The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[Richard E]

Puma kit next year then.

Yes please!

Please God don't let this thread reopen the Macron debate again!

[Richard E]

The key criteria was that he knows nothing about football.

That can't be the case otherwise I would've got the job.

[Toronto Villa]

He has tremendous credentials especially those attached to what he achieved in growing the NBA in Asia. The sport has really taken off over there and partly to do with a lot of commercial activities in that part of the world. Being at Arsenal, it is a pretty good school to learn about doing a lot of things right at the PL level and beyond and I imagine he has been at numerous senior level meetings where he has picked up some great ideas to push us on.

[pauliewalnuts]

I see he's American.

I wonder. American CEO for American buyers?

[Villa in Denmark]

New CEO in the offing.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/11044183/Arsenals-Tom-Fox-close-to-being-appointed-Aston-Villa-chief-executive.html

While he looks a good choice the obvious question must be - why would he move to a club that's up for sale?

I suspect we won't be for much longer

I would say it suggests the exact opposite.

There's no interest firm enough to suggest a deal could be close, so just as he alluded to in the last statement, he's setting things up for stable day to day running.

To answer Dave's question, I would say a contract that guarantees a healthy severance package if we do get sold in the near future and the new owners want their own man as CEO.

[Toronto Villa]

I see he's American.

I wonder. American CEO for American buyers?

You have to believe that Randy would not make what would ultimately be a long term hire without an eye to the future. You have to believe that Fox wouldn't accept such a senior role if it was going to be ended by a new ownership group, which might be only months away. The optimist in me looks at this like the arrival of MON where the new owner had a say even if Doug ultimately is on record as hiring him.

[Richard E]

Trying to read the runes of what is happening at Villa is like being a Kremlinologist in the 70s, trying to work out who is in favour by seeing who is standing next to whom during the May Day parade in Red Square.

[dave.woodhall]

New owners don't necessarily mean new CEO. The new bloke won't be linked with Randy so he could stay on even if we had a new owner.

[pauliewalnuts]

New owners don't necessarily mean new CEO. The new bloke won't be linked with Randy so he could stay on even if we had a new owner.

But only if the new owners wanted him.

They might want their own management structure in place. If you look at it from the point of view of this guy, I find it hard to believe he'd leave his very-high-up position at Arsenal to come here, if there was even the whiff of a chance of him being out on his arse in the near future due to events beyond his control.

[David_Nab]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2063848-arsenal-cco-tom-fox-talks-transfers-global-brand-and-financial-fair-play

Interview with him talking about growing revenue..TBH seems like kind of person we needed when Lerner was still pumping money in.

[paul_e]

The alternative possibility is that a club with a well regarded CEO might be a better proposition than a club without a CEO of any form, it could be that the lack of a management structure is actually making us a tougher sell.

[dave.woodhall]

New owners don't necessarily mean new CEO. The new bloke won't be linked with Randy so he could stay on even if we had a new owner.

But only if the new owners wanted him.

They might want their own management structure in place. If you look at it from the point of view of this guy, I find it hard to believe he'd leave his very-high-up position at Arsenal to come here, if there was even the whiff of a chance of him being out on his arse in the near future due to events beyond his control.

Steve Morgan kept Jez Moxey on when he bought Wolves.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

This looks very encouraging - if true, Randy seems to have learned from his previous mistakes and is aiming to get it right at the top so that the club can operate at something resembling its current potential.
Fingers crossed! 

[Toronto Villa]

New owners don't necessarily mean new CEO. The new bloke won't be linked with Randy so he could stay on even if we had a new owner.

But only if the new owners wanted him.

They might want their own management structure in place. If you look at it from the point of view of this guy, I find it hard to believe he'd leave his very-high-up position at Arsenal to come here, if there was even the whiff of a chance of him being out on his arse in the near future due to events beyond his control.

that's my take. It is a massive risk he's taking and I know I wouldn't leave a very good job without a good deal of guarantees and security. You have to believe he would have asked the "what happens to me if we are sold question?" quite early in the interview process.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

The alternative possibility is that a club with a well regarded CEO might be a better proposition than a club without a CEO of any form, it could be that the lack of a management structure is actually making us a tougher sell.

This.