The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[OCD]

I would be very surprised if the new owners don't give Sherwood a chance. Even if no business is done until the takeover, which I'm not sure of, Sherwood will still know who he wants, who he doesn't want and what the relevant player's status is.

The people who are prone to panic will panic. Everyone will just wait and see what happens.

[aev]

That Fox stuff makes it pretty clear really that:

- we can't be spending transfer money while this party are in due diligence
- he realises that
- he has told Sherwood that he's going to have to wait until the takeover goes through / falls through
- he thinks that this could take a while, hence the "get more out of what we have" line.

That's really pretty unfortunate timing - that six week exclusivity period starting in the second week of June.

If the process lasts a full six weeks, we're going to possibly find ourselves struggling. Not great.

I would guess that the interest was dependant upon survival, and considering we secured this a few weeks ago one would hope that this due diligence had started then.

[pauliewalnuts]

I do wonder, though, what happens if the new owners have their own man in mind (obviously it'd turn out to be Bob Bradley or Alan Curbishley rather than Klopp, knowing our luck) and felt that having spent 150m plus, they have the right to choose the manager they want?

Sherwood must be at real risk of having that happen. If it did, it'd be extremely unlucky for him.

[Yossarian]

I do wonder, though, what happens if the new owners have their own man in mind (obviously it'd turn out to be Bob Bradley or Alan Curbishley rather than Klopp, knowing our luck) and felt that having spent 150m plus, they have the right to choose the manager they want?

Sherwood must be at real risk of having that happen. If it did, it'd be extremely unlucky for him.

For all the guff that was spouted then and since it is pretty clear that MON was Randy's man.

If there is six weeks and then a load of panic buys I hope we panic buy big. Robinho style panic buys would be good. Michael Ricketts style panic buys would be bad.

[ciggiesnbeer]

- he thinks that this could take a while, hence the "get more out of what we have" line.

That one sent a chill though me when I read it. Clubs that say that are rarely in good shape.

[Toronto Villa]

I do wonder, though, what happens if the new owners have their own man in mind (obviously it'd turn out to be Bob Bradley or Alan Curbishley rather than Klopp, knowing our luck) and felt that having spent 150m plus, they have the right to choose the manager they want?

Sherwood must be at real risk of having that happen. If it did, it'd be extremely unlucky for him.

It would be but he would have known that coming in one suspects. Same with Fox. I imagine the decent payout will soften the blow, but he does deserve an opportunity to see what he can achieve under a new owner with one would hope proper backing. And I refer back to how the club allowed him to build a staff. A new owner might look at things and give Sherwood and his team a good chance. Then again, this bloke might be minted and want to blow it up and start again.

If anything is positive in all of this is that Randy would have set specific criteria to get to this stage and someone clearly has. So let's hope this process is only 6 weeks and the manager gets the best part of a month to add to the squad. If this is the bloke and close to the date the major details are in place then like when Randy came in you'd think they could get some stuff done before everything is made official.

[OCD]

I do wonder, though, what happens if the new owners have their own man in mind (obviously it'd turn out to be Bob Bradley or Alan Curbishley rather than Klopp, knowing our luck) and felt that having spent 150m plus, they have the right to choose the manager they want?

Sherwood must be at real risk of having that happen. If it did, it'd be extremely unlucky for him.

Putting myself in their shoes, I would be thinking that Sherwood fulfilled his brief, knows the players and any new manager would be at the start of a recruitment process when Sherwood should be a lot further along. I would be thinking that I would give him a year and review it again then.

That said, if they did have Klopp or similar lined up and had decided to go as aggressive as FFP will allow them then all that gets blown out of the water.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

That's really pretty unfortunate timing - that six week exclusivity period starting in the second week of June.

If the process lasts a full six weeks, we're going to possibly find ourselves struggling. Not great.

I think you'll find that the process will be much shorter as the club will (hopefully) have everything prepared thus reducing the time required. If everything is as it seems, a decision should be able to be made before the 6 weeks are up, possibly by the beginning of the month. From experience, 4 weeks is the norm.

