Randy Lerner speaks

Chairman's gratitude for Lambert, Cowans and Given
16 Apr 2014 13:53


Randy Lerner sees "loyalty, commitment and support" as key.


By Brian Doogan

Randy Lerner has acknowledged that he "could not ask for more" from Villa legend Gordon Cowans and senior player Shay Given who have been "unhesitating in answering the manager's call", stepping up to assist manager Paul Lambert ahead of Saturday's game against Southampton.

The Villa Chairman identified "loyalty, commitment and support" as key qualities at a time when "unexpected issues [and] very real obstacles" have to be overcome.

European Cup winner Cowans immediately emphasised to the players the need to give 100 percent commitment for the remainder of the season, which the Villa Chairman knows Lambert will get from Cowans and Given.

"Our manager has been faced with some unexpected issues that could have very easily set the Club back," he said.

"In watching him handle matters, along with our Chief Exec, I've seen total loyalty and commitment to Aston Villa while Gordon, a Villa man through and through, has repeatedly stepped up to support the Club regardless of the ask.

"Shay, too, has been unhesitating in answering the manager's call. I couldn't ask for more from people who are up for this challenge and the very real obstacles we have to overcome, as is everyone at the Club."

Cowans, who joined Villa as a 15-year-old apprentice and in three spells at the Club made a total of 527 appearances, assisted Lambert in training yesterday, as did former Irish international Given, alongside Scott Marshall.

Having served previously as first team coach and popularly known as 'Sid', the 55-year-old knows that the priority between now and the end of the season is simply winning games.

"When the manager asked me to step up I didn't hesitate. This is a challenge we face and we face it together as a club," he said.

"From now until the end of the season we need 100 percent commitment from everybody and I know we'll get this.

"The Club is too big, too many people are invested in this in terms of their heart and soul and we need to embrace that and not be daunted by it.

"This is a good group, a very honest group, an ambitious group. Training was terrific yesterday - the tempo, the attitude, the commitment, the energy and this is what we need to bring into the game on Saturday.

"We're very focused on this. Our priority is to go and win football games. That requires determination, passion and the right performance level but that's what we're about at this club because we have that tradition and we gain strength from that.

"The here and now is simple really. The manager is a winner, a football man through and through. He knows what he needs in order for the team to go and perform and win.

"Everybody's in this together - players, staff, fans. The fans are really important here, they always have been, so we have everything we need to go and do the job."

Given, too, has embraced the challenge having already secured his UEFA B License and UEFA A License and he has an intimate appreciation of the strength of feeling within the playing squad.

"The players are desperate to succeed here and to secure the results we need between now and the end of the season," he said.

"There's real belief, too, which has always been there.

"Any club can go through trying periods but the most important thing for me is the football club. The football club will always be here and that's why it's the most important thing, so we all know our responsibilities.

"We all know that we can get the results we're looking for also and I had no doubts in my mind whatsoever the moment the manager asked me to step up.

"I know I can help and that's my intention but the focus is very much on the collective because that's how we are as a group.

"The fans have been tremendous in backing the team and, if we perform to our maximum in the games, that support will go a long way in the game against Southampton and in our remaining games this season."

Blah, Blah, Blah...

Using a lot of words to tell us precisely fuck all...

How honoured we are to be spoken to by the absent one

'the absent one'. I like it. Good name.

We'll that certainly quelled any takeover talk and clarified his ambition on the future - NOT!

no mention of his intent to take the club forward at all or any response to takeover talk. the silence in that statement is deafening!

he finally speaks now hes sold up! 

Seems everything is geared to staying up and nothing past there - hardly does a lot for confidence in him regarding the future , no plan, no ambition , nothing - lets let these 3 points and wave him farewell.

When I think of Randy these days, I also start thinking about the late, Howard Hughes and his big desire to remain private and out of the way of the general public while he was living.

apart from that, I saw nothing of any significance in his? statement. Just the same old spin the club have been putting out.

That's what happens when you trap yourself in a Gilded Cage, you lose touch of reality and entrust the help of others to do the work you should be doing yourself.

You can see the subtext there quite clearly. Please don't get us relegated and leave me stuck.

