So that’s it then, not a single player signed in a window that has to rank as the worst ever for Aston Villa FC.
And while most of us knew we wouldn’t be pushing the boat out because it doesn’t make financial sense, I doubt anyone thought we wouldn’t sign anybody.
Least of all the manager Remi Garde.
I’ve seen people commenting that they thought Garde was complicit with Lerner and the board keeping the purse tightly shut, with words such as “puppet” being used, but that’s a viewpoint I can’t subscribe to.
I’m confident that even though he knows the true situation better than any of us fans, he must surely have thought he would get some money to play with.
Not serious money, but at least enough to get a couple of players in; enough to try and convince the players he’s called out that they have competition.
Enough to at least let him be able to do his job and show the current players that they might not necessarily get a game.
And it’s not just that.
What message is this sending out to everybody?
I can’t see any other than we’ve 100% accepted defeat and
relegation.
Which we all know is happening anyway, but that’s not the point.
A club of our stature should not be holding it’s hands up and surrendering meekly the way we have and as much as certain ex assistant managers might call us fans deluded, it’s simply true.
No, we don’t have a divine right to be in the Prem, but we do have a right to expect the club to at least try and remain in it.
Which is where the finances comes back into it.
The simple comparison is this;
The club spent around £7 million in the summer.
Yes, I accept Lerner has actually laid out more (Benteke staged payments etc), but he’ll get it back, so it doesn’t count as a net spend.
Whereas Middlesboro have just laid out around £11-12 million for Jordan Rhodes. I don’t have a clue what Boro spent in the summer, but that one player alone has easily beaten our spend for this season. And he’ll be on realistic wages.
Which all makes me feel embarrassed, as a fan of one of the richest clubs in the world.
And then there’s our new chairman.
Anybody who knows anything about the game would know that you need signings to inject some hope into the club and it’s fans.
And while it might not exactly be prudent, sometimes it’s more than just about the pound notes, hence you’d have thought he might want us to at least sign someone too.
But no, he’s now proven what we all thought, in that he’s come in with a pure remit, which is to maximise the shareholder’s return.
There’s a very valid argument that says you have to pay inflated fees and more importantly, the inflated wages that goes with them, in the winter window. Hence, any money spent might be wasted if we were to get relegated, especially where we’re already trying to cut costs.
And it’s an argument that I can’t disagree with.
But one thing I do know.
Two other clubs who go down with us, will have tried.
Even the next lowest spenders at the bottom of the league spent £5 million.
Christ, even Bournemouth have spent £17 million from what I’m seeing!
Are we really saying we can’t compete with the likes of them?
It would seem so.
Whichever way you look at it, that’s simply not good enough and I don’t believe it’s something Garde signed up for.
So while I’m not Garde’s biggest fan, I have a lot of sympathy for him at the moment and it really wouldn’t surprise me if he walks, as it seems to me he’s been totally mis-led.
But at the same time, I have a lot of respect for the man in the way he’s handled himself whilst slating the board as much as he reasonably can.
So I’d expect it to happen at the end of the season.
Eric Black as the next manager, anyone?
At least he’ll be cheap, won’t he?
Interesting but depressing listening on 5 live last night, Pat Murphy said that Remi was particularly depressed about the failed signing of Khazri from Bordeaux. Remi knows the player and was very keen to get him but, according to Pat, the Villa board refused to stump up the £9 million. He his now at Sunderland!
Remi also said he spoke to a striker twice [but refused to name him], but he chose to sign for another club.
All the panel, including Andy Townsend were very sympathetic toward Remi, especially David Pleat who thought he had shown great dignity during which as been a disastrous transfer window.
Depressing times indeed.
We are beginning to see the hand of Hollis here that doesn’t believe in investing in players. He’s like the accountant who came up with a plan to raise cash and reduce costs in a manufacturing business by selling all the machines – then wondered why he had no product!
He’s just a glorified number cruncher not his fault he’s just doing as he’s told and being paid a fortune doing it. We’d all do the same thing
Would I? So if you knew something was in essence wrong, totally unethical and morally reprehensible, you’d still do it if the money right?
Lerner is a poisonous snake who hides behind others, he has shown his true colours now… I have never seen a club destroy managers and players like Aston Villa have done recently.. Decent players who have served us well being demoted to a ‘bomb squad’ and Managers who look nothing short of poorly, due to the way the club treats them…
The way the club is run, I cannot see the slide ending next season and think us fans are in for one very rocky road !
Saddened, that’s how I see the twat, he’s now he’ll bent in destroying Villa, for money, Cameron being a Villa man should look into his dealing in our country, I just wish I never get near the prick.
What’s going to be LERNERs aim next season???championship survival???
