Randy Lerner

[Clampy]

We had no choice with the Delph contract. He'd have just walked otherwise.

So are you happy with the deception? The big deal made of the fact that our captain had signed a new deal, only for the deal to be a hollow one? With such a low buy-out clause, of course unknown to the support at the time, that any club swimming in Dhirams or Rubles could have stepped in and bought without blinking?

I'm not happy with any of it. Me being peeved won't change the facts though.

And I'm certainly not happy about being deceived.

Or the lack of home wins in the last six months.

You wasn't deceived. He signed a new contract and he said he was going to stay loyal. If anyone did any deceiving, it was the player himself.

[Chris Harte]

We had no choice with the Delph contract. He'd have just walked otherwise.

So are you happy with the deception? The big deal made of the fact that our captain had signed a new deal, only for the deal to be a hollow one? With such a low buy-out clause, of course unknown to the support at the time, that any club swimming in Dhirams or Rubles could have stepped in and bought without blinking?

I'm not happy with any of it. Me being peeved won't change the facts though.

And I'm certainly not happy about being deceived.

Or the lack of home wins in the last six months.

You wasn't deceived. He signed a new contract and he said he was going to stay loyal. If anyone did any deceiving, it was the player himself.

Oh come on. He could have signed and said nothing. But it was all a set up. "Fabian, tell the fans that you love this club."

[Clampy]

We had no choice with the Delph contract. He'd have just walked otherwise.

So are you happy with the deception? The big deal made of the fact that our captain had signed a new deal, only for the deal to be a hollow one? With such a low buy-out clause, of course unknown to the support at the time, that any club swimming in Dhirams or Rubles could have stepped in and bought without blinking?

I'm not happy with any of it. Me being peeved won't change the facts though.

And I'm certainly not happy about being deceived.

Or the lack of home wins in the last six months.

You wasn't deceived. He signed a new contract and he said he was going to stay loyal. If anyone did any deceiving, it was the player himself.

Oh come on. He could have signed and said nothing. But it was all a set up. "Fabian, tell the fans that you love this club."

Maybe the first one was planned to be announced the way it was. His second time round show of loyalty a week before he left definately wasn't.

[Chris Harte]

Maybe the first one was planned to be announced the way it was. His second time round show of loyalty a week before he left definately wasn't.

The first one is exactly what I'm talking about. Cynically set out to deceive the supporters.

[Clampy]

Maybe the first one was planned to be announced the way it was. His second time round show of loyalty a week before he left definately wasn't.

The first one is exactly what I'm talking about. Cynically set out to deceive the supporters.

He had a clause put in his contract, it happens, albeit as low as it was. How do you explain the second one?

[Clampy]

As pitful as the £8m we got was, it was better than nothing.

[Chris Harte]

Maybe the first one was planned to be announced the way it was. His second time round show of loyalty a week before he left definately wasn't.

The first one is exactly what I'm talking about. Cynically set out to deceive the supporters.

He had a clause put in his contract, it happens, albeit as low as it was. How do you explain the second one?

The clause was at least half the value it should have been for an England international. Utter incompetance by the club, with Lerner responsible. As for the second time I don't need to explain. At that point Man City had triggered the release fee. Delph initially chose not to go, then had a change of heart.

[Clampy]

Maybe the first one was planned to be announced the way it was. His second time round show of loyalty a week before he left definately wasn't.

The first one is exactly what I'm talking about. Cynically set out to deceive the supporters.

He had a clause put in his contract, it happens, albeit as low as it was. How do you explain the second one?

The clause was at least half the value it should have been for an England international. Utter incompetance by the club, with Lerner responsible. As for the second time I don't need to explain. At that point Man City had triggered the release fee. Delph initially chose not to go, then had a change of heart.

It wasn't so much a change of heart, rather than taking the piss by coming out with all that 'i'm loyal' bollocks'.

As for the fee, it was low but bearing in mind he was out of contract in the summer anyway, he could have walked away for nothing. We did the right thing in the circumstances if that's what Delph was insisting on, which judging by the size of the clause, he must have.

[CT Villan]

...and it's no coincidence that we haven't won Eurovision since Lerner showed up either. Clearly he is the Anti-Christ and the root of all evil.

For what it is worth, I think he was fully engaged in the early years and it was only the economic downturn and more particularly his divorce that changed his position. Now, he's chosen to be very remote and disconnected, which is not a problem if he had employed the right people and empowered them to make the necessary decisions in his absence. I get the feeling he still wants the final say on everything Villa, which is not smart when he is not involved on a day-to-day basis. He seems like a decent chap, but not the top business person we were expecting, and to be fair, we were warned by the long-suffering Browns fans.

[Chris Harte]

It wasn't so much a change of heart, rather than taking the piss by coming out with all that 'i'm loyal' bollocks'.

As for the fee, it was low but bearing in mind he was out of contract in the summer anyway, he could have walked away for nothing. We did the right thing in the circumstances if that's what Delph was insisting on, which judging by the size of the clause, he must have.

So rather than letting him get to within six months of the end of his deal, why not act sooner?

[PeterWithesShin]

Probably the same reason Ellis let Bosnich and Staunton run their contracts down as examples, it happens.

[Chris Harte]

Probably the same reason Ellis let Bosnich and Staunton run their contracts down as examples, it happens.

It's nothing to do with Ellis. We're taking about the here and now and how our once great club has got into the pile of shit it finds itself.

[Clampy]

It wasn't so much a change of heart, rather than taking the piss by coming out with all that 'i'm loyal' bollocks'.

As for the fee, it was low but bearing in mind he was out of contract in the summer anyway, he could have walked away for nothing. We did the right thing in the circumstances if that's what Delph was insisting on, which judging by the size of the clause, he must have.

So rather than letting him get to within six months of the end of his deal, why not act sooner?

Maybe they were talking and he wanted to wait, who knows? Besides, he didn't hang around once another club came in did he?

[Chris Harte]

It wasn't so much a change of heart, rather than taking the piss by coming out with all that 'i'm loyal' bollocks'.

As for the fee, it was low but bearing in mind he was out of contract in the summer anyway, he could have walked away for nothing. We did the right thing in the circumstances if that's what Delph was insisting on, which judging by the size of the clause, he must have.

So rather than letting him get to within six months of the end of his deal, why not act sooner?

Maybe they were talking and he wanted to wait, who knows? Besides, he didn't hang around once another club came in did he?

Well, actually, he did for a week.

And what a great job Randy did of replacing him... Oh, hold on.

[Clampy]

Probably the same reason Ellis let Bosnich and Staunton run their contracts down as examples, it happens.

It's nothing to do with Ellis. We're taking about the here and now and how our once great club has got into the pile of shit it finds itself.

But you were ok comparing the Ellis years with Lerner's not only a few days ago?