Tom Fox announced as new Villa CEO

[Toronto Villa]

Just listened to Fox on the BRMB link and I have to say it's quite uninspiring to say the least. A five year plan to reach the top 8 and "maybe even a European place"?
Basically we've taken 3 steps backwards then they plan to take 1 step forward and class it as progress.
They must think we're all bloody stupid.

uninspiring based on where we are or realistic? Wouldn't you rather see an aim of stability and less volatility, and sustained improvement. Anything else and the dissection that is occurring right now would be ten fold and the cynicism meter would have seen the pointer snap right off. For a man that has been in his new job for a matter of weeks I'd sooner give him the benefit of the doubt than the other way around. Ultimately like his predecessors he'll be called out on his time with the club by the results not by the words he used.

[Toronto Villa]

It's just words. That's all. How? Answer that please mr Fox.

If he did then wouldn't that be 'just words' as well?

I often wonder that if he didn't use words what other forms of communication would have sufficed? To satisfy the constantly and obsessively sceptical? Maybe he should have used some sort of sign language, or a change in the colour of smoke from the Villa Park rooftops. Perhaps Fox could employ a pilot to fly over the parish to announce a new commercial venture, dropping leaflets to the masses below.

[OCD]

It's just words. That's all. How? Answer that please mr Fox.

If he did then wouldn't that be 'just words' as well?

I often wonder that if he didn't use words what other forms of communication would have sufficed? To satisfy the constantly and obsessively sceptical? Maybe he should have used some sort of sign language, or a change in the colour of smoke from the Villa Park rooftops. Perhaps Fox could employ a pilot to fly over the parish to announce a new commercial venture, dropping leaflets to the masses below.

I think the point is that we would rather see actions more than words. This goes back to him having had the job a few months though - his actions go largely unseen and being so new there's no track record to point to. So he can't win really. As you can tell from the comments, some will take it on faith and give him a chance and others will naturally be cynical - which is understandable given the past few years.

[Toronto Villa]

It's just words. That's all. How? Answer that please mr Fox.

If he did then wouldn't that be 'just words' as well?

I often wonder that if he didn't use words what other forms of communication would have sufficed? To satisfy the constantly and obsessively sceptical? Maybe he should have used some sort of sign language, or a change in the colour of smoke from the Villa Park rooftops. Perhaps Fox could employ a pilot to fly over the parish to announce a new commercial venture, dropping leaflets to the masses below.

I think the point is that we would rather see action more than words. This goes back to him having had the job a few months though - his actions go largely unseen and being so new there's no track record to point to. So he can't win really. As you can tell from the comments, some will take it on faith and give him a chance and others will cynical - which is understandable given the past few years.

He's been in the job for a few weeks is the bigger point. He has two choices. Say something and get battered for it. Not say something and get battered for it. He chose the former. We all know that people want action rather than words, and he is also coming in on the back of other blokes who didn't deliver, so he's in tough. But there is only so much he can do given his time in the job, and the cards he has been dealt. If the performance of the club can improve his hand becomes stronger and the actions will start to emerge. He is now a part of the solution and we all should want to see him succeed in his vision for the club.

[saunders_heroes]

Just listened to Fox on the BRMB link and I have to say it's quite uninspiring to say the least. A five year plan to reach the top 8 and "maybe even a European place"?
Basically we've taken 3 steps backwards then they plan to take 1 step forward and class it as progress.
They must think we're all bloody stupid.

uninspiring based on where we are or realistic? Wouldn't you rather see an aim of stability and less volatility, and sustained improvement. Anything else and the dissection that is occurring right now would be ten fold and the cynicism meter would have seen the pointer snap right off. For a man that has been in his new job for a matter of weeks I'd sooner give him the benefit of the doubt than the other way around. Ultimately like his predecessors he'll be called out on his time with the club by the results not by the words he used.

It's the lack of ambition that's uninspiring. 3 to 5 years to reach the dizzy heights of 8th? This is Aston Villa we're talking about here, not West Brom. Imagine the grief Ellis would have got if he'd have come out with that load of old rubbish.

Basically we're to be run on a shoestring till Lerner finds a buyer. That's what I read between the lines.

[old man villa fan]

I think football has reached a significant point in history.  There is so much money involved now that there is a group of clubs that have become immovable from the top six.  If the owner of one of these clubs decides to sell, he will find a buyer because they have the financial infrastructure in place.  Conversely, buyers cannot be found for clubs outside of this elite group because of the amount of money required to displace one of the elite.  Villa are one of those clubs.

