Randy Lerner finally sells Villa

[PorkChop]

After years of looking for a new owner, Lerner has finally sold up and fucked off.

I'm a bit scared, though. Asian owners either seem to be hit or miss - this guy could be another Carson Yeung for all we know. As bad as Lerner has been over the past 5 or 6 years, things could get much worse.

I really like the sound of his £28 billion estimated wealth though. Perhaps we might actually sign a player in the next transfer window...

[Everlong]

Lerner has built a pretty awful resume in terms of owning sports franchises. The Browns are certainly no better off that's for sure.

[Daz]

Really good news for Villa fans. Need to spend the next year rebuilding from the ground up.

[The Legend]

Lerner has built a pretty awful resume in terms of owning sports franchises. The Browns are certainly no better off that's for sure.

I long thought Lerner was the worst owner in sports, although looking at Jimmy Haslam's resume maybe it could get worse.

[AkydefGoldberg]

I wouldn't worry too much Porky - Chinese investment is government backed hence the major signings acquired by Chinese Super Clubs but maybe it will take time to see whether how he intends to behave as an owner but hopefully the start of a new era. You kinda think the exits of Bernstein/Bevington might have been better avoided as this guy will need good voices around him rather than this own people with no idea of football.

[PorkChop]

Lerner has built a pretty awful resume in terms of owning sports franchises. The Browns are certainly no better off that's for sure.

I long thought Lerner was the worst owner in sports, although looking at Jimmy Haslam's resume maybe it could get worse.

@Everlong and @The Legend, can you give me an idea of how bad Lerner was at the Browns? I hear about how he was an awful owner all the time, but I don't actually know what he did (or didn't do, rather).

Over the past 6 years at Villa he's stopped investing money into the club, forced our best players to be sold off and not replaced, made some utterly bizarre managerial appointments and has been absent most of the time. The only times he's conversed with the fans has been through nonsensical, rambling letters on the club website. If someone wrote a manual on how not to manage a football club, they should use Randy Lerner 2010-2016 as a prime example.

[The Legend]

It's hard to exactly pinpoint any horrible things he did as an owner, but here's basically where he went wrong. In 2002 his father who owned the Browns died and gave the team to Randy. It came out years later that he made Randy promise that he'd own the team for at least a decade. From Day 1, he never really cared about american football or the Browns. He was never around, never spoke to the fans or reassured them of anything and most of all never had a plan for success or a direction he wanted to take the team.

It even got to the point where he'd grown so tired of owning the team that he hired a former coach Mike Holmgren to basically be de facto owner, go to the owner's meetings to cast votes, etc. Three years into that process, he sold the team to Haslam.

[Enygma]

Finally some good news for Villa. Now they just need Di Matteo and a few million quid to spend and they'll be straight back up, along with Newcastle.

[PorkChop]

Finally some good news for Villa. Now they just need Di Matteo and a few million quid to spend and they'll be straight back up, along with Newcastle.

Di Matteo is in talks with Lazio apparently. Moyes is supposed to be the new favourite, which would be a great appointment.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Finally some good news for Villa. Now they just need Di Matteo and a few million quid to spend and they'll be straight back up, along with Newcastle.

Di Matteo is in talks with Lazio apparently. Moyes is supposed to be the new favourite, which would be a great appointment.

He's dropped out of the running it seems.

[PorkChop]

Finally some good news for Villa. Now they just need Di Matteo and a few million quid to spend and they'll be straight back up, along with Newcastle.

Di Matteo is in talks with Lazio apparently. Moyes is supposed to be the new favourite, which would be a great appointment.

He's dropped out of the running it seems.

I'm a bit concerned now. Both Di Matteo and Moyes have allegedly met the new owner, and both no longer seem interested in the job. Coupled with the reports that he's not who he says he is, it's quite worrying.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Finally some good news for Villa. Now they just need Di Matteo and a few million quid to spend and they'll be straight back up, along with Newcastle.

Di Matteo is in talks with Lazio apparently. Moyes is supposed to be the new favourite, which would be a great appointment.

He's dropped out of the running it seems.

I'm a bit concerned now. Both Di Matteo and Moyes have allegedly met the new owner, and both no longer seem interested in the job. Coupled with the reports that he's not who he says he is, it's quite worrying.

Ryan Giggs is available