The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Right now I'm more concerned with the people that Xia is surrounding himself with.

Samuelson

Blatter Jr

Damien Comolli

Di Matteo - nice chap that he is.

On the plus side, blatter is linked with wanda.

You're right, Ger. My mistake.

I forgot to mention Wyness.

[not3bad]

I'm banging my Tin Drum. The neigbours are loving it!

[edgysatsuma89]

The only thing is villa will have the money but it's competitive out there regards premier league players. Championship wise villa can own and get who they like but a few marquee signings to move us back . I could see speculative moves for a few brazillians coming in and other south Americans.  For a strart we can bring in  Michael Carrick and Sergio Romero from man utd. Maybe a bid for Ashley young too. I mean downing dropped a divison to Boro for a season. Basically a stronger squad with quality players.  Now I'm getting excited and slightly off topic but with di matteo he can bring in a few old Chelsea boys and Raul merelies is one who's out of contract maybe bring in Ashley Cole and Essien and kalou snf taje josh mckraen and build him back up touted as good as wilshite before anyway these with a few big money brazillian buys and some Italians would be very progressive for villla

Wtf

Double wtf

Are you two not familiar with footyskillz' previous work?

They must not be as this is one of his more sane posts. ;-)

[DaveD]

We're a sceptical bunch

Are we ?

[Percy McCarthy]

What's a smart city?

We are:

http://techtank.news/london-bristol-voted-uks-smartest-cities/

[Louzie0]

I would not like to tell Steve Hollis to his face that he is anybody's stooge.  I have more than one close contact who have met him a number of times and I trust implicitly their judgement that he is very much his own man.

If he's been in the driving seat throughout this latest search for a new owner I feel more confident than if it had been, say, led by some banker from Merrill Lynch reporting back to Randy.
Not to diss our friends in international banking but their priorities are not necessarily the same as a Villa fan's would be, as far as football criteria with ownership credentials are concerned.

I get that to an extent Lou, but Hollis has admitted to not being a football man, so what are the criteria he's applying. It really depends on what he saw as his remit, to get the best deal for those who employed him, or to get the best deal for the club.

I'd be delighted to have my scepticism of this whole thing proven hopelessly misplaced, but we're nowhere near that yet.

I'm going on the basis that Hollis is here. He has been talking to Sir Brian, Sir Mervyn and Bernstein, whilst the latter 2 were still there. He has been in the Club, hearing what people have to say as well as Villa opinion expressed verbally on match days as well as online.
It makes him more aware of priorities for Aston Villa than somebody sitting in Chicago, or wherever.

[four fornicholl]

Maybe this is the reason King and Bernstein left ?

[richl]

The only thing is villa will have the money but it's competitive out there regards premier league players. Championship wise villa can own and get who they like but a few marquee signings to move us back . I could see speculative moves for a few brazillians coming in and other south Americans.  For a strart we can bring in  Michael Carrick and Sergio Romero from man utd. Maybe a bid for Ashley young too. I mean downing dropped a divison to Boro for a season. Basically a stronger squad with quality players.  Now I'm getting excited and slightly off topic but with di matteo he can bring in a few old Chelsea boys and Raul merelies is one who's out of contract maybe bring in Ashley Cole and Essien and kalou snf taje josh mckraen and build him back up touted as good as wilshite before anyway these with a few big money brazillian buys and some Italians would be very progressive for villla

Wtf

Double wtf

Are you two not familiar with footyskillz' previous work?

Yes, and he spoke shit then too

[richl]

I would not like to tell Steve Hollis to his face that he is anybody's stooge.  I have more than one close contact who have met him a number of times and I trust implicitly their judgement that he is very much his own man.

If he's been in the driving seat throughout this latest search for a new owner I feel more confident than if it had been, say, led by some banker from Merrill Lynch reporting back to Randy.
Not to diss our friends in international banking but their priorities are not necessarily the same as a Villa fan's would be, as far as football criteria with ownership credentials are concerned.

I get that to an extent Lou, but Hollis has admitted to not being a football man, so what are the criteria he's applying. It really depends on what he saw as his remit, to get the best deal for those who employed him, or to get the best deal for the club.

I'd be delighted to have my scepticism of this whole thing proven hopelessly misplaced, but we're nowhere near that yet.

I'm going on the basis that Hollis is here. He has been talking to Sir Brian, Sir Mervyn and Bernstein, whilst the latter 2 were still there. He has been in the Club, hearing what people have to say as well as Villa opinion expressed verbally on match days as well as online.
It makes him more aware of priorities for Aston Villa than somebody sitting in Chicago, or wherever.

