The assumption that our owners know nothing about football

[dave the caveman]

It's all over this forum. They run a multi-million pound business. They're more successful in life than anyone on here. Probably more intelligent than 99.5% of the posters. They are football fans just as much as we are, and they also own a football club. Can we stop with the assumption that they are incapable of understanding football purely because they are foreign. It's basically racism and as such it's quite shameful and embarrassing to see so much of it.

[Finnegan]

It's all over this forum. They run a multi-million pound business. They're more successful in life than anyone on here. Probably more intelligent than 99.5% of the posters. They are football fans just as much as we are, and they also own a football club. Can we stop with the assumption that they are incapable of understanding football purely because they are foreign. It's basically racism and as such it's quite shameful and embarrassing to see so much of it.

Probably the first (and maybe the last) time I've agreed with you.

[anotherharboroughfox]

It's all over this forum. They run a multi-million pound business. They're more successful in life than anyone on here. Probably more intelligent than 99.5% of the posters. They are football fans just as much as we are, and they also own a football club. Can we stop with the assumption that they are incapable of understanding football purely because they are foreign. It's basically racism and as such it's quite shameful and embarrassing to see so much of it.

This is the reason. We've seen it happen at other clubs and this what people are worried about, they're not here to throw endless piles of cash at us, they want their return. We're just not sure how long they're willing to wait for that return.

[Finnegan]

This is the reason. We've seen it happen at other clubs and this what people are worried about, they're not here to throw endless piles of cash at us, they want their return. We're just not sure how long they're willing to wait for that return.

They've not bought us to turn a quick profit by selling us off, they're bought us because they want a sporting club as part of their empire to help sell their image and their product globally. They've decorated Bangkok airport with our likeness, they've got Thai TV playing our games, they've spent on the club's infrastructure, they've got us bringing over Thai youth players, they're heavily invested.

If they're getting frustrated they've only themselves to blame, they pick the manager, they decide the employment policy and set his targets and budgets. They may need to adapt, to adjust and to learn but they're clearly not here just for a quick buck and I'll be amazed if they "lose patience" like people are implying.

They're not likely to give up with us unless we stop going, stop buying tickets, stop buying merchandise, stop giving them an income. That, or they decide they simply don't have the skill-set to manage a sporting business; but I'd be hugely surprised at their lack of determination and ambition if they come to that conclusion so quickly.

[anotherharboroughfox]

They've not bought us to turn a quick profit by selling us off, they're bought us because they want a sporting club as part of their empire to help sell their image and their product globally. They've decorated Bangkok airport with our likeness, they've got Thai TV playing our games, they've spent on the club's infrastructure, they've got us bringing over Thai youth players, they're heavily invested.

If they're getting frustrated they've only themselves to blame, they pick the manager, they decide the employment policy and set his targets and budgets. They may need to adapt, to adjust and to learn but they're clearly not here just for a quick buck and I'll be amazed if they "lose patience" like people are implying.

They're not likely to give up with us unless we stop going, stop buying tickets, stop buying merchandise, stop giving them an income. That, or they decide they simply don't have the skill-set to manage a sporting business; but I'd be hugely surprised at their lack of determination and ambition if they come to that conclusion so quickly.

Didn't quite get what I intended to across, most people assume their lack of football knowledge because of the quick decisions they're making about management etc.

I don't think they'll lose patience and leave, but from what I can gather that's what most people are worried about.

[Haydos]

While I agree with the sentiment, it still doesn't change the fact that running a football club is a very complicated and a difficult challenge that they are completely new to.

[lovelcfc]

I think we can safely say there not going to be leaving for a while with the money they've spent and with how big they've tried to make us in thailand I would be deeply shocked I won't have a word said against the owners they've been great to us

[FrankieADZ]

assumption is the mother of all Fvck ups imo, we all have done it in life but we really have to have confidence in our owners instead of trying to be negative all the time.

[MGLCFC]

Alot of this boils down to so many fans being euphoric when they were throwing the cash around, yet blaming them now when we haven't been successful. I think it's called fickle. Yes they've made mistakes, but at least I feel they are genuine in their desire to make our club competitive in the top league in the world. When people criricise them for not being at matches, you could say the same about many foreign owners - they've left Susan Whelan in charge and I'm not sure that a weekly commute from Thailand is either practical or desirable as LCFC are just one small part of a their empire. Personally, I like the way they don't interfere in footballing issues and let Pearson get on with his job and support him financially.

