Ranson (33 Viewers)

[cloughie]

2 things, if Ranson comes back, he will be under pressure to back up his tatements regarding SISU not backing him.

Secondly, his track record of getting players to sign new deals (all be it this may have been hampered SISU tight purse strings) is dismal, especially compared to recent history.

Agreed but If he were to come back I would hpoe it was not as chairman but in another capacity as he seemed to work well with thorn on picking talented lower league players

Unlike some i am not black and white over the ranson reign and have'nt forgot that he said he took nothing out of the club yet his company did , yet not multi millions as some seem to believe

 

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[jwoodall]

Things were better under Ranson though?

yes i think it was. and at least he knew about the football business. unlike our board who don't have a clue

 

[valiant15]

Ranson can drop dead. Fuck off Ranson.

 

[Grendel]

Christ, I have never seen you post anything other than negative comments.

Well this is hardly positive is it? SISU came to the club through Ransom and his relationship with them and Pro-Zone. He hawked SISU round Man City, Derby and Southampton who told him to naff off. We didn't. Then we were supposed to feel sorry for him after he appointed one bungling manager after another to waste the ever diminishing budget. Sorry if I am negative. After 40 years of consequative season ticket purchases I think I have earned that right especially if the return of the chief architect of recent doom is considered a forward move. Why don't we get McGinnity and Richardson back as well? What a Triumviate that would be.

 

[Gaz]

Still no change ...

Well this is hardly positive is it? SISU came to the club through Ransom and his relationship with them and Pro-Zone. He hawked SISU round Man City, Derby and Southampton who told him to naff off. We didn't. Then we were supposed to feel sorry for him after he appointed one bungling manager after another to waste the ever diminishing budget. Sorry if I am negative. After 40 years of consequative season ticket purchases I think I have earned that right especially if the return of the chief architect of recent doom is considered a forward move. Why don't we get McGinnity and Richardson back as well? What a Triumviate that would be.

 

[Gaz]

whats he doing sniffing around ?

could we be closer to a takeover than we think ?

This would be the best victory today !

Let's hope that RR being at the Ricoh with Hoffman is a sign that a new offer for the club is on the cards.
That would be great news and positive news at that!

Although i'm sure there will still be doom & gloom comments from some ...

 

[ICHAN]

None of them have come out of there time here with any credentials as far as I am concerned and I would prefer if non of them came back, but that is not upto me.
As soon as anyone left everyone else was to blame for what has/had happened at the club and nothing was their fault.
At the end of the day there all like politicians and tell people what they want them to hear and so harness the blame from themselves. I would prefer us to move away from anyone who was/has been here under sisu's reign and start afresh, just incase they were fing lying and we end up back down shit creek without a paddle again.

 

[Grendel]

Let's hope that RR being at the Ricoh with Hoffman is a sign that a new offer for the club is on the cards.
That would be great news and positive news at that!

Although i'm sure there will still be doom & gloom comments from some ...

Your'e right I take it all back we can return to the dizzy heights when Ransom was last at the helm. Remind me, what was his track record when he was last here? In all the excitement I've forgotten. Any chance of getting Jimmy Hill back as well?

 

[SydneySkyBlue]

Yes of course because Ranson was given tens of millions to play with. Come to think of it he should have had us playing champions league football by the end of his tenure.

 

[lordsummerisle]

Think you will find that fox and dann were later sold by other clubs for consideribly more money than what we sold them for ,

Hoffman said that he persuaded Ranson not to resign over the selling of those players as he knew they were worth more . Sold by sisu

I have yet to see you post a positive post on here , would just love to know what your solution to the Sky blue problem is?

"Now ranson may not be a great chooser of managers but his game plan of buying and selling at the right time/price was spot on."

Seeing as he apparently never managed to sell a player purchased whilst he was here, how do you know that his game plan was spot on?

Either way he's a lying bastard, with the crap he spouted when they were sold, or the self-justifying crap he came out with after he was "removed".

Still, things can only get better with the triumvirate of Ranson(in bed with Sisu from day one), Hoffman(on the board with Sisu for 3 years), and Elliott(Chairman when Sisu brought in, and been on pretty much all the boards since the start of the decline).

