Newcastle have spent £70m on players this season, and are likely to go down.
Villa have spent more on players in the last 5 years than we have...
The problem with football as opposed to any other business, is that you're making multi million pound capital investments in intangible assets, who's value (both in real terms and in football terms) is incredibly subjective.
It all boils down to the ability of those orchestrating the player purchases ultimately.
So can you blame Ashley and Lerner for their clubs demise? You could say they entrusted the wrong people to make the decisions, but they did so in good faith. They've been the victims of piss poor player investments. As have FSG in the Rodgers / committee era.
I would blame them honestly.. I would not with hundreds of millions of pounds at stake take the attitude that i have the "trust" and act for "good faith"
I feel as though guys have "made do" for quite a while and what happened to villa has been coming for a long time. same for newcastle. anyone can make a mistake but when ashely has put in leading lights like kinnear and continued on form there its only going to go one way.
The sotries coming out of villa about gross incompetence and a scouting network that anyone with a copy of FM2015 could beat? well......
Yes its incredibly subjective so you need the very best you can get using their good judgment to pick players and devleop players all through and the long term thinking to make it happen.
Frankly as i said FSG were on the same road with rogers and the committee. My signature for 12 months was its only going to end one way... thankfully they eventually got shut (12 months last in my view)
I'd blame these guys to putting no plan in place, no organisation and hoping guys hired in as manager could figure it out.
Proper football clubs need football men at board level developing and working long term plans for the good of the club.
My ideal club is bayern, but it is rather easy for them as german league is a gimmie. They have the structure and long term plans and organisation and keep the moeny. but they have a near unassailable position. It would take horrendous bad decision making from them to end up not winning german league for say 3 years running.
Another example might have been southampton but i feel the owner there hasn't cared as much as needed and the great work down there was done i nthe past and they are living off it.
Other really well run clubs.. championship level. Ipswich, derby, middlesboro. Not a lot of cash about but they are consistent in what they are doing. I don't know enough about brighton.
In the premier league stoke seem quite well run at the top but i'm not sure its not hughes quite a bit rahter than the whole.