[cc_star]

Interesting point

For me I can only judge them by their actions

Manderic was dancing to their tune & their company which bought the club was formed in the week before Pearson & the club parted company, I presume they were instrumental in forcing out our most successful manager in a few years & replacing him with someone who was inept, Sousa... Just plain not up to the job & they did it all to get a 'name' in.

To rectify this they went for an even bigger name, one had a record albeit a previous decade, of /buying/ success & they backed him to do exactly that.

Unfortunately success extensively never came, so after plan B flopped & plan C failed they've gone back to plan A, someone with a record of /sustainable/ growth & building a team ethic & shrewd young signings.

They've showed they've learned about Championship football (& hopefully the difference between Swansea & QPR learned about Premier LG too) & this makes me think they do know about stuff, it's just they've learned the expensive way, well the club has because that's several year's earnings it owes their shell company.

[flowwolf]

It's all over this forum. They run a multi-million pound business. They're more successful in life than anyone on here. Probably more intelligent than 99.5% of the posters. They are football fans just as much as we are, and they also own a football club. Can we stop with the assumption that they are incapable of understanding football purely because they are foreign. It's basically racism and as such it's quite shameful and embarrassing to see so much of it.

What a load of left wing shit. That's it boy throw the racist card in and no one will challenge your stupidity. So stupid, you think they bought the club because they happen to like football do you ? Can you stop with the assumption that we are incapable of understanding business. Your post is shameful and embarrassing in regards to your own perception of your own intelligence. Stop it now.

[Captain...]

While I agree with the sentiment, it still doesn't change the fact that running a football club is a very complicated and a difficult challenge that they are completely new to.

Whereas Mandaric had loads of experience running football clubs, I know who I would rather have in charge. If you can find some concrete evidence of the owners having actually done something wrong, not something you disagree with, but actually unequivocally wrong, then fine but if not why don't you and everyone else just be gratefully they are here, have access to substantial funds and are willing to put it into our football club.

[Captain...]

Interesting point

For me I can only judge them by their actions

Manderic was dancing to their tune & their company which bought the club was formed in the week before Pearson & the club parted company, I presume they were instrumental in forcing out our most successful manager in a few years & replacing him with someone who was inept, Sousa... Just plain not up to the job & they did it all to get a 'name' in.

To rectify this they went for an even bigger name, one had a record albeit a previous decade, of /buying/ success & they backed him to do exactly that.

Unfortunately success extensively never came, so after plan B flopped & plan C failed they've gone back to plan A, someone with a record of /sustainable/ growth & building a team ethic & shrewd young signings.

They've showed they've learned about Championship football (& hopefully the difference between Swansea & QPR learned about Premier LG too) & this makes me think they do know about stuff, it's just they've learned the expensive way, well the club has because that's several year's earnings it owes their shell company.

You say you judge them by their actions, then judge on something they didn't do.

Mandaric and Hoos allowed Pearson to leave, then appointed his mate, a bigger name than NP, to help sell the club.

Or do the Thais influence stretch to Hull, where they blackmailed them with photos of Jimmy Bullard consorting with Thai Ladyboys, to put in a bid for NP?

[Haydos]

Whereas Mandaric had loads of experience running football clubs, I know who I would rather have in charge. If you can find some concrete evidence of the owners having actually done something wrong, not something you disagree with, but actually unequivocally wrong, then fine but if not why don't you and everyone else just be gratefully they are here, have access to substantial funds and are willing to put it into our football club.

Chill mate.

1) Why are you talking about Mandaric?

2) What's that got to do with anything I said.

3) Where did you get the impression that I think they've done something wrong?

4) What did I say I disagreed with?

5) Why do you think I'm ungrateful. I've actually mentioned on numerous occasions that I think they've put a lot of effort and money into the club as a whole and I'm very appreciative of that.

How do you manage to misunderstand a simple post that badly? My post was very, very neutral yet you've still somehow taken offence to it. In addition to that you seem to have completely ignored the only actual message that I was trying to get across: That there is a chance they WILL get some things wrong. That isn't a criticism (since you seem desperate to find one in anything), but a fact.

[haraven]

The "new" owners are not the problem at Leicester City. What is the problem? It takes time to build a good squad. You can get lucky, you can hit a row of bad results - it will in the end determin our position on the table. Football is a game with literally hundreds of factors. So far quite a few of them has not gone over way. Still we see the magic 6th place not too many points ahead. Agree with first poster.

