AVST: AGM with Tom Fox Q&A

[HanoiVillan]

2 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

If we're not allowed to be concerned, annoyed and frustrated with what's been said, can someone point out what was said that we should be happy about? What was said that makes anyone think we'll be good again while Lerner remains the owner of the club?

I don't think anybody has said you're not 'allowed' to be annoyed. 

[Stevo985]

Just now, TrentVilla said:

That comment was a joke in response to another poster saying he would answer a different question to the one asked.

Obviously what he said yesterday counts, I get your frustration that you don't think people's criticism is just but come on you are better than trying to put words in my mouth.

I'm not putting words in your mouth. I responded to that original comment saying that Fox HAD taken responsibility for Sherwood's appointment.

You asked me to provide a link, so I quoted what was said at the AGM. By Fox.

That's brought us here. Nobody mentioned Hollis until you said you were talking about Hollis. Which I never was.

[DCJonah]

1 minute ago, Stevo985 said:

Nobody has said that.

Nobody has said we should be happy either.

But people seem to be having a go at others for being unhappy and angry.

[HanoiVillan]

People are robustly exchanging views on this topic, just like any other? 

[markavfc40]

They can talk as much as they want can’t they and some supporters will believe them, some will immediately think they are full of shit and I’d imagine most will think that talk is cheap and actions will speak far louder.

The main reservations I have with all of this is that the owner who has overseen our decline will remain. The CEO who oversaw Lambert being given a 4 year contract to be sacked 4 months later, who oversaw Sherwood given a 3 year contract to be sacked 8 months later, who oversaw an inexperienced manager being tasked with integrating a number of inexperienced foreign players into what was left of a struggling squad and then decided after 10 games he’d made a mistake entrusting that manager with such a task, will remain.

We have heard senior figures at the club talk a good game for years. I can still hear now Faulkner being interviewed by Pat Murphy just after we had sacked McLeish saying how the club had learned it’s lessons and how we would not be in the position of battling relegation again etc, etc. Well guess what we have done nothing but battle relegation since and will finally get our just desserts it seems.

As supporters we have little choice other than to hope the double act that is Fox and Hollis start to get things right. Will I be putting my trust in them to do that though, well based on what has happened since Tom Fox has been here, then, for now, not a chance.

[El-Reacho]

1 minute ago, DCJonah said:

If we're not allowed to be concerned, annoyed and frustrated with what's been said, can someone point out what was said that we should be happy about? What was said that makes anyone think we'll be good again while Lerner remains the owner of the club?

What were they ever going to say that would make us happy in our current position? Nobody's saying that you shouldn't be concerned/annoyed/frustrated, but last night was never going to be Fox and Hollis coming out and saying ' everything's going to be fine because we're doing this that and the other'. We're screwed but we were screwed long before Hollis turned up and I reckon relegation was was on the cards long before Fox turned up too.

 

 

[Stevo985]

Just now, DCJonah said:

But people seem to be having a go at others for being unhappy and angry.

Not really.

And if they are then debate the point of view. Don't make snidey comments about it 

[DCJonah]

Just now, HanoiVillan said:

People are robustly exchanging views on this topic, just like any other? 

It's been said peoples views are cringe worthy and an embarrassment. I'm all for discussing the topic but there certainly seems a tone suggesting we shouldn't be annoyed or upset with comments made by the two of them.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

2 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

But people seem to be having a go at others for being unhappy and angry.

Not having a go at all, I simply don't understand what you are unhappy and angry about. 

[Stevo985]

Just now, DCJonah said:

It's been said peoples views are cringe worthy and an embarrassment. I'm all for discussing the topic but there certainly seems a tone suggesting we shouldn't be annoyed or upset with comments made by the two of them.

Again, no. 

You're talking about me because I made that post. If I find something cringey and embarrassing, that doesn't mean you're not allowed to hold that view.

You're entitled to your opinion, and I'm entitled to call it embarrassing if that's what I feel.

Stop **** crying about it.

[DCJonah]

Just now, dont_do_it_doug. said:

Not having a go at all, I simply don't understand what you are unhappy and angry about. 

I'm unhappy that they speak to us like idiots, when continuing to mention our summer spend. I'm unhappy they speak to us like idiots with the idea that money doesn't bring success. I don't like the idea that Almstadt, a statistal analysis, is set to revamp the acadamey to create 'sellable assests'.  I guess I'm unhappy that all this talk just means more long term misery for us. Because Lerner is going no where and the plans put in place don't make me feel like this club will be good again for a very long time. 

[dudevillaisnice]

If we go down into the Championship, Villa is the biggest club in the division by some distance. Because of the parachute payments we become one of the most desirable clubs. If we’re smart about it, we need to build the core of the team. The specifics of that plan, we need to work on between now and the end of the season. Our scouts are already scouting the Championship and lower leagues because that’s what Premier League teams do. We already have quite a bit of knowledge.

I'll reserve judgement in the summer on this but this is exactly what they should be doing.

