Goodbye Paul Faulkner.

[hilts_coolerking]

I've read a few people saying similar today, but they seem to be ignoring the fact that nobody with a brain is going to come here and be our CEO in the current circumstances. The owner is trying to sell but failing. Anyone taking the job will know it is temporary. It will be Robin Russell filling in till the club is sold.

This is the last thing we need, even more uncertainty, it is an absolute shambles from top to bottom

I thought appointing McLeish was rock bottom.
Then I thought last season was rock bottom.
And now there's a new season around the corner.
Lambert needs to do in six weeks what he has failed to do in two years and Lerner needs to do in two months what he hasn't done for three years.  It's fair to say I'm not expecting much from the forthcoming season.

[Olneythelonely]

I take bob thinks "ginger ******" is an acceptable insult?

One Smirnoff Ice too many tonight?

[paul_e]

I don't think Faulkner going makes one iota of difference to what happens on the pitch. Chill people.

In which it's not fair to blame him for what has happened on the pitch for the last few years.

[Brend'Watkins]

ToryGraph

Aston Villa in turmoil as Randy Lerner flies in to assure manager Paul Lambert following shock departure

American owner makes transatlantic dash to help Lambert formulate transfer policy in wake of unexpected exit of chief executive Paul Faulkner

By John Percy 10:00PM BST 08 Jul 2014

 Randy Lerner has flown in from the United States to thrash out Aston Villa’s strategy for the summer, after the surprise exit of Paul Faulkner, the chief executive.

Lerner met Paul Lambert, the Villa manager, at the club's Bodymoor Heath training ground on Tuesday in a bid to ease the sense of turmoil following another difficult 24 hours.

The Villa owner assured Lambert that it would be business as usual, despite the departure of Faulkner effectively leaving the club rudderless at a time when it is up for sale.

Lerner is also believed to have reassessed this summer's transfer budget and may provide further money to strengthen the squad, though it is unlikely to be more than £15 million on fees and wages.

Lambert has signed only Joe Cole and Phillipe Senderos on free transfers and is determined to bring in more quality as he bids to avoid another season of struggle.

 He also wants the contract situations of the Holland international Ron Vlaar, Fabian Delph and Gabriel Agbonlahor sorted swiftly to avoid the prospect of bids from rival clubs.

However, the loss of Lambert's close ally Faulkner will do little to clear the overriding feeling of confusion over the club's future, with Lerner also meeting with players and staff to plead for calm.

While Lambert attempts to bring in new players, Telegraph Sport understands that a takeover is not remotely close and Lerner has been growing increasingly disillusioned at the lack of interest.

American billionaires Josh Harris and David Blitzer had held tentative discussions earlier this year over a potential takeover but have since disappeared.

Keith Harris, the respected investment banker, is assisting Lerner with the sale and is understood to be flying out to the States in a fortnight to try and generate more interest.

Lerner will listen to offers of around £200 million but is almost certain to remain as owner when the new season starts. He could now take on a more hands-on role as a result of Faulkner's exit.

Faulkner will remain as chief executive until he agrees a severance package but is likely to officially leave later this month.

Villa's statement insisted Faulkner will part on good terms but sources suggest his relationship with Lerner had become strained in recent weeks over some decisions made over the club's direction.

 "Having discussed his re-engaging with the chairman's broader business while remaining involved with Villa in a non-operational role, agreement could not be reached," the statement said.

"On the strength of many productive years together, and a longstanding friendship, Paul has parted on good terms. He has offered his support to the Villa organisation to ensure a smooth transition."

Lerner added: "Paul has been fantastic in his role at Villa and more broadly as a colleague over the years. I offer him my deepest thanks."

Lambert has a direct line to Lerner.  What difference does it make now that Faulkner has gone even if as stated he's an ally?

Also, under Lerner, when has a journo ever got it correct on how much we've got to spend?  Guess work is all this article is.

[silhillvilla]

I don't think Faulkner going makes one iota of difference to what happens on the pitch. Chill people.

In which it's not fair to blame him for what has happened on the pitch for the last few years.

Why ? I'm saying it won't get worse without him. Probably better.

