Nick Mashiter: Randy Lerner leaves Aston Villa back at the beginning
After eight years Villa have returned to square one.
By Nick Mashiter
Nearly £250m later they have gone full circle under Randy Lerner. It was supposed to be the start of a new era, to return Villa to the top of the English game. Instead it has left them treading water wondering if it has all been worth it.
That will be a sentiment held by chairman Lerner as he prepares to hand over the Villa Park keys. It was inevitable he was ready to call it quits, we just needed the final confirmation to the open secret. And under him Villa moved forward only to tumble backwards.
The season before Lerner's £62.6m takeover – 2005-06 – Villa finished 16th with 42 points. It was David O'Leary's last act as manager.
He left to be replaced by Martin O'Neill a month before Lerner completed his takeover in the August. Four years of lavish spending – rememer £50,000-a-week for Habib Beye? – followed to yield one Cup final defeat and three sixth places.
How Villa crave that now.
Kevin MacDonald, Gerard Houllier, Alex McLeish and Paul Lambert have tried and failed to revitalise the team since O'Neill quit in 2010 as the decline turned into a tailspin.
On Sunday they finished 15th – losing 20 league games – amid growing fan unrest against the manager which mirrors the feelings towards O'Leary. The Irishman tried to downsize the club – famously saying they couldn't compete with Charlton – while Lambert has stated staying up is his biggest achievement in management.
Takeover
In 2006 a banner on the Holte End proclaimed 'We're not fickle, we just don't like you' as fans aired their feelings towards O'Leary.
At White Hart Lane – while there was no banner – Lambert was mercilessly taunted throughout the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham. It is inconceivable he will survive a takeover and Lerner signing away the deed to Villa Park is likely to be Lambert's managerial death warrant. The American thanked him in Monday's statement for his 'selfless' efforts and the pair have a fine working relationship.
Lerner wants the Scot to stay but it will not be his decision. While the pair spoke after every game it was Lerner's reluctance to communicate with the fans which left him open to criticism.
He made himself the story with his non-attendance, instead choosing to watch on a TV stream from America. A lack of understanding and football nous only compounded his exit thoughts. This season has been charmless, a hard slog with little enjoyment which has been the final straw.
Yet Lerner deserves praise for what he has done for the club. Nobody was complaining in the first four years of his reign and he undoubtedly has the club at heart. But he will leave Villa no better off on the pitch than when he arrived. The infrastructure is attractive to future owners but they should not be blinded to the size of the rebuilding job. The current squad have barely been good enough to survive.
That they have stayed up is an achievement – the club are paying Championship fees and wages – but it should not be lauded as highly as Lambert has done. Villa deserve better and Lambert is right when he insists the club should not be in this position. There is still uncertainty ahead but Lerner has taken the first step to ensuring a brighter future.
