Article from the Athletic

[WWHO]

Seems that Lai wants us promoted so that our value will shoot up allowing him to sell at a reasonable price and save face. Either way he wants shot of us pronto.

No idea what happens if we don't go up. He's stuck with us and needs us to be reasonably successful otherwise he looks crap. Strange situation.

The feeling is mutual.  He speculated on a punt and, despite a bit of bad luck, has proved completely inept as a football club chairman.  If it wasn't for the passivity of Black Country folk, he would have faced much more hostility over the past couple of years.

He has absolutely no affection for the club and the community (despite his quite frankly patronising bullshit three years ago) and saw us as little more than a vehicle to deliver a bizarre eco-town project that has since fallen on its arse.  Yet more ineptness in an industry he is supposedly an expert in.

Whilst i'm not going to start painting my bed-sheets or ram-raiding the glass doors, i can't wait to see the back of him.

On another note, i hate the fact that our owner panders to what is essentially a despotic regime that represses its own and other people.

Fuck Lai, fuck China.  Bring back Trev the shed.

[MGalea]

Seems that Lai wants us promoted so that our value will shoot up allowing him to sell at a reasonable price and save face. Either way he wants shot of us pronto.

No idea what happens if we don't go up. He's stuck with us and needs us to be reasonably successful otherwise he looks crap. Strange situation.

Indeed and this is why it was bollox that all the pant wetters thought he'd asset strip this summer.

If we don't go up this year it's potentially a different case. Best case scenario is we get up and stay up and he flogs us to someone who will put an extra bit of cash into the club.

[The Real PK]

Anyone else wish we had JP back?!

[MassDebater]

Anyone else wish we had JP back?!

Yep.

I half thought he might cheekily offer Lai half the money to buy us back...

Apparently he's done with all the grief and hassle of running a club.

[Psalm23]

Anyone else wish we had JP back?!

We certainly wouldn't be any worse off, & most likely be better off.

[MGalea]

Anyone else wish we had JP back?!

We certainly wouldn't be any worse off, & most likely be better off.

We'd likely be better off owned by John Virgo.

Say goodnight JV!

[The Real PK]

I half thought he might cheekily offer Lai half the money to buy us back...

Are you on glue?

[MassDebater]

I half thought he might cheekily offer Lai half the money to buy us back...

Are you on glue?

LOL do they still snort that crap?

JP could've tried to buy us back at a reduced rate, got us back up and flogged us for more again I reckon.

[spyro 123]

if u want to bypass paywalls on articles you only have to use outline.com

[SW4Baggie]

Seems that Lai wants us promoted so that our value will shoot up allowing him to sell at a reasonable price and save face. Either way he wants shot of us pronto.

No idea what happens if we don't go up. He's stuck with us and needs us to be reasonably successful otherwise he looks crap. Strange situation.

Indeed and this is why it was bollox that all the pant wetters thought he'd asset strip this summer.

If we don't go up this year it's potentially a different case. Best case scenario is we get up and stay up and he flogs us to someone who will put an extra bit of cash into the club.

Villa were in a very similar scenario last summer, with Xia unable to get money out of China to fund the daily operating costs which was what pushed them towards insolvency... Xia was able to get round it by selling a stake to the Sawaris and Edens for a little bit more than he'd purchased (thus saving face) and then sold his minority shareholding at a slightly increased value following promotion due to having purchased Villa for £70m in the Championship, and not the £200m+ Lerner originally wanted in the PL. If the jammy fuckers had been bought by Xia in their relegation season, they'd have been bust by now.

Unfortunately Lai bought the club for £180m, and now it's worth about £60m... so we can't realistically bring another investor in with a big enough share to throw cash in like Xia did unless they pay massively through the nose...

It really is shit or bust this year.