Lenners as Chairman

[SwissBlade]

Following Kev Gee's thread to see what BB would do, lets see if we can get an answer from Lenners.

So Lenners, lets see you take a break from your contradictions and super negativity and give us an insight into the wonder that is Lenners as Chairman...

What would you do first to fix our so called broken club (a strapponism I believe)?
How much cash would you pump in?
What would you do with the team management?
How much involvement would you have in the football side?
What would you do to get all the many thousands of fans back (that you said that we'd lost)

I fully expect that this is the thread that you've been waiting for so that you can show us your powerpoint presentation highlighting the need for a Toby Carvery on the Southstand

 

[lenners]

Pointless question.
I would never have got us into £50m to £70m debt in the first place.
All we're left with now is crisis management.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Pointless question.
I would never have got us into £50m to £70m debt in the first place.
All we're left with now is crisis management.

All questions asked of you are pointless, Len

 

[Oreyt]

*Heartfelt Thanks Button*

 

[SwissBlade]

Pointless question.
I would never have got us into £50m to £70m debt in the first place.
All we're left with now is crisis management.

But thats not the question is it Lenners, I'm asking you what you'd do to fix the club... surely a man of your esteemed calibre would be able to get a club out of a hole. A man of your standing surely wouldn't be able to resist a chance to show the world his talents to turn a failing company around...

 

[lenners]

But thats not the question is it Lenners, I'm asking you what you'd do to fix the club... surely a man of your esteemed calibre would be able to get a club out of a hole. A man of your standing surely wouldn't be able to resist a chance to show the world his talents to turn a failing company around...

I'd write off all the money owing to me for starters. I'd use more of my own money to build a decent side.
I'd cut admission prices and look to fill the stadium as regularly as possible.
I would stick to a policy of retaining good young players as far as possible.
I would also be looking to buy good quality young players from the lower leagues.
But the fact remains, we should never have been at this 'starting point'.

 

[bladesman1889]

So you would just forget about £50m that is owed to you then plough MORE in? Genius!

 

[lenners]

So you would just forget about £50m that is owed to you then plough MORE in? Genius!

Yup, maybe transfer it into shares like Abramovich.
I've never understood why anyone who is mega rich wants to hoard it when you can have much more fun with a football club.
By the way, I think McCabe is owed a little less than £50m, a reasonable chunk is to the bank.

 

[SwissBlade]

I'd write off all the money owing to me for starters. I'd use more of my own money to build a decent side.
I'd cut admission prices and look to fill the stadium as regularly as possible.
I would stick to a policy of retaining good young players as far as possible.
I would also be looking to buy good quality young players from the lower leagues.
But the fact remains, we should never have been at this 'starting point'.

Sounds reasonable, its your money afterall. How much do you think we'd need to pump into the club to achieve your goals? What are your goals by the way? Do you think with so many mid/ lower end PL clubs struggling its wise to pump money in right now if the gains are such a massive gamble. Afterall, we're one of the "lucky" teams of the relegated many from the past few years.

McCabe and the Blades management make big noises about how its impossible to turn down PL clubs, so how would you guard against these vultures? The basis of your team seems to be good quality youngsters, but how would you maintain a settled side against possible turmoil of constantly selling youngsters?

Really, by raiding the lower leagues we'd surely just be fulfilling our role in the food chain - everyone has their price... even 32 yr old keepers what would be done to ensure that we were the first choice of any decent youngster and how to keep them

 

[Foxy]

I've never understood why anyone who is mega rich wants to hoard it when you can have much more fun with a football club.

I'd imagine it's an absolute riot being accused of something you aren't doing and being called every name under the sun.
Being unable to view as a normal fan whilst bankrolling the whole thing with funds you have very little hope of every seeing a return on.

