I might be a bit down on the manager, but others seem to be a bit down on Randy at the moment and it is a worry. But, we can't have instant success and we are in a period of change. But this is the last time I can ever write this about the owner.
News is Jean Makoun is in Greece finalising a loan deal with Olympiakos, Luke Young joined QPR at the weekend and we lost a promising midfielder too in Jonathan Hogg. All things point to either Randy getting ready to sell up or getting as much out of the club this season as possible. However, there is another possibility.
I should also add a disclaimer - I'm not the biggest Randy Lerner fan. From day one, all things have pointed to him buying our club for what he could get out of it. When you take away all the PR, the level of debt, the interest payments and management fees - he hasn't lost anything and he has gained. So this post is more of a 'I'd like it to be this way' rather than having any inside knowledge, because nobody does, despite what they might say.
I will also keep it short, as there is a great video to watch at the bottom and thanks to Rocky for posting it, but I will say one more thing - what I'm about to write, apart from something I'd like to think is happening, could actually be happening, as it is common sense.
The secret plan
I know. Those three words again. But think about it. Lerner opened the purse for the previous manager and it didn't work out. He has probably figured out that it isn't just about the money and that you need a manager that can manage and really move a club forward.
Randy Lerner also isn't broke. He has, quite literally, access to millions upon millions of those not worth very much American dollar bills and he also knows that to really make money out of a Premier League club, you need to have a successful one.
Had you given me the amount of money the previous manager got, I'd have got us to finish in the top half of the table and this post isn't about the previous manager - he was allowed to spend the money, so he did exactly what he was allowed to do - he didn't do anything wrong. He just wasn't good enough to get us to the next level. It isn't his fault, those managers do not grow on trees.
No, this is about the owner figuring out that we have a fantastic academy, a solid group of players and that we need a manager that can stabalise things, get the most out of what we have in the squad and that it isn't about just throwing money at it, because we just end up in a cycle of instability and transition, because we have too many players coming in and a new manager every three or four years.
So, maybe, the owner has just decided to find the right manager and when he does, he'll back him. But the current manager has to prove himself first. What would you rather; he gets £40mn to spend, this summer and next and then leaves the one after or just enough this summer to start the moulding process, time to prove himself and more next summer, if he does?
You can't rush a moulding
I might not think this manager will be able to do it, but he is going to get the best possible chance, because expectations are low. If he can finish tenth, the majority will be happy because they'll look to him not getting much money and think he did okay. Me, I want 8th, but I expect a lot.
Then, if he gets a bit of cash, to buy one more player and replace those that go and he finishes 8th the season after, that will be real progress. Tenth to eight, or two places, is real progress, when having to do it without splashing the cash about.
The truth is, we also can't splash the cash, so while Lerner might come in for a bit of stick, if he is doing it this way and he sticks to the plan and he isn't selling up, he'll win in the end. As long as he sticks to the plan.
My point is, we were never going to win the League this season, so why should it bother us about how much money is getting spent or not, because we are not going to go down either.
I also want to think that the owner isn't going to sell up and that he has a plan, because having a plan is good. The thing is, only time will tell, because one thing is for sure, this owner isn't going to splash the cash necessary to climb the table, so we have to try doing it the organic way - but will that or can that way work these days?
Video of the day
Update: Jean Makoun
Just an update and the club are yet to confirm this, but none of us will be surprised about that, but Jean Makoun has signed for Olympiakos on a season long loan deal with a view to a permanent move next summer.
Expect a Doug Ellis style signing to appease supporters and day now.