[hilts_coolerking]

I don't think Faulkner going makes one iota of difference to what happens on the pitch. Chill people.

In which it's not fair to blame him for what has happened on the pitch for the last few years.

That's one way of looking at it.  Another is that during his period as CEO he either facilitated or failed to prevent the team's precipitous decline to the extent that it no longer matters who the next CEO because the club is such a clusterfuck.

[paul_e]

I don't think Faulkner going makes one iota of difference to what happens on the pitch. Chill people.

In which it's not fair to blame him for what has happened on the pitch for the last few years.

Why ? I'm saying it won't get worse without him. Probably better.

how does "it won't make one iota of difference" mean the same as "it won't get worse without him", I knew exactly what you were trying to say but I actually agreed entirely with your first point, I don't think Faulkner going will make any difference to performance on the pitch because I don't think that was ever in his remit.

[john2710]

He's gone because he won't have a role at the club once we are sold & perhaps that situation is closer than we know.

People have been saying for years he's out of his depth & now he has gone the world is falling apart!

Of all the things around the club to be concerned about the news today of Faulkner's departure is not one of them.

[silhillvilla]

I don't think Faulkner going makes one iota of difference to what happens on the pitch. Chill people.

In which it's not fair to blame him for what has happened on the pitch for the last few years.

Why ? I'm saying it won't get worse without him. Probably better.

how does "it won't make one iota of difference" mean the same as "it won't get worse without him", I knew exactly what you were trying to say but I actually agreed entirely with your first point, I don't think Faulkner going will make any difference to performance on the pitch because I don't think that was ever in his remit.

His remit is to be good in a strategic way for the core business. Which is football. Was he ? No.

[hilts_coolerking]

He's gone because he won't have a role at the club once we are sold & perhaps that situation is closer than we know.

People have been saying for years he's out of his depth & now he has gone the world is falling apart!

Of all the things around the club to be concerned about the news today of Faulkner's departure is not one of them.

I think the issue is not so much that he's gone but that it took so long for the club to realise he wasn't up to it in the first place.  As you rightly say, people have been making that point for years.  A Premier League club is not a place to learn on the job.

[pauliewalnuts]

Faulkner's departure - and the manner of it - on its own doesn't really mean a huge amount.

You really need to look at it in the context of where the club is right now.

I think a lot of people are seeing it as "he's gone, good, he wasn't up to it". Whilst you can make a good argument that it wasn't up to it, that does not automatically mean that him going now is a good thing.

Currently we have

- an owner who is clearly going to keep the financial squeezers on.
- an owner who has says he wants out, but can't (yet) sell.
- a manager with pretty close to zero support from the fanbase, limping along in difficult circumstances
- three of our best players (Vlaar, Delph, Agbonlahor) entering the last year of their contracts

Honestly, I think Faulkner has played a decent part in the fuck ups of the last few years. Even if you think that's harsh, there isn't an easy way to exonerate him from blame in the shambles of the last few years.

To now throw into the above situation a lack of a CEO, and a CFO - who by all accounts knows nothing about football beyond figures - placed in temporary charge whilst we undergo an effort at sale which could quite easily drag on for a season or more, strikes me as a really, really poor state of affairs.

I don't know who instigated it, whether Faulkner had enough, or whether Lerner called time on it, but it doesn't matter. I just know that there is no way to cast a positive spin on this. I can't see how we can possibly be better with no CEO than with Faulkner in position.

I looked on twitter this evening and there were people banging on about how now we could get a stronger, more clued up CEO in. Clearly failing to spot the obvious flaw in that argument.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Agree with much of that Paulie, but I disagree about Lamberts support level amongst fans. Certainly I would say the majority are still against but I don't think overwhelming. If anything I would say as the facts that have come out post season has probably bought him some goodwill.

[ChicagoLion]

Of course it should be a concern that he has gone, we now have an absentee want away owner and no CEO. A useless manager backed up by a psychopath and a number of our better players coming to the business end of their contracts.
We are signing miss fits and has-been to an already weak squad.

Nice work Randy.

[PeterWithesShin]

If Gabby is one of our best players we are truly fucked! *winky*

[Louzie0]

Good luck to PF in whatever he decides to do next and thanks for the work he did for the Villa.