What's your opinion of the manager status?

[NottinghamWhite]

Great article here on Villa's finances, and the gamble they took over the last two years.
https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2018/5 ... ert-adomah

[PhoenixUnited]

I completely agree that the past policy has to change.

Memories can play tricks but in the O’Leary era we seemed to be getting a steady stream of youngsters coming through. Green shoots were emerging for Goodness sake. Then some bright spark decided to “Live the Dream” and we started to bring in a shed load of high profile players and paid top dollar for them. Not satisfied with that we decided to bring in some more players of average quality and still paid top dollar - who can forget Seth Johnson, Darren Huckerby, Jason Wilcox and the like - thus digging ourselves a great big financial hole. We ended up with something like 18 internationals that obviously could not all get in the first Eleven. The kids had not a sniff of a look in and the Academy went to the dogs. The theory was that qualification for the Champions League and winning the Premier League would fill the big hole. The rest is history. We came to within a hairs breath of going out of business.

In the following years we needed pedigree racehorses but could only get workhorses, borrow donkeys from the beaches or way lay some heading for the knackers yard. My goodness we have seen some dross playing in the shirt! Whatever money we had or got in mysteriously disappeared into non playing squad expenditure.

Things seemingly changed when a parade of players were signed up when Radrizzani took over. It was a false dawn as these have turned out to be mostly left field punts with cheap foreign imports and loan players ill-suited to Championship football. Gracias Victor Orta!

Any fool that has a load of money can get players in but it needs something special to happen to find a winning formula.

[swindonwhite]

There comes a time when you have to take a wee gamble to make things happen - why did Man city win the the premiership - because they have the best players in the league - why did Wolves win the championship - because they have the best players in the league. Why did they have the best players in their respective leagues - because they spent the most money. Before a ball was kicked last season everyone I spoke to had those two teams clear favourites to do so - the incentives to get back to the top flight league In the world have never been higher - & there is only one way that is ever going to happen to our beloved team - our fans deserve a bit of the good life - I am sure we are all sick of the number 2s we have taken from so say bigger clubs for the last 17 years - we have in my mind the best fanbase in the world - please give us a transfer window to remember & spend spend spend.

[Deleted User 728]

I sometimes think we're a bit harsh on Ridsdale.

I know the story about Seth and the £35k/wk and the goldfish are often held up as a bad example of his "clueless" spending, but that was actually a perfectly normal amount for a big, commercial fish tank (I know because I used to work for Orange and at one time every shop in the world had six gold and one black fish in them - a Japanese luck thing, in case you're wondering).

He also ran Burton's, don't forget - he was a canny businessman in his time.

The one factor for me is if you'd have been asked the question "Should we spend this amount signing these players this summer ? There's a good chance we'll recoup the outlay if we qualify for the CL after all .." how many of us would've said "NO ! Don't be so silly !"

Not very many.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.



He who dares .. wins, Rodney.

[swindonwhite]

I know I am going to get the before mentioned stick for this & where we would we get the £50 million needed to make this happen I do not know - but lets go as big as we can & let me dream the dream one more time.

[swindonwhite]

and Rigz I agree who dares wins del boy did all right didn't he.

[Deleted User 728]

... in the end

[swindonwhite]

surely the end is nigh. yes I remember up pompei.

[Deleted User 728]

.. up pompei.

They won't be up for years yet .. cracking set of fans though

[kk white]

I sometimes think we're a bit harsh on Ridsdale.

I know the story about Seth and the £35k/wk and the goldfish are often held up as a bad example of his "clueless" spending...

Slightly off topic, but on the Ridsdale point, Dave O'Leary has often been castigated for the prices paid for some players.
Rio Ferdinands £18m at the time was astronomical, but in later years, DOL said that he simply went to the board with names of players he wanted and they decided the fee. He remembers suggesting £10-12m for the Rio purchase...