Randy Lerner

[PeterWithesShin]

We've all done it, most of us hold our hands up though. Two of my best were saying Beye would be a good addition to the squad as he could cover most of the back 4 so would be great to have on the bench. And that the Gladiator was going to be a cracking player for us.

[tomd2103]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/aston-villa-launch-investigation-disastrous-7408694

maybe the first question should be why didn't we support the manager in the transfer window?

Lot more questions than that:

Are Fox, Almstadt and Reilly the right people for their positions?

Is the Academy currently at the required level?  Why is there a reluctance to give Academy players a chance?

Can Remi Garde be given the necessary assurances regarding the back room and playing staff to ensure he stays at the club?

[olaftab]

Yes I thought Peter Withe would be an unmitigated disaster but other that I have always been right

[VillaAlways]

So we have a board that have to hire people to see where they went wrong? Whilst other people will be made redundant thanks to their sheer incompetence
Piss off

I think it's right that new senior board members conduct an investigation and seek independent insight. Otherwise they will end up being told by Fox/Reilly/Almsted that they have a plan and they should be allowed to execute it and we will end up plugging a leaking dam with paper towels. I just after the enquiry is complete  the principal people responsible ( the 3 I have mentioned) for our humiliation are shown the door.

Forgive me if I don't feel filled with confidence that the person instigating the investigation didn't see fit to backing the manager in the transfer window. Maybe they should look into why he was given the job of chairman when he had no interest in the job in the first place

[ChicagoLion]

Do we really, honestly need consultants?

I have some great consultant quotes.
"Consultants are the people that come on to the battlefield when the fighting is over to shoot the wounded"

[Villa in Denmark]

So we have a board that have to hire people to see where they went wrong? Whilst other people will be made redundant thanks to their sheer incompetence

Piss off

No.  We've got two new board members who want to bring outside expertise (the very thing just about everyone has been clamouring for) to go through the whole shebang with a fine tooth comb and make recommendations as to how to put the shit bits right and how to make best use of whatever bits are actually fit for service.

The use of the word consultants could just as easily mean David Dein and SGT as faceless goons from PWC.  In reality it will probably be somewhere in between.

Even if it costs a couple of million, if it sets us on the right path it will be the best £2M Lerner has spent in his time at the club.

[tomd2103]

So we have a board that have to hire people to see where they went wrong? Whilst other people will be made redundant thanks to their sheer incompetence

Piss off

No.  We've got two new board members who want to bring outside expertise (the very thing just about everyone has been clamouring for) to go through the whole shebang with a fine tooth comb and make recommendations as to how to put the shit bits right and how to make best use of whatever bits are actually fit for service.

The use of the word consultants could just as easily mean David Dein and SGT as faceless goons from PWC.  In reality it will probably be somewhere in between.

Even if it costs a couple of million, if it sets us on the right path it will be the best £2M Lerner has spent in his time at the club.

I doubt Lerner has had anything to do with his. 

[johnc]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-ignominy-of-aston-villa-1455834198
News of our demise has even reached the WSJ. Nice watercolours though

[VillaAlways]

So we have a board that have to hire people to see where they went wrong? Whilst other people will be made redundant thanks to their sheer incompetence

Piss off

No.  We've got two new board members who want to bring outside expertise (the very thing just about everyone has been clamouring for) to go through the whole shebang with a fine tooth comb and make recommendations as to how to put the shit bits right and how to make best use of whatever bits are actually fit for service.

The use of the word consultants could just as easily mean David Dein and SGT as faceless goons from PWC.  In reality it will probably be somewhere in between.

Even if it costs a couple of million, if it sets us on the right path it will be the best £2M Lerner has spent in his time at the club.

As I said hopefully they will point out how useful the January transfer window can be to the new board member they need to be held accountable for surrendering the season in January

[Villa in Denmark]

We've all done it, most of us hold our hands up though. Two of my best were saying Beye would be a good addition to the squad as he could cover most of the back 4 so would be great to have on the bench. And that the Gladiator was going to be a cracking player for us.

I thought Nicky Shorey was going to be a good signing.
I thought Helenius was going to be a valuable bit part player.
I thought Steve Stone and Alan Thompson would be good, albeit expensive signings. Well I was half right.

On the flip side, I was one of those that thought Collymore was a bad idea as he'd poison the dressing room.

[Villa in Denmark]

So we have a board that have to hire people to see where they went wrong? Whilst other people will be made redundant thanks to their sheer incompetence

Piss off

No.  We've got two new board members who want to bring outside expertise (the very thing just about everyone has been clamouring for) to go through the whole shebang with a fine tooth comb and make recommendations as to how to put the shit bits right and how to make best use of whatever bits are actually fit for service.

The use of the word consultants could just as easily mean David Dein and SGT as faceless goons from PWC.  In reality it will probably be somewhere in between.

Even if it costs a couple of million, if it sets us on the right path it will be the best £2M Lerner has spent in his time at the club.

I doubt Lerner has had anything to do with his. 

Whether it's his doing or not, he's still the one paying for the privilege.

[PeterWithesShin]

At least I wasn't one of the many that thought the Milner/Ireland deal was one of the deals of the century in our favour. I did however think Zog would be more than decent for us.

[VillaAlways]

At least I wasn't one of the many that thought the Milner/Ireland deal was one of the deals of the century in our favour. I did however think Zog would be more than decent for us.

I was really happy with the Ireland and 20 million? deal. Amazing to think he was our player of the season and he was utter tosh

[Boz]

In my 60+ years of working for large and small organisations, when consultants are brought in, they have to justify their large fees by recommending change, whether necessary or not.

There can be no doubt Aston Villa need change in the management of the club and those responsible for the situation that has developed over the last five years need to be held to account.

Will the consultants however, be football industry savvy, or be the sort our new board members have used in their past business lives, because if so, I can't be confident things will be improved on the football front.

Football clubs thrive on the back of pitch performance and we haven't had a consistent season for a long time. Get the squad right with the right manager, then start worrying about the business aspects of the club.

[kippaxvilla2]

Gestede will score 20 in the championship