NSWE Investment

[Monty]

Fraudiola said last year he would be gone the next day if he had been lied to.

I'm sure he'll leave if he can't spend 10 times the amount of his nearest rival

Is there not any kind of professional desire in the man to go and prove himself at a club with lesser resources?

It's like being the best boxer in the world because you're the only one allowed to fight with lead weights sown into your gloves

I've come to the conclusion that, for all that he's a 'winner' etc, he doesn't really like competition but domination. Hence why he only manages the richest club in any given country. Hence his style, too, with its kind of dystopian smooth smothering football despotism.

This is unlike Klopp who, for all his being incredibly annoying with his unsettling teeth, likes a project, and likes an on-pitch scrap too. Simeone also. Wankers both, but wankers who are up for a good honest ding-dong.

[LeeB]

Fraudiola said last year he would be gone the next day if he had been lied to.

I'm sure he'll leave if he can't spend 10 times the amount of his nearest rival

Is there not any kind of professional desire in the man to go and prove himself at a club with lesser resources?

It's like being the best boxer in the world because you're the only one allowed to fight with lead weights sown into your gloves

I've come to the conclusion that, for all that he's a 'winner' etc, he doesn't really like competition but domination. Hence why he only manages the richest club in any given country. Hence his style, too, with its kind of dystopian smooth smothering football despotism.

This is unlike Klopp who, for all his being incredibly annoying with his unsettling teeth, likes a project, and likes an on-pitch scrap too. Simeone also. Wankers both, but wankers who are up for a good honest ding-dong.

I make your right. Bingo has his faults, is a bit passive aggressive (or 'post nazi-German' as it's otherwise known) but I actually think he's a decent bloke and I enjoy watching his teams at their best.

Guardiola is like some obsessive technocrat planning an entire economy without the slightest regard for those living in it.

[Sexual Ealing]

Fraudiola said last year he would be gone the next day if he had been lied to.

I'm sure he'll leave if he can't spend 10 times the amount of his nearest rival

Is there not any kind of professional desire in the man to go and prove himself at a club with lesser resources?

It's like being the best boxer in the world because you're the only one allowed to fight with lead weights sown into your gloves

I've come to the conclusion that, for all that he's a 'winner' etc, he doesn't really like competition but domination. Hence why he only manages the richest club in any given country. Hence his style, too, with its kind of dystopian smooth smothering football despotism.

This is unlike Klopp who, for all his being incredibly annoying with his unsettling teeth, likes a project, and likes an on-pitch scrap too. Simeone also. Wankers both, but wankers who are up for a good honest ding-dong.

I agree entirely with the spirit of this post, except I'm not sure that much honesty is involved when Simeone has a ding-dong! He'd take the fillings from his grandmother's teeth if it gave him an advantage.

[Monty]

According to his own terms of engagement, that's 'honest'. What I mean to say though is that he actually enjoys the struggle of it all.

[Drummond]

Fraudiola said last year he would be gone the next day if he had been lied to.

I'm sure he'll leave if he can't spend 10 times the amount of his nearest rival

Is there not any kind of professional desire in the man to go and prove himself at a club with lesser resources?

It's like being the best boxer in the world because you're the only one allowed to fight with lead weights sown into your gloves

I've come to the conclusion that, for all that he's a 'winner' etc, he doesn't really like competition but domination. Hence why he only manages the richest club in any given country. Hence his style, too, with its kind of dystopian smooth smothering football despotism.

This is unlike Klopp who, for all his being incredibly annoying with his unsettling teeth, likes a project, and likes an on-pitch scrap too. Simeone also. Wankers both, but wankers who are up for a good honest ding-dong.

I agree entirely with the spirit of this post, except I'm not sure that much honesty is involved when Simeone has a ding-dong! He'd take the fillings from his grandmother's teeth if it gave him an advantage.

Yeah, smothering is right. I think most managers like a duel, the sport, the engagement with an opponent. Guardiola wants his servants to put a clear plastic bag over his opponents' heads, whilst they are already tied down, and watch them slowly asphyxiate.

[Rigadon]

Perfectly articulated Monty. 

[DB]

Fraudiola said last year he would be gone the next day if he had been lied to.

I'm sure he'll leave if he can't spend 10 times the amount of his nearest rival

Is there not any kind of professional desire in the man to go and prove himself at a club with lesser resources?

It's like being the best boxer in the world because you're the only one allowed to fight with lead weights sown into your gloves

I've come to the conclusion that, for all that he's a 'winner' etc, he doesn't really like competition but domination. Hence why he only manages the richest club in any given country. Hence his style, too, with its kind of dystopian smooth smothering football despotism.

This is unlike Klopp who, for all his being incredibly annoying with his unsettling teeth, likes a project, and likes an on-pitch scrap too. Simeone also. Wankers both, but wankers who are up for a good honest ding-dong.

I agree entirely with the spirit of this post, except I'm not sure that much honesty is involved when Simeone has a ding-dong! He'd take the fillings from his grandmother's teeth if it gave him an advantage.

Yeah, smothering is right. I think most managers like a duel, the sport, the engagement with an opponent. Guardiola wants his servants to put a clear plastic bag over his opponents' heads, whilst they are already tied down, and watch them slowly asphyxiate.

