I know. It’s just like buses, where I don’t post for ages and then you get two at once.
Apologies in advance, for those who like time to digest things.
So, after Sunderland beat Everton 3-0, the relegation places have been settled and Norwich and Newcastle are coming down with us.
I have to confess to being a bit shocked, as although Sunderland have been on a decent run, so I didn’t expect Everton to seemingly roll over so easily.
Martinez’s position is already being brought into question and today’s result can’t have helped.
But who cares?
The big question now is who do we think are favourites to come straight back up?
It depends how you look at it, in my opinion, but if you look at organisation, it has to be Norwich.
They’re in a much better position, having been there more recently.
Mind you, Newcastle beat us in that sense, but they’re just as messed up as we are.
Resources-wise, that’s an interesting one, as Ashley will probably throw Newcastle a bone.
What we’ll get is anyone’s guess, as Lerner might still be in charge, at one end, or we might have a new owner, at the other end of the spectrum.
But I’d expect Norwich to be favourites in that sense too, as they know the script.
It really shouldn’t be like that, as both Newcastle and Villa are way bigger than Norwich.
But it does demonstrate how you need to be nimble and much more up to the speed of things generally and not live on times past.
Leicester, even before they won the league, haven’t gone un-noticed on my part, in that they were just behind us in turnover.
That should never be right, but they seem to have called on foreign fans, who are seemingly far more willing to spend than we are.
Which demonstrates that the Villa are a great proposition, if you actually know what you’re doing.
So what am I actually saying?
I don’t know, except I don’t see us being favourites to come back up.
In fact, I doubt we should be anywhere near, as things stand.
5th or 6th faves sounds about right to me.
How far we’ve fallen 🙁
TBH Right now I’d probably settle for mid-table obscurity next season as we build our way back to the the PL.
There’s just too many ifs and buts at the moment regarding owners and managers and I’ve seen too many so called ‘big’ clubs go straight down to Div 1.
Once you start falling it’s sometimes hard to stop.
5th or 6th favourites ? – Have to disagree Badger.
All depends on what manager/team we actually have next season, but the present lot would be lucky even to survive in the Championship at all.
Just look at tonight’s table: we are SO, SO, much worse than either Norwich or the Barcodes that it’s really hard to take in.
Can make no other prediction whatsoever for next term, until we know who will be managing and which players he can bring in…
Pat/Ardent, points duly noted.
I was trying to be optimistic, fwiw.
We really need the right sort of change and not change for the sake of it, imo.
Venture groups/consortiums are not welcome and will ultimately lead to further pain, again imo.
Which is where we’ll see what Lerner really thinks of the club.
Even the well run Arse are expected to turn a profit. That’s what they’re moaning at Kronke for. But as we’ve seen with ManU, you can still throw a hatful of money at the problem and barely end up 6th…I don’t think anyone really has a magic formula. With Leicester’s performance this year, we’ll either see more clubs fail as their owners try to win the league on a shoestring, or smaller teams battling away as the ego and self belief of the ‘big’ teams crumbles, only time will tell I guess…
Arsenal is a crazy situation, imo.
Ok, they haven’t won much in the scheme of top clubs, but they got an FA cup just last year (and don’t we know it?)
They have the second best manager in their whole history (the absolute best if you only count the Prem as history, as many seem to now) and they want rid of him, even though he practically built the ground they have now.
It bloody galls me that Arsenal were just on a par with us not so long back.
And just shows how things can change.
Except I think we’ve missed the boat this time.
The gap is now sadly too big, imo.
Having thought about it further, I think the fact that a sale is taking so long may well be down to the fact that he doesn’t want to sell to purely money people.
Although that thinking might have changed.
If he’s held out as long as possible, i can only say “fair play”.
Badger
This sale is like deadly all over again,Lerner will not want new owners to make a success of it( deadly and mansour bid), if new owners make villa great again it will show Lerner true colours useless business man surrounded by bought yes men wasting daddy’s money,
Looks like Amavi might be on his way –
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/669329/Aston-Villa-Flop-Lined-Up-Serie-A-Giants-AC-Milan-Summer-Move-Premier-League-News-Gossip
If it’s true I’d say ‘Goodbye, good luck and no hard feelings’.
He was one of the few who tried.
now newcastle have joined us in the championship (be strong). no doubt (don’t speak) they will be in the market for a new manager. so we now have to compete with them, not clever business again. need to wake up with the coma state and act now
No Doubt? God, I hate that band!
Try this…awesome!!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=28wL4Jvq2k4
We have to build a new team and a new club structure – I really don’t expect any miracles next season – mid table would be a considerable result !
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/aston-villa-takeover-set-completed-7946860
Mirror sticking with Chinese buyout very close. If true I would expect a serious investment in players which may benefit us and change the perspective on how successful we can be next season. FFP rules applying to Championship sides appear to be limited to fines.
Chinese ownership would open up the lucrative Chinese and Asian markets which should significantly improve revenue flows.
I’m afraid I want more than that Saddened, what Villa fans have been through over the last decade deserves a team that fights for its club and its fans, should we find ourselves not in with a chance to progress, is a failure to me. Nath your right, if Villa don’t announce its future in the next week or two ,then they are taking the piss, I would advise a block on tickets and sales to force that load of I’m in charge twits to come clean.
I understand Bill, but Im trying to be realistic, we either get a team together who will fight for the shirt, which I think will take time, or we get a load or mercenaries and we have been down that route already – I think the club is in such a mess it will take time.
