Randy Lerner

[Malandro]

What I struggle to understand, why the hell didn't he appoint a Pulis-type manager?
Cheapish option, secure the business. Bonkers.

Not like he had to worry about popularity.

[Dave P]

My worry is that the championship is a graveyard of dodgy owners. The pressure Randy will be under to sell to the first bidder will mean we could potentially end up with a Risdale, Manderic, Yeung, Tan, Bates or Cellino figure. This scares me more then anything with our predicament.

Maybe there is something in the devil we know as we could be playing Doncaster in our red kit at the Anusol Arena. Dramatic and unlikely I know but you see my point.

[OzVilla]

What I struggle to understand, why the hell didn't he appoint a Pulis-type manager?
Cheapish option, secure the business. Bonkers.

Not like he had to worry about popularity.

I presume you're talking about when Sherwood was appointed.  The answer is, because he employs people who know the square route of fuck all to make decisions.

[themossman]

What I struggle to understand, why the hell didn't he appoint a Pulis-type manager?
Cheapish option, secure the business. Bonkers.

Not like he had to worry about popularity.

This will be mocked but there is a weak minded American exceptionalism flavour to every one of his hiring decisions. It's got to be left field, makes a good story stuff or he's not interested. Pulis is not a young maverick, not being coaxed out of retirement, not untested in the league, therefore too uninteresting.

[wolfman999]

Lerner - if ever there was a more inappropriate name as this guy appears to learn nothing from past mistakes. (and yes I know it should be spelled learner !)

[bertlambshank]

What I struggle to understand, why the hell didn't he appoint a Pulis-type manager?
Cheapish option, secure the business. Bonkers.

Not like he had to worry about popularity.

This will be mocked but there is a weak minded American exceptionalism flavour to every one of his hiring decisions. It's got to be left field, makes a good story stuff or he's not interested. Pulis is not a young maverick, not being coaxed out of retirement, not untested in the league, therefore too uninteresting.

Yep tries to be far to clever when he quite clearly isn't.

[Malandro]

What I struggle to understand, why the hell didn't he appoint a Pulis-type manager?
Cheapish option, secure the business. Bonkers.

Not like he had to worry about popularity.

This will be mocked but there is a weak minded American exceptionalism flavour to every one of his hiring decisions. It's got to be left field, makes a good story stuff or he's not interested. Pulis is not a young maverick, not being coaxed out of retirement, not untested in the league, therefore too uninteresting.

I think there is indeed an element of wanting to be perceived as thinking differently.

[ChicagoLion]

Been thinking about our demise and the cause. I don't think Lerner is a bad guy, but I think he has shown himself to be terrible at employing people who are good at their jobs. Basically, he's not a very good judge of character.

So I think what has happened is that for the last five or so years, he has employed a lot of incompetent people. Now, these incompetents have all actually and secretly known their limitations and realize that they've been a bit jammy getting such cushy jobs. Knowing this and wanting to cover it up, they've also proceeded to hire completely incompetent subordinates, and these in turn have done the same and so on and so on.

I've seen it happen in other businesses and notably schools. Someone gets lucky becoming headmaster/headmistress and then not wanting to be threatened by anyone more competent continues to employ and promote underqualified staff. It's alarming how quickly a business or a school's fortunes can decline when this happens.

I think when this happens, the only way to reverse it is a complete overhaul, starting at the very top.

This is as you say common and without doubt has happened here, the most important recruit is the first one, get that wrong and you are in trouble, he has had several attempts at CEO and Manager and got it wrong time and time again.

[not3bad]

Any news on this chairman?

[Chris Jameson]

Any news on this chairman?

Think we've decided it's Bitty McLean. Chaka Demus and Pliers was never going to work.

[mr underhill]

Michael Corleone would be good - a  no nonsense type who would get the hard things done - a few horse heads left in certain players' bedrooms for example.

[Malandro]

What I struggle to understand, why the hell didn't he appoint a Pulis-type manager?
Cheapish option, secure the business. Bonkers.

Not like he had to worry about popularity.

This will be mocked but there is a weak minded American exceptionalism flavour to every one of his hiring decisions. It's got to be left field, makes a good story stuff or he's not interested. Pulis is not a young maverick, not being coaxed out of retirement, not untested in the league, therefore too uninteresting.

I think there is indeed an element of wanting to be perceived as thinking differently.

Somebody else must have written that sentence.

[Percy McCarthy]

Applogies if posted elsewhere:

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10118235/aston-villa-getting-what-they-deserve-says-matt-law

[themossman]

He's spot on. How depressing.

[LTA]

Nail hit on head by Matt Law there.  Too many people not qualified to do the job, poor treatment of people like Graham Taylor and Steve Stride.

Lerner and his gestapo-like board deserve everything they will get from relegation.