Randy Lerner

[rob_bridge]

Pelty what the fuck is the point of asking people to do a review and then throw your toys out when you don't like the answer?
I look forward to your narrative on it.

Gordon Brown to Frank Field.

'Frank do a review of Welfare and Benefits, think the unthinable - no red lines'
'What about Child Benefit limits and scrapping universitality?'
'That's unthinkable. you're fired.'

[PeterWithe]

I thought King's interview showed him acting very professionally.

[Malandro]

Best post of the year, maybe any recent year. First class peter w.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

Ditto.

[auntiesledd]

I think everyone is more than aware that there are two sides to the story. I am also in full agreement that it does look a bit odd shall I say that letters have been leaked and then King goes on Bloomberg (?) publicly calling for the sale to go through quickly whilst both men have now firmly pointed the finger at Lerner.

I don't think they have acted professionally at all.

But...

name one journalist over here that has not highlighted Randy Lerner as being the problem at Villa. There is a big big problem behind the scenes that has manifested itself into a shambolic club with no sense of direction of one hopeless appointment after another. It appears from stories on the web, and from posters here from the US, that Lerner's tenure of the Cleveland Browns was very similar.

At last it seemed that Lerner was going to take a back step and the appointed Chairman and the newly formed football board would have free reign in putting the thing that we care about the most, the football side, right. We expect that stuff that we don't see to be managed correctly, efficiently, and with due care.

It appeared that the appointments of Bernstein, King, Little, and Bevington was an amazing coup for the club and saw us finally grasping what was needed. These people are leaders in their own areas of expertise and have more business acumen dripping from them in terms of how to either build the foundations of a football club, how to make it successful, how to broadly move it to a level where it is flourishing and producing on relative terms, and how to link the club with different areas of the finance or business sector to encourage more partnerships for the club's benefit.

And Pelty seems fit to denigrate their stature as "These two men" without seemingly realising that "these two men" were doing one thing and one thing alone. The very best for Aston Villa. Is Lerner doing that? No, he is protecting his wealth (and you could argue rightly so). Is Krulak doing that? No, he is protecting Lerner and doing his bidding.

No, we don't know what has gone on and how Bernstein & King have behaved. But considering what Lerner has done to us short of grabbing Lerner by the throat whilst pulling a knife on him whilst the other beats up his wife and kids, there is going to be very very little support here for Lerner if two beastly men have identified him as being the problem.

Pelty, your argument is like the owner of the Big Top being annoyed at the acrobat who is complaining that he won't supply a net to stop him falling to his death . The cancer here is not Bernstein & King. It's Lerner. if anyone is behaving in a disgraceful manner it's not the people who genuinely care for Aston villa, it's those that don't. Neither you, Krulak, nor Lerner do. We were tricked when you rode into town hooting and a-hollering shooting from the hip with your yee-ha's but it turned out to be smoke and mirrors.

It’s not us who is failing to see clearly. It's not Randy who is showing a great deal of restraint. It's not Randy who is showing any signs of "class". It's not Randy who is humiliated, embarrassed, outraged, hurt, despondent, and has the emotional torment of seeing us turned into a laughing stock. That's us. The fans. The real fans. The fans who care about this club. The fans that will be here long after Lerner, and you, have gone. The fans, like King, who actually care about this club and restoring it to its rightful place. The fans who have been held in such contempt for years now. The fans who have little truck with nonsensical responses that are designed for us to side with the person who is killing our club against the 2 are trying to save it. The fans who want Lerner out. You may say that we don't know how or what Lerner and his associates really feel, well we watch every Saturday and that's enough. Go now. The lot of you.

Bravo Peter, well said indeed.

[aev]

Almost as though peter w is actually SVC.

[CJ]

I think everyone is more than aware that there are two sides to the story. I am also in full agreement that it does look a bit odd shall I say that letters have been leaked and then King goes on Bloomberg (?) publicly calling for the sale to go through quickly whilst both men have now firmly pointed the finger at Lerner.

I don't think they have acted professionally at all.

But...

name one journalist over here that has not highlighted Randy Lerner as being the problem at Villa. There is a big big problem behind the scenes that has manifested itself into a shambolic club with no sense of direction of one hopeless appointment after another. It appears from stories on the web, and from posters here from the US, that Lerner's tenure of the Cleveland Browns was very similar.