Nicely put….and after spending a fortune to get to that point

[Baldy]

If I was sitting in an auction house for 'prized assets' and suddenly a number of Qatari and Saudi Arabian elite arrived on the scene, it would give me pause for thought!!

When it comes to the transfer market, I wonder if our owners are beginning to get concerned if they will not now get 'value for their buck'?

Perhaps FFP or the Man City's charges may come to our rescue? Perhaps, pigs may fly?

Sorry to p*ss on anybody's parade, but this has been nagging me.

[Billy Walker]

If I was sitting in an auction house for 'prized assets' and suddenly a number of Qatari and Saudi Arabian elite arrived on the scene, it would give me pause for thought!!

When it comes to the transfer market, I wonder if our owners are beginning to get concerned if they will not now get 'value for their buck'?

Perhaps FFP or the Man City's charges may come to our rescue? Perhaps, pigs may fly?

Sorry to p*ss on anybody's parade, but this has been nagging me.

Why do we need "rescuing"? I don't think we have anything to worry about to be honest. When our owners bought into football they would have been more than aware of Qataris, Saudis etc all being on the lookout for clubs too.  The fact that V Sports went out and bought a club in Portugal right after the Qataris bought a club from the same league suggests they are not too worried by it all.  The other thing to remember is that *if* our owners feel they can't compete with oil money, there is nothing to stop them seeking other wealthy investors to buy into Villa - and that's assuming V Sports doesn't already have other wealthy private investors backing it.

[Baldy]

If I was sitting in an auction house for 'prized assets' and suddenly a number of Qatari and Saudi Arabian elite arrived on the scene, it would give me pause for thought!!

When it comes to the transfer market, I wonder if our owners are beginning to get concerned if they will not now get 'value for their buck'?

Perhaps FFP or the Man City's charges may come to our rescue? Perhaps, pigs may fly?

Sorry to p*ss on anybody's parade, but this has been nagging me.

Why do we need "rescuing"? I don't think we have anything to worry about to be honest. When our owners bought into football they would have been more than aware of Qataris, Saudis etc all being on the lookout for clubs too.  The fact that V Sports went out and bought a club in Portugal right after the Qataris bought a club from the same league suggests they are not too worried by it all.  The other thing to remember is that *if* our owners feel they can't compete with oil money, there is nothing to stop them seeking other wealthy investors to buy into Villa - and that's assuming V Sports doesn't already have other wealthy private investors backing it.

Cheers, those points are re-assuring.

[Billy Walker]

The other thing to consider, Baldy, is that Sawiris and Edens operate and move in the world of "oil money'.  For example, Fertiglobe is owned jointly by OCI (headed by Sawiris) and ADNOC (the Adu Dhabi National Oil Company).  Our owners are part of that world and will have significant business links with such people.  I'm confident we have people at the top who have their eyes and ears open, fully aware of the funding requirements and strategies required to make Villa grow into a successful club again.

[Risso]

The other thing to consider, Baldy, is that Sawiris and Edens operate and move in the world of "oil money'.  For example, Fertiglobe is owned jointly by OCI (headed by Sawiris) and ADNOC (the Adu Dhabi National Oil Company).  Our owners are part of that world and will have significant business links with such people.  I'm confident we have people at the top who have their eyes and ears open, fully aware of the funding requirements and strategies required to make Villa grow into a successful club again.

There's precious little sign of it though. Our net spend is never going to be enough to challenge the top half consistently, and the only tangible fruit from the youth academy has been the £20m fee for Chukwuemeka. They could have shown us their intentions this January, but didn't.

[Drummond]

The other thing to consider, Baldy, is that Sawiris and Edens operate and move in the world of "oil money'.  For example, Fertiglobe is owned jointly by OCI (headed by Sawiris) and ADNOC (the Adu Dhabi National Oil Company).  Our owners are part of that world and will have significant business links with such people.  I'm confident we have people at the top who have their eyes and ears open, fully aware of the funding requirements and strategies required to make Villa grow into a successful club again.

There's precious little sign of it though. Our net spend is never going to be enough to challenge the top half consistently, and the only tangible fruit from the youth academy has been the £20m fee for Chukwuemeka. They could have shown us their intentions this January, but didn't.

The small matter of £100m for the grease-monkey is tangible...

They've spent a lot of money, with a new stand coming at £100m as an example.

I'm sure we'd all like immediate success and spending but we're coming from a much lower bar than most because of our time out of the money, sorry Premier League.

[Border villan]

The other thing to consider, Baldy, is that Sawiris and Edens operate and move in the world of "oil money'.  For example, Fertiglobe is owned jointly by OCI (headed by Sawiris) and ADNOC (the Adu Dhabi National Oil Company).  Our owners are part of that world and will have significant business links with such people.  I'm confident we have people at the top who have their eyes and ears open, fully aware of the funding requirements and strategies required to make Villa grow into a successful club again.

There's precious little sign of it though. Our net spend is never going to be enough to challenge the top half consistently, and the only tangible fruit from the youth academy has been the £20m fee for Chukwuemeka. They could have shown us their intentions this January, but didn't.

Grealish came through the academy, we did quite well with his fee as I recall.

Drummond you beat me to this!

[dave.woodhall]

Grealish was here well before NSWE.