Villa update

I have concrete information from a senior Villa official that no sale is on the horizon and very limited funds are being afforded.. Lambert def stays.. A decision made during the USA trip where it could easily have gone either way. There was a deal but for now at least it appears to have completely stalled and Villa are preparing for the season with Lambert and the current squad plus some loan/bosman signings.

I warned him we are looking firmly at relegation and he said he admits he is fearful if we start badly the atmosphere will be awful..

I asked him "Do you think Villa will have a new owner next season" He replied he honestly didn't know but also said "Why would anyone buy a football club now. Impossible 2 make money and impossible to break top 4 with FFP". I said Liverpool had done it not spending fortunes which he acknowledged..

I also asked him where he thought Villa should be finishing as a club regularly in Prem and he said 7th but ultimately admitted the primary aim was staying up..

He also said prospective buyers looking at what has happened to Khan at Fulham will be spooked.

Pointed out we have in effect 9 new signings; Bent, Okore, Hutton, Given, CNZ, Senderos, Cole, Gardner and Grealish plus Kozak coming back with Benteke hopefully available by Sept/Oct which certainly gives our squad a more healthy, experienced look. Acknowledged the bomb squad policy adopted by Lambert was a mistake and also signing only "Young and hungry".

Keane 75% sure on joining and was Lambert's initiative which is a bold move considering Keane's dominating personality and fact he has been used to being a number 1. Still he will definitely demand more from the players and encourage a far more positive approach on the pitch so I hope he comes as its all well and good having different players but we have to adopt a far more fluid and progressive style of play on the pitch and be prepared to commit players beyond the ball. If you don't run off the ball you are left with no option but sideways, backwards, hoof and we all want to see the back of that.

Regarding the ownership its clear we have a very willing seller and potential buyers know this.. They know Lerner wants out and the longer this goes they will believe they can drive the price further and further down. We will eventually be sold but as the initial deal has broken down I am now less confident who to, or indeed when and all the points raised re FFP and a virtually impossible financial model are valid.. On the other hand if we are run properly without all the glaring mistakes, mostly in the transfer market in the high spending days then this can work for the right owner and it is one of the few big clubs in England that has the capability and potential to compete with a good infrastructure IE Stadium, training ground, academy etc all in place. Equally A mega rich individual surely wouldn't be put off by the sanctions imposed by Uefa re FFP thus far to Man City and PSG.

Bearing in mind the nature of Lerner's statement I really believed a deal was very close to being finalised. It appears it was as Mat Law, Charlie Wyatt and Neil Moxley all reported on in March but for whatever reason its broken down so now we have to hope its either revived or a suitable new party/individual comes to the table. It should be noted Lerner's takeover didn't take place till August so there is time but there is now a real possibility we will start next season with the same board, same manager and same owner and with the warning bells that have been ringing for the last four years that remains a frightening proposition!     

Thanks for the update Howard.

It appears from quite a few sources now that there was a deal to be done but it all fell apart. Obviously we don't know the ins and outs but I can only look at Lerner's utterly inept reign and point the finger of blame at him.

As for an owner who is put off by FFP, I can only conclude that they have limited vision....you only have to look at what Simeone has spent at Atletico to realise that big things are possible on a limited budget with the right people in the right places with the right ideas.

Was any indication given as to who the stalled deal was with?

Agreed re Simeone and Athletico.. I have a fair idea who the deal was with but I can't be 100% sure so won't speculate. American for sure

Thanks Howard. I think the fans needed to know this to stop all the speculating and also to manage expectations. Let's get behind the team.

Thanks for the update. I honestly think taking into account all that has been said it appears that Randy thought deal was bang on done. He released the statement accordingly. He didn't factor in the prospect of the deal going south.

Maybe I am being naive but surely he should make available a percentage of the tv money which the team 'earnt' a word which I use very lightly, for purchasers of new players. It's mind blowing how they can condone the ousting of players and te signing of young players only to walk away from that plan once things get hairy. At times it almost feels like lambert was told I can't use x y and z as I don't want to pay therm a wage.

Well tying your post (and thanks for it) up with Jonny Gould's tweet this morning...it don't take a brain surgeon to work out who your senior villa official is!

@jonnygould: Unnamed #EPL club CEO, "Why would anyone buy a football club now? Impossible to make money and impossible to break into the top 4 with #FFP"

So did you tell Jonny or he thee?

Anyway it matters not. Faulkner is a banker by trade and would quite rightly ask why anyone would want to buy a football club.

This comment however, is in stark contrast to what Keith Harris said a few weeks back about potential buyers. Making money is simply not a reason for buying a football club.

I had pretty much given up on a deal happening any time soon to be honest, so this post just strengthens the belief....although it is odd that we have heard the square root of diddly squat from Faulkner for weeks....now this pops out...


hmmmmm....smoke & mirrors I wonder?

Cheers Howard!

One thing though,and i have to be careful how i address this because i dont doubt your sincerity in keeping all of us updated.

But here goes...

I think its common knowledge now that you fell out with the big wigs at Villa Park and is part of the reason you did your excellent piece on how the club was being mis-managed both on and off the pitch. So why would they still feed you with information, what would their reason be?

Could it be that they are doing it purposely in the knowledge that you will print it here and it then gets a wider audience?

Surely,they know that spreading bad news like they have is only going to poison an already poisonous atmosphere surrounding the club, which does it no favours, and paints a rather inept picture of the clubs owner and his CEO.

So why do that?