Dek of Villa wrote:When I think of Randy these days, I also start thinking about the late, Howard Hughes and his big desire to remain private and out of the way of the general public while he was living.

apart from that, I saw nothing of any significance in his? statement. Just the same old spin the club have been putting out.

That's what happens when you trap yourself in a Gilded Cage, you lose touch of reality and entrust the help of others to do the work you should be doing yourself.

Indeed , perfect chance to quell rumours of him leaving and to spell out his vision for the future and the silence says it all really .
All that matters to him is getting over the finishing line this season .

Eastie, out of interest, what would you have wanted Lerner to say in the statement?

If things had been going swimmingly the past few seasons nobody would mind Lerner being quiet and saying damn all in statements.

But things have not been ok. In fact, you could argue, there's been a steady decline with us coming close to relegation three years in a row. That's why it is a problem and that's why people are pissed off with both his style and the failure to invest to ensure the decline is halted.

At least he's saying something. A step forward after the past few years.

Trezzy wrote:Eastie, out of interest, what would you have wanted Lerner to say in the statement?

He next statement I want to hear is the one that matters - where he says his goodbyes.
The statement today is really saying virtually nothing of note that we weren't already aware of .
Weve known virtually nothing of the clubs ambitions, plans and intentions  for several years and this few words hardly says a great deal.

Less than a month ago we had the CEO telling us the club had made major progress on the field this season - baloney.

I think Lerner is a good man, who had good intentions. He could only afford one shot at the champions league and he trusted the wrong man with his money. Hopefully we survive the season, the takeover goes ahead and we can all move onwards and upwards.

Cha Ching wrote:You can see the subtext there quite clearly. Please don't get us relegated and leave me stuck.

Spot on! It's a cry for help from a worried man. If and when we stagger over the finishing line with our Prem status still intact, a huge weight will be lifted off Randy's shoulders. Possibly for the last time!

the club has pretty much always said the same over and over regardless who has donee the interview. lambert and his cant fault the effort. faulkner and his moving forward, lerner confirming it. its always the same for the reason thats its written by PR and pretty much thats how it goes until they have anythin to report.

its like a protection for players or anyone involved in the club. its the same reason we havent 100% a clue why MON left. we dont 100% know what happened behind the scenes with culverhouse, or lowton, or why benteke did a U-turn and this list is massive.

to me its the most professional way to carry on as a club because i would never want anyone even the folks i dont like at the club slated because thats not the type of carry on i want to be associated with when people mention the name aston villa.

overall i dont think the things on this list, of i cant fault the effort etc or the opinions of others at the club will we ever know properly. its prolly for the best too

It's all about opinions and we welcome differing opinions and friendly debate on this site .

Some will be happy with lerners statement and some will find it rather empty.

very true comment, I bet we all love the statement that's gonna say hes sold tho  

jimbop wrote:very true comment, I bet we all love the statement that's gonna say hes sold tho  

like someone said earlier, its gonna be a very interesting summer :)

stevo wrote:

jimbop wrote:very true comment, I bet we all love the statement that's gonna say hes sold tho  

like someone said earlier, its gonna be a very interesting summer :)

Indeed - temperatures in the 90s - England winning the World Cup and villa being taken over and landing klopp plus £200m of players due to multi million sponsorship deals

We can but dream  

villabromsgrove wrote:

Cha Ching wrote:You can see the subtext there quite clearly. Please don't get us relegated and leave me stuck.

Spot on! It's a cry for help from a worried man. If and when we stagger over the finishing line with our Prem status still intact, a huge weight will be lifted off Randy's shoulders. Possibly for the last time!

It does smack of "Come on down to Villa on Saturday and roar me on to a tidy profit". But that would hopefully be a win-win for us all, RL gets his cash and we get the takeover we desire.

Learners statement is too late. We needed him to say something meaningful months ago, he las lost the fans as much as Lambert has.

Holtender1982 wrote:Learners statement is too late.  We needed him to say something meaningful months ago, he las lost the fans as much as Lambert has.

Do you think he's said anything really meaningful today ?
Seems a bit wishy washy to me.