New chairman and Lerner ramblings

[Villa in Denmark]

I am still a bit bemused by some of the negativity. Hollis didn't say the summer business was shit. He didn't refuse to fund transfers this window. And what they persistently tried to point out was that it isn't JUST about money. We have thrown lots of money at it previously but if you don't spend it properly it gets you nowhere.

Fox finally acknowledged his own mistakes. They even suggested as the present incumbents they would take shit for what had come before them.

They can't just flick a switch and make this better. But at least they are acknowledging the problems.

didnt he say that we wasted 60 million in the summer? i equate that to him saying that the players we bought are shit

That's a bit simplistic. It's a waste because we haven't got the right blend of players.

Given the sheer numbers involved in the overhaul of the squad last year we needed every one of them contributing pretty much from day 1.

What if we hadn't indulged ourselves in the gamble on Traoré and the apparent waste of signing Crespo and put that money plus Gestede's fee and wages to getting a better striker?
The whole team would look much better for it.

At the risk of doing chrisw1's head in with another analogy, it's like buying a car and finding out the dealer's kept the steering wheel.

The bits of the car you've got are fine in themselves, but until you get the last parts you're going to struggle getting anywhere and the money you've spent is wasted until you sort it.

[ChicagoLion]

Some people seem to be missing context here, to paraphrase he seemed to say that you have to view it as wasted money because we're 10 points from safety, in that respect he's right, clearly the money we spent hasn't translated to points so it was a waste.  The reasons for that are more important than anything else and he suggests that the poor infrastructure at the club is the main one.

hn

I think this is a false conclusion.

The money we spent was a 'waste' because we didn't spend enough,or make enough changes, and that again would be a structural issue for the club.

The idea that they could replace 4 regular first teamers  including a Goal scorer of Bentekes prowess with those signings is just ludicrous. If that is the premise our new Charman is working under then we are in even deeper shit.

I'd rather risk a ''structural issue'' than have a season of Guzan, Gestede, Westwood, Bacuna, Lescott, Sinclair and all the other donkeys that populate the squad.

Agbonlahor Richardson. Its a pretty long list.

[bertlambshank]

I am still a bit bemused by some of the negativity. Hollis didn't say the summer business was shit. He didn't refuse to fund transfers this window. And what they persistently tried to point out was that it isn't JUST about money. We have thrown lots of money at it previously but if you don't spend it properly it gets you nowhere.

Fox finally acknowledged his own mistakes. They even suggested as the present incumbents they would take shit for what had come before them.

They can't just flick a switch and make this better. But at least they are acknowledging the problems.

I just think people want to see some/any action.
They have little more than a week to prove the doubters wrong.
So far it's a big fat fail.

[Clampy]

I am still a bit bemused by some of the negativity. Hollis didn't say the summer business was shit. He didn't refuse to fund transfers this window. And what they persistently tried to point out was that it isn't JUST about money. We have thrown lots of money at it previously but if you don't spend it properly it gets you nowhere.

Fox finally acknowledged his own mistakes. They even suggested as the present incumbents they would take shit for what had come before them.

They can't just flick a switch and make this better. But at least they are acknowledging the problems.

I just think people want to see some/any action.
They have little more than a week to prove the doubters wrong.
So far it's a big fat fail.

I don't get the 'any action' bit. What's the point in bringing in somebody who's not going to make much of a difference?

[Risso]

I am still a bit bemused by some of the negativity. Hollis didn't say the summer business was shit. He didn't refuse to fund transfers this window. And what they persistently tried to point out was that it isn't JUST about money. We have thrown lots of money at it previously but if you don't spend it properly it gets you nowhere.

Fox finally acknowledged his own mistakes. They even suggested as the present incumbents they would take shit for what had come before them.

They can't just flick a switch and make this better. But at least they are acknowledging the problems.

I don't trust them to fix it.  Tom Fox has made things much worse since he came in, and I don't really see anything in a semi-retired accountant to inspire.

[ChicagoLion]

I am still a bit bemused by some of the negativity. Hollis didn't say the summer business was shit. He didn't refuse to fund transfers this window. And what they persistently tried to point out was that it isn't JUST about money. We have thrown lots of money at it previously but if you don't spend it properly it gets you nowhere.

Fox finally acknowledged his own mistakes. They even suggested as the present incumbents they would take shit for what had come before them.

They can't just flick a switch and make this better. But at least they are acknowledging the problems.

didnt he say that we wasted 60 million in the summer? i equate that to him saying that the players we bought are shit

That's a bit simplistic. It's a waste because we haven't got the right blend of players.

Given the sheer numbers involved in the overhaul of the squad last year we needed every one of them contributing pretty much from day 1.

What if we hadn't indulged ourselves in the gamble on Traoré and the apparent waste of signing Crespo and put that money plus Gestede's fee and wages to getting a better striker?
The whole team would look much better for it.

At the risk of doing chrisw1's head in with another analogy, it's like buying a car and finding out the dealer's kept the steering wheel.

The bits of the car you've got are fine in themselves, but until you get the last parts you're going to struggle getting anywhere and the money you've spent is wasted until you sort it.

I think it's the people selecting and then driving the car.

[bertlambshank]

I am still a bit bemused by some of the negativity. Hollis didn't say the summer business was shit. He didn't refuse to fund transfers this window. And what they persistently tried to point out was that it isn't JUST about money. We have thrown lots of money at it previously but if you don't spend it properly it gets you nowhere.