Not the brand new day that we all want and need, more likely to be Groundhog Day, but without the laughs.

The Raybots and Hoff-men need to go back in for some reprogramming.

 

[SkyBluesAndy]

I'd welcome Ranson back, even if they were eventually sold on at least under RR we bought in players for cheap who would later have a good asking price! Since he has gone who have we signed who looks like they could fetch in a few mill in a couple of seasons time? I'm not saying it has been all his doing but since he left we haven't been signing much potential!

RR has a good football and business brain and worked behind the scenes largely unnoticed unlike Dulieu who sits himself on the bench and had his own training kit!

 

[lordsummerisle]

Yes of course because Ranson was given tens of millions to play with. Come to think of it he should have had us playing champions league football by the end of his tenure.

He should certainly have had us better placed than 21st,17th,19th and 18th place if he was such a "football man", and "successful businessman".

I forgot, he did say(repeatedly), that we are "debt free".

So, that's alright then.

 

[Puck]

"Now ranson may not be a great chooser of managers but his game plan of buying and selling at the right time/price was spot on."

Seeing as he apparently never managed to sell a player purchased whilst he was here, how do you know that his game plan was spot on?

Either way he's a lying bastard, with the crap he spouted when they were sold, or the self-justifying crap he came out with after he was "removed".

Still, things can only get better with the triumvirate of Ranson(in bed with Sisu from day one), Hoffman(on the board with Sisu for 3 years), and Elliott(Chairman when Sisu brought in, and been on pretty much all the boards since the start of the decline).

Not the brand new day that we all want and need, more likely to be Groundhog Day, but without the laughs.

The Raybots and Hoff-men need to go back in for some reprogramming.

And your solution is what, exactly?

 

[ajsccfc]

If people are being absolved of all sins because they didn't have multi-millions to play with, it stands to reason that Terry Butcher was great. Phil Neal too, magic. Peter Reid, what a man. How 'bout that Aidy Boothroyd? Chris Coleman, top of the pops.

 

[SydneySkyBlue]

He should certainly have had us better placed than 21st,17th,19th and 18th place if he was such a "football man", and "successful businessman".

I forgot, he did say(repeatedly), that we are "debt free".

So, that's alright then.

No matter how you try and twist it Lord, you cannot deny that we made astute signings under Ranson.

To the majority on here it's clear that SISU and Ranson had their disagreements over the way the club was being run and since then Ranson has left and the club has suffered. It is also very clear that the people remaining / brought in haven't a clue how to run a football club.

Why don't you and kduffy to tell us all where we should have been finishing on such a tight budget and with such a small squad?

 

[SydneySkyBlue]

If people are being absolved of all sins because they didn't have multi-millions to play with, it stands to reason that Terry Butcher was great. Phil Neal too, magic. Peter Reid, what a man. How 'bout that Aidy Boothroyd? Chris Coleman, top of the pops.

Not absolved of all sins. But you have to be realistic. If SISU were going to be that shrewd then they should have been more patient with it.

 

[ajsccfc]

But how much excuse can Ranson legitimately offer when he's blaming the people he worked with and tried to hawk round to clubs before us? It's pretty hard to sympathise with him.

I find it hard to believe he didn't know who he was in bed with when trying to take over all these clubs.

 

[lordsummerisle]

No matter how you try and twist it Lord, you cannot deny that we made astute signings under Ranson.

To the majority on here it's clear that SISU and Ranson had their disagreements over the way the club was being run and since then Ranson has left and the club has suffered. It is also very clear that the people remaining / brought in haven't a clue how to run a football club.

Why don't you and kduffy to tell us all where we should have been finishing on such a tight budget and with such a small squad?

Wasn't always such a small squad, and wasn't one of the tenets of Ranson's and Coleman's reign(which you agreed with wholeheartedly by the way) that we would be working towards a smaller squad?

As for the great signings under Ranson, then Westwood, Dann, and Fox, and Gunnarsson was an okay signing.

What other superstars have we signed though? An awful lot more dross, and on similar fees, if not more than those players were.

So, more likley he got lucky with those, and thought that it would carry on working.