 

[shorehamview]

There would be a whole new set of halftime entertainment. Gone would be the huge footballs and the dancing Chinese dragons. Instead we would have heavywieght boxers punching Girl Guides, crossbar challenges with puppies (hamsters for the kids) and dire warnings over the tannoy at regular intervals that cheerfulness in the face of adversity would result in immediate expulsion from the ground. Gary Sinclair would be fired and replaced by poetry by Eeyore. Pies would be only available in Sour Grape Flavour, and Bovril would be replaced with hot vinegar.

Possibly.

 

[lenners]

Sounds reasonable, its your money afterall. How much do you think we'd need to pump into the club to achieve your goals? What are your goals by the way? Do you think with so many mid/ lower end PL clubs struggling its wise to pump money in right now if the gains are such a massive gamble. Afterall, we're one of the "lucky" teams of the relegated many from the past few years.

McCabe and the Blades management make big noises about how its impossible to turn down PL clubs, so how would you guard against these vultures? The basis of your team seems to be good quality youngsters, but how would you maintain a settled side against possible turmoil of constantly selling youngsters?

Really, by raiding the lower leagues we'd surely just be fulfilling our role in the food chain - everyone has their price... even 32 yr old keepers what would be done to ensure that we were the first choice of any decent youngster and how to keep them

I see our place in the food chain as the middle of the Prem, that would be the aim. Then pushing on for Europe.
I don't think it needs a huge amount of money as certain other clubs have shown. It needs good, imaginative management.
Which in our case would mean a new manager as well.

 

[lenners]

I'd imagine it's an absolute riot being accused of something you aren't doing and being called every name under the sun.
Being unable to view as a normal fan whilst bankrolling the whole thing with funds you have very little hope of every seeing a return on.

Yeh, I bet Abramovich hates every minute.

 

[Foxy]

Yeh, I bet Abramovich hates every minute.

Abramovich is a slightly different kettle of fish than most and due to the success achieved gets a little less abuse.

I guess it depends how you define mega-rich, our current chairman has it slightly different to that Russian lad and has the added bonus of coming from the area/him and his family being involved previously

 

[lenners]

Abramovich is a slightly different kettle of fish than most and due to the success achieved gets a little less abuse.

I guess it depends how you define mega-rich, our current chairman has it slightly different to that Russian lad and has the added bonus of coming from the area/him and his family being involved previously

I'd define McCabe as mega-rich, Abramovich as ridiculously rich.
Which part of McCabe's family was involved previously?

 

[SwissBlade]

I see our place in the food chain as the middle of the Prem, that would be the aim. Then pushing on for Europe.
I don't think it needs a huge amount of money as certain other clubs have shown. It needs good, imaginative management.
Which in our case would mean a new manager as well.

But wasn't that where we pitched ourselves? Europe within 5 years and all that? Careful Lenners, you're starting to sound like the current regime that you think have failed so miserably.

So do you see us as an Everton, Fulham, West Ham, Bolton, Blackburn, Pompey, Newcastle, Middlesboro type of club? All of which have pushed for Europe, all have achieved it, some have achieved it on a relative budget - Everton, Fulham, Bolton, Blackburn, Middlesboro (to an extent)... but theyve all diced with relegation or in some cases have been relegated.

Its a major gamble... these are the ones that were relatively succesful, I'm sure i don't need to list the ones that didn't get close to Europe, spent big money for a couple of years (compared to their previous years) and got nothing in return. Some have dropped two leagues and are now much worse off than us...

Harry Redknapp said words along the lines of this a couple of years ago (I think when Erikson got sacked) with all these Billionaire owners in the PL, somebody still has to finish last

Its not as easy as pumping money in...

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Abramovich is a slightly different kettle of fish than most and due to the success achieved gets a little less abuse.

Could be to the fact that he knows men with guns. Lot's of guns.

 

[MobileBlade]

Does Len still work at Burger King btw?

 

[super_pig]

>Its a major gamble... these are the ones that were relatively succesful
there is however a common denominator amongst all of them.. they all had a decent manager

>Does Len still work at Burger King btw?
what's that got to do with anything.. i'll rephrase.. still hanging around with the ten bob millionaires in nonnas?