The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[OzVilla]

As we hear from Randy so rarely, I ended up having to read the whole article just to be certain it wasn't a wind up.

Candid words certainly and I never had any doubt about his affection for the Villa.  More about not making common sense decisions on the footballing side.

Not sure about his comments about the bigger clubs providing liquidity to the smaller ones through them buying up their better players.  In the stark world of Sky 4 football this may be true but it smacks of a "we know and accept our place" kind of thinking which is depressing when it's coming from your Clubs owner.

[not3bad]

(Lerner) says “Some of my career goals have shifted. My appetite for the media exposure has certainly waned"

You mean he's ever had an appetite?!

[dave.woodhall]

We've operated without one, yes, and also managed to put together a five year run of utter failure. I'm not suggesting that is purely because of our not-bothered-any-more chairman, but just as I though a clued up CEO was a good idea when we finally got one, someone who can devote the time to being chairman might not be such a bad idea.

I'm sure Lerner wouldn't be talking about getting one if he didn't think it was needed.

He is clearly scaling back his involvement to owner. If that's what he wants to do, I'd much rather he filled the position if he thought that was necessary.

You can't really have a hands-on chair AND a CEO.

You'd better tell Randy that, then, as that is what he wants.

So who'll be in charge?

[PeterWithesShin]

As Randy says "When Tom came to Villa last summer, we had an explicit understanding that he was going to run the club day to day." I don't see what role a new chairman will have as Randy will still own the club.

[Toronto Villa]

As Randy says "When Tom came to Villa last summer, we had an explicit understanding that he was going to run the club day to day." I don't see what role a new chairman will have as Randy will still own the club.

which is ultimately the question I was asking. The role of a "football chairman" isn't what it was. If the CEO can do those day to day tasks, and as Fox has identified he wants to add other people in key roles at the club, doesn't he become the de facto "chairman"? If a new owner comes in, could Fox still retain that role reporting into a benefactor or board. In that sense is it any different to the role of Levy/Lewis, and essentially do we have that system today with Randy not being present day to day?

[adrenachrome]

I have long maintained that Randy was "a believer in flux" and now we have it in black and white from the horse's mouth.

The most important point in the interview is that he seems unwilling to sell the club  to venture capitalists aka asset asset strippers,  and for that we should be grateful.     

[ROBBO]

It makes little sense to put in a chairman who will still have to refer back to Lerner after all it is his money.
How many times on this site have we said he needed football people on the board, if that had happened from the start MON wouldn'y have been able to get away with squandering all the money he did on players like Heskey. I have no doubt he is keen to do the right thing by the club and it suprised me to read that his intention was to move to England on a permanent basis. I agree with him on one point though i hope whoever buys us will keep the integrity of the club intact and not go the route of Chelsea and Man City.

[Steve R]

That's an odd article. Is there really enough work to go round for the club to have an owner, a chairman and a CEO? It can only leave Fox with very little 'executive' in his CEO role. If he isn't signing the big cheques he is not a CEO.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Every time Lerner says something I like him a little more. I know this may not be the common view but there is something inherently decent about the bloke. He just seems like a man who wants to do the right thing, but nobody can tell him what the right thing is.

[Matt C]

Agreed, he seems infinitely likeable which is precisely why he's not cut out for stewardship of a Premier League team, sadly.

I take heart that he seems to care about who he sells the club to also - I appreciate most would say that in his position but with Lerner, I actually believe him.

[Ron Manager]

What a statement to wake up to in Cup Final week. Its quite simple really.if Randy stays nothing will change. Sherwood will have to operate with minimal funds just like Paul Lambert and McCleish before him . We will not be in a position to improve.Aston Villa will become a toy in Randy's play box.
Its very depressing.

[mr underhill]

no sale will almost certainly see Benteke leave - it's the only way substantial money will come in for team investment.

[Malandro]

At least the article confirms the notion he wants to sell to people with the interests of the club at heart.

Once again however,  it's all a little bizarre.

[Dante Lavelli]

Bizarre indeed.  Maybe he sees the chairman role as more of an ambassadorial position.  Fox would do the day to day running of the club and the Chairman is a sort of 'meet-and-greet' person, the clue being the media attention he associates with the position.

Not sure who would have the stature for such a position and an a association with Villa, hang on, it's bloody Prince William isn't it.

[AV82EC]

To be fair to Lerner that's a brutally candid interview on his part. I've always liked the guy, he gets it and whilst I won't forgive him his mistakes over the last year he's put that right. I quite like the idea of a non exec Chairman, someone who sits above Fox representing Lerners interests but not interfering in the day to day running of the club. As ever with any statement he makes it'll get pulled apart for hidden meaning and context but I think it pretty clear what his goals are and how he wants to push the club forwards.