[Daggers]

Yey Chandler - so many guises!

[stourbridgefox]

I was delighted when the Raksriaksorns purchased the club but I do think their inexperience of running a football club has been apparent at times. I think they have made mistakes.

Things they may have gotten wrong;

Getting rid of Pearson after his team had finished 5th the previous season.

Making a big thing of Leicester in Thailand BEFORE we are promoted to the Premier League.

Being ever present at matches early on then disappearing this season when promotion became unlikely.

Sponsoring the club shirt and the ground rather than getting other income streams into the club

Things they have got wrong;

Allowing Sven/ Neville to let spending spiral out of control last Summer.

Allowing Sven/ Neville to let wages spiral out of control last Summer.

Running up debts of £50 million while in the Championship

I still support the owners but I do worry that some of these mistakes will prove costly in the long run. So long as they are prepared to bankroll the club 'until' we get into the Premier League then the debt is not a problem. The owners deciding they do not want to continue funding the club could be fatal. Our very survival as a club is entirely in their hands so I hope they are as good as their word.

Another problem the club has is players on expensive contracts. This has caused disharmony within the dressing room and is probably a big reason why we have failed to perform so often this season. Anyone else notice how shortly after we our Summer signing spree, many of our existing players signed new contracts even though their's were not due to expire? I suspect this was Sven fire fighting by offering lucrative contracts to the 'old guard' to keep some kind of order in the dressing room.

So I don't think it is racist to have concerns about how they have run the club or to say they have made mistakes. In my opinion they clearly have made mistakes. Therefore it is pretty natural for fans to start questioning their judgement and motives. Why do an incredibly rich family from Thailand buy an English football club in the second division? It is a good question.

On a more positive note, the lower profile they seem to be taking seems to be evidence that they are learning their new business. And re-appointing Pearson seems to be a more grounded football decision rather than the fantasy football decisions they seem to have made in the past.

I am generally positive and optimistic about City. I don't criticise easily. I just hope they owners are as good as their word and see through the job they have started...and continue to learn from their costly mistakes!

[21st Century Fox]

Does anyone actually know for 100% fact that Pearson was originally ousted at the behest of the Raksriaksorns or if Sousa was installed by Mandaric to sweeten the deal?

[stourbridgefox]

To be fair, if the Raksriaksorns had been responsible for Pearson's original departure then I don't think he would've come back to work for them.

[21st Century Fox]

To be fair, if the Raksriaksorns had been responsible for Pearson's original departure then I don't think he would've come back to work for them.

$$$?

[stourbridgefox]

$$$?

He seems a principled bloke but as with so many of these things, no-one actually knows.

[flowwolf]

To be fair, if the Raksriaksorns had been responsible for Pearson's original departure then I don't think he would've come back to work for them.

If that's true it really does show they know nothing and neither does Pearson.

[21st Century Fox]

If that's true it really does show they know nothing and neither does Pearson.

or they're willing to admit they got it wrong and rectify a problem.

[flowwolf]

or they're willing to admit they got it wrong and rectify a problem.

Of course that could be the case.

[Captain...]

Chill mate.

1) Why are you talking about Mandaric?

2) What's that got to do with anything I said.

3) Where did you get the impression that I think they've done something wrong?

4) What did I say I disagreed with?

5) Why do you think I'm ungrateful. I've actually mentioned on numerous occasions that I think they've put a lot of effort and money into the club as a whole and I'm very appreciative of that.

How do you manage to misunderstand a simple post that badly? My post was very, very neutral yet you've still somehow taken offence to it. In addition to that you seem to have completely ignored the only actual message that I was trying to get across: That there is a chance they WILL get some things wrong. That isn't a criticism (since you seem desperate to find one in anything), but a fact.

I'm just getting fed up of people criticising the owners, it really does make no sense, I realise now your post was fairly neutral, but when I first read it I thought it was a criticism of them being new to football management.

I brought Mandy up because in comparison he had lots of experience of owning a football club and made a right mess of it, so I would rather have inexperienced owners like we have, rather than experienced owners like MM, Bates, Ridsdale, all 3 massive blights on the beautiful game.

Apologies for the misunderstanding, but my point still remains, unless people can actually show something they have done wrong, and not something you disagree with, then shut-up and support the owners, and the club and NP and the players on the pitch.