At last it seemed that Lerner was going to take a back step and the appointed Chairman and the newly formed football board would have free reign in putting the thing that we care about the most, the football side, right. We expect that stuff that we don't see to be managed correctly, efficiently, and with due care.

It appeared that the appointments of Bernstein, King, Little, and Bevington was an amazing coup for the club and saw us finally grasping what was needed. These people are leaders in their own areas of expertise and have more business acumen dripping from them in terms of how to either build the foundations of a football club, how to make it successful, how to broadly move it to a level where it is flourishing and producing on relative terms, and how to link the club with different areas of the finance or business sector to encourage more partnerships for the club's benefit.

And Pelty seems fit to denigrate their stature as "These two men" without seemingly realising that "these two men" were doing one thing and one thing alone. The very best for Aston Villa. Is Lerner doing that? No, he is protecting his wealth (and you could argue rightly so). Is Krulak doing that? No, he is protecting Lerner and doing his bidding.

No, we don't know what has gone on and how Bernstein & King have behaved. But considering what Lerner has done to us short of grabbing Lerner by the throat whilst pulling a knife on him whilst the other beats up his wife and kids, there is going to be very very little support here for Lerner if two beastly men have identified him as being the problem.

Pelty, your argument is like the owner of the Big Top being annoyed at the acrobat who is complaining that he won't supply a net to stop him falling to his death . The cancer here is not Bernstein & King. It's Lerner. if anyone is behaving in a disgraceful manner it's not the people who genuinely care for Aston villa, it's those that don't. Neither you, Krulak, nor Lerner do. We were tricked when you rode into town hooting and a-hollering shooting from the hip with your yee-ha's but it turned out to be smoke and mirrors.

It’s not us who is failing to see clearly. It's not Randy who is showing a great deal of restraint. It's not Randy who is showing any signs of "class". It's not Randy who is humiliated, embarrassed, outraged, hurt, despondent, and has the emotional torment of seeing us turned into a laughing stock. That's us. The fans. The real fans. The fans who care about this club. The fans that will be here long after Lerner, and you, have gone. The fans, like King, who actually care about this club and restoring it to its rightful place. The fans who have been held in such contempt for years now. The fans who have little truck with nonsensical responses that are designed for us to side with the person who is killing our club against the 2 are trying to save it. The fans who want Lerner out. You may say that we don't know how or what Lerner and his associates really feel, well we watch every Saturday and that's enough. Go now. The lot of you.

**Applause**

[rob_bridge]

I'm assuming King and Bernstein both turned down offers in respect of their silence, as others have received, and felt fit to publicly outline the malaise to the wider fan base.

It merely falls to our wilothewisp owner to respond in kind. If Bernstein and King have misled the supporter troops and have wronged the owner then it should be easy to demonstrate. Very easy in fact. If it amounts to King and Bernstein identifying Randy as the main problem at Villa then it should hardly comes as a surprise to him.

I any event I suspect we will wait a long time and the club will wither on the vine, barring a series of miracle recruitment exercises in coaching and playing staff, whilst similtaneously ridding ourselves of the playing staff cancers.

Thanks for taking time in any case Pelty but you'll (rightly) get little positive comments re Randy and the General here.

[aj2k77]

Top class post Peter.

[rob_bridge]

Top class post Peter.

Yep agreed.

[aj2k77]

These people still haven't realised that we are beyond appeasing press releases, coded statements or talk of what's going on behind the scenes. We've had it for 10 years now. Only actions carry any weight now and the only action most people want now I think is Lerner and his yes men to get the fuck out of our club as soon as possible.

[olaftab]

Almost as though peter w is actually SVC.

That's very unfair. Peter has constructed his argument with great thought and accuracy SVC spouts total bollix.

[markeeeebeeee2005]

Btw Pelty. True restraint is the way posters on here are responding to you. This is despite the depth of anger there is for Randy and co.

[aev]

Almost as though peter w is actually SVC.

That's very unfair. Peter has constructed his argument with great thought and accuracy SVC spouts total bollix.

whoosh....

[Irish villain]

Great post Peter w. Says it all.