Brian Little Speaks

[kippaxvilla2]

Hope it isn't true but I heard a story today that he is not directly involved in the decision making process regarding the next manager.  Also that he isn't really being 'consulted'.

Do you really think that he would agree to something like that if his voice wasn't going to be heard? Mind you, it's on WM so it must be right.

Clamps I think the inference was (and I'll admit I was washing up at the time so was concentrating on the dishes) that things has slightly changed and that Bevington was being touted as Director of Football Operations.  In other words things had changed since he came in.

And like I said in response to Dave I know they are wind up merchants extraordinaire but this would be ridiculous to just spout.  They seemed to be inferring that they had a source.

[Irish villain]

The club created a football board to make football related decisions. He has been brought in very specifically for that. Why would anyone then believe a rumour that Bernstein, Hollis, King and Bevington would then not consult him? If that was truly the case why would he have been at that gong show today? 

Because we've got a genuine lunatic owner who has made unbelievable decision after unbelievable decision. Why should anyone think he's suddenly become lucid. I hope he has, finally, and Brian gets the chance to influence things but I'll believe it when it happens. Fuck Lerner!!!

This isn't about past decisions that are hard to dismiss as being nuts. I'm going by every decision made since hiring Hollis. Or maybe you are saying all of those decisions including bringing in Little is lunacy?

It was lunacy to not spend in January and surrender our PL status and Hollis was our chairman then.

It was a gamble that I didn't agree with, but they might now look at what Newcastle did and see that it confirmed for them that it wouldn't have guaranteed survival. We were 11 points back and we could have tied ourselves to some contracts that being in the Championship would be rather undesirable. I'm not disagreeing with you though I'm saying that I can also see to a point why they did what they did under the circumstances. I'll always maintain that I believe had we still been 5 points back as we were when Garde arrived we'd have committed to new players as opposed to not doing so.

Aye, but rather than going the Poocastle loony way and throwing everything at the thing, we could have tried for an Afobe, Dwight Gayle or similar. 

That is, a player who might have helped our unlikely effort to stay up -but who would have definitely been a big asset in the next league down anyway.

To do no business at all was pitiful.

Garde had made us harder to beat. We were grinding out the odd result. There was a reaction after Wycombe away and it was stopped dead when we brought in nobody in January.

[LTA]

I never said they were mugs or didn't know the game.

I just don't think having a whole committee who the manager deals with first and then the chairman (who himself admits he doesn't know the game well) is going to be particularly attractive to any manager.

One knowledgeable CEO and a good manager is enough for me.  Why complicate matters?

[Toronto Villa]

Garde improved us to a point and then he became Tim Sherwood in his player personnel decisions. And some of the things he came out with in the end were bizarre and affected his ability to do the job. In he end his record spoke for itself and we were anything but solid on top of being impotent up front.

[SheffieldVillain]

I never said they were mugs or didn't know the game.

I just don't think having a whole committee who the manager deals with first and then the chairman (who himself admits he doesn't know the game well) is going to be particularly attractive to any manager.

One knowledgeable CEO and a good manager is enough for me.  Why complicate matters?

Are you going to answer my question? How many other clubs have only one executive or board member?

I'll save you time - none.

It's not a committee - it's a board of directors. The same as at any club in the world.

[LTA]

I never said they were mugs or didn't know the game.

I just don't think having a whole committee who the manager deals with first and then the chairman (who himself admits he doesn't know the game well) is going to be particularly attractive to any manager.

One knowledgeable CEO and a good manager is enough for me.  Why complicate matters?

Are you going to answer my question? How many other clubs have only one executive or board member?

I'll save you time - none.

It's not a committee - it's a board of directors. The same as at any club in the world.

That maybe so.  But did the manager have to consult each and every one of them if he wanted to buy a player?  It creates the potential for people to interfere and undermine the managers position.

What happens if they disagree on something?  Toss a coin perhaps?

[SheffieldVillain]

I never said they were mugs or didn't know the game.

I just don't think having a whole committee who the manager deals with first and then the chairman (who himself admits he doesn't know the game well) is going to be particularly attractive to any manager.

One knowledgeable CEO and a good manager is enough for me.  Why complicate matters?

Are you going to answer my question? How many other clubs have only one executive or board member?

I'll save you time - none.

It's not a committee - it's a board of directors. The same as at any club in the world.

That maybe so.  But did the manager have to consult each and every one of them if he wanted to buy a player?

No, and neither do they in Villa's structure. As you well know.

[SheffieldVillain]

To name but two clubs.:
Chelsea - Owner - Abramovich / Chairman - Buck / Technical Director - Emenalo

Man City - Owner - Al Mabarak / CEO - Soriano / Director of Football - Begiristain


Villa - Owner - Lerner / Chairman - Hollis / Chair of Football Board - Bernstein

The same number of people.

[Dante Lavelli]

LTA, would you prefer it that the manager personally scouts every player from youth level upwards?  That the manager researches and makes every key decision?  That is way too much work for one individual.

Even if they get it right there's a huge risk that the manger would be headhunted and take the whole structure with him. Having a structure of people at the club will mean that some intelligence remains at the club.

[Clampy]

Hope it isn't true but I heard a story today that he is not directly involved in the decision making process regarding the next manager.  Also that he isn't really being 'consulted'.

Do you really think that he would agree to something like that if his voice wasn't going to be heard? Mind you, it's on WM so it must be right.

Clamps I think the inference was (and I'll admit I was washing up at the time so was concentrating on the dishes) that things has slightly changed and that Bevington was being touted as Director of Football Operations.  In other words things had changed since he came in.

And like I said in response to Dave I know they are wind up merchants extraordinaire but this would be ridiculous to just spout.  They seemed to be inferring that they had a source.

By inferring they have a 'source' says it all about them. A local radio station trying to make things even more difficult that they already are.

[DaveD]

I don't know Brian Little's personal circumstances, how much time he can afford to devote to us, for how long and what his and our long-term plans are. However, at the present time he is one of several new arrivals who give me confidence for the future.

Exactly my feelings too. The club may continue to screw up but at least the new personnel gives us a chance to succeed that has not been present for so long.

[The Left Side]

They showed him in the Director's Box today and it looked like he was just watching and not commentating.

[Dave]

I never said they were mugs or didn't know the game.

I just don't think having a whole committee who the manager deals with first and then the chairman (who himself admits he doesn't know the game well) is going to be particularly attractive to any manager.

One knowledgeable CEO and a good manager is enough for me.  Why complicate matters?

Are you going to answer my question? How many other clubs have only one executive or board member?

I'll save you time - none.

It's not a committee - it's a board of directors. The same as at any club in the world.

That maybe so.  But did the manager have to consult each and every one of them if he wanted to buy a player?  It creates the potential for people to interfere and undermine the managers position.

What happens if they disagree on something?  Toss a coin perhaps?

You know, it would be just as easy to say "I don't understand the way that the new structure will operate, could somebody who does please explain it to me".

It'll probably save you a lot of unnecessary stress that you could otherwise avoid.

[Stirchley Villain]

It would be easier if you just let people have their say without being so smug about it.

[OCD]

It really wouldn't surprise me if Little was named as manager.