Another Tony Interview (with LFW)

[Fordy]

Debt free. Well 17m that will be paid next year. Thats fantastic news, well happy about that.

[Stanley]

Is 'fallacious' more appropriate?

Nope.

[hal9thou]

Clive'll be slated by the agenda lot on here for asking the wrong questions or something stupid like that.

I personally thought he asked the right questions and said so. The Barclays thing was particularly significant.

The problem for those who doubt TF is that irrespective of equity transfers, an awful lot of money was squandered under his regime. Three inescapable facts: where we were when he came, where we are now, and the expenditure on QPR in between those dates. However anyone dresses it up it is pretty much indefensible, and I think in context TF is accepting some responsibility. It is however wrong of him to suggest his critics all benefitted from hindsight. Plenty of people had concerns about his decisions at the time.

I think people on both sides of the TF fence need to get a bit more real. The truth is that his stewardship has been chaotic, but hopefully things will improve. That really is it.

[Ginger Ninja]

I personally thought he asked the right questions and said so. The Barclays thing was particularly significant.

The problem for those who doubt TF is that irrespective of equity transfers, an awful lot of money was squandered under his regime. Three inescapable facts: where we were when he came, where we are now, and the expenditure on QPR in between those dates. However anyone dresses it up it is pretty much indefensible, and I think in context TF is accepting some responsibility. It is however wrong of him to suggest his critics all benefitted from hindsight. Plenty of people had concerns about his decisions at the time.

I think people on both sides of the TF fence need to get a bit more real. The truth is that his stewardship has been chaotic, but hopefully things will improve. That really is it.

Haven't once said that his tenure has chairman has been wholly successful. I'm just sick of the same old lot absolutely slating the guy, no matter what he does.

[gaza09]

I can't believe people are actually having a serious debate with the childish attention seeking #### that is jjb

[Rangersw12]

Comments about Hughes in particular were interesting. The way it's been spun and not just by Hughes was that the owners went around buying players like kids in a sweet shop and Hughes had to fit them into his team. Tony is arguing the exact opposite. Hughes' reign is what killed us, pretty much everything following that was an attempt to dig us out of the massive hole he dug for us.

Why did he appoint Hughes then if he wanted a manager to build the club from top to bottom .

Hughes hasn't done that with any of his clubs the same with Redknapp why appoint him then moan when he wants more players as that's what he has done at every club

I do think it was a good interview and the main thing is TF clearly wants to succeed but the worrying thing is he doesn't take any responsibility for his actions like the "promotion means everything tweet" which clearly derailed the season and something we haven't recovered from

I hope he sits in the background for the next couple of seasons and let the people in their jobs get on with the remit and see where it takes us

[MYU]

Very good interview, it's just going to take time that's all.

We'll get better and better each year, think it will take a few years to go back up but we'll stay there next time.

[Maidohoops]

It is a real shame that 3 seasons worth of premiership money has gone to agents and players and not one penny of it spent on the future of the club or the infrastructure. That is done now though and we have to take it that having laid out £200m on top of that from their own pockets the shareholders are sincere when Tony suggests they are moving forward and trying to do things differently.

Yes, in the first year we could have consolidated. Instead of throwing money at SWP and Barton they could have accepted we would only survive 1 season, gone back down with more money in the bank in a position to build something more sustainable and solid. We were a house built on sand, we have now knocked down the house and are in the process of solidifying the foundations ready to build a new, more modest house.

It was a good interview and I think you could tell that Clive could have, and wanted to, pick further on some things but I think given the opportunity he probably wanted to cover as much ground as he could. Tony is not the messiah, he put the club into a very fragile position I am convinced though that he is doing his best to reverse that and be in a position where when the time comes to leave we are in a stronger position than when he arrived.

[nasser95]

Lovely interview, will have my say on it on second reading.

Onto the thread at hand: Kirill, BushKangaroo and JJB are tools just looking to get a reaction and knowing they can get one because of the passion shown by us as fans.

Hal I respect your eloquence with words and you always make your points well, but I do disagree with you and err much closer to Kev's view, primarily because that is how I feel about the situation but also because there has to be a solid balance to Kirill and JJB's trolling BS.

We are all aware that things haven't gone well but its not down to a lack of effort, rather a naivety. Some people may take issue to someone who is naive taking over our football club but my opinion is that everyone has to get their start somewhere and if they have the potential to be a success (I think Tony does), having them in your corner from the beginning gives the club its best chance at a stable long term future. People are always looking for results over potential (naturally). I like the comparison of the Sterling sale to what we could go through. We lost him to Liverpool for what amounted to nothing, people may have been calling at the time for more money up front. Lets say we got 3 mil up front and that was it, we'd get the results short term and no real long term benefit. With what we did, we got 10mil minimum with all add ons a few years later.

The benefits of working with potential in some scenarios is fantastic. I see the project we have here as one of potential. Untapped potential and potential that has been stop start for the last 5 years. BUT I firmly have faith that we can turn that potential into long term success and I firmly believe Mr. Fernandes will be the man for that. Vocalising support for him rather than going against him all the time as some do will improve us as a club, I have faith in that.

[klonk]

Oh that's fine then, lets waste 200 millions pounds. When he took over we were not even in the bottom 3 of the premier league, 200 million pounds later we are 13th in the championship. We are no closer to having a new training ground or stadium and are way worse off after he has wasted all that money, our money not his and yet people still defend him.

Talk about being clueless.

um... actually, we were equal bottom of the premier league if i remember rightly (2nd from bottom on alphabetical order after 1 game a 4-0 drubbing at home against the all-conquering bolton wanderers), but let's not let facts get in the way of a diatribe.

so, it seems that the only good interview with uncle tony would be one where the interviewer just rants at him for the whole interview and tf just sobs in the corner. good luck waiting for that one...

[upperloft]

I've noticed a bit of ganging up lately by the usual faces. Not on.

[Ginger Ninja]

I've noticed a bit of ganging up lately by the usual faces. Not on.

Oh right it's ganging up now? Us nasty bullies have the nerve to disagree with a blatant troll and it's now called ganging up...jesus wept.

[hh9]

I believe we went down from the top division some 20 years ago (the season after we sold DOF Ferdinand).
Now fans are talking about the last 5 years as a failure - 3 of them in the top division - those of you believing they have been failure please explain. Also explain why the the years from 1996 to 2011 was NOT a failure.

[nasser95]

I've noticed a bit of ganging up lately by the usual faces. Not on.

Dross Chat 4.0: Dishes it out but cannot take it

[Kevin Mcleod]

See dave mac keeping his petty vendetta going by having another dig at TF over the interview. And the nodding little puppy dog Gallen liking and retweeting him. Can't even be arsked to look and see what that finney bloke has said, it's to obvious anyway.