I think Hollis on the board long term would be a bonus

[DaveD]

I would not like to tell Steve Hollis to his face that he is anybody's stooge.  I have more than one close contact who have met him a number of times and I trust implicitly their judgement that he is very much his own man.

Talking of whom, what happens to Hollis now ? I'll hold my hand up and admit I was very underwhelmed at his appointment,  but fair play to the guy, he has made more shit happen in the last six months than the previous 5 years. Okay you might argue with the January window and the redundancies, but if that's what it took to bring us to here then job done.

[Louzie0]

Maybe this is the reason King and Bernstein left ?

We all disagree on here, so the Board are probably not that different.
Going by Sir Mervyn's statement I think it was something else.

[Louzie0]

I would not like to tell Steve Hollis to his face that he is anybody's stooge.  I have more than one close contact who have met him a number of times and I trust implicitly their judgement that he is very much his own man.

If he's been in the driving seat throughout this latest search for a new owner I feel more confident than if it had been, say, led by some banker from Merrill Lynch reporting back to Randy.
Not to diss our friends in international banking but their priorities are not necessarily the same as a Villa fan's would be, as far as football criteria with ownership credentials are concerned.

I get that to an extent Lou, but Hollis has admitted to not being a football man, so what are the criteria he's applying. It really depends on what he saw as his remit, to get the best deal for those who employed him, or to get the best deal for the club.

I'd be delighted to have my scepticism of this whole thing proven hopelessly misplaced, but we're nowhere near that yet.

I'm going on the basis that Hollis is here. He has been talking to Sir Brian, Sir Mervyn and Bernstein, whilst the latter 2 were still there. He has been in the Club, hearing what people have to say as well as Villa opinion expressed verbally on match days as well as online.
It makes him more aware of priorities for Aston Villa than somebody sitting in Chicago, or wherever.

I think Hollis on the board long term would be a bonus

I agree

[ChicagoLion]

I would not like to tell Steve Hollis to his face that he is anybody's stooge.  I have more than one close contact who have met him a number of times and I trust implicitly their judgement that he is very much his own man.

If he's been in the driving seat throughout this latest search for a new owner I feel more confident than if it had been, say, led by some banker from Merrill Lynch reporting back to Randy.
Not to diss our friends in international banking but their priorities are not necessarily the same as a Villa fan's would be, as far as football criteria with ownership credentials are concerned.

I get that to an extent Lou, but Hollis has admitted to not being a football man, so what are the criteria he's applying. It really depends on what he saw as his remit, to get the best deal for those who employed him, or to get the best deal for the club.

I'd be delighted to have my scepticism of this whole thing proven hopelessly misplaced, but we're nowhere near that yet.

I'm going on the basis that Hollis is here. He has been talking to Sir Brian, Sir Mervyn and Bernstein, whilst the latter 2 were still there. He has been in the Club, hearing what people have to say as well as Villa opinion expressed verbally on match days as well as online.
It makes him more aware of priorities for Aston Villa than somebody sitting in Chicago, or wherever.

Steady on

[Louzie0]

I would not like to tell Steve Hollis to his face that he is anybody's stooge.  I have more than one close contact who have met him a number of times and I trust implicitly their judgement that he is very much his own man.

If he's been in the driving seat throughout this latest search for a new owner I feel more confident than if it had been, say, led by some banker from Merrill Lynch reporting back to Randy.
Not to diss our friends in international banking but their priorities are not necessarily the same as a Villa fan's would be, as far as football criteria with ownership credentials are concerned.

I get that to an extent Lou, but Hollis has admitted to not being a football man, so what are the criteria he's applying. It really depends on what he saw as his remit, to get the best deal for those who employed him, or to get the best deal for the club.

I'd be delighted to have my scepticism of this whole thing proven hopelessly misplaced, but we're nowhere near that yet.

I'm going on the basis that Hollis is here. He has been talking to Sir Brian, Sir Mervyn and Bernstein, whilst the latter 2 were still there. He has been in the Club, hearing what people have to say as well as Villa opinion expressed verbally on match days as well as online.
It makes him more aware of priorities for Aston Villa than somebody sitting in Chicago, or wherever.

Steady on

Oooh. Are you a banker? Sorry!
I meant, er, Caracas.
Or Tierra Del Fuego.  Anything other than Chicago, really.
Gulp.

[ChicagoLion]

Any way, my take is that before this deal we were wondering around in the wilderness and completely lost.
We are in a better position today because this deal gives us a chance, we have no idea how much of a chance but st least we have a chance.
China is very different commercial environment where the lines between, public, private and corporate ownership are very blurred to the extent we will not know who is behind this deal ,what the long term strategy is and or whether this is a gateway transaction.
It might all turn to shit, it might be great but it is far better than the drudgery of the last 3 years.
UTV from Chicago.