I don't expect us to have a change of manager no matter who comes in. Sherwood will be given next season. Klopp's only available next summer. It's worth remembering it's also in the buyer's interest to make a decision at the first available opportunity. I'm not going to panic, whilst we had a very prompt Lambert in the transfer market, we also had lastminute.com from MON.

[Dante Lavelli]

That's a right muddle of clues and red herrings from which I have deduced the following:

1.  There is zero money to spend - otherwise surely the new guys would sanction some spending i.e. within Randy's/The club's current means
2.  Or spending is on hold because the quality/cost of any new players will change dramatically once the takeover is complete.
3.  The new guys have their eye on a new manager and so not want to spend anything under the current regime.

Surely this non-disclosure thing works both ways?  Can't we ask them questions about transfer budgets/strategy etc in the period?  From that interview it reads like Fox is not in the loop at all.

[Dante Lavelli]

That's really pretty unfortunate timing - that six week exclusivity period starting in the second week of June.

If the process lasts a full six weeks, we're going to possibly find ourselves struggling. Not great.

I think you'll find that the process will be much shorter as the club will (hopefully) have everything prepared thus reducing the time required. If everything is as it seems, a decision should be able to be made before the 6 weeks are up, possibly by the beginning of the month. From experience, 4 weeks is the norm.

I don't expect us to have a change of manager no matter who comes in. Sherwood will be given next season. Klopp's only available next summer. It's worth remembering it's also in the buyer's interest to make a decision at the first available opportunity. I'm not going to panic, whilst we had a very prompt Lambert in the transfer market, we also had lastminute.com from MON.

I'd also be amazed if this bid has come completely out of the blue, surely tentative enquiries would have happened already?

[Phil from the upper holte]

I think anything is speculation at the moment, I'm pretty relaxed at the minute

[PaulWinch again]

That Fox stuff makes it pretty clear really that:

- we can't be spending transfer money while this party are in due diligence
- he realises that
- he has told Sherwood that he's going to have to wait until the takeover goes through / falls through
- he thinks that this could take a while, hence the "get more out of what we have" line.

That's really pretty unfortunate timing - that six week exclusivity period starting in the second week of June.

If the process lasts a full six weeks, we're going to possibly find ourselves struggling. Not great.

It's pretty frightening stuff.

[Toronto Villa]

That Fox stuff makes it pretty clear really that:

- we can't be spending transfer money while this party are in due diligence
- he realises that
- he has told Sherwood that he's going to have to wait until the takeover goes through / falls through
- he thinks that this could take a while, hence the "get more out of what we have" line.

That's really pretty unfortunate timing - that six week exclusivity period starting in the second week of June.

If the process lasts a full six weeks, we're going to possibly find ourselves struggling. Not great.

It's pretty frightening stuff.

Is it? I'd say it isn't perfect but you have to think someone who is looking to a football club in the PL would also understand if they are at this point to get it done as quickly as possible. I don't mean rush things but at least by efficiently meticulous so to speak. The last they are going to want is their shiny new toy to be fucked from the start. So they will want to give the manager as much opportunity as possible to improve things, and the closer this comes to be finalized the more Sherwood (if he remains as manager) will be brought into things.

[ROBBO]

He has made a lot of mistakes but i trust Lerner to get this right, it is a preffered bidder situation so it will be someone who has met certain criteria one being that there will be money for decent players. I could not see him selling out to someone who han't got a pot to piss in.

[Pat McMahon]

Me too.

Excuse my ignorance, but how would Chinese individuals have gained the money to buy any club let alone Villa.  Whilst not strictly communist I thought that the corporations/companies were still somewhat owned by the government.

I don't see China as a communist country, I describe it as a single party state. "Strategic" industries aside there is pretty much a capitalist dominance in most sectors in China.

In some ways China is more capitalist than the west in that you have far more scope to avoid paying taxes, you can buy pretty much any product you would find in the west , and if you can't afford it you can openly buy a fake version of the same product.

Money and food are the two main passions in China and in a market of 1.3 billion there is scope to make eye watering amounts of money. Money and food are the two main passions in  China and as long as the quality of life continues to improve (for most people) nobody really gives a hoot about the political system.