Ambiguity has soured Randy Lerner’s relationship with Aston Villa’s fans

by The Premier League Owl • General • Tags: Aston Villa, Randy Lerner

Because of his nationality, it’s easy to bracket Randy Lerner as just another foreign club owner trying to make a quick buck from English football, but although he is likely to make a profit on his forthcoming sale of Aston Villa, his original intentions when buying the club were probably purer than that.

He’s a fan of the game and, supposedly, and Villa supporter. Of course, that seems rather incongruous with the way in which he’s run the team and overseen a very deliberate period of devaluation, but maybe Lerner was guilty of early naivety at Villa Park and maybe he spent the latter part of his tenure trying to right the overspending wrongs of his first couple of seasons.

Nevertheless, between 2006 and 2014 Villa’s aims and objectives have shifted from the pitch to the balance sheet and that has sapped away at the enthusiasm of the supporters. Beyond the retraction of financial ambition, the succession of dour managerial appointments following Martin O’Neil’s resignation has led the club into an era of successful failure and year-on-year attempts to survive in the Premier League with bare minimum transfer spends and perilously thin playing squads.

Continues on the (again) excellent Premier League Owl site.

Stopped reading where it claims he's likely to make a profit...

Well he will on his purchase price. Just won't when you add in the moolah he's spent/given us.