The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[KevinGage]

Italy was the more desirable league back then, and even a club like Bari could attract Boban, Platt and Robert Jarni.   We had just had a season narrowly avoiding the drop, so I can see why they would have been a more attractive proposition then. The money obviously helped too.

Southgate thought he would have a whole host of top 4 and European clubs beating a path to his door when he made it clear he wanted out but apart from a derisory offer from Chelsea shortly after the cup final none were interested.  Same with Ehiogu.  Good players, comfortably top 6 material. But not as good as they thought they were.

[Tony Erdington]

Gareth Southgate is a model professional, and having served us so well, I think it shows his depth of feeling for the club, as all of you have a pop at Villa one way or another, and then state Villa is mine. So Southgate has done just that.

[tomd2103]

Southgate model pro? What was all that slagging off the club as "having no ambition"? And making sure Ugo and Boateng went with him to Middlesborough. Wanker. In my opinion naturally.

The truth hurt didn't it.

By the time he actually left there was a degree of truth to it (though Boro weren't a step up, even then).  But he'd been making noises about leaving when we went through our first rocky patch under Little in 1997.

So barely two years at the club, and that's how he rewards a manager like Sir Brian who had made him captain, and had the foresight to turn a mediocre midfielder into an international centre half.  Cxnt.

He was the first of the infestation of modern day pros we had at the club, the ones with an inflated sense of worth who try to engineer moves in public. 

I guess you could point to Hodge and Platt as well, but they were actually good enough to play for better clubs at the time.  And in the case of Platt, that move was done and dusted pretty quickly at the end of the 1990/91 season.

And Alpay. 

[Tuscans]

I'm curious to know how long it took for the deal between Doug and Randy to be completed. Like did Doug speak to Randy about selling Villa to him 6 months before the takeover was finalised?

I don't know a thing about what happens during these discussions but I see us being an Everton, a club for sale but without any takers...or the right ones.

[Damo70]

Just caught up on the talk of Hodge, Platt and Southgate. Platt went to Italy at a time when they were paying far bigger wages than English clubs. We bought him for relative peanuts, he helped us to get up, stay up and finish as runners up. We used the money we got for him to build a side that came second and won a trophy. Again due to the money Italian teams were throwing around at the time. Southgate loved the club but didn't like John Gregory. Those two facts are made very clear in his book. Steve Hodge? What he did to us he did to not only Spurs but also his boyhood team Forest (twice). So to say one thing in his favour, at least he was consistent.

[silhillvilla]

I'm curious to know how long it took for the deal between Doug and Randy to be completed. Like did Doug speak to Randy about selling Villa to him 6 months before the takeover was finalised?

I don't know a thing about what happens during these discussions but I see us being an Everton, a club for sale but without any takers...or the right ones.

We are Everton MK II but a poorer version. I think as a club they have to strive harder due to the shadow of Liverpool . We don't have that incentive .

[DB]

I'm curious to know how long it took for the deal between Doug and Randy to be completed. Like did Doug speak to Randy about selling Villa to him 6 months before the takeover was finalised?

I don't know a thing about what happens during these discussions but I see us being an Everton, a club for sale but without any takers...or the right ones.

We are Everton MK II but a poorer version. I think as a club they have to strive harder due to the shadow of Liverpool . We don't have that incentive .

What a ridiculous comment. Where do you start with that....?

[Olneythelonely]

I'm curious to know how long it took for the deal between Doug and Randy to be completed. Like did Doug speak to Randy about selling Villa to him 6 months before the takeover was finalised?

I don't know a thing about what happens during these discussions but I see us being an Everton, a club for sale but without any takers...or the right ones.

We are Everton MK II but a poorer version. I think as a club they have to strive harder due to the shadow of Liverpool . We don't have that incentive .

What a ridiculous comment. Where do you start with that....?

I've found that ignoring him helps.

[Dante Lavelli]

I'm curious to know how long it took for the deal between Doug and Randy to be completed. Like did Doug speak to Randy about selling Villa to him 6 months before the takeover was finalised?

I don't know a thing about what happens during these discussions but I see us being an Everton, a club for sale but without any takers...or the right ones.

We are Everton MK II but a poorer version. I think as a club they have to strive harder due to the shadow of Liverpool . We don't have that incentive .

What a ridiculous comment. Where do you start with that....?

It's not that ridiculous.  I can see where the poster is coming from.  Intrinsically linked to the identity of Everton is Liverpool, the club needs to be seen to be sharing the same oxygen to exist.  We do not have that rivalry and without it there is a chance that Randy (or any owner) will become complacent.  It's only when WBA or Brum City consistently finish above us will we see that survival instinct kick in.

[Steve67]

It is somewhat surprising though that a huge club like Aston Villa can't find a buyer. Massive club, all on its own in a huge area, ready for raping by someone who wants to invest in the club.

[Toronto Villa]

the piece recently written by Martin Samuel was interesting in that with the so called FFP, a new owner who might want to invest something mental on the club now can't. So what is left is trying to find a new owner who can either creatively create new revenue streams to increase his spending allowance or just simply plod along every year hoping to get a bit bigger. The types of investment we have seen at Chelsea or Man City cannot happen so it likely eliminates a portion of the potential investors who might want to buy us.

[Drummond]

I'm curious to know how long it took for the deal between Doug and Randy to be completed. Like did Doug speak to Randy about selling Villa to him 6 months before the takeover was finalised?

I don't know a thing about what happens during these discussions but I see us being an Everton, a club for sale but without any takers...or the right ones.

We are Everton MK II but a poorer version. I think as a club they have to strive harder due to the shadow of Liverpool . We don't have that incentive .

No wonder you're such a miserable git if that's your view.

I don't think that I have ever in my life heard someone suggest that they'd want to be smaller, with less history and success just so that they can become jealous of their more successful neighbours.

[DB]

I'm curious to know how long it took for the deal between Doug and Randy to be completed. Like did Doug speak to Randy about selling Villa to him 6 months before the takeover was finalised?

I don't know a thing about what happens during these discussions but I see us being an Everton, a club for sale but without any takers...or the right ones.

We are Everton MK II but a poorer version. I think as a club they have to strive harder due to the shadow of Liverpool . We don't have that incentive .

No wonder you're such a miserable git if that's your view.

I don't think that I have ever in my life heard someone suggest that they'd want to be smaller, with less history and success just so that they can become jealous of their more successful neighbours.

Well put.

[Ron Manager]

I suppose its occured to most of you that its quite possible we are not going to be taken over. A bit like Everton are not going to be taken over despite Bill Kenwright wanting to sell up.... allegedly.

We are in the position as fans of supporting a manager who has not impressed at all in his time here and a club owner who really does want out. But it appears from the outside Randy Lerner may have to stay unless he brings the asking price down considerably.

It may be a bleak future to look forward to at the moment but nothing stays the same for ever so lets hope something,anything,
happens in the not too distant future.

[mr underhill]

We've witnessed a Volte-face from  the two L's on just about everything recently -- not least the awkward rehabilitation of the Bomb Squad - so it really wouldn't surprise me at all if we get another announcement from Randy saying that he doesn't fancy the Shunamites any longer and wants to keep the club a while longer.