#AVFC

After recent events at Villa Park where the club finally made some positive changes to move the club on from the frankly feckless Tom Fox, Henrick Almstadt and increasingly forlorn Remi Garde, i though it was time to let Villa fans ( the ones who listen rather than make things up or snipe on social media, and who are as far outside the tent as its possible to be), to give some considered thoughts on the situation, bearing in mind i'm quite happy with the general knowledge of what's going on at our club presently.





Mr Lerner wants to sell, nothing new there, but it is my firm belief that there may be at least one interested party who is monitoring developments at the club, and an educated guess would be, are waiting for the selling price to drop to bargain levels before securing a purchase.



This should be worrying to Villa fans as the lower the price gets, the chances of a cash rich billionaire decreases, and the possibility of a rogue buyer, with little real cash of their own comes to the table, so be warned. It may be better the devil we know for the next couple of years, and like Mike Ashley at Newcastle United, have a situation where Mr Lerner, with the right people in charge , gets the club back to the Premier League, finds his "love" for Villa is stronger than present and he gets his 300 million back in installments by having a solvent, cash rich Premier League club on his hands once again. Not ideal, but preferable with no one out there with serious amounts of cash. We've had one rookie owner mess things up, another would see us off.



Most know i set out some points at the tail end of last year, many have already been implemented from admin level sackings, to appointing Villa people in and around the club. Not for romanticism, although the club does need a lift, but because these people care deeply about the club and want to be around to rebuild trust between the most important people, the supporters, the players and move us all forward. So i'm delighted that these comments and posts have largely turned into reality, especially the appointment of Brian Little on an advisory basis.



As for the appointments thus far...



Adrian Bevington. Not sure what he wants to be in football, as he's advised recently at Forest and Watford, so until i see his hand, and whether that hand shows a man who wants, for example to be a Chief executive or Chairman of a club, its unwise to comment, save for he is actually an industry professional of some note.



Mr Hollis. Obviously knows little about the sport but seems keen to build bridges and start a process, hopefully independent of Mr Lerner interference, of getting the right people in the right places. A welcome change from the lack of leadership at the club of late.



Dave Bernstein. Another football man of note, there to make sure the inner workings of the club are streamlined and very much the football industry voice of Hollis. I do have reservations of a future Bevington/Bernstein axis at the club though, i believe there to be people more Midlands based, more Villa specific who could, after a spell of stability fill those roles with ease.



Brian Little. One of my choices to be on a sporting board which i still hope has a place at VP/BH. A calm, caring, sensible Villa man who watches closely, is always calm and who has a ruthless steak which the club currently needs. I'd be more inclined in the coming months and seasons to elevate Brian beyond an advisory role and give him real teeth at the club, something that concerns me with a number of 'bigger fish' now above him. A Director of football strategy or permanent board role is the very minimum i'd expect to see Brian have in coming months and years.



Mervyn King. Track record in finance is second to none, so i'd expect a Villa fan of 50 years to not look at merely cost cutting, job streamlining and cuts, but a prudent, sturdy plan to see Villa through the financial pain of relegation whilst balancing the books, making us ready as and when to come back into the league stronger. Not a football man by any means but although in his late 60's, i'd fully expect him to have the club off field structure in its best shape since Doug knew the price of every toilet roll coming into Villa Park. We can all sleep easier with King involved balancing the books.



So those are a few thoughts on the board, now the important bit.



The playing staff.



Clubs go one of two ways when it comes to moving forward in a summer window, revolution or modest additions.



Revolution has to happen, but unless it is underpinned by an in depth knowledge of the player profile we need at the club, i fear whoever comes in will either give the 5oth chance to players who didn't deserve a second, or be unprepared when it comes to having a team that is offering up players, profiles and contacts now to help us move forward.



