Kingman Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Last night he Looked like a baby black bird that had just woke up and had its feathers ruffled!.. **** fantastic… Let the poundings begin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted March 2, 2016 Moderator Share Posted March 2, 2016 4 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said: @blandy I don't know why he appointed a commercial guy when it turns out, if he is to be believed, that he ended up doing all that stuff himself regardless. He deserves to lose his job yes, the sooner they are all gone the better. However I cannot agree with... That is astonishingly short sighted for such a clever bloke. And I mean that last bit! I'm rather surprised you see it that way. To be clear - I think Tom Fox has done a poor job as CEO of Aston Villa Football Club. I do not think he is a vicious or vindictive man, just the wrong man at the wrong time and probably out of his depth. However he came into a club in utter disarray, that had been left to rot for several years. The former CEO was even worse IMO. He was always on a hiding to nothing although he hasn't done nearly enough to arrest the slide. It's a bit like the Remi Garde situation. Under normal circumstances the poor decisions he has made, coming in to a decent well run club or even just a shit one, may not be so glaringly obvious. Thanks!. Look, I am under no illusions that the club was not set up right, was not getting the attention and leadership and expertise needed for the past number of years. ChrisVillan wrote an article that was in the Guardian newspaper, and which was spot on - he brilliantly outlined the decline and the reasons. I don't think we're much apart - as you wrote "The best we could have hoped for is mediocrity, what has happened instead has been an utter shambles." - I think my point is that I feel we could have expected, under the constraints, for mid table mediocrity and that Fox's actions have instead brought about relegation. I don't blame him for all the ills at the club. It has been neglected (without malice) by Randy Lerner. That's the prime underlying cause - he never set up anything to address a lack of expertise and understanding and knowledge - the know how necessary to keep a club at the top level. Once the money was reigned in, we were left with a shell. But even that shell, should have been able to do better than newly promoted clubs and clubs of smaller resource and fanbase etc. It's that extra drop off, caused by (IMO) Fox's decisions and approach that have killed us. - again, in your words, "Under normal circumstances the poor decisions he has made, coming in to a decent well run club ...may not be so glaringly obvious". - I agree. In essence he is for me, the straw that broke the Camel's back. If that's short sighted, then yes, I'm guilty. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 @blandy Absolutely nothing to argue with there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloydxmas Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) If most of us are honest, we were quite optimistic about our chances this season after the recruitment process in the summer. Big fees paid out for players, who on paper looked like top talents or at least well thought out signings (individually). Shame non of them actually played in a style we needed though and not replacing Benteke was criminal and smacks of over confidence from the scouting team. Again it's unqualified people making HUGE decisions. I bet they were all high fiving and thinking theyre 'the man' after that board meeting But yeah, we totally messed it up as usual, 'on paper' and 'well thought out' dont win football matches. As mentioned even though the new signings have actually done better than experienced ones, that 55m spent is now worth about 50% less and they are all damaged goods. Ayew, Amavi and Traore will still fetch a decent fee and probably go on the be a top players. We're stuck with the rest, I just got to hope they find their feet in the Championship. Edited March 2, 2016 by lloydxmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloydxmas Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Best thing Fox could do to save face is terminate the contracts of Richards, Lescott, Gabby, Guzan and Hutton with immediate effect ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntrimBlack Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 26 minutes ago, Kingman said: Last night he Looked like a baby black bird that had just woke up and had its feathers ruffled!.. **** fantastic… Let the poundings begin! You know you are targeting the wrong man, right. Getting rid of Fox, Hollis, Riley, Almstad, whoever, will make not a bit of difference. Lerner will still be there, that is the problem, and by targeting these others, he is being let off the hook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 18 minutes ago, lloydxmas said: If most of us are honest, we were quite optimistic about our chances this season after the recruitment process in the summer. No, I don't think this scenario was so difficult to see coming, any optimism from our fans had to be blind optimism. We finished 17th last season and then sold off/released the spine of that team and replaced