Tom Fox announced as new Villa CEO

[1_Pablo_Angel]

I met an American once and had a conversation with him. He was an absolute twat!

Is that a Partridge quote, or accidental? I can't help reading it in the great man's voice.

[four fornicholl]

If you were completely inept at what you were paid to do, would you walk?

No. Would you if you were on the sort of money he's on and you thought you were doing a good job?

I don't know what he is earning, six figures I imagine, but pride is a very powerful emotion(and a sin) and I don't think I could live with being useless at what I do, when it is so important to so many people, duty of care and all that!Aston Villa is a very important part of a lot of our lives

Close to (if not actually on) seven figures. Would you still resign?

Never in a million years! And I would hope Randy wont suss me till it was too late!

[aj2k77]

As far as Fox is concerned his measure of his success and therefore his bonus and remuneration has little or nothing to do with football results and everything to do with balance sheets, income, turnover and revenue.  Therefore he's probably quite right in thinking he's doing OK.

Err apart from the massive drop in income next season.

[four fornicholl]

I met an American once and had a conversation with him. He was an absolute twat!

Is that a Partridge quote, or accidental? I can't help reading it in the great man's voice.

ha haaaaa

[malckennedy]

It was in 1986 that I met the American but I still clearly
remember that he was an absolute twat!

[Stu]

The anti-American stuff on a few threads is pathetic.

[Des Little]

I just hope he's got the length of next year's away shorts right otherwise that bastard will need two minders and an alsation at home games.

[ciggiesnbeer]

The anti-American stuff on a few threads is pathetic.

Yeah I could do without it as well.

I know everyone is hurting and Lerner is from the USA but I ask fellow fans to not insult my family's country if you dont mind.

[Steve R]

Unless the woman did something pretty bad (as in dangerous) then Fox should pulled over the coals for this.

I would think in the circumstances even if he was treated to a stream of abuse he should use better judgement and just walk away from it. If the story is true, taking  her season ticket away is an absolute disgrace.

[Pat McMahon]

Apparently he has a minder at games now. I'd double it up for next time if I was you Tom.

Face the fans or are you yet another cowardly Yank?

Can we please stop this reference to nationality. It's not big, clever and it is tiresome. 

With all due respect Dave, I work for a global USA firm and heir burying of heads in the sand is a common trait. They need to "man up" as the General would have said and face up to their responsibilities instead of letting the manager take the flak. Where is Reilly or Almstadt explaining wtf they are earning a salary for?

I will be disappointed if at the end of the season Lerner does not issue an apology for the long list of mistakes and bad records his reign has presided over.

I've worked for Americans and their single worst trait in business is the unending need to save face.  Nothing is their fault. Ever.

I've worked for 3 American corporations and the biggest serious criticism I can level is the relentless need for positivity, even when serious problems emerge. There seems to be a culture of shooting or shouting down the messenger who brings bad news.

[ChicagoLion]

Apparently he has a minder at games now. I'd double it up for next time if I was you Tom.

Face the fans or are you yet another cowardly Yank?

Can we please stop this reference to nationality. It's not big, clever and it is tiresome. 

With all due respect Dave, I work for a global USA firm and heir burying of heads in the sand is a common trait. They need to "man up" as the General would have said and face up to their responsibilities instead of letting the manager take the flak. Where is Reilly or Almstadt explaining wtf they are earning a salary for?

I will be disappointed if at the end of the season Lerner does not issue an apology for the long list of mistakes and bad records his reign has presided over.

I've worked for Americans and their single worst trait in business is the unending need to save face.  Nothing is their fault. Ever.

I've worked for 3 American corporations and the biggest serious criticism I can level is the relentless need for positivity, even when serious problems emerge. There seems to be a culture of shooting or shouting down the messenger who brings bad news.

Some interesting comments, I live here and would note.
Not taking responsibility and not admitting mistakes is as much part of the culture in the UK as it is here, I would add that the truth is less important in the US than the UK, Americans do not like conflict so will usually find the path of least resistance, again the truth is often a casualty of this trait. To suggest that Tom Fox is a twat just because he is American is ridiculous. There are some very smart and clever people over here, sadly we do not have them at Villa Park.

[aj2k77]

Tom Fox is a twat because Tom Fox is a twat. It's not being American that makes him a smarmy, corporate, cliché riddled goon. He just is. His role should never have enveloped anything to do with the playing side because the man knows as much about it as my missus. In fact she'd do a better job because she wouldn't be another yes man, telling the little boy Lerner what he wanted to hear.

[Damo70]

I've lost track of all the comings and goings behind the scenes and who's who in terms of coaches, scouts, CEO's, performance directors and sporting directors in recent times. I remember when we used to have Ron Saunders, Roy McLaren and Jim Williams. Now we have what seems like an ever changing cast of thousands. If it was a film or a music video even Cecil B DeMille and Freddie Mercury would question if we actually needed all these people.

[aj2k77]

I've lost track of all the comings and goings behind the scenes and who's who in terms of coaches, scouts, CEO's, performance directors and sporting directors in recent times. I remember when we used to have Ron Saunders, Roy McLaren and Jim Williams. Now we have what seems like an ever changing cast of thousands. If it was a film or a music video even Cecil B DeMille and Freddie Mercury would question if we actually needed all these people.

Google Aston Villa overhaul scouting network and see how many times it comes up in different years. Every couple of years we overhaul it and still manage to keep scouting Tonev's or Crespo's.

[pbavfckuwait]

As to whether Fox is doing a good job, we really do not know as we do not know his Job spec, if you look for this season, (yes I know next season, Championship) he has some how managed to keep gates at a fairly high average, so therefore match day revenue is probably holding up, he has stated shirt sales are up, commercial revenue for boxes and corporate hospitality etc, may still be holding, what I would object to and we do not know, if he is involved in any football matters.
All I want to see is that decisions that effect the football directly are made by football experienced people, i.e. I do not want to see Hollis taking the training sessions, I want to see coaches that are football people, scouts that no what they are looking for and something that does get my goat is this constant harping to getting a football person on the board, we have a football person reporting to the board, regularly he is called the Manager.
I am sure Bobby Charlton a failed football manager had no influence on what Fergie did and if Fergie is influencing the board at Manure now, he sure aint doing a great job with his managerial preferences, mind you we knew that already.