 

[SydneySkyBlue]

But how much excuse can Ranson legitimately offer when he's blaming the people he worked with and tried to hawk round to clubs before us? It's pretty hard to sympathise with him.

I find it hard to believe he didn't know who he was in bed with when trying to take over all these clubs.

Ranson and SISU are not the same entity. He is the football man. They are the businessmen. Both had their own interests that brought them together.

For the plan to work both sides needed to be onboard with each other. Unfortunately for CCFC the relationship broke down.

It's not as black and white as some make it out to be!

 

[SydneySkyBlue]

Wasn't always such a small squad, and wasn't one of the tenets of Ranson's and Coleman's reign(which you agreed with wholeheartedly by the way) that we would be working towards a smaller squad?

As for the great signings under Ranson, then Westwood, Dann, and Fox, and Gunnarsson was an okay signing.

What other superstars have we signed though? An awful lot more dross, and on similar fees, if not more than those players were.

So, more likley he got lucky with those, and thought that it would carry on working.

Haha. I like the way you put it down to luck when it doesn't fit your logic.

When you're signing players under the radar and for such small amounts *it will always be hit and miss. For us to have landed the likes of Westwood and Dann under the noses of much better placed clubs and for the amount we did, we must have been doing something right.

I think when Dowie was in charge we did have a lot of 'deadwood' that needed clearing out. Given the budget SISU had given us to play with though we had to replace quantity with quality to make any progress. The problem we had, and still have now, is that we didn't have a big enough squad to cope with the inevitable injuries to key players.

 

[lordsummerisle]

Haha. I like the way you put it down to luck when it doesn't fit your logic.

When you're signing players under the radar and for such small amounts *it will always be hit and miss. For us to have landed the likes of Westwood and Dann under the noses of much better placed clubs and for the amount we did, we must have been doing something right.

I think when Dowie was in charge we did have a lot of 'deadwood' that needed clearing out. Given the budget SISU had given us to play with though we had to replace quantity with quality to make any progress. The problem we had, and still have now, is that we didn't have a big enough squad to cope with the inevitable injuries to key players.

The problem for you is that I am using logic, not the twisted logic that you use.


If it isn't luck that we signed these players, then why haven't we signed any players of comparable quality since?

We should be bursting at the seams with players worth millions.

Seeing as you wholeheartedly agreed with everything that Ranson said in the past, don't you feel stupid that apparently he didn't mean a bit of it?

Or is it that you put such store upon Ranson and Sisu, that you have to try and pretend that you were right all along, by blaming Sisu entirely, rather than both Sisu and the devious, money-grabbing "football" man who brought them into the club?

 

[SydneySkyBlue]

The problem for you is that I am using logic, not the twisted logic that you use.


If it isn't luck that we signed these players, then why haven't we signed any players of comparable quality since?

We should be bursting at the seams with players worth millions.

Seeing as you wholeheartedly agreed with everything that Ranson said in the past, don't you feel stupid that apparently he didn't mean a bit of it?

Or is it that you put such store upon Ranson and Sisu, that you have to try and pretend that you were right all along, by blaming Sisu entirely, rather than both Sisu and the devious, money-grabbing "football" man who brought them into the club?

How would that be proving I was right all along?

In case you hadn't noticed the funds have dried up. Wouldn't that explain both a lack of quality and lack of signings in general?

 

[lordsummerisle]

How would that be proving I was right all along?

In case you hadn't noticed the funds have dried up. Wouldn't that explain both a lack of quality and lack of signings in general?

The funds have dried up totally now, possibly due to previous mismanagement?

Certainly could be said to explain lack of signings this season, but you have to concede that more signings have been made since Dann, Fox, Westwood and Gunnarsson, which would have been for similar amounts, but not making the same impact.

Bell, Baker, Hussey, McPake, Keogh, Crainie, Eastwood, Wood etc, certainly not increased in value, nor made the same impression, yet were lauded at the time as being of the same ilk, and all "part of Ranson's plan".

The majority of the players above may explain why the "plan" wasn't working.