them with unknown 'prospects' from inferior leagues. I had said at the time I'd snap the hand off anyone offering 17th again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post blandy Posted March 2, 2016 Moderator Popular Post Share Posted March 2, 2016 29 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said: @blandy Absolutely nothing to argue with there! Yeah, reading my first post back, I should have been clearer that I think Fox has turned mediocre into utterly abject, rather than somehow been responsible for the starting point he inherited of already a mediocre mess. And even then, to be fair he's not done it on his own. There are many other people involved. Perhaps trying their best, perhaps not - but it's a collective failure. It's some monumental balls up to get s club in Villa's previous position - established Premier League club into the shambles that it is at the moment. Colossal F-wittage. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloydxmas Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 14 minutes ago, LondonLax said: No, I don't think this scenario was so difficult to see coming, any optimism from our fans had to be blind optimism. We finished 17th last season and then sold off/released the spine of that team and replaced them with unknown 'prospects' from inferior leagues. I had said at the time I'd snap the hand off anyone offering 17th again. haha i hear you, i'm as blind as they come. It's only when you actually see the other teams start playing you know youre screwed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) 2 hours ago, AntrimBlack said: You know you are targeting the wrong man, right. Getting rid of Fox, Hollis, Riley, Almstad, whoever, will make not a bit of difference. Lerner will still be there, that is the problem, and by targeting these others, he is being let off the hook. They all shit in the same pan. Edited March 2, 2016 by Kingman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 2 minutes ago, Kingman said: They all shit in the same pan. Only one of them has ownership of the pan and all of it's contents. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) Randy Lerner is the common denominator in all of this, but I have some thoughts that disturb me. If this whole thing is not one big gravy train, why have these appointments not come out and declared the mess they inherited and what is needed to put things right. All the seriously paid staff have kept schtum and just ploughed on regardless of any clear mandate to the fans, media of whats gone wrong and how they are going to put it right. If Randy Lerner is to blame for THEIR inability to perform to a high standard, why has that not been declared and the member of staff took a stand.....Is integrity so rare a commodity....Is there no shame,......... to run 18 months as CEO and not disclose that its not working and I need some help. What is it with this Di vinci Code style of hidden agenda. Where has the honesty gone, have these people sold out to greed and self promotion.....If they are not out of their depth I would be pleased to here an explanation. Is it not about time for someone at Villa Park in Authority to utter a word regarding this capitulation. It seems to be the laughing stock of football has failed to raise any shame at all. To say the lunatics have taken over the asylum is an under statement......These lot have the skin of a Rhinoceros. Edited March 2, 2016 by TRO 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 2 hours ago, LondonLax said: No, I don't think this scenario was so difficult to see coming, any optimism from our fans had to be blind optimism. We finished 17th last season and then sold off/released the spine of that team and replaced them with unknown 'prospects' from inferior leagues. I had said at the time I'd snap the hand off anyone offering 17th again. Well if thats what you thought....... you were right. Graeme Souness described Arsenal after the Man U game as " Weak & Insipid" I think it would be better aimed at us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 2 hours ago, blandy said: Yeah, reading my first post back, I should have been clearer that I think Fox has turned mediocre into utterly abject, rather than somehow been responsible for the starting point he inherited of already a mediocre mess. And even then, to be fair he's not done it on his own. There are many other people involved. Perhaps trying their best, perhaps not - but it's a collective failure. It's some monumental balls up to get s club in Villa's previous position - established Premier League club into the shambles that it is at the moment. Colossal F-wittage. The problem that is now manifesting itself is ....who is to blame. Lerner has presided over it all, but my goodness there has been some bare faced charlatans too along the way 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supervillan78 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) Fox to go in VP shake up? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/12181455/Desperate-Aston-Villa-preparing-to-axe-chief-executive-and-two-key-members-of-clubs-senior-staff.html Desperate Aston Villa preparing to axe chief executive and two key members of club's senior staff Chief executive Tom Fox is very likely to lose his job at the end of this doomed campaign, as are two other key members of the Villa Park backroom staff Aston Villa are ready to axe chief executive Tom Fox and two key members of senior staff in a ruthless cull at the end of the season. Fox, sporting director Hendrik Almstadt and head of recruitment & scouting Paddy Riley are fighting to save their jobs after an extensive inquest by Steve Hollis, the new chairman. • Fans stage walkout as Villa surrender once again Hollis has conducted a full-scale investigation into Villa’s nightmare campaign and believes major changes are required at boardroom level, with the club on course to start next season in the Championship. Fox could even leave before the season ends with sources claiming his position has now become “untenable”, while his two big appointments Almstadt and Riley are also expected to go. Almstadt and Riley were recruited from Arsenal and Liverpool respectively but are set to take the hit for Villa’s appalling season, with the club bottom of the Premier League after only three wins. Hollis, the former Midlands regional chairman of financial services firm KPMG, has been assessing all areas of the club with an auditing company and has identified player recruitment as a huge flaw. • Garde tells Lescott he let team down with tweet Villa spent over £50million in the summer, bringing in 12 new players, with a transfer committee comprising of Fox, Almstadt, Riley, former manager Tim Sherwood and owner Randy Lerner. But many of those recruits have struggled to adapt to the demands of the division, with some of them raking in wages over £45,000 a week. Villa’s players will take a reduction in salary in the event of relegation yet it seems certain there are to be casualties in the boardroom. Fox, Arsenal’s former chief commercial officer, has emerged as a target for Villa fans this season and was subjected to fierce abuse in the 3-1 home defeat to Everton on Tuesday night. It is alleged that Hollis even left his seat in the director’s box early when the abuse became louder midway through the second half, after Romelu Lukaku added Everton’s third goal. The defeat leaves Villa eight points adrift of safety and manager Remi Garde’s future remains uncertain, following a difficult four months in charge. Garde will consider his position in May but could stay on if he receives assurances he will have more control over the club’s transfer policy. He was bitterly disappointed after the club failed to make a signing in January and last week questioned the commitment of the squad he has inherited. However, after only two league wins since his appointment in November, Villa may even opt for a clean break by searching for another new manager. Staff cuts are expected regardless of Villa’s fate this season and The Daily Telegraph has learned that one long-serving member of staff, who did not want to be named, recently had to take a test on the history of Villa in order to convince the club she was worth keeping on. Villa insist the restructuring was planned before the club’s struggles this season yet redundancies and cutbacks are inevitable Micah Richards, the captain, said: "I know it's hard for everyone associated with the club, especially the fans. "I feel their pain because Aston Villa - in this situation - it's hard to take. That goes for the players too obviously. It's hurting us all. "When people say that it doesn't hurt us, as players, that hurts the most because we don't want to go out and lose every week. It's not good. All we can do is go out there and do our best." Villa face a trip to Manchester City this weekend. Edited March 2, 2016 by Supervillan78 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Thing is, I'm not even sure it'd change anything. The club is rotten from top to bottom. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 15 minutes ago, Supervillan78 said: The Daily Telegraph has learned that one long-serving member of staff, who did not want to be named, recently had to take a test on the history of Villa in order to convince the club she was worth keeping on. This seems particularly odd even for Lerner and Villa. In what staff role is historical trivia a vital skill? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supervillan78 Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 2 minutes ago, sne said: This seems particularly odd even for Lerner and Villa. In what staff role is historical trivia a vital skill? Not sure, do you have a guide on those VP tours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 1 minute ago, Supervillan78 said: Not sure, do you have a guide on those VP tours? Yeah, that might be it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted March 2, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted March 2, 2016 21 minutes ago, Supervillan78 said: Hollis, the former Midlands regional chairman of financial services firm KPMG, has been assessing all areas of the club with an auditing company and has identified player recruitment as a huge flaw. Well I for one am glad the club brought in an auditing company otherwise we'd never have come to that conclusion. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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