Fox finally acknowledged his own mistakes. They even suggested as the present incumbents they would take shit for what had come before them.

They can't just flick a switch and make this better. But at least they are acknowledging the problems.

I just think people want to see some/any action.
They have little more than a week to prove the doubters wrong.
So far it's a big fat fail.

I don't get the 'any action' bit. What's the point in bringing in somebody who's not going to make much of a difference?

It's obvious they are going for targets they can't get/wont come.Ellis used to get loads for going for so called targets he knew he wouldn't get.It seems the board have learnt off the best.

[cheltenhamlion]

See, he said about £60m last night but it the context of "we spent £60m". Not how it was divided up.

[cheltenhamlion]

I am still a bit bemused by some of the negativity. Hollis didn't say the summer business was shit. He didn't refuse to fund transfers this window. And what they persistently tried to point out was that it isn't JUST about money. We have thrown lots of money at it previously but if you don't spend it properly it gets you nowhere.

Fox finally acknowledged his own mistakes. They even suggested as the present incumbents they would take shit for what had come before them.

They can't just flick a switch and make this better. But at least they are acknowledging the problems.

I just think people want to see some/any action.
They have little more than a week to prove the doubters wrong.
So far it's a big fat fail.

I don't get the 'any action' bit. What's the point in bringing in somebody who's not going to make much of a difference?

It's obvious they are going for targets they can't get/wont come.Ellis used to get loads for going for so called targets he knew he wouldn't get.It seems the board have learnt off the best.

Without wishing to be seen as their arch apologist, but how have you concluded that?

[Clampy]

I am still a bit bemused by some of the negativity. Hollis didn't say the summer business was shit. He didn't refuse to fund transfers this window. And what they persistently tried to point out was that it isn't JUST about money. We have thrown lots of money at it previously but if you don't spend it properly it gets you nowhere.

Fox finally acknowledged his own mistakes. They even suggested as the present incumbents they would take shit for what had come before them.

They can't just flick a switch and make this better. But at least they are acknowledging the problems.

I just think people want to see some/any action.
They have little more than a week to prove the doubters wrong.
So far it's a big fat fail.

I don't get the 'any action' bit. What's the point in bringing in somebody who's not going to make much of a difference?

It's obvious they are going for targets they can't get/wont come.Ellis used to get loads for going for so called targets he knew he wouldn't get.It seems the board have learnt off the best.

How is it obvious and why would they do that?

[Villa in Denmark]

Well yes, that too. But it was more that "we've wasted £60M = every single signing was shit," when most people ^{can see that Ayew and Veretout in particular look like they belong at PL level, as did Amavi in part before he got injured. Fanatics started well and faded, but the last couple of games have seen improvement again, so as individuals those 4 at least don't look like a waste of money, but the whole package? That's obviously a waste of money as we've spent £60M on filling 4 or 5 spaces in the 1st 11 and a couple of squad fillers and royally f##ked it up.}

[bertlambshank]

I am still a bit bemused by some of the negativity. Hollis didn't say the summer business was shit. He didn't refuse to fund transfers this window. And what they persistently tried to point out was that it isn't JUST about money. We have thrown lots of money at it previously but if you don't spend it properly it gets you nowhere.

Fox finally acknowledged his own mistakes. They even suggested as the present incumbents they would take shit for what had come before them.

They can't just flick a switch and make this better. But at least they are acknowledging the problems.

I just think people want to see some/any action.
They have little more than a week to prove the doubters wrong.
So far it's a big fat fail.

I don't get the 'any action' bit. What's the point in bringing in somebody who's not going to make much of a difference?

It's obvious they are going for targets they can't get/wont come.Ellis used to get loads for going for so called targets he knew he wouldn't get.It seems the board have learnt off the best.

How is it obvious and why would they do that?

Say I wanted to make it look like I was going to spend to get out of trouble,but go for unreachable targets because of the budget that has been set,but tell the fans we are working tirelessly to bring players in.

[ChicagoLion]

They have not said that though.
I don't have much faith in these guys yet but I don't think they are pulling that one.

[Clampy]

I am still a bit bemused by some of the negativity. Hollis didn't say the summer business was shit. He didn't refuse to fund transfers this window. And what they persistently tried to point out was that it isn't JUST about money. We have thrown lots of money at it previously but if you don't spend it properly it gets you nowhere.

Fox finally acknowledged his own mistakes. They even suggested as the present incumbents they would take shit for what had come before them.

They can't just flick a switch and make this better. But at least they are acknowledging the problems.

I just think people want to see some/any action.
They have little more than a week to prove the doubters wrong.
So far it's a big fat fail.

I don't get the 'any action' bit. What's the point in bringing in somebody who's not going to make much of a difference?

It's obvious they are going for targets they can't get/wont come.Ellis used to get loads for going for so called targets he knew he wouldn't get.It seems the board have learnt off the best.

How is it obvious and why would they do that?

Say I wanted to make it look like I was going to spend to get out of trouble,but go for unreachable targets because of the budget that has been set,but tell the fans we are working tirelessly to bring players in.

Well you may be right but there's no proof that's what's happening.

[bertlambshank]

They have not said that though.
I don't have much faith in these guys yet but I don't think they are pulling that one.

I didn't say that they have said it.