I don't have faith on them in getting it right but atleast they acknowledge it can be done even with the parachute payments. For me it would be a failure if we didn't come straight back up as they themselves have acknowledged we have an added advantage ahead of nearly all the clubs in that division.

 

[DCJonah]

3 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Again, no. 

You're talking about me because I made that post. If I find something cringey and embarrassing, that doesn't mean you're not allowed to hold that view.

You're entitled to your opinion, and I'm entitled to call it embarrassing if that's what I feel.

Stop **** crying about it.

Whose crying? My original post asked what was said that made people happy or confident for the future? Because yourself and a few others seem to be having a go at those unhappy. No crying, asked a question. 

[dont_do_it_doug.]

Just now, DCJonah said:

I'm unhappy that they speak to us like idiots, when continuing to mention our summer spend. I'm unhappy they speak to us like idiots with the idea that money doesn't bring success. I don't like the idea that Almstadt, a statistal analysis, is set to revamp the acadamey to create 'sellable assests'.  I guess I'm unhappy that all this talk just means more long term misery for us. Because Lerner is going no where and the plans put in place don't make me feel like this club will be good again for a very long time. 

Where have you been spoken to "like an idiot". Have you seen the questions they were asked? I think you'll find it was the other way around. 

Regards to spending he was asked direct questions to which he gave direct answers. Outside of throwing Lerner under a bus, which is NEVER going to happen no matter how hard you want it, again not sure what could have been said. 

I understand people being angry at Lerner, I am too, but Fox? Nah, always liked the bloke. I trust him too. He's a career man, he'll want to do the best he can for us because it will reflect well on him. I've no issue with that whatsoever. 

[El-Reacho]

2 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

I'm unhappy that they speak to us like idiots, when continuing to mention our summer spend. I'm unhappy they speak to us like idiots with the idea that money doesn't bring success. I don't like the idea that Almstadt, a statistal analysis, is set to revamp the acadamey to create 'sellable assests'.  I guess I'm unhappy that all this talk just means more long term misery for us. Because Lerner is going no where and the plans put in place don't make me feel like this club will be good again for a very long time. 

Maybe I'm being sacrilegious here in terms of modern day football versus more the traditional, but this is exactly what I think the club should be doing. Chelsea probably have £200-300m worth of assets in their academy or on loan (32+ players apparently), few if any will ever play for them. Surely that's what modern day premier league clubs should be doing?

[London Villa]

There is a lady there named Lorna who looks after the players. She's very highly thought of amongst the players. 

I imagine it's quite tricky though when 10 foreign players all arrive at once three weeks before the start of a new season though.

[dounavilla]

Aston Villa : Welcome to the House of Fun.

[El-Reacho]

1 minute ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

Where have you been spoken to "like an idiot". Have you seen the questions they were asked? I think you'll find it was the other way around. 

Regards to spending he was asked direct questions to which he gave direct answers. Outside of throwing Lerner under a bus, which is NEVER going to happen no matter how hard you want it, again not sure what could have been said. 

I understand people being angry at Lerner, I am too, but Fox? Nah, always liked the bloke. I trust him too. He's a career man, he'll want to do the best he can for us because it will reflect well on him. I've no issue with that whatsoever. 

I thought he was pretty close to doing it - the whole commercial growth being less than inflation, throwing transfer money away comments surely are him saying that Lerner has not run this club properly for the majority of his ownership.

[Stevo985]

The anger and unhappiness seems to come from Lerner still being here.

I think until lerner goes, some fans will never be happy with anything coming from those running the club.

I understand that even if it means I think their view on things are skewed.

 

I think last night Fox and Hollis said a hell of a lot of stuff that most of us fans have been saying.

We need to spend money better.
The club is run poorly so needs to be changed.
We need to plan for the Championship, even if it's a plan B.
if we get relegated we need to use the parachute payments to ensure we get good players.
Our summer recruitment failed because of integration, not really because of the players that were bought.
The chequebook is still open for new signings.
We need to make more money so that we can spend more money.
Our academy needs to be better (appointed a new academy director)

On top of that they clarified how our recruitment works, which I think was needed given the bollocks reported in the press about it, and they took responsibility for the way the club is/has been run.

I understand that all that was mixed in with clichés and business spin, as people refer to it, but I think a lot of what was actually SAID makes a lot of sense.

I have no idea if they can pull it off. But I think there was a hell of a lot of stuff said that I thought "yes, that sounds like the right thing to do". Not all of it, but a lot of it.
I remain confident that things ARE changing, and it seems to be the less Lerner is involved, the better. 
I'll judge whether it works or not by what happens over the next few years.
 

[Stevo985]

4 minutes ago, El-Reacho said:

I thought he was pretty close to doing it - the whole commercial growth being less than inflation, throwing transfer money away comments surely are him saying that Lerner has not run this club properly for the majority of his ownership.

Lerner himself has owned up to it.

No he hasn't come out and said "it's all lmy fault, I'm shit". But he's now appointed two people to run the club instead of him, and taken very much a backseat.

It's as close to an admission of "I'm not up to this" as you can get without him explicitly saying it.