Randy Lerner

[Mister E]

Ellis and Lerner were both treated as saviours when they took over the club. Both made monkeys out of the fans and one left Villa a considerably richer man than when he joined. I hate the pair of them equally.   

Agreed

[Chris Harte]

Although Doug rightly gets a lot of stick for presiding over our last relegation just 5 years after we were top dogs, people also forget he did the right things in rebuilding us. 5 years later we almost won the league again, and fast forward 5 more years and we had 2 more trophies in the cabinet.

That was just luck, apparently. If he'd not been given a tip off about Graham Taylor's Watford contract in 1987.... At least that's what some will tell you. Never mind that he didn't need to act on the tip off. He could have employed A. N. Other and seen us drift in the lower divisions for years. But no, he did the common sense thing.

Fast forward a quarter of a century and we have this custodian, Randy Lerner, who only now the writing is firmly on the wall, only now that the club has won a record three from 32 league games (surely the worst in the club's history), only now that the atmosphere at Villa Park is poisonous beyond belief, has acted to employ a board that is a mix of football people and bean counters to the board, rather than the purely bean counters set up that had seen the decent into obscurity.

Yet the previous three seasons or more there should have been warnings for Lerner. He shelled out for the sticking plaster that was Darren Bent at one point. That should have been warning enough that things were not right, but oh-no, let's carry on as it was. Looking at Tom Fox's wage from the accounts you can't even accuse Lerner of trying to do it on the cheap, FFS.

Edit for typos.

[Chico Hamilton III]

Was Ellis lucky when he appointed Ron Saunders?

[Jimbo]

Don't get me wrong, I think Ellis was a far cannier owner and man than Lerner. After all, he made his own money, and creamed the club for even more money. That's very canny indeed. But things could have gone just as badly for him as they have for Lerner on more than one occasion. 

[dave.woodhall]

Although Doug rightly gets a lot of stick for presiding over our last relegation just 5 years after we were top dogs, people also forget he did the right things in rebuilding us. 5 years later we almost won the league again, and fast forward 5 more years and we had 2 more trophies in the cabinet.

That was just luck, apparently. If he'd not given a tip off about Graham Taylor's Watford contract in 1987 history. At least that's what some will tell you. Never mind that he didn't need to act on the tip off. He could have employed A. N. Other and seen us drift in the lower divisions for years. But no, he did the common sense thing.

It's not "some people", it's Graham Taylor who said it.

[dave.woodhall]

Was Ellis lucky when he appointed Ron Saunders?

Ellis didn't appoint him - the board of which he was chairman did, and as he wasn't first choice then you could call it luck. But Ellis very definitely wanted Saunders gone in 1979.

[Jon Crofts]

I just found out today that Lerner has only been to Villa Park once since December 2012.
I get the fact him sitting in the Trinity Road every week won't solve anything but that is a scandalous statistic.

Just as in every business, culture starts at and is set by the top. If Lerner shows such a brazen lack of giving a shit you can hardly blame the players for following suit.

[Chris Jameson]

I just found out today that Lerner has only been to Villa Park once since December 2012.

How the fuck did he get a cup final ticket?

[peter w]

I just found out today that Lerner has only been to Villa Park once since December 2012.

How the fuck did he get a cup final ticket?

That'll learn the fucker

[Malandro]

I just found out today that Lerner has only been to Villa Park once since December 2012.
 

Probably the Chelsea game

[Chris Harte]

Although Doug rightly gets a lot of stick for presiding over our last relegation just 5 years after we were top dogs, people also forget he did the right things in rebuilding us. 5 years later we almost won the league again, and fast forward 5 more years and we had 2 more trophies in the cabinet.

That was just luck, apparently. If he'd not given a tip off about Graham Taylor's Watford contract in 1987 history. At least that's what some will tell you. Never mind that he didn't need to act on the tip off. He could have employed A. N. Other and seen us drift in the lower divisions for years. But no, he did the common sense thing.

It's not "some people", it's Graham Taylor who said it.

And people who cannot bear to give Ellis any, even the slightest amount of credit for Villa returning to the top flight and achieving what hoyle87 outlined above have repeated it since.

I'm sure three wins in 32 games and impending relegation under a chairman who has attended VP once in four years (thanks for that stat, Jon) is more noteworthy at present than what Ellis might or might not have been.

[dave.woodhall]

Although Doug rightly gets a lot of stick for presiding over our last relegation just 5 years after we were top dogs, people also forget he did the right things in rebuilding us. 5 years later we almost won the league again, and fast forward 5 more years and we had 2 more trophies in the cabinet.

That was just luck, apparently. If he'd not given a tip off about Graham Taylor's Watford contract in 1987 history. At least that's what some will tell you. Never mind that he didn't need to act on the tip off. He could have employed A. N. Other and seen us drift in the lower divisions for years. But no, he did the common sense thing.

It's not "some people", it's Graham Taylor who said it.

And people who cannot bear to give Ellis any, even the slightest amount of credit for Villa returning to the top flight and achieving what hoyle87 outlined above have repeated it since.

I'm sure three wins in 32 games and impending relegation under a chairman who has attended VP once in four years (thanks for that stat, Jon) is more noteworthy at present than what Ellis might or might not have been.

If it's true, then "people" - and why don't you come straight out and say who you mean? - are entitled to repeat it whether you want them to or not. In fact , they're entitled to say what they want on here, subject to the rules of the site, as often as they like              .

[Chris Harte]

If it's true, then "people" - and why don't you come straight out and say who you mean? - are entitled to repeat it whether you want them to or not. In fact , they're entitled to say what they want on here, subject to the rules of the site, as often as they like              .

No doubt they are entitled to do so; I just find doing it on a "Randy Lerner" thread odd. As for who, I meant several people on the forum; names escape me so it's not that important. Maybe you think you know who I mean.

Anyway, seeing as people are entitled to say what they want subject to the rules, as often as they like, I'll point out again that this team of ours has won three games out of thirty-two. And Randy Lerner's negligence, abandonment, dis-interest, any-other-description-anyone-would-care-to-add is completely culpable for this mess.

[Gregorys Boy]

To me Lerner was just clueless when it came to Football.  Which was fine in the early days when we were doing well and it was just a case of him leaving the footballing side to the manager and supporting him if he needed money etc... And to be fair back then he was interested in the club's history.  My main crituqe of his is losing interest in recent years and just leaving the club to the running of idoits.  I don't see him as being as cynerism as some of you.

[ronshirt]

I might be starting to understand Our Randy. He seems to me to be the mug that every poker party needs. Rich boy come over here and play cards. We'll show you how it's done.

Champions League was worth a go with Mr O'Neill. Loads of money thrown on the table. All lost. Since then he's been forced to ante up just enough to stay in the game.

And now that every player with the bottle to remain at the table will get silly money he folds.