Bernstein and King Resign from the Board

[olaftab]

I think it's time for King and or Bernstein to talk, and expose Randy Lerner for the feckless, duplicitous charlatan that he is.

Not sure what good that would do. He will still be our owner and we'll be further embarrassed in teh Press.

[john e]

In the years to come when the 'children of the revolution 2' comes out
I bet there will be a whole chapter about April 16

[Chico Hamilton III]

If Lerner has not agreed to fund the change in direction, be it for a new manager and new structure [head of football or whoever], sacking Reily etc, then the only glimmer of hope would be a change of ownership.

Lerner is a fool easily parted with his money; he paid Small Heath £5 million for McLiesh and has gone through managers like underwear the past 12 months, so it would seem odd that he decides to turn the tap off completely having presumably acquiesced to the moves forward suggested by Hollis. Why stop now? For what ends?

Its hard to fathom his motives and it could well be that reference to new ownership is simply misdirection.

But if we're up for sale at a reduced price, then he might have come to his senses. Getting him out of the football club by fair means or foul has to be the number one priority, as he is a disease that is rotting us from the inside out.

I want the new manager to have an ambitious owner, who is back by the board to do what is necessary. McLiesh, Lambert, Sherwood, Garde etc, as poor as they may be, were all made poorer by having one and sometimes both hands tied behind their back. We need unity.

 

My reading of the situatiion is that Lerner did not buy into the strategy necessary to bring us redemption, as Bernstein and King saw it.

Pat Murphy mentioned a cut price of £75m yesterday evening.

I'm pretty sure £5m was not spent getting TSM out of the Sty; more like £1.5m IIRC.

I think Blues wanted £5.5m and we paid them £3m.

For McLeish, for fuck's sake

[andyh]

From elsewhere..

We have had more 'club statements' than Villa goals this season !!


Probably not but it feels like it.

[Mister E]

What's really scary is that I think it's going to get even worse in the next few months. I think Hollis will go, Sir BL will walk away, our better players will be picked off (Amavi, Ayew, Gueye) with Lerner sanctioning their disposal as a way to trim costs, a complete yes-man & on the cheap manager will be appointed with a remit to keep us in the Championship, and revenues will plummet forcing Lerner (or his Mum!) to start asset stripping.

As others have said, we are really in danger of a monumental collapse through the tiers of British football unless and until we are sold. The manager conversation is absolutely pointless until the mess above them is resolved. I'm starting to genuinely understand why despite trying several different managers under Lerners stewardship, all have failed.

The one constant - Mr Randy Lerner.

It's not an overstatement to say that we are on the precipice here.

This seems rather apocalyptic ...
... until one reviews the last 6 years at Villa and the demise of the Browns under the stewardship of RL.

What I find so idiotic is that if they'd given Garde the dosh in January (let's say £20m) to bring in three players we might welll have won enough points to still be in with a chance of staying up and benefitting from the £30+m p.a. bonus from the new TV deal (it's only now that Blunderland and Barcodes have found their mojo and we could have been on our way out of the shite).
The decision-making has been so crass, so naive, so short-term ...

[olaftab]

McLiesh, Lambert, Sherwood, Garde etc, as poor as they may be, were all made poorer by having one and sometimes both hands tied behind their back.

However Lerner made sure their hands were stuffed full of cash.

[Oscar Arce]

This season and the events of the last few days has shown us that we have no say in how our football club is run, the owner could sell the ground for housing and close the club down if he so wished, we'd have no say in it.

[DB]

Probably the reason old Randy doesn't talk much as people will realise he is a clueless rich boy.

[Chico Hamilton III]

Probably the reason old Randy doesn't talk much as people will realise he is a clueless rich boy.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

[Chris Jameson]

A year ago today, the start of something special...

[john2710]

Bernstein highlighted reporting lines and agreed structures. My belief is that the football side of the business would report to him,  this being the manager & the recruitment side of the club. Would Paddy Reilly have liked reporting to Bernstein when he's got used to having Randy's ear or has he by passed the structure & gone straight to Randy.

What I can't understand is how the head of recruitment who oversaw the purchase of that  shower of shite we spent a fortune on last summer remains in place whilst everyone else has gone?

[eamonn]

A year ago today, the start of something special...

The most memorable game I've ever attended - first trip to Wembley and Villa deservedly win through hard-work and skill. I honestly thought we had ''bottomed-out'' under Lambert and this was the start of our revival. How things change in a year (or a day/week as we're seeing now).

[Villa in Denmark]

My theory for what it's worth.

1. Lerner approaches Hollis to take on the role of chairman. Promise of free hand to do as he sees fit.

2. Hollis identifies and recruits King, Bernstein, and brings in Little to ensure some experience from the football side rather than Bernstein's administrative skills. The brief as reported was to investigate the club from top to bottom, make recommendations and implement the approved proposals.

3. King, Bernstein and Little do exactly that.  A recurring theme in everything that's come out over the last  18 - 24 months has been that something is rotten at Bodymoor Heath. Presumably the culture around the first team squad, the way they interact with each other, the youth squads and training staff which from the outside looking in stinks and has done at least back to Karsa and Culverhouse,

4. As recently as Saturday it looked like the football board had made significant progress with their review, including the removal of Fox and Almstadt.

5. Yesterday they get the message that the Lerner Trust won't sanction the money for whatever changes they deemed necessary.

As this is a complete change to the way they were told things would work, their input obviously being ignored and a waste of their time they choose to resign. That King says


New leadership is desperately needed to change the culture and capacity of the Club at all levels. When you, David Bernstein and I were asked to join the board we were able to make a start (Sacking Fox and Almstadt). But progress has stalled.(Funding to pay off the wasters in the football squads and whoever else in the organisation is freewheeling, recruit new / extra staff at Bodymoor Heath as required has been refused due to external interference)
It is clear that a sale of the club to a new owner must be brought about as soon as possible and I wish you every success in that effort. (It’s impossible to run the club with no clear lines of responsibility and authority, or even worse the board has responsibility but no authority and the man who they are theoretically answerable to hasn’t got any authority either.)

Bernstein’s letter shows the same frustrations.  Basically not allowed to the job he was recruited for and someone else other than the chain of command he was recruited to work under is actually controlling things.

I can only guess that Little has stayed out of loyalty to the club and not wanting to see us totally left in the shit and Hollis? Who knows. Not wanting to see a job half finished? Not wanting to basically say will the last one out turn off the lights? Thinks he can talk sense into the Lerners?

I agree with others who have said that this is actually a bigger kick in the balls than Saturday.  We've known for 2 or 3 months that Saturday was coming.

The new structure and the nature of the people being recruited was the last flicker of light in the tunnel.  It's bloody dark now.

[Duncan Shaw]

Villa In Denmark, I think you've won the thread!  Good words.

[Villafirst]

Yes, a year ago today we were on cloud 9. A dreadful sequence of events since the end of last season. Shocking demise in just 12 months. I sincerely hope Lerner has gone before the start of next season.