Randy Lerner

[brian green]

We keep coming back to that word naivety.

[mr underhill]

yes Randy was custom made for the adage a fool and his money are soon parted

[Rico]

I was thinking about Randy Lerner yesterday and was trying to give him the benefit of doubt, but seriously can anyone come up with any decisions that have been made in his time as custodian that have actually benefitted the footballing aspect of the club in the long term? I'm struggling.

Yes, there was the Acorns deal, but that didn't directly influence the playing side. I can only come up with two. The investment at Bodymoor Heath was welcome, but looks like it hasn't been utilised properly, and the signing of Darren Bent saved us from relegation but that in itself was a double edged sword because we were then lumbered with his sky high wages for four seasons.

Every other decision has been an unmitigated disaster: O'Neill, Houllier, TSM 1,  TSM 2 and his extended contract, Sherwood and Fox.

Someone must be able to come up with something that has been done that has benefitted us in the long term.

Randy Lerner: total disaster.

[Jimbo]

Naive is one word that describes him. So is arrogant, aloof, complacent, negligent, detached, reckless, stupid and irresponsible.

I agree with Rico, he's been a total disaster.

[brian green]

I think on top of his own, now well documented shortcomings, particularly the choice of managers and senior staff, he allowed the impression of secrecy to surround the club.  The single biggest thing he did not get about English football clubs was the depth of commitment of the fans to the clubs.  In short he did not grasp the concept of the club, it's history and everything it stands for belonging to the supporters of the club regardless of what is written on pieces of paper in lawyers' offices.  He was not buying a possession, he was acquiring an honour.

Ever since he came I have felt that an insurmountable barrier has been erected between the club and the supporters.  Everything has been on a "need to know" basis and no crisis of the dozens that have engulfed the club has ever been openly and honestly cleared up.  This last two or three months have been typical of us, the supporters trying to piece together fragments of gossip, hearsay and speculation about major events affecting the future.

Add to all this a club PR department that either chooses or is told to churn out inanity and the appearance of the marginalisation of the fanbase is complete.

[Brend'Watkins]

I was thinking about Randy Lerner yesterday and was trying to give him the benefit of doubt, but seriously can anyone come up with any decisions that have been made in his time as custodian that have actually benefitted the footballing aspect of the club in the long term? I'm struggling.

Yes, there was the Acorns deal, but that didn't directly influence the playing side. I can only come up with two. The investment at Bodymoor Heath was welcome, but looks like it hasn't been utilised properly, and the signing of Darren Bent saved us from relegation but that in itself was a double edged sword because we were then lumbered with his sky high wages for four seasons.

Every other decision has been an unmitigated disaster: O'Neill, Houllier, TSM 1,  TSM 2 and his extended contract, Sherwood and Fox.

Someone must be able to come up with something that has been done that has benefitted us in the long term.

Randy Lerner: total disaster.

He probably sanctioned the purchases of Ashley Young, Milner and Delph. 

[saunders_heroes]

The Idea that there was not much he could do after the MON flounce is far fetched.
He could have got somebody that knew the English Game to advise him.
He could have Hired any body but Mcleish. He could have got rid of Lambert when it was obvious the wheels had come off instead of handing him a new contract. He could have taken a bit more interest in what was happening at the Club.
The list of could have should have is endless.

The standard of manager he could attract would always be hindered by the club's priority of lowering the wage bill every season though. But you're right, he could have done so much more, but let's face it he couldn't give two flying shites about Aston Villa.

[SashasGrandad]

I was thinking about Randy Lerner yesterday and was trying to give him the benefit of doubt, but seriously can anyone come up with any decisions that have been made in his time as custodian that have actually benefitted the footballing aspect of the club in the long term? I'm struggling.

Yes, there was the Acorns deal, but that didn't directly influence the playing side. I can only come up with two. The investment at Bodymoor Heath was welcome, but looks like it hasn't been utilised properly, and the signing of Darren Bent saved us from relegation but that in itself was a double edged sword because we were then lumbered with his sky high wages for four seasons.

Every other decision has been an unmitigated disaster: O'Neill, Houllier, TSM 1,  TSM 2 and his extended contract, Sherwood and Fox.

Someone must be able to come up with something that has been done that has benefitted us in the long term.

Randy Lerner: total disaster.

He probably sanctioned the purchases of Ashley Young, Milner and Delph. 

But allowed them to walk away for less than they were worth to teams we used to compete with. Each was a signal that we were giving up any hope of of staying within touching distance of the top teams. A clear message that we were in (hopefully not terminal) decline.

[Malandro]

I was thinking about Randy Lerner yesterday and was trying to give him the benefit of doubt, but seriously can anyone come up with any decisions that have been made in his time as custodian that have actually benefitted the footballing aspect of the club in the long term? I'm struggling.

Yes, there was the Acorns deal, but that didn't directly influence the playing side. I can only come up with two. The investment at Bodymoor Heath was welcome, but looks like it hasn't been utilised properly, and the signing of Darren Bent saved us from relegation but that in itself was a double edged sword because we were then lumbered with his sky high wages for four seasons.

Every other decision has been an unmitigated disaster: O'Neill, Houllier, TSM 1,  TSM 2 and his extended contract, Sherwood and Fox.

Someone must be able to come up with something that has been done that has benefitted us in the long term.

Randy Lerner: total disaster.

He probably sanctioned the purchases of Ashley Young, Milner and Delph. 

But allowed them to walk away for less than they were worth to teams we used to compete with. Each was a signal that we were giving up any hope of of staying within touching distance of the top teams. A clear message that we were in (hopefully not terminal) decline.

I'm not going to go overboard in support for Randy but one of his few successes has been getting the right fees for the few decent players that have moved on - we got market value for Downing, Milner, Young and he played hardball over Barry. 

