the season.

Not really sure how applicable 2006 is to now, though. Back then, we had a stronger squad than we have now - certainly, it had a very good spine. MON only bought Petrov in that summer window. The problem is we need significantly more than one player in, and for what we assume will be a new coaching staff to get started.

You might be right, that timeframe might work out to be enough, but I wouldn't want to gamble on it. Hopefully this is all sorted out as quickly as possible and we can start rebuilding. Again.

[Jarpie]

I'm not sure what about that statement is making people think that we'll be sold imminently? There's a pretty big step between being up for sale and being sold.

What I've learned about Lerner in the years since 2006 is that he always wants to conduct business way out of the public eye and kept quiet about everything unless there was something to say. I think that he already has a buyer and the deal is being finalized.

I expect us to have owner within about a month.

[LTA]

I love how the press are saying the clubs gone up for sale today.

Lerner decided this weeks or even months ago. Its not as if he got up this morning and suddenly decided to sell Villa while having his corn flakes this morning.  I doubt he would have released this statement if he wasn't confident that a deal wasn't in the pipeline.

[TRO]

Be careful , what you wish for ..... A friend of mine had lunch with an ex-employee of a said global target at a conference , who told him this Billionaire is an impossible to work for control freak.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm not sure what about that statement is making people think that we'll be sold imminently? There's a pretty big step between being up for sale and being sold.

What I've learned about Lerner in the years since 2006 is that he always wants to conduct business way out of the public eye and kept quiet about everything unless there was something to say. I think that he already has a buyer and the deal is being finalized.

I expect us to have owner within about a month.

I hope you're right, but I've seen nothing from Lerner to suggest that's the case.

[mr underhill]

Admin's just posted on TBAR : 'I ain't dead yet, Ma bell still rings'

[olaftab]

When we are sold, who will announce it first? The club? The buyer?

eastie.

<<like>>

[Toronto Villa]

When Randy bought the club it was essentially July/August time. MON joined in late July. It's currently May 12th. As long as we have a new owner in place by July then the new manager/ownership still will have time to set up for the season.

Not really sure how applicable 2006 is to now, though. Back then, we had a stronger squad than we have now - certainly, it had a very good spine. MON only bought Petrov in that summer window. The problem is we need significantly more than one player in, and for what we assume will be a new coaching staff to get started.

You might be right, that timeframe might work out to be enough, but I wouldn't want to gamble on it. Hopefully this is all sorted out as quickly as possible and we can start rebuilding. Again.

My feeling is that this will be done soon (by the end of June, early July) because Randy will want it that way now that everything is official. I think combined with a managerial change which I believe will happen it should be sufficient of time to get in 5 or 6 players. They new owner will not want to piss around at the bottom of the league so I think proper money will be made available. Also, I haven't completely given up on the majority of the players at the club. I just think that they lost their way and every new defeat compounded matters. New owner/manager and while not perfect (in that there is an element of the unknown) it just brings that new sense of optimism and confidence for all concerned.

[fbriai]

The General's statement is bizarre, we don't hear from him for years & then he comes out with some form of cryptic gibberish. I'm assuming it makes sense to him.

It is bizarre, isn't it. The more I read it the stranger it becomes. I think you have to change the tense slightly, add a bit of punctuation, swap it around a bit and read it as the beginning of a detective novel. It works better then. So you go from:

At his age, and with his background, record and reputation especially in and around the US Marine Corps, where his father served, there simply are other calls to service for Randy Lerner. He has juggled several careers over the better part of the last 12 years and he knows that it is time for him to focus more narrowly in other areas. He has written intermittently over the years and I know he has been asked to do more. What's more, this country is in a time of great flux on many levels and he may make himself available for a role on some level. He and I have discussed his moving on from Villa and it has not been an easy decision. I know his love and passion for Aston Villa but I also know that he was raised to view his role as a custodian, rather than a personal identity, and that makes it more straightforward in his mind that it is time for the next guy to lead this cherished, ancient Club.

to (it helps if you read it in a Philip Marlowe-type voice):

At his age and with his background, record and reputation, especially in and around the US Marine Corps, in which his father served, there were simply other calls to service for Randy Lerner. He had juggled several careers over the better part of the last 12 years and he knew that it was time for him to focus more narrowly on other areas.

He had written intermittently over the years and I know he had been asked to do more. What's more, this country was in a time of great flux on many levels and he may have wanted to make himself available for a role on some level. He and I had discussed his moving on from Villa; it was not an easy decision. I knew of his love and passion for Aston Villa, but I also knew that he was raised to view his role as a custodian, rather than a personal identity, and that made it more straightforward in his mind; that it was time for the next guy to lead this cherished, ancient Club.

Although I am really not sure what to do with 'servicing calls', to be honest.

Still, glad to see that we are in professional hands. There's nothing rushed about that statement at all, eh. Onwards and upwards...

[PaulWinch again]

I again salute your optimism TV and hope you're right. All I can see at the moment is that we're up for sale without a buyer and have a squad that is desperately short of the required quality.

[pauliewalnuts]

Just heard Pepe Mel has left West Brom.

Now, that loud ITK bloke on twitter, Indykaila: https://twitter.com/indykaila 

said this this morning:

indykaila News ‏@indykaila  2h
@mark_rollason @Sie_the_donkey Foster is gone. Mel as well...

He also said this:

indykaila News ‏@indykaila  4h
Exclusive: Kraft group have submitted a bid for Aston Villa football club. Unconfirmed price is £180 million. Lambert to lose job. #AVFC

[brian green]

I agree with you TV. Why sell players who could do much better under new coaching and new management. Half the teams in the lower leagues will be sniffing around for fire sale bargains.

[PaulWinch again]

Well I hope the last bit is true.

[Monty]

Well Kraft bought Cadbury's a few years ago. So there is a fantastically tenuous link, so why not?