The Strategic Direction of Aston Villa - Suggestions.

[Cleybrooke]

Building on the excellent piece from Dave on how the leadership appear to have lost their way a bit as well as reflecting on any number of posts that are a bit grumpy with the manager - What should the strategic direction of Aston Villa be?

Now in a classic business strategy development, this consists of four parts. Where we now? Where do we want to be? How do we get there? How do we know when we've got there?

As an example (and it would be really interesting to hear others folks strategies) we could have this:

Where we now? (Bit of SWOT)
Solid mid table club. Respectable revenues (But not able to compete cash wise with the top 6), Good training facilities, proud history. Good communication links (being the midlands etc)

Where do we want to be?
Recognised for developing the best of British talent. This will ensure that the cream young talent will want to join AVFC as they will understand that they will get the very best opportunities of playing not only for country, but also for the bigger champions league teams.

In the long term, this sort of investment will not only add pride to the fans but also ensure that in the long term the youth stream will provide us with a team of such quality that we will be able to compete with the other champions league teams

How do we get There?
Invest in the youth academy and the scounting network. Ensure that the youngsters are played more often in the 1st team.

How do we know we have arrived?
The number of players that play for the GB increases. The revenues generated from selling home growm youth increases.

Be positive - what alternative strategies do others see or envisage? If it's to the win the CL - then we need an owner with very big pockets. if that's the case then that's the strategy that should be followed.  But I think we all know that at the moment, that's not on the cards.

[Iago]

Simple, put me and Risso in charge of the club. 

[Chris Harte]

Good training facilities, proud history.

That'll look good on the new scarves.

[CJ]

Could we use a SWOT analysis (Special Weapon Or Torpedo) to make sure Heskey doesn't get picked again?

[Oscar Arce]

Great. When I get the piss ripped out of me on a daily basis on how crap we are I can always point to the fact we have a strategic direction

[Risso]

Good training facilities, proud history.

That'll look good on the new scarves.

Proud Top Twenty In Europe By Revenue According To Deloitte, Bright Letter From Sir Alex

[MarkM]

We already have one, did you not get the letter at the start of the season?

[Risso]

I think Aston Villa is what the BCG Matrix would call a "dog".

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

I believe the aim for our club should be to qualify for the UEFA Europa League.

[Billy Walker]

I believe the aim for our club should be to qualify for the UEFA Europa League.

By when?  If we get a time scale in there it helps us to "know when we've arrived".  I agree with you TRS-T in that we should aim to qualify for the Europa (the minimum aim for the club, in my view) and we should be targetting it for this season and the next season.

By the 2013-14 season I would want us to be targetting the top four once more and I would want football people to be talking about us as an exciting, dynamic club, contenders once again. 

[Cleybrooke]

I think Aston Villa is what the BCG Matrix would call a "dog".

Is that better than being a cash cow?

Billy - where is the big bag of cash going to come from to target the top 4? It's not going to happen. And this is my point. If thats out the question - what is our purpose? At the moment we don't have one and it's just not any fun.

[Chris Smith]

Simple, put me and Risso in charge of the club. 

We worry about a lack of football knowledge on the board now, you've just identified the one way to reduce it.

[MarkM]

I think Aston Villa is what the BCG Matrix would call a "dog".

More like a problem child

Could be great but needs large investment and focus

[nigel]

Maybe we should just concentrate on supporting the club instead of picking holes in it all the time.
Good quality support on match days will always work its way onto the pitch.
Randy's not selling.
Alex McLeish is staying.
The fact is this is a transitional season for us so all the moaning in the world will not change that.
If all that effort was put into creating a positive atmosphere at Villa Park it might just be the spark that's needed.

[adrenachrome]

Maybe we should just concentrate on supporting the club instead of picking holes in it all the time.
Good quality support on match days will always work its way onto the pitch.
Randy's not selling.
Alex McLeish is staying.
The fact is this is a transitional season for us so all the moaning in the world will not change that.
If all that effort was put into creating a positive atmosphere at Villa Park it might just be the spark that's needed.

There you go: permanent transition i.e. a state of flux, or something that rhymes with flux.