We don't have that at the moment, as we have no manager ( Moyes/Pearson both want assurances of the ownership position), and it is why i am meeting Brian Little next week for a chat to offer him some ideas. I like straight talking and Brian asked me for a chat, aso i will give ideas about the club, like i did Tom Fox, most or all of which are being implemented or are in the process of being implemented.



I know mant Villa fans do not like me, that's fine, and i understand that they feel in 1997 i let them down on the pitch. The figures don't lie, i did, but don't confuse a 20 something playing poorly, making poor life decisions on occasions with not caring about a club i've supported since 6. I want us to do well and i have the brain, the contacts, the passion and drive to assist in many ways. And if Villa fans don't think i have, then why are many of my suggestions now in effect only 6 months after making them?



I told Fox that i would go anywhere and do anything to procure talent ahead of the competition, and that the reality abroad where AVFC is concerned, in Africa, Asia and many Premier League watching nations are concerned, ask them to name several Aston Villa former players, Dwight Yorke will pop up, and so will I. May be an unpalatable truth but its a truth nonetheless, so why not utilise it to the benefit of the club and get as many people with a Villa profile to do what Les Ferdinand did for QPR when they were chasing the 2 Swindon boys ( who we wanted too).



He met them, with the QPR blazer on, a Premier League "name", he schmoozed them, and convinced them that QPR was the right club.



Paul Stretford did the same when procuring a young lad named Rooney to his stable, he got a Liverpool legend, Kenny Dalglish round to the kid's house and the lad signed up with the agency. I don't pretend to have the gravitas of a Kenny Dalgish but trust me, when i call clubs, agents, managers and players, they take the call, all of them, so maybe it's time to use that to the benefit of AVFC? Other clubs do.



The playing staff is weak and need a massive overhaul.



Players are commuting from abroad to Birmingham.



Senior players are taking the piss, running the dressing room and working to their own rules.



Young, very good talent is being poisoned by some of the seniors to the extent that one or two are copying the behaviour of their more illustrious elders.



If we are being honest, there are maximum a handful of players we should retain moving forward, but we may not be able to shift them on because..



1. Contracts given out are too long and too costly to pay up.

2. Little or no resale value on much of the staff

3. Not many sides completely get rid of everyone, start again and compete with the disruption in the worlds toughest league.



So we need people at Bodymoor to cajole, eek out, bollock, cuddle and who knows every trick in the book.



I was a model pro and i was poor pro at times. Mostly the former, but sometimes the latter. That is the truth. So nobody, nobody at that club knows better what it takes to get out of the Championship, to then compete in the Premier League, but also see the warning signs in the collective and individuals when laurels start to become rested on.



I want to play my part, and like the vast majority of my working life, i 'm happy to put my money where my mouth is and help, not stand idly by while others drift in and out,not really caring about the club, only a payday or a brief chance of advancement. I live in the Midlands, i'm visible in the Midlands, so the criticism matters. I can't just walk away .



I'm afraid the cull needs to start with Gabby, our captain. He;s simply been at the club too long now, was rewarded with a new contract at at time of little productivity, and he needs a new challenge, and i'd be more than happy to tell him face to face, shake his hand and come to an agreement where he can see out the remainder of his career with a new challenge.



I would pull Jack to the side and tell him if he wants to make it, stay out of the worlds biggest village Birmingham, put his 40k a week in a bank, buy a modest house a modest car, and only come off the training ground and pitch, and into the city nightlife when his performances match the wage that he currently isn't earning, fit or not.



Most of the Francophones i'd look to sell, none bar Amavi and perhaps Veretout could hack a Championship season, and Gana should be used as an asset to bring one or two Championship, British Isles based players in.



Micah and Joleon also would be surplus to requirements, great pros and great careers elsewhere but too many seniors with too much to say are creating a difficult environment for the younger players and indeed new recruits to not only survive but thrive moving forward.



Looking forward to coffee with Brian next week, in the spirit of openness i'll give him my thoughts, honesty and in the hope every little helps.



Up The Villa.













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