Aston Villa's new manager Remi Garde met the media for the first time yesterday. Here are some of the highlights of the press conference.
TRANSFERS
Remi Garde insists he will have the final say on signings at Aston Villa.
Garde is content to work alongside a transfer committee including Hendrik Almstadt and Paddy Riley.
But the 49-year-old Frenchman is keen to have the ultimate sign off on new players.
Tim Sherwood's ill-feted tenure was surrounded by confusion over who was responsible for new signings.
"It's something we are used to in France," he said, when asked about transfer committees.
"I’m not completely lost with this type of organisation. I think it’s quite normal to have a sporting director, I had one in Lyon.
"I had a big chairman, a CEO and a chief scout. What is normal is that I will have the final say which is very important for me. I cannot watch all of the games in Europe. I need people to support me. I took this because of the support.
"It’s not something I will struggle with or fight against. We will have quiet meetings about how we can improve the team. But I will say what I want and what I need."
Asked if he would have the final say on transfers, Garde replied: "Yes."
THE BACKROOM STAFF
Garde, speaking at his first press conference as Aston Villa manager, explained that Reginald Ray and Robert Duverne would be part of his backroom staff.
"At the moment I'm coming with Robert Duverne as a fitness coach," explained Garde.
"I worked with him for a long time in Lyon. Then Reginald Ray, my assistant coming from Bastia."
Asked whether Baticle or Genesio would be joining him after Lyon resisted his attempts to bring them to Villa, he added: “No. You know a lot of things!
BEATING THE DROP
Forget Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Remi Garde has another Bundesliga club Aston Villa should aspire to emulate.
Garde has arrived from France, but he used a German example of the type turnaround in fortunes Villa need under his management.
The 49-year-old boss cited Borussia Mönchengladbach's revival as a reason why the claret and blue faithful should keep the faith.
Asked if he was confident Villa would not go down, Garde replied: "I'm confident. "It’s 28 games to go.
"If we start winning, things will change. I’m sure you follow the Bundesliga, for example."
"Borussia Mönchengladbach started with five defeats in a row then had six wins. "In football you never know. When it is done mathematically, okay you shake hands and then it’s finished. But we can still do it.
"Of course I signed a long-term contract but I have not come to prepare for next season in a lower division. I have got respect for all the teams and managers in this country but I’m not here to ask many questions. I’m here to play better football and win games."
NO MAGIC
If he succeeds he will be hailed as the saviour but the Frenchman has warned: "I'm not a dreamer or a magic man.
“I have strong ideas and a belief we will do it but I haven't the certainty we will stay in the Premier League because the situation we are in is difficult."
Garde has been in football for over 30 years.
he won the Premier League with Arsenal and spent 11 years at Lyon as a coach, academy director, assistant and manager.
At the end of the 2013/14 season he quit and took a break from football.
Opportunities at Newcastle, Sunderland and Brighton all passed him by and now he has explained why he felt the need to take time out.
"Maybe that was why I stopped at Lyon – because you need strong energy for what I want to do – but now I think there are things I want to change. That is not saying what went on before was wrong."
“There is not only one way to win games but I have my ideas and a strategy that I want to implement.
“In football, things can change. If I didn't think I could change things I would have said 'No, this job is not for me’, but I’ve got the hope that we can do it.
“I don’t know what happened before, I was not inside and I can’t judge.
“I can only focus on what will happen from now on."
THE WINDOW
Asked whether he is confident that owner Randy Lerner will back him with sufficient funds, Garde said: "Yes. We had this kind of discussion, but for the moment this is not the priority.
“I can't tell you what was said because it’s private.
"But I'm not silly, I know that in January it’s a transfer window and until then I will have the time to evaluate the players.
“We will also have the time to win games.
“We would have played 10 games by then and I think if we need something the owner will be behind me."
THE FRENCH
CONNECTION
Garde has revealed he knows about Aston Villa's French players as footballers.
But he will strive to find out what makes them tick to bring out the best in the Gallic imports.
Villa recruited Jordan Veretout, Jordan Amavi, Jordan Ayew and Idrissa Gana from Ligue 1 in the summer.
And getting the best from that quartet will be among Garde's priorities after Villa spent so much money recruiting them.
But the 49-year-old stressed that just because he is French, it does not mean he will instantly get them to flourish.
"I know them as football players, of course, yes," he said.
“As people, no. Behind the player, I need to understand who they are and how they are.
“I need to know their motivations and where they are currently.
“I try to spend as much time as I can to get to know all the players.
“I have been in the club only two days, though.
“I watched a lot of Villa games so I have a good idea of all the players.”
OUR VERDICT
After he had enjoyed the free sandwiches on offer, Birmingham Mail Football Editor Mat Kendrick spoke about his first impressions of Remi Garde.
He said: "Very slick, very authoritative, very articulate.Exudes confidence.
"Doesn't appear daunted by the scale of the task ahead.
"Dressed in a blue sweater, and white open next shirt, the tie-less Frenchman remained relaxed in front of the assembled press pack of about 30 journalists, with the tapes whirring and the flashbulbs popping.
"If it was a question he welcomed he answered in detail, in very good English.
"The questions he was less keen on he was abrupt, but polite.
"It was a different type of confidence to when Tim Sherwood swaggered in a few short months ago.
"But as first impressions go it was encouraging.
"Of course, impressing a room full of reporters, is one thing.
"Inspiring a fragile set of footballers at Aston Villa is quite another.
"Let's see what the first six months of that 3 and a half year contract brings....."
P.S. The sandwiches and tea were enjoyable, too.
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