Don’t get me wrong I want us back up and competing ASAP, but I think we have a few more years of pain before this happens !!
I suppose it amounts to wanting the same thing, problem is before I curl my toes up make it yesterday. .?
Hong Kong Pharmaceutical company linked to Villa takeover, Gabby and Jack will be happy…free drugs. http://c.newsnow.co.uk/A/830245900?-11177:843:0
If we keep playing the same crap next season they should distribute some to the fans!
I’ve a gut feeling we will here more about the takeover this evening. Club will put out good news story before last game in Prem game to try and keep spirits up. How good the news is though is anyone’s guess !
If it includes Lerner has now left the building for good to me that would be fantastic news.
I think he left the building for good a few years ago Giddy.
I see Watford have basically sacked Flores. What a joke. What do they expect? Although I suppose it shows ambition.
I’m not very happy with some news about the potential buyer’s, they sold out 3 years ago from the Chinese government and are not as wealthy as first thought, they are having a job to get the money together. This has come from a businessman that deals in China. I hope to God its not true.he said that the farmacy was in with the government but pulled out over money problems.
since the ice hockey bloke earlier in the week i think it is all bullshit and can’t bring myself to believe anything anymore until happens.
How reliable is the Mirror anyway. If they make up enough shit surely at some point they will be right.
I am pretty sure lerner won’t sell to anybody who is struggling to raise the money.
Bill – if true (and I’m not doubting you personally) Interesting and disturbing. The Mirrir reports them as still bring Government owned BUT then go to say that Lerner pulled out of a deal with the same group last year following the crash of the Chinese stock market.
If, as rumoured, there are plenty of suitors (including allegedly Ellison and Oracle) and given Hollis’ statement of a couple of weeks ago then why go with a cash strapped buyer – it doesn’t make sense! But when did any of Lerner’s business decisions make sense?
Bill & H60. Rui Kang are a consistently loss-making company whose shares were worth 8 HKD 5 years ago and are worth 0.28 HKD today. Their results make Aston Villa look like a gold mine. The whole company is not worth 50 Million Sterling.
As far as I can see they are still listed as an independent company on HKSE (0837HK) not as a subsidiary of a bigger group. The story does not hang together as yet.
OLL, looks as if my Chinese friend got it right, after all he was a government official for industries, mind you it was 12 years ago. Im worried now that Lerner doesn’t give a fuck who gets it.
Further to my post Rui Kang have just been taken over by an even smaller China Wah Han (HK638) another Chinese pharma company listed on HKSE but worth only about £27 Million. This firm does own a chain of Sports Clubs and health stores called MEGAFIT in the PRC. Perhaps Jack and Gabby are going out to do a photo shoot – they will do the “Before” pix.
In summary the T/O is tosh until we see where the money will come from.
Thanks OLL – on that basis I don’t see how they can raise the £75m nor do I understand why Hollis would be in discussion with them as it flys in the face of his recent statement; anyway I believe he is more astute than that. I wonder whether the Mirror have been fed a ‘blind’ to divert attention from the real buyers which could still be Chinese (rumours of a Chinese billionaire interest has previously been reported).
Lerner scares me – can’t trust the guy when it comes to business decisions.
Got everything crossed but wish they would get a move on as I’m suffering with ‘pins and needles’!
Changing the subject, can we have Quique Sanchez Flores please, Watford must be mad to let him go!
Looks like we’re not the only club with owner problems! Next Watford statement – ‘we’re closely monitoring the Leicester model and will be planning our business on a similar basis’ – more moneyball then!
Watford isn’t a football club, it is a ‘used manager showroom’.
I can’t understand everything Flores says, but more than I could of Lambert – so it might be progress.
Watford are owned by Udinese’s owners, in Serie A. They’re well known for cutting and changing the team every season, they show loyalty to no one. They’ll target obscure youngsters and hope they come good and sell them off for profit. Yes their form since January was poor and they think Flores would have continued that into next season and they would’ve been relegated, but they’re soon to get all 3 of their sides relegated, Granada as well.
i hope premier league don’t hand the parachute payment over, until lerner has gone. looks like the chinese takeover is another red herring, well i hope it is, knowing lerner and his business skills, he would sell 2 anybody, even if that was a company intent on completing lerners job and ruining our great club further if that was possible.
timescale on such takeover, ppl have said end of this month, that is way too late too appoint a manager. preparations for the pre season, players need to be show the exit door with a swift boot, players need recruited and i cant see all this first game is 6th august. 2 months away end of month. not like they havent had time to get sorted, gardes been gone ages ago
Player’s cant be recruited till July 1st anyways. I know you mean talked about, scouted and such but the month of June is long enough for a new manager to arguably know who he wants. Most manager’s should know going into jobs who they would want and such.
Also can’t sell anyone till July 1st, contract’s on the likes of N’Zogbia aren’t up till June 30th.
Unfortunately it was always inevitable it would take this long, and while yes, Garde was gone a while ago, he was never going to get replaced till the end of the season. We all knew we were down, no manager was saving us and there was no point in Lerner spending more money to bring in someone. New owner will pick who’s manager, or let Hollis do so.
To stand any chance we have to get rid of all the shit and that’s probably most of the present senior squad.We will have to buy players that are battle championship die hards to couple with our youth.If we can do this with the right manager won’t matter who’s in charge.Do this and we will be up there.UpTheVilla