Tom Fox announced as new Villa CEO

[Rudy Can't Fail]

A director of football to help Lambert is pointless.

It means Lambert does the coaching (which is the bit he's rubbish at) and someone else does the recruitment (which is the bit he's good at).

Basically, the worst of both worlds.

Then there's the entire fact that Lambert seems to be steering us yet again to the arse end of the table, and it is all too late.

It really would be like sticking a new roof on a burning house.

DoF tend to hang around for longer than managers, especially in a role like described, so I'd imagine that it would be pretty painless to get rid of Lambert.  Once gone, we'd have a bit more football know-how within the club to find a replacement which must be a positive. It's possibly not the priority but it's a change and that is better than nothing. 

Absolutely. I think too many people are looking short term to what a DoF can bring to the club.
Lambert will have a say? Make no mistake, his say won't be final, it's just a diplomatic way of introducing the new role.
Lambert is great at recruitment? Think about it, do you honestly think he's there traveling the globe every week looking at players. No, he has a team that do it and they'll still be there.

For me, this is the answer to one of the questions that I would like to have put to Fox at the Trust meeting; "Are you aware that our problems started when it was realised we had no contingency plan to replace the manager?"

Everything to date Fox has done and said has been intelligent, diplomatic and strategic. I certainly don't see him as Randy's 'yes' man.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

If the DoF has input into HOW we play the game and who plays it, appointing Lambert to such a role would be a disaster based on his performance with us so far.
I just want him gone.

My thinking was DOF=Glorified Scout just to get him out of the way?

Understand perfectly olaf.
Can't we just promote him to the "person i/c bungee jumping without the bungees just follow what I do" role that I know some of my son's friends are very keen to see?

[fbriai]

The two lines that stand out for me in the Gregg Evans article are the following:

Lambert is expected to play a part in the eventual appointment and is likely to help identify some of the roles that he will undertake.

Instead, Fox is thought to want someone who can look critically at areas such as sports medicine, data analysis and athletic performance to ensure the claret and blues are reaching their maximum potential.

Which, taken together, make me think that Lambert has been asked in which areas he feels he needs a hand as he likely doesn't have the required expertise, and that he has identified sports medicine, data analysis and athletic performance as specialist areas, which he would happily place outside of his remit.

If the person they are looking to appoint will deal with those areas alone, the only correlation with the role of a traditional DoF - 'Director of Football', not 'Degree of Freedom' - will likely be the board-level positioning. It looks more like a Head of Sports Science to me.

[cheltenhamlion]

Point of order, Tom Fox will be appearing at the AGM of the Aston Villa Supporters Trust, not AVISA.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

The two lines that stand out for me in the Gregg Evans article are the following:

Lambert is expected to play a part in the eventual appointment and is likely to help identify some of the roles that he will undertake.

Instead, Fox is thought to want someone who can look critically at areas such as sports medicine, data analysis and athletic performance to ensure the claret and blues are reaching their maximum potential.

Which, taken together, make me think that Lambert has been asked in which areas he feels he needs a hand as he likely doesn't have the required expertise, and that he has identified sports medicine, data analysis and athletic performance as specialist areas, which he would happily place outside of his remit.

If the person they are looking to appoint will deal with those areas alone, the only correlation with the role of a traditional DoF - 'Director of Football', not 'Degree of Freedom' - will likely be the board-level positioning. It looks more like a Head of Sports Science to me.

I thought that too but it's always a sensitive issue to bring in a DoF in England. It's obvious Villa won't say he's coming in to advise Lambert on the basics. I guess only when the appointment is made will we know more about what the new man is capable of covering but right now I see it as a positive move.

[evalast1910]

I assume this is the 'Tom Fox' thread.
Think this sums it up perfectly:

[Dave]

I wish it had resembled Moneyball. With the "gambling on players" being a massive success and us winning the league.

[Chris Harte]

That's a pretty damning assessment, isn't it?

An ex-commercial director as CEO. I know everyone has to start somewhere but the club is seeming to reek of inexperience from top to bottom.

[BC Villain]

Disgrace if this is true.

Take a look at @GaryJDSmith's Tweet: https://twitter.com/GaryJDSmith/status/698903834492592128?s=09

[ez]

It should be interesting to see what the new chairman does about this shambles at the end of the season. Nothing isn't an option.

[Mellin]

This seems to be flying under the radar because of Lescott. It'll really shouldn't if true.

[OzVilla]

If true how fucking dare Fox do that. I hate him and his fucking imbecile mates. He sums us up, clueless, arrogant, out of touch fucktards.

[Walmley_Villa]

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?

[Des Little]

He's a total utter failure isn't he?

[dave.woodhall]

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.