So what is the future for Villa, a club that nobody wants to invest in.  The only way forward that I can see is to move away from the traditional club model of a manager being the focal point of everything and whereby if he fails, there is turmoil.  The club should be put first and the first team is just the leading part of this.  Others have mentioned this and I think this is what Fox is alluding to.  This would mean moving into the director of football/first team coach strategy.  The club decide on how they want to play the game and appoint a coach to do this.  Football has become too big for the traditional club manager directing everything.  There is so much money riding on clubs now, that you need continuity.

I believe and have done so for some time, that we need to go this way.  We are kidding ourselves if we think somebody with money to burn is going to fly in on a private jet at turn up at B6.

European football is also approaching a critical point in time.  As with the PL, there are groups of wealthy clubs developing in other countries.  With travel becoming easier, how long before the owners of these clubs want something more than the Champions League and we have a European league.  Only at that point do I see Villa becoming a top club again in this country by filling the void left by the departing teams and building on that elevated position.

So, where can we get to in the next 5 years?  Realistically, 7th or 8th but we need to be consistently there.  To do that, we need to develop young talent and accept that we will need to sell them to the top clubs but not let it undermine the club.  That is why we need a club and playing ethos.

We have great facilities, great history and great supporters.  Now the club has to use these to the full.

[PaulWinch again]

On the plus side it looks like we won't need to buy a replacement for Vlaar, which will increase the amount we can spend on replacing Delph.

[Dante Lavelli]

Others have mentioned this and I think this is what Fox is alluding to.  This would mean moving into the director of football/first team coach strategy. 

I hope you're right.  My worry is he will try and replicate the Wenger model at Arsenal, after all that is his only experience in football.  In my opinion Wenger's position is very much the traditional british manager (just an exceptionally good one).

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Others have mentioned this and I think this is what Fox is alluding to.  This would mean moving into the director of football/first team coach strategy. 

I hope you're right.  My worry is he will try and replicate the Wenger model at Arsenal, after all that is his only experience in football.  In my opinion Wenger's position is very much the traditional british manager (just an exceptionally good one).

Very true but we're betting the bank on a very poor one.

[Steve67]

It's just words. That's all. How? Answer that please mr Fox.

If he did then wouldn't that be 'just words' as well?

I often wonder that if he didn't use words what other forms of communication would have sufficed? To satisfy the constantly and obsessively sceptical? Maybe he should have used some sort of sign language, or a change in the colour of smoke from the Villa Park rooftops. Perhaps Fox could employ a pilot to fly over the parish to announce a new commercial venture, dropping leaflets to the masses below.

How about the bloke sets out his vision with timescales, steps and actions outlined instead of giving us sound bites that mean fuck all. If the Holte End is to be sponsored, tell us. Tell us how they think loyalty to Lambert over the fans will give them a better chance of achieving those aims and objectives.

[Toronto Villa]

timescales? You're joking - right. And what happens if for whatever reason those timescales shift? Are you going to be the first to criticize him if that happens? Even if might be nothing to do with him? And what kind of CEO do you think he'd be if he publicly stated his steps? And how about that he has categorically denied the Holte is to be sponsored. Is that good enough for you? Are you now going to commend his honesty?

[Steve67]

It would be ridiculous to set out a clear vision because things might change? Not sure about that.  So let's see what happens. In the meantime, the vision as I see it is: Lambert, poor performer+ underaverage squad + crap tactics and coaching = European football in three years? Hmm, we'll see.

Denied Holte End sponsorship, didn't realise that. My bad. North Stand up for grabs though?

[Dante Lavelli]

I'd imagine that internally they will have established such aims but they'd be nuts to tell the wider public. 

I'm no expert but I'm struggling to think of any big business that reveals every detail of their plan.  Take Apple for example who spend years developing products but rarely disclose anything before it is launched.  Tesco and barclays are both having a bad time but their is rarely any announcement other than vague strategies comparable with what Fox has said.

[andyh]

Did the interviewer asked the most obvious question?
'Is the club still up for sale?'

Lerner was quite clear when he put us on the market, quite clear when he later re-confirmed it.
Since the end if the summer he has been as clear as mud about it.
Has he got his mojo back? has he taken us off the market? are brokers still actively looking for a buyer?
Who the hell knows, because we, sure as shit, don't?

[Dante Lavelli]

To paraphrase the article I read it sounds like Randy is enthusiastic again. 

I'd guess he has accepted that he will not get the money he wants (or the right quality of buyer) so has started to put an infrastructure in place, starting with Fox, which he believes will make the club more viable i.e. not personally costing him $30m each year and lots of emotional drama.