Randy Lerner

[Pat McMahon]

So what is your definition of sabotage?

Selling Milner and taking Stephen Ireland in return. Did we even reinvest the money (£16M - Milner was worth far more to us than that) in the squad - I can't remember.

I'll catch up tomorrow. Night night all.

For me the crazy part in that transfer was bringing in Ireland when we didn't have a manager. Bringing in a player when you have no idea what the new manager's style and philosophy will be smacked of idiocy.

[cheltenhamlion]

Fox gave an interesting insight to Randy's flip flop nature at the Trust AGM. It seems that he put us up for sale but regretted it immediately and became "an unmotivated seller".

Then, when there was no sale, he decided that it was best if he took himself out of proceedings all together and would appoint a new chairman. But that didn't happen.

And now here we are again, in the shit and not a peep from the chairman since that comment in the summer.

[brian green]

Say what you like about Randy, and we will, at least he has not had an utterly damning report about him lodged by Amnesty International like the owners of Manchester City have. Two million migrant workers effectively enslaved to deliver a World Cup they should never have got in the first place. Those are the people you owe your success to Citeh fans. I will stick with our unworldly doughnut owner.

[bobdylan]

So what is your definition of sabotage?

Selling Milner and taking Stephen Ireland in return. Did we even reinvest the money (£16M - Milner was worth far more to us than that) in the squad - I can't remember.

I'll catch up tomorrow. Night night all.

For me the crazy part in that transfer was bringing in Ireland when we didn't have a manager. Bringing in a player when you have no idea what the new manager's style and philosophy will be smacked of idiocy.

A replacement of sorts for comparatively low money was better than nothing in some respects.  Houllier went on to sign Bradley and Makoun in Jan, so 3 replacements costing c. £14m and still no closer to replacing Jimmy.  We even spent £24m on Bent and signed Walker but we still looked weaker than when we had Milner compared to those 5 players.  Very similar today without Delph and Benteke, we have loads of other interesting new players but seem overall weaker.

[Locko]

Weird American. I  wish we'd got Hicks and Gillette instead, weren't they interested?

[john e]

premiership club owners have sort of got themselves sorted out in general, no real nut jobs left anymore
a few undesirables and dodgy super rich

but in the championship there are quite a lot of owners who you would not swap for Randy

Carson Yeung -  Small Heath
Baliagi + Venkatesh  -  Blackburn
Owen Oyston - Blackpool
Vincent Tann   - Cardiff
Allam Family - Hull
Massimo Cellino  - Leeds
Tony Fernadez  _  QPR

[tomd2103]

Fox gave an interesting insight to Randy's flip flop nature at the Trust AGM. It seems that he put us up for sale but regretted it immediately and became "an unmotivated seller".

Then, when there was no sale, he decided that it was best if he took himself out of proceedings all together and would appoint a new chairman. But that didn't happen.

And now here we are again, in the shit and not a peep from the chairman since that comment in the summer.

Agree.  His lack of communication with the supporters has been one of the most frustrating aspects of his tenure.  Now I don't expect a daily column in the Birmingham but some form of communication from time to time would be nice.

Although the spending dried up at the end of the Houllier season! I still think he has invested enough for us not to be in the position we are in.  It's the haphazard transfer policies (young and hungry, old and washed up, anyone with a French accent) that have done for us.

[Jimbo]

Say what you like about Randy, and we will, at least he has not had an utterly damning report about him lodged by Amnesty International like the owners of Manchester City have. Two million migrant workers effectively enslaved to deliver a World Cup they should never have got in the first place. Those are the people you owe your success to Citeh fans. I will stick with our unworldly doughnut owner.

Man City's owners are from Abu Dhabi, not Qatar, but I take the point. Randy Lerner isn't a slave master. However, given the choice between Randy and relegation, and Sheikh Mansour and the Premier League title, I know which one I'd prefer.

[Risso]

Say what you like about Randy, and we will, at least he has not had an utterly damning report about him lodged by Amnesty International like the owners of Manchester City have. Two million migrant workers effectively enslaved to deliver a World Cup they should never have got in the first place. Those are the people you owe your success to Citeh fans. I will stick with our unworldly doughnut owner.

Man City's owners are from Abu Dhabi, not Qatar, but I take the point. Randy Lerner isn't a slave master. However, given the choice between Randy and relegation, and Sheikh Mansour and the Premier League title, I know which one I'd prefer.

Yep, quick geography lesson for Brian.  Abu Dhabi is part of the United Arab Emirates, and is about 500 miles away from Qatar, which is an entirely separate country.

[TopDeck113]

The geography is indeed wrong, but Abu Dhabi's human rights are nonetheless shameful.

Jimbo, I know the point that you're making, but given the choice I'd rather having nothing whatsoever to do with football.  When I've said this to City-supporting friends and colleagues, they suggest I'm only jealous, rather than acknowledge the fact that, as a long-term supporter of Amnesty, I might be serious. 

[Billy Walker]

A little thing that has been bothering me...I read today that Man City have sold a 13% stake in their business for over 200 million quid to state-backed Chinese investors.  That this has happened several months after (supposed Villa fan fan) David Cameron and his Chancellor, George Osborne, urged the Chinese President to postpone a visit to Brum and go to Manchester instead (where he duly showed the President around Man City's new training complex) genuinely infuriates me.

What on earth is going on? The wider question is why is the UK government encouraging this type of investment in Manchester and London and why are they simply paying lip service (as far as I can see ) to Birmingham?  Does Villa's predicament (and Lerner's inability to find a buyer) mirror the wider political/economical development  of the UK economy - i.e. the northern and southern "powerhouses" are, for the time being, the only regions worth major blue-chip investment? If this is the case we are totally hamstrung by forces beyond our control.

[Jimbo]

The geography is indeed wrong, but Abu Dhabi's human rights are nonetheless shameful.

Jimbo, I know the point that you're making, but given the choice I'd rather having nothing whatsoever to do with football.  When I've said this to City-supporting friends and colleagues, they suggest I'm only jealous, rather than acknowledge the fact that, as a long-term supporter of Amnesty, I might be serious. 

I see what you're saying, but you have to consider that some of the money that comes to Villa via the Premier League comes from countries with shitty human rights records such as China, UAE, Qatar, etc. who pay to watch it. Not for long, though, eh?

[TopDeck113]

I can't argue with that. Such is the global reach of the Premier League then money originating from the least desirable regimes will find its way into the Villa Park coffers.  However, there is perhaps a moral grey area distinguishing between that and the direct ownership and funding of the club. 

[DB]

I don't really care about owners of other clubs, all I know is our own has made a right royal f*ck up at ours.

[olaftab]

Say what you like about Randy, and we will, at least he has not had an utterly damning report about him lodged by Amnesty International like the owners of Manchester City have. Two million migrant workers effectively enslaved to deliver a World Cup they should never have got in the first place. Those are the people you owe your success to Citeh fans. I will stick with our unworldly doughnut owner.

Man City's owners are from Abu Dhabi, not Qatar, but I take the point. Randy Lerner isn't a slave master. However, given the choice between Randy and relegation, and Sheikh Mansour and the Premier League title, I know which one I'd prefer.

Yep, quick geography lesson for Brian.  Abu Dhabi is part of the United Arab Emirates, and is about 500 miles away from Qatar, which is an entirely separate country.

500 miles apart by distance joined at the hip by culture that breeds racism, bigotry and intolerance. There is no difference between the slave traders who rule any of Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain etc.