The Delph situation was handled badly., however.

[dave.woodhall]

I was thinking about Randy Lerner yesterday and was trying to give him the benefit of doubt, but seriously can anyone come up with any decisions that have been made in his time as custodian that have actually benefitted the footballing aspect of the club in the long term? I'm struggling.

Yes, there was the Acorns deal, but that didn't directly influence the playing side. I can only come up with two. The investment at Bodymoor Heath was welcome, but looks like it hasn't been utilised properly, and the signing of Darren Bent saved us from relegation but that in itself was a double edged sword because we were then lumbered with his sky high wages for four seasons.

Every other decision has been an unmitigated disaster: O'Neill, Houllier, TSM 1,  TSM 2 and his extended contract, Sherwood and Fox.

Someone must be able to come up with something that has been done that has benefitted us in the long term.

Randy Lerner: total disaster.

He probably sanctioned the purchases of Ashley Young, Milner and Delph. 

But allowed them to walk away for less than they were worth to teams we used to compete with. Each was a signal that we were giving up any hope of of staying within touching distance of the top teams. A clear message that we were in (hopefully not terminal) decline.

You can't say that Young and Milner were undervalued when they were sold. Both were good deals: it was how the money was spent that was the problem.

Equally, it's unfair to say we were kept in the dark during the O'Neill years. If anything the club's hierarchy were too approachable. Regardless of what came afterwards it would be totally wrong to say that those first five years were a catalogue of errors when they quite clearly weren't.

[Brend'Watkins]

I was thinking about Randy Lerner yesterday and was trying to give him the benefit of doubt, but seriously can anyone come up with any decisions that have been made in his time as custodian that have actually benefitted the footballing aspect of the club in the long term? I'm struggling.

Yes, there was the Acorns deal, but that didn't directly influence the playing side. I can only come up with two. The investment at Bodymoor Heath was welcome, but looks like it hasn't been utilised properly, and the signing of Darren Bent saved us from relegation but that in itself was a double edged sword because we were then lumbered with his sky high wages for four seasons.

Every other decision has been an unmitigated disaster: O'Neill, Houllier, TSM 1,  TSM 2 and his extended contract, Sherwood and Fox.

Someone must be able to come up with something that has been done that has benefitted us in the long term.

Randy Lerner: total disaster.

He probably sanctioned the purchases of Ashley Young, Milner and Delph. 

But allowed them to walk away for less than they were worth to teams we used to compete with. Each was a signal that we were giving up any hope of of staying within touching distance of the top teams. A clear message that we were in (hopefully not terminal) decline.

That's beside the point.  They were a footballing benefit to the club when they were here. 

[PeterWithe]

It does seem pretty perverse that we were quite prepared to pay players like Habib Beye two million a year for doing nothing but we seemed reluctant to pay a fraction of that for a world class administrator who might have been able to steer us around these rocks.

[SashasGrandad]

I was thinking about Randy Lerner yesterday and was trying to give him the benefit of doubt, but seriously can anyone come up with any decisions that have been made in his time as custodian that have actually benefitted the footballing aspect of the club in the long term? I'm struggling.

Yes, there was the Acorns deal, but that didn't directly influence the playing side. I can only come up with two. The investment at Bodymoor Heath was welcome, but looks like it hasn't been utilised properly, and the signing of Darren Bent saved us from relegation but that in itself was a double edged sword because we were then lumbered with his sky high wages for four seasons.

Every other decision has been an unmitigated disaster: O'Neill, Houllier, TSM 1,  TSM 2 and his extended contract, Sherwood and Fox.

Someone must be able to come up with something that has been done that has benefitted us in the long term.

Randy Lerner: total disaster.

He probably sanctioned the purchases of Ashley Young, Milner and Delph. 

But allowed them to walk away for less than they were worth to teams we used to compete with. Each was a signal that we were giving up any hope of of staying within touching distance of the top teams. A clear message that we were in (hopefully not terminal) decline.

You can't say that Young and Milner were undervalued when they were sold. Both were good deals: it was how the money was spent that was the problem.

Equally, it's unfair to say we were kept in the dark during the O'Neill years. If anything the club's hierarchy were too approachable. Regardless of what came afterwards it would be totally wrong to say that those first five years were a catalogue of errors when they quite clearly weren't.

But these departures were the first steps in the process that told the rest of the football world we can't compete, we are not going to compete, and poured more fairy liquid on the greasy pole. We may have got good money for them (the first 2) but have on the whole wasted most of it.

12 months ago we were beating a certain team at Wembley - they gave us loads of money for our only real threat and have sat him on their bench for much of the season. That's a classic example of the greed and envy in the game today. That's why the unwashed hoardes were celebrating so much when they beat an already resigned to relegation side recently. It was revenge for the humiliation they suffered last March, and the cancellation of that birthday party.

We managed to survive last season despite them unsettling Benteke for the last few months. It was obvious he would go but the combined incompetence of our so called management/owners could not do anything to stop it - or prevent the inevitable chaos it left behind.

When they had a decent player or 2 to support players like Westwood, Bacuna, Gabby, Grealish etc. these players could perform on the highest stage. Now look at them. 

[dave.woodhall]

Losing players is a fact of life; it happens at every club except maybe three or four. It doesn't say you can't compete any more, whether it's Villa selling Milner or Arsenal selling van Persie. The Benteke saga was inevitable, alhough yet again we got good money that wasn't re-invested properly but as I said earlier, you can't criticise the actions of six or seven years ago based on what's happening now.

[dave shelley]

When Randy Lerner's tenure is over, (hopefully sooner rather than later) I'll look back and think that it was one of missed oportunities, and the root cause of those missed opportunities?  Alluded to many times on here...poor advice.  Not just poor advice but advice that could almost be described as criminal.