With no investment Giddy, I can see us getting spanked in the Championship
I think we’ll possibly win more than 2 games by this time next year but I’m not getting carried away just yet that we’ll reach double figures for wins.FUCKall to look forward to.
If we get beat tonight which is very likely Garde will walk I think. Bookies are making him odds on to walk out with Black and Pearson waiting in wings. Dear oh dear
Pearson anyday over black.they could already be looking into this after REMIs comments.
What’s the point Giddy of favouring one manager over another – it’s Lerner and the Board that are destroying the club and it’s got worse since the new bean counter chairman was appointed to oversee Lerner’s Kingdom.
Garde, through his carefully worded comments is pleading with the Board to grow some and tell the fans the truth instead of PR spin. What more can Garde do or say to try and get the Board to actually communicate in a meaningful way with all the fans through the media and not at staged meetings and not meaningless press releases either. Hollis and Fox should support Garde or they should p**s off and take Lerner with them.
No way I’m taking the job, not so daft as the others,
Oh I believe that Randy has finally miscalculated. He’s just realised that there’s no parachute payment when we go down into Div 1
No media watch on the OS today???surprise surprise,don’t like the truth.
like many on here, I can remember the high’s and low’s.
But could always see light at the end of the tunnel…
Not this time, a very long dark tunnel ahead.
And agree with most on here, Garde has been shafted, I hope for his sake he goes.
Conducted himself correctly.
Respect to Garde for how he’s tried to keep some dignity while being left exposed by the Board; wouldn’t blame him for walking out and leaving them even deeper in the mire.
AVFC is now a complete and utter shambles, and the only people who can’t face up to that are Lerner and his cronies.
This is ‘Randy the successful businessman’ ? More like the spoilt rich kid who’s lost interest in his toys [again] and will move on to waste his inherited money somewhere else in due course…
At this point I just hope Garde lasts until the summer, the man deserves support from the supporters if no one else associated with the club.
I am not happy we are turning into this decades Leeds United.
I wonder if we were to win our next to games and results go our way weather people would still want a boycott?
Win our next two ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……sorry, I’m trying to be positive.
In a twisted way, a part of me thinks its better if we lose and get put out of our misery quickly… If we string a couple of wins together Fred Elliot will be spouting so much shit about not needing to spend I would probably self combust.
two*
i walked out half way through a match 20 years ago and swore i would never pay to see them again until it got better . still have not been back since .save my money and watch every game on tv from the comfort of my home free .to many overpaid players that under achieve
How would it look if we loose tonight, Garde walks and the next appointment comes in and turns it around with the already existing players….as much as this is hypothetical it could happen I would rather him wait till summer then do one….
Lerner will never see the bad side of any of this unless Villa ruin his life by whatever means (best I think would be a new type of cancer called lack of AVFC blood cells, and very aggressive with imminent death) and yes I am that pissed off about our club!!!
I will not boycot any of the remaining home games I’ve paid my dues and will not let that lie, I have however stopped purchasing any items, and will continue.
Next year is going to be a very difficult one for me cause I will have every Saturday free unlike the past 10 years where I have gone to ever game home and away, and 20 years before that every home game, no matter what happens stay up get relegated no more this is my final year.
I just hope that the shit holes running our great history club to the ground eventually realise what they signed up for.
VTID / Claret and Blue Army
You’ll be there with a ST next year. New season new hope more propaganda from club. Usually works
Ooh, sorry mate your wrong, I will be spending it on watching a local Rugby team, more passion, and more dedication.
TOO right up the warriors.
With you Giddy – Warriors – now there is a well run club albeit still to really impress itself on the premiership.
Took a hospitality deal year or so back and got totally – anahialated – lost the rest of the day and most of Sunday 🙂
‘Garde could be without six players for the West Ham clash but has urged those on show tonight to demonstrate they are still alive in the bid to stay up’
Quote from the AVFC propaganda email.
Just who do they think they are kidding?
Only themselves perhaps.
West Ham win 5- 0 (or even worse)
The sad thing is West Ham only need one goal to beat us. If they score in first few minutes it’s game over.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03hbbkb
Ray Houghton on the ‘The sad decline of a massive club’
Well if there is any silver lining to all this the board has at least unified the supporter blogs and the media.
https://t.co/DT59OurJoU 🙁
Gabby starts.
Why is my heart not filled with joy?
31 Bunn
4 Richards
5 Okore
16 Lescott
43 Cissokho
7 Bacuna
8 Gueye
17 Veretout
25 Gil
19 J Ayew
11 Agbonlahor
‘Remi Garde ready to quit Aston Villa after club fails to strengthen squad in January’
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/remi-garde-ready-to-quit-aston-villa-after-club-fail-to-strengthen-in-january-a6848006.html
Now tell me something I don’t know