Could it be an attempt by the club to take the medias attention away by painting a no takeover soon image, at a time when negotiations are getting more intense involving a possible sale?

I know that if i were with the media, then i would take your info above any ITK, and i guess the club knows that aswell.

Are you being used? :bball: 

Mardybum72 wrote:Well tying your post (and thanks for it) up with Jonny Gould's tweet this morning...it don't take a brain surgeon to work out who your senior villa official is!

@jonnygould: Unnamed #EPL club CEO, "Why would anyone buy a football club now? Impossible to make money and impossible to break into the top 4 with #FFP"

So did you tell Jonny or he thee?

Anyway it matters not. Faulkner is a banker by trade and would quite rightly ask why anyone would want to buy a football club.

This comment however, is in stark contrast to what Keith Harris said a few weeks back about potential buyers. Making money is simply not a reason for buying a football club.

I had pretty much given up on a deal happening any time soon to be honest, so this post just strengthens the belief....although it is odd that we have heard the square root of diddly squat from Faulkner for weeks....now this pops out...


hmmmmm....smoke & mirrors I wonder?

Definately. I think a deal is closer than we all being led to believe 8) 

My Old Man wrote:Cheers Howard!

One thing though,and i have to be careful how i address this because i dont doubt your sincerity in keeping all of us updated.

But here goes...

I think its common knowledge now that you fell out with the big wigs at Villa Park and is part of the reason you did your excellent piece on how the club was being mis-managed both on and off the pitch. So why would they still feed you with information, what would their reason be?

Could it be that they are doing it purposely in the knowledge that you will print it here and it then gets a wider audience?

Surely,they know that spreading bad news like they have is only going to poison an already poisonous atmosphere surrounding the club, which does it no favours, and paints a rather inept picture of the clubs owner and his CEO.

So why do that?

Could it be an attempt by the club to take the medias attention away by painting a no takeover soon image, at a time when negotiations are getting more intense involving a possible sale?

I know that if i were with the media, then i would take your info above any ITK, and i guess the club knows that aswell.

Are you being used? :bball: 

Very much no. There is no conspiracy theory to be told here. It is as HH has put it. Nothing more to it then that. Let's hope someone comes in before long.

My Old Man wrote:Cheers Howard!

One thing though,and i have to be careful how i address this because i dont doubt your sincerity in keeping all of us updated.

But here goes...

I think its common knowledge now that you fell out with the big wigs at Villa Park and is part of the reason you did your excellent piece on how the club was being mis-managed both on and off the pitch. So why would they still feed you with information, what would their reason be?

Could it be that they are doing it purposely in the knowledge that you will print it here and it then gets a wider audience?

Surely,they know that spreading bad news like they have is only going to poison an already poisonous atmosphere surrounding the club, which does it no favours, and paints a rather inept picture of the clubs owner and his CEO.

So why do that?

Could it be an attempt by the club to take the medias attention away by painting a no takeover soon image, at a time when negotiations are getting more intense involving a possible sale?

I know that if i were with the media, then i would take your info above any ITK, and i guess the club knows that aswell.

Are you being used? :bball: 

If I am being used and it means we are close to getting our dream owner then I'll gladly take "being used". The reality is I have spoken to Merrill Lynch and Keith Harris also in the last 10 days and whilst there remains interest, there is nothing concrete at all. Hopefully this changes soon.
As for my fall out I have made my peace with them even though my view remains unaltered on how the club is being run.

Great piece HH... thanks for sharing.

I must say- what would be the actual benefit of providing smoke and mirrors? I'm struggling to see how this would help the club or the sale.

Unfortunately- I am a firm believer in Occam's Razor: the simplest answer is the correct one. Is all this speculation, false information, and silence being done as some giant conspiracy to hide the sheer awesomeness of our prospective new owner!?! Or, is it simply that we don't have a deal.

That said- I still love reading the speculation and enjoy hoping for the best. But I am preparing for the worst. FFS Villa... get your shit together.

UTV

Cheers again Howard 8) 

ejs1111 wrote:Great piece HH...  thanks for sharing.

I must say- what would be the actual benefit of providing smoke and mirrors? I'm struggling to see how this would help the club or the sale.

Unfortunately- I am a firm believer in Occam's Razor: the simplest answer is the correct one.  Is all this speculation, false information, and silence being done as some giant conspiracy to hide the sheer awesomeness of our prospective new owner!?!  Or, is it simply that we don't have a deal.

That said- I still love reading the speculation and enjoy hoping for the best.  But I am preparing for the worst.  FFS Villa...  get your shit together.

UTV

IF it is smoke and mirrors then its more caution than benefit. again IF it was Ray Davis who was the initial buyer and if it was on condition we stay up then what went wrong? he must of known the price beforehand so no deal breaker there, he must of known about FFP beforehand so it cant be that. the only two things I can think of is Shahid Khans fate at Fulham or the name leak. the latter makes sense because of the way Texans do business i.e. if they felt a mistrust had taken place. Davis once said I am not that good at business but I am good at appointing people who are good at what they do.

Thanks for the great update Howard, though we all wish it would be more positive.

Going to be a long hard season, though at least the players coming in have the potential of making more of a difference than the Bowery's of this world. Got to give Lambert some credit there (or maybe Keane's influence).

Thank you, Howard. Appreciate your post.

Thanks for the update, Howard. A depressing read but we go again.....

So to sum it up, we are proper fucked.

Thanks Howard, much appreciated.

Personally I still believe that something will happen soon, my heart says that they are playing mind games then bam. Villa fans are happy as a pig in shit. It's playing to the media