'The Sale of Aston Villa FC' Countdown Thread: Now Sold!

[GadgetMan]

A place to discuss events off the pitch at B6.

[villabromsgrove]

Tom Fox has been remarkably quiet this summer, but I guess that's fine as actions sometimes speak louder than words.

I would love to know what Randy is thinking about, and what he is currently doing with regards to selling AVFC.

Plan B was to have been a new Chairman .... will this happen, or has Fox impressed RL enough that he may be given a new title?

Could there still be a flicker of life in Plan A?

[Leafs1201]

Fox seems to be doing the business for me at last, everyone that knows me from TBAR will know I absolutely detest Lerner and from the moment he pi**ed the fans off by appointing McLeish against their wishes was the start of the end for him in my IMO, I don't know who is funding the current spending spree but I still want him gone.

[villabromsgrove]

Fox seems to be doing the business for me at last, everyone that knows me from TBAR will know I absolutely detest Lerner and from the moment he pi**ed the fans off by appointing McLeish against their wishes was the start of the end for him in my IMO, I don't know who is funding the current spending spree but I still want him gone.

I'm sure that Lerner wants to close the door on this embarrassing chapter of his life. To be shown up in public as an inept businessman is humiliating. I think Fox has created some wiggle room for RL, but I'm sure he will go when a suitable new owner is found.

[danclare82]

Fox seems to be doing the business for me at last, everyone that knows me from TBAR will know I absolutely detest Lerner and from the moment he pi**ed the fans off by appointing McLeish against their wishes was the start of the end for him in my IMO, I don't know who is funding the current spending spree but I still want him gone.

I'm sure that Lerner wants to close the door on this embarrassing chapter of his life. To be shown up in public as an inept businessman is humiliating. I think Fox has created some wiggle room for RL, but I'm sure he will go when a suitable new owner is found.

Agree with this VB. Its great and makes a nice change how much we have spent in this window but in reality all Lerner has done is reinvest Snake/Benteke money. Fox has obv advised him to do so in order to make us me desirable to potential buyers.

[GadgetMan]

Fox seems to be doing the business for me at last, everyone that knows me from TBAR will know I absolutely detest Lerner and from the moment he pi**ed the fans off by appointing McLeish against their wishes was the start of the end for him in my IMO, I don't know who is funding the current spending spree but I still want him gone.

With incoming cash we've actually only spent just under 2m (I read somewhere, I'll see if I can get it) So given the TV money, not a great deal, still 10 days or so left, maybe a marquee signing?

Anyway re Fox and Charlie W, lots of changes behind the scenes, these two are running the show until we're sold. I don't see a Chairman coming in personally and still see it as a possibility we could be sold during this season (I'm gobsmacked we haven't been already, there was 100% a deal there to be made) We will see huh?!

[Sandie]

Agree with this VB. Its great and makes a nice change how much we have spent in this window but in reality all Lerner has done is reinvest Snake/Benteke money. Fox has obv advised him to do so in order to make us me desirable to potential buyers.

Agree. It's easier to sell a successful team than one that's always battling relegation. To be honest, Delph release clause aside, I can't knock the management for how they've performed this summer with regard to 'on-the-pitch' stuff. They've supported Tim to bring in some decent players and in real terms have probably spent in a sensible and sustainable manner. Most of the guys we've brought in and extended the deals on are young enough to have a decent re-sale value and talented enough to move the club forward. It's a world away from both the careless spending that characterised the MoN period and the lack of investment we had under McLeish and Lambert.

[GadgetMan]

Agree with this VB. Its great and makes a nice change how much we have spent in this window but in reality all Lerner has done is reinvest Snake/Benteke money. Fox has obv advised him to do so in order to make us me desirable to potential buyers.

Agree. It's easier to sell a successful team than one that's always battling relegation. To be honest, Delph release clause aside, I can't knock the management for how they've performed this summer with regard to 'on-the-pitch' stuff. They've supported Tim to bring in some decent players and in real terms have probably spent in a sensible and sustainable manner. Most of the guys we've brought in and extended the deals on are young enough to have a decent re-sale value and talented enough to move the club forward. It's a world away from both the careless spending that characterised the MoN period and the lack of investment we had under  McLeish and Lambert.

