Tom Fox's meeting with Supporters

[tomd2103]

Not to be crass but was there an acknowledgement/embarassment shown for the thing we live and die by - results on the field?

He's told us before that they are a "false narrative".  Having this structure in place is all well and good, but if the personnel within the structure keep getting things wrong, then that isn't too comforting.

[David_Nab]

Tom Fox ~ as reported by joe_c:

The main topic of the meeting was that Tom Fox wished to clarify/rebut much of what has been reported in the press regarding the summer transfer window dealings. He was increasingly frustrated by repeated claims in the media that the transfer policy at Villa is conducted by a committee (a word he dislikes in this context). He explained the transfer process from identification to acquisition and that the manager has veto at all times at any point and that this structure exists for all clubs, not just Villa.

Alan Shearer ~ BBC:

My old Blackburn team-mate Tim Sherwood was sacked at the end of October but was in charge at the time those players were brought in.

I know Tim well, and I know he knows what the Premier League is all about - all 13 of those players were not his buys.

So, as well as looking at how badly Villa are struggling on the pitch, you also need to look at who is signing their players in the first place.

Seems the chasm of credibility is still wide open.

All 13 players not his...at the very least Gestede and Lescott are his.

His cunning plan seemed to be Gestede and Adebayor up top with Townsend and Lemnon on the wings ..pioneering stuff.

[aj2k77]

More coherent of a plan than playing Gestede up front with no crosses coming in and Alan Hutton as the outlet. Not defending tactics but the way we play is dumb.

[Dave]

Seems the chasm of credibility is still wide open.

It is, but then the BBC don't seem to demand particularly high standards from their pundits.

[alftitimus]

I know who I believe.

I fear it is not a choice of choosing your speaker.

My fear is that both camps may be correct, and Tactics either didn't know he had a veto or thought it was a democracy   

Either way it leads to my biggest concern, and that is that there seems to be an institutionalised dysfunction within Villa Park management.

And not just on Fox's current watch, but going back to Randy and the General first setting out the parameters.

[Somniloquism]

If any of the experienced players were actually playing really well and was being let down by the other players, then I might have agreed with some of this pundits. However not one of them has made me think why didn't we trust all of Tims selections and had Townsend and Adebayour as well. And no pundit / reporter seems to ever make that point.

[Dante Lavelli]

If any of the experienced players were actually playing really well and was being let down by the other players, then I might have agreed with some of this pundits. However not one of them has made me think why didn't we trust all of Tims selections and had Townsend and Adebayour as well. And no pundit / reporter seems to ever make that point.

You've hit the nail on the head there.  If I tell any neutral that the new players have generally been our better ones they don't believe me, instead preferring the lazy 'sherwood didn't sign the players' justification for our poor form.

[cheltenhamlion]

Our summer transfer business may have looked different had Sherwood done an O' Neill. It seems they at least learned to offer other options. Fox was absolutely resolute about his power of veto if he didn't want the player mind.

[dave.woodhall]

Fox suggested Garde would have £20-30m in Jan; if he wanted to spend it.

Soucrse close to... deny that any figure was mentioned.

[brontebilly]

Tom Fox ~ as reported by joe_c:

The main topic of the meeting was that Tom Fox wished to clarify/rebut much of what has been reported in the press regarding the summer transfer window dealings. He was increasingly frustrated by repeated claims in the media that the transfer policy at Villa is conducted by a committee (a word he dislikes in this context). He explained the transfer process from identification to acquisition and that the manager has veto at all times at any point and that this structure exists for all clubs, not just Villa.

Alan Shearer ~ BBC:

My old Blackburn team-mate Tim Sherwood was sacked at the end of October but was in charge at the time those players were brought in.

I know Tim well, and I know he knows what the Premier League is all about - all 13 of those players were not his buys.

So, as well as looking at how badly Villa are struggling on the pitch, you also need to look at who is signing their players in the first place.

Seems the chasm of credibility is still wide open.

All 13 players not his...at the very least Gestede and Lescott are his.

His cunning plan seemed to be Gestede and Adebayor up top with Townsend and Lemnon on the wings ..pioneering stuff.

Tim Sherwood knew what playing in the top division was about but like his pal Alan Shearer was found out very badly when it came to managing in the top division.

Townsend, Lennon and Adebayor are sh*te, wingers may have suited Gestede better mind

Would say Micah Richards was a Sherwood signing for sure too, 4 year deal and captaincy for a guy who last played regularly at centre back maybe 5 years previously

[Villa in Denmark]

I know who I believe.

I fear it is not a choice of choosing your speaker.

My fear is that both camps may be correct, and Tactics either didn't know he had a veto or thought it was a democracy   

Either way it leads to my biggest concern, and that is that there seems to be an institutionalised dysfunction within Villa Park management.

And not just on Fox's current watch, but going back to Randy and the General first setting out the parameters.

Do you really think that an individual with an ego bigger than that of the combined population of Greater Manchester would have accepted anything other than final say and made bloody sure he used, just out of principle on a couple of "whatever" cases?

[dave.woodhall]

You can sure as shit guarantee that whoever is telling the truth, Sherwood will be the one who's version will be believed because Vilal have a long and noble history of appallingly bad media relations dating back way, way before our current owners.

[Villa in Denmark]

Not to be crass but was there an acknowledgement/embarassment shown for the thing we live and die by - results on the field?

He's told us before that they are a "false narrative".  Having this structure in place is all well and good, but if the personnel within the structure keep getting things wrong, then that isn't too comforting.

No he didn't.

"When things aren't going well, fans bay for that type of blood," Fox said.
"That's not the way that I or the owner are going to make a decision. It's a false narrative."

Suggesting that they'll sack the manager just because the fans want it is the false narrative.

[pauliewalnuts]

Not to be crass but was there an acknowledgement/embarassment shown for the thing we live and die by - results on the field?

Do you think they are happy about that? What would you expect them to do? Apologize? They can't control what the players do or how they have played or that Kozak isn't picked etc. The meeting wasn't about that so what would bringing up the very obvious achieve?

Hmm, that's a difficult one. I know what you mean, but then again, these are the people who appointed Tim Sherwood from a shortlist of one.

That's ultimately what is going to get us relegated.

They were also the same people who dished out a new four year contract to Paul Lambert after a reasonably good first four games of the season. There will be a lot of finger pointing when we go down, and they'll deserve an awful lot of it.

[evalast1910]

Fox suggested Garde would have £20-30m in Jan; if he wanted to spend it.

Soucrse close to... deny that any figure was mentioned.

If your source is Joe, which I imagine he was as he was sent from H&V has admitted he doesn't remember hearing a figure? The person that told me all the information I posted, which has seemed to be backed up by everyone else? Mentioned this maybe he happened to remember this and Joe didn't?