 

[EleanorRigby]

But players are managers choices arent they and any decent chairman goes with it. Out of those listed Bell, Baker, Hussey, McPake, Keogh, Cranie, Eastwood, Wood, there are some decent players there, McPake would have been a real bargain but how do you legislate for a broken collar bone and then a broken back. Hussey cheap as chips, still young 21/22. cost little and now slowly developing into a decent player, granted Eastwood a real flop but not through lack of ability more a character issue. Keogh is an ever present since signing. Someone pulled the plug on how much of sales money could be re-invested i suspect it came from above Ranson, which strained relations. We can blame RR for introducing SISU to us but they were also the preferred choice of our then council too when there were apparently atleast one other option, that seems to get forgotten.

I suspect lordsummerisle is preparing for another flop takeover so he can boast and beat his chest and quote "I told you so" As i see there is little alternative to the Hoffman bid, despite SISU saying we are looking for joint partners there aren't any and since SISU took the reigns fully following Ranson's departure we have slowly sunk to where we now are.

 

[@richh87]

The funds have dried up totally now, possibly due to previous mismanagement?

Certainly could be said to explain lack of signings this season, but you have to concede that more signings have been made since Dann, Fox, Westwood and Gunnarsson, which would have been for similar amounts, but not making the same impact.

Bell, Baker, Hussey, McPake, Keogh, Crainie, Eastwood, Wood etc, certainly not increased in value, nor made the same impression, yet were lauded at the time as being of the same ilk, and all "part of Ranson's plan".

The majority of the players above may explain why the "plan" wasn't working.

If you don't think Keogh was a great signing - and has increased in value then you really don't know what you're on about Mr Negative.

Where's your buddy Hackney Fox - you used to agree with every word he said.

 

[lordsummerisle]

But players are managers choices arent they and any decent chairman goes with it. Out of those listed Bell, Baker, Hussey, McPake, Keogh, Cranie, Eastwood, Wood, there are some decent players there, McPake would have been a real bargain but how do you legislate for a broken collar bone and then a broken back. Hussey cheap as chips, still young 21/22. cost little and now slowly developing into a decent player, granted Eastwood a real flop but not through lack of ability more a character issue. Keogh is an ever present since signing. Someone pulled the plug on how much of sales money could be re-invested i suspect it came from above Ranson, which strained relations. We can blame RR for introducing SISU to us but they were also the preferred choice of our then council too when there were apparently atleast one other option, that seems to get forgotten.

I suspect lordsummerisle is preparing for another flop takeover so he can boast and beat his chest and quote "I told you so" As i see there is little alternative to the Hoffman bid, despite SISU saying we are looking for joint partners there aren't any and since SISU took the reigns fully following Ranson's departure we have slowly sunk to where we now are.

Would rather you were beating your chest after a fully successful take-over, when we've been promoted to the Premiership, always said would be happy to be proved wrong about SISU and Ranson, but sadly wasn't.

Just don't think that whoever is looking at coming in will, like SISU, have deep enough pockets to make a success of us. Still saddled with millions in debt even after years of cost-cutting, think we will need a complete collapse and restart to even think of competing again in the future.

Would rather it was done and over with now, than false hope and be in the same position again a year or two down the line.

 

[EleanorRigby]

Well i believe whoever is waiting in the wings has fairly deep pockets and will be very different to our present owners. I also think these millions of debts we are being saddled with are SISU's debts and this is could be sticking point. Just who is liable for these debts hence the Cayman Island issue. As i see it and i might be wrong the football club, our football club, is part of the SISU portfolio and not a stand alone business, hence the awkward question by Damien Green MP in the House re. ownership. The rats certainly fled when that happened.. I am hoping these debts are placed elsewhere for now to allow a deal to take place and be dealt with later, don't fully understand big business fiddles which is basically what these off-shore accounts are, but whoever comes in has to make sure football league rules aren't breached too. £30 million of debt seems to be the popular figure but who owes it SISU or the club and who too ?

 

[lordsummerisle]

Well i believe whoever is waiting in the wings has fairly deep pockets and will be very different to our present owners. I also think these millions of debts we are being saddled with are SISU's debts and this is could be sticking point. Just who is liable for these debts hence the Cayman Island issue. As i see it and i might be wrong the football club, our football club, is part of the SISU portfolio and not a stand alone business, hence the awkward question by Damien Green MP in the House re. ownership. The rats certainly fled when that happened.. I am hoping these debts are placed elsewhere for now to allow a deal to take place and be dealt with later, don't fully understand big business fiddles which is basically what these off-shore accounts are, but whoever comes in has to make sure football league rules aren't breached too. £30 million of debt seems to be the popular figure but who owes it SISU or the club and who too ?

