Tom Fox announced as new Villa CEO

[pauliewalnuts]

It's all fair enough, there is nothing he says that you wouldn't expect him to say, that's his job.

I do hope they're fully aware, though, of how hard it is going to be to monetise a club which clings on to Premier League survival every year, in front of 25k.

He's saying the same things Faulkner said, in that sense, but they need to remain aware that there comes a point where you have to say that on-pitch stuff just isn't working out.

When Faulkner was here, I thought it felt like with some of this stuff, they were under the belief that if you want something enough (success with cheap players) it would just magically happen. Young players from Chesterfield or Middlesbrough would just magically become good enough if you played them enough.

I just hope they're more grounded in reality these days.

[PeterWithesShin]

What has Fox ever done for us ?

Gave us The Simpsons.

[Richard E]

I think we're building a secret wonder weapon that we intend to fire at Richard Scudamore. Muhahahahahahaha!

Goebbels reckoned Hitler had a load of secret wonder weapons that were going to turn the tide and look how that turned out...

They went into administration in May 1945 and then got taken over, enjoyed the Wirtschaftswunder and now they dominate Europe.

Hold onto your seats!

'went into Administration' is an interesting way of putting it! I hope we're not going to be split into two separate clubs for 45 years.

[Legion]

Fox speaks

[Comrade Blitz]

What do you do when the people with the money say, "and we want a sexy new ground built near BHX/NEC. Aston is too hard to get to."

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

"I know one of the things Randy really appreciates is Paul's honesty and his ability to admit mistakes when he makes them. I've seen since that since I came in."

Honesty > results

[Matt C]

I thought this was a rather telling quote:

"I think he’s much more confident in the process around identifying who that player would be and how that player would fit into the long term planning of the squad.”

[paul_e]

What I like is that they have overhauled the scouting system and added a data-analysis guy: Lambert may not 'do stats' but that is part of he modern game.
Let's see how all this plays out ...

That's far and away the most important bit.  I've been saying for years that I think the scouting at the club is lazy and ineffective, bringing in a statistician and a team of scouts and getting them to build portfolios backed on empirical evidence is the only way for a club to catch the top sides now, Southampton have done just that.

[dave.woodhall]

What I like is that they have overhauled the scouting system and added a data-analysis guy: Lambert may not 'do stats' but that is part of he modern game.
Let's see how all this plays out ...

That's far and away the most important bit.  I've been saying for years that I think the scouting at the club is lazy and ineffective, bringing in a statistician and a team of scouts and getting them to build portfolios backed on empirical evidence is the only way for a club to catch the top sides now, Southampton have done just that.

When I interviewed Paul Faulkner after Houlier got the job he said they'd started it then.

[Comrade Blitz]

"I know one of the things Randy really appreciates is Paul's honesty and his ability to admit mistakes when he makes them. I've seen since that since I came in."

When has Lambert ever admitted making mistakes?

[cdward]

"We should be finishing seventh or eighth consistently," Fox told BBC WM.
"How do we put the club in position to capture it's value? If we can do that, we believe we can put this club back where it deserves to be."

I suppose an ambition of 7th or 8th is directly proportional to the amount of money we can generate.
Proof positive that slowly our expectations are being managed downwards

[PaulWinch again]

It's a start.

[pauliewalnuts]

"I know one of the things Randy really appreciates is Paul's honesty and his ability to admit mistakes when he makes them. I've seen since that since I came in."

When has Lambert ever admitted making mistakes?

What he says to them and what he says to us will be two different things. He will no doubt be more candid with them, as his employers. That's normal, really.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

"I know one of the things Randy really appreciates is Paul's honesty and his ability to admit mistakes when he makes them. I've seen since that since I came in."

When has Lambert ever admitted making mistakes?

What he says to them and what he says to us will be two different things. He will no doubt be more candid with them, as his employers. That's normal, really.

I'm guessing that one external appearance of such an admission would be the about-turn from inexperienced lower league players to last Summer's veterans.

[silhillvilla]

Sorry but I struggle with anything "official " out of the club anymore .