Hard to disagree with that when you consider wages etc! However this makes for interesting reading, as to net spend (it's actually closer to 5m due to Genk receiving cash from CB sale) http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/aston-villa/transfers/verein/405/saison_id/2015

[Chris Harte]

...I absolutely detest Lerner and from the moment he pi**ed the fans off by appointing McLeish against their wishes was the start of the end for him in my IMO....

I felt at the time that the McLeish thing was Lerner saying that he was going to do it his way, despite any (all) the misgivings of the supporters. It made for a poisonous atmosphere at Villa Park that season. To think when McLeish did lose his job we thought Larbert would bring a bright future.

My god, we must have been desparate.

[Kimbo]

...I absolutely detest Lerner and from the moment he pi**ed the fans off by appointing McLeish against their wishes was the start of the end for him in my IMO....

I felt at the time that the McLeish thing was Lerner saying that he was going to do it his way, despite any (all) the misgivings of the supporters. It made for a poisonous atmosphere at Villa Park that season. To think when McLeish did lose his job we thought Larbert would bring a bright future.

My god, we must have been desparate.

I remember sitting in the car with my dad just after Eck was appointed. He said something like, "The thing is, I have an element of control over everything important in my life, apart from the Villa. I have to trust them to at least do things as best they can, and this is unforgivable".

He still loves the Villa and ferociously supports us - hell, he had a stroke while watching us get hammered at home to Spurs in Lambert's first season, a few days after the 8-0 to Chelsea, and was in fact banned by my mom from watching us for a few weeks! - but I do feel like a part of him has never been the same about the club since then. That decision showed a lack of respect for the supporters that is difficult to quantify properly in words.

[villabromsgrove]

...I absolutely detest Lerner and from the moment he pi**ed the fans off by appointing McLeish against their wishes was the start of the end for him in my IMO....

I felt at the time that the McLeish thing was Lerner saying that he was going to do it his way, despite any (all) the misgivings of the supporters. It made for a poisonous atmosphere at Villa Park that season. To think when McLeish did lose his job we thought Larbert would bring a bright future.

My god, we must have been desparate.

I remember sitting in the car with my dad just after Eck was appointed. He said something like, "The thing is, I have an element of control over everything important in my life, apart from the Villa. I have to trust them to at least do things as best they can, and this is unforgivable".

He still loves the Villa and ferociously supports us - hell, he had a stroke while watching us get hammered at home to Spurs in Lambert's first season, a few days after the 8-0 to Chelsea, and was in fact banned by my mom from watching us for a few weeks! - but I do feel like a part of him has never been the same about the club since then. That decision showed a lack of respect for the supporters that is difficult to quantify properly in words.

I think appointing McLeish convinced me that Randy Lerner would never understand Villa. You can read the history but you have to feel the passion, and you can't do that from three thousand miles away.

[Morddred]

For me the appointment appointment of TSM showed that no one at the club had a clear thought out plan for the club. It also showed a lack of respect for the supporters and a lack of ambition for the club.

[Sandie]

I think it spoke volumes that it was claimed they brought him in as they had liked him when they met him.

It wasn't just from a footballing perspective that it was impossible to understand. Lerner and Faulkner were supposed to be businessmen. However, if you were running a successful company would you appoint someone as a manager solely on the grounds of their likeability even with a dubious track record in previous roles? It wasn't just the Blues thing - If he'd been a successful manager for them then we'd be delighted to poach him. Whilst he won the league cup, he also managed to relegate them. Think it was just under a month between us celebrating him taking them down to his appointment as our boss. Like watching a car crash unfold over four weeks.

[villabromsgrove]

I think it spoke volumes that it was claimed they brought him in as they had liked him when they met him.

It wasn't just from a footballing perspective that it was impossible to understand. Lerner and Faulkner were supposed to be businessmen. However, if you were running a successful company would you appoint someone as a manager solely on the grounds of their likeability even with a dubious track record in previous roles? It wasn't just the Blues thing - If he'd been a successful manager for them then we'd be delighted to poach him. Whilst he won the league cup, he also managed to relegate them. Think it was just under a month between us celebrating him taking them down to his appointment as our boss. Like watching a car crash unfold over four weeks.

It was unbelievable! I kept praying that it wasn't true in the short time between the rumour starting and his appointment. It was a stupid, stupid, stupid thing to do! Did I mention that it was stupid?

[South London Villan]

Ray Wilkins on talksport breakfast show tomorrow

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