Always suspected, despite Ranson's "debt free" claims, that the debts never really went away, merely rolled over to be paid at a later date.

Hence why Robinson has been so vocal lately, as most "owed" to him.

Suspect that robinson, somewhere involved in the background, which is why I will never trust this "new" bid.

 

[EleanorRigby]

Yes, i can see your point, no-one wipes £11million away as our Geoff is said to have done. I have always said if i won the Euro millions and could afford the court case i would publically accuse one or two to try and get them to sue, no confidentiality deals in court and all that, don't think they would though somehow . I do think however Mr Hoffman is well aware of past issues and has prepared his ground accordingly. IF these new people are who i have been told they are wealth wise they won't bother a jot about past board members.

 

[lordsummerisle]

If you don't think Keogh was a great signing - and has increased in value then you really don't know what you're on about Mr Negative.

Where's your buddy Hackney Fox - you used to agree with every word he said.

Keogh is an okay signing, but not in the bracket of great signings that Westwood, Dann etc were, as nobody has been since the first tranche, merely proving my point that we perhaps got lucky with those.

When there is something to be positive about i will be.

Hackney isn't my buddy, never gave a toss about Leicester, but sadly a more intelligent poster, even on Coventry matters than many Coventry posters.

You proving that point of course.

 

[lordsummerisle]

Yes, i can see your point, no-one wipes £11million away as our Geoff is said to have done. I have always said if i won the Euro millions and could afford the court case i would publically accuse one or two to try and get them to sue, no confidentiality deals in court and all that, don't think they would though somehow . I do think however Mr Hoffman is well aware of past issues and has prepared his ground accordingly. IF these new people are who i have been told they are wealth wise they won't bother a jot about past board members.

As somebody earlier said, would be more comfortable if totally new, fresh faces, rather than the ones who have been associated with the previous rot.

Which includes Hoffman, Ranson, Elliot obviously, and even the hairy sneak Keys, who from what i can gather was responsible for the appointment of Peter Reid over Eric Black.

 

[thorn in my side]

As somebody earlier said, would be more comfortable if totally new, fresh faces, rather than the ones who have been associated with the previous rot.

Which includes Hoffman, Ranson, Elliot obviously, and even the hairy sneak Keys, who from what i can gather was responsible for the appointment of Peter Reid over Eric Black.

Totally agree - consign these names to the past. As for Keys, do not get me started...

 

[Gaz]

Your'e right I take it all back we can return to the dizzy heights when Ransom was last at the helm. Remind me, what was his track record when he was last here? In all the excitement I've forgotten. Any chance of getting Jimmy Hill back as well?

Negative negative negative !

Remind me how we spell positive again will you ?

 

[Gaz]

" got lucky with those signings"

haha some people really will argue just for the hell of it.

 

[thorn in my side]

Negative negative negative !

Remind me how we spell positive again will you ?

You say negativity. I say fair comment.

Ranson brought SISU to the party and was with them from day 1. Hoffman sat side by side with SISU for 3 years. We conveniently absolve both Ranson and Hoffman because they are no longer, both having been ousted. However both, in my opinion, have a good deal to answer for and neither has a particularly impressive track record when it comes to football matters and Coventry City. Ranson is a "footballing man". So what - he is still incompetent. I have heard it said Peter Risdale is a "footballing man".

There are many off us who view the Hoffman interest with great caution - even more so now we hear Ranson might be involved. The moment we post an opinion to this effect, we are shouted down by the Hoffman express which is heading apparently to saviour-ville.

I suppose now I will be branded a Villa fan, or perhaps I am in some way less of a fan or maybe even a board member - for daring to criticise. Heavan forbid I might actually be a Coventry City fan with freedom of mind and an opinion of my own.

Oh and by the way we won yesterday. Brighton next - 3 points? - and all of a sudden there is a glimmer of hope in footballing matters. How is that for positivity.