Bernstein and King Resign from the Board

[john2710]

Pat Murphy just said we've dispensed with Merrill Lynch and Lerner would now happily take 75m for the club....so half of the perceived amount he wanted.

Doesn't sound like there's any buyers lined up does it.

[Toronto Villa]

Randy Lerner's Aston Villa will be studied at business schools far and wide on how to precisely do the opposite of what you set out to do. In fact I would argue that if he actually tried to do this it would be more difficult than what this has become.

[saunders_heroes]

Murphy understands Moyes still fancies the job at Villa.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

Pat Murphy just said we've dispensed with Merrill Lynch and Lerner would now happily take 75m for the club....so half of the perceived amount he wanted.

i bet he would

just relegated, massive decrease in tv money, commercial and sponsorship, shit players who dont give a fuck, board in turmoil, no manager and posted a 27 million loss

good luck getting 50

[Toronto Villa]

Murphy understands Moyes still fancies the job at Villa.

Moyes must be nuts.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Looks to me like Randy did the old switcheroo on promises just like Garde & our previous managers have hinted at.

The difference is this time he did it to two men who are financially independent and can call him out on it.

Randy invites speculation the way he runs things so here is mine. He promised Hollis then Bernstein a certain amount of financial freedom to get the best manager. Then when presented with Moyes who wanted a decent amount to spend he balked, yet again.

As for the pending sale I think thats just a lie invented on the spot to try and cover up the cost cutting. Bernstein and King effectively exposed that lie in their resignation letters which I doubt Randy expected.

Bernstein & King have no reason to make shit up so I take their word over the clubs statement.

Like others have said I think this club may actually be in serious serious trouble. Not relegation trouble but one of those clubs that just never recover kind of trouble.

Terrible situation.

[clash city rocker]

So who is trying to sell us now then...shipways  ?

[j66acd]

I feel like the fans should occupy the pitch on Saturday and hold up the game.

And get us points deducted next season? I'd rather we didn't

I was thinking the same, failing that stop the team bus from getting anywhere near the stadium. Leaving on 74 or not entering until 8 minutes isn't working.

[Ron Manager]

One person who will pleased about today's events is Mr G Agbonlahor. Takes him completely out of the sporting spotlight. He must have been sweating cobs in the past week. Well perhaps not sweating but quite possibly eating cobs...full of fried chicken!

[CJ]

Murphy reckons Lerner will sell for £75m. Apparently we'll dispensed with Merrill Lynch who were trying to find a buyer.

Worry is the buyers just aren't there for football clubs - Morgan has reduced the price for Wolves to £30M and he still can't sell it. Really worrying times

[SoccerHQ]

This reminds me of Summer 2006 when the club was in similar limbo, we hadn't been relegated but came very close and the in the close season we had that bizarre player/manager statement criticising Ellis.

Things got better then for a few years so let's see what the summer brings.

[DB]

Has there been an official statement? Sorry, just catching up....

[robbyfvillain]

Pat Murphy just said we've dispensed with Merrill Lynch and Lerner would now happily take 75m for the club....so half of the perceived amount he wanted.

Does anybody seriously think that somebody would offer £75m for us in our current state. A Championship club with players unfit for purpose no manager, no board, no managerial heirarchy close to anarchy in the changing rooms with the fans as discontent with the club as its possible to be.

No businessman is going to offer anywhere near that.

[berneboy]

I need to win the euromillions and fast

I was thinking the same. A £340 million rollover might do it.

[Risso]

Only catching up now.

Can we finally please park for once and for all the notion that Lerner is some sort of benevolent character who is either unlucky or badly advised. He is the root cause of the demise of a footballing institution.

He's poison.

He is but at least he has seemingly reduced the asking price which is one of the things I've demanded for the last few weeks of him, it's something.

Surely they'll be a taker at 75m. We're at one of our lowest ebbs so surely a good opportunity for someone?

You'd hope so.  It's a gamble though, even at a cut price.  If the outgoings can be brought into line with the reduced income, then promotion as in the case of clubs like Leicester will see a big windfall for owners, providing that they don't then blow it all on wages.

Brian's right though, Lerner is effectively skint.  Obviously not skint as in rummaging down the back of the settee for change to pay the milkman, but his divorce, the financial crisis and Villa have taken every last bit of free cash he has, and now he's in the unenviable position of his investment being worth a third or less of what he's put in, but to get it back to being what he needs it to be worth, he'd need to spend cash he hasn't got.  A bit like our league form, a vicious spiral which we show no signs of getting out of.

We are fucked.