Monday 21 March 2016 20:28, UK
New Aston Villa director David Bernstein says the club must be cautious of thinking too short-term if they are relegated.
Villa are almost certain to drop into the second-tier of English football for the first time since 1988. They are bottom of the Premier League and 12 points adrift of safety with seven games to go.
Bernstein was appointed to the board along with Mervyn King and Brian Little by owner Randy Lerner earlier this month, and was charged with conducting a full review of the club's failings and implementing a plan to restore progress.
The former FA and Manchester City chairman says Villa realise the financial urgency of returning to the Premier League immediately, should they fall, but they are wary of other clubs who have failed to achieve that aim.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News HQ, he said: "If we are thinking short-term or long-term, then it has to be a little bit of both.
"If we do go down then clearly there is a big incentive to get back quickly, for obvious reasons, including the parachute payment in years one and two reducing, and not in year three.
"There is a big financial incentive but, on top of everything else, if the fans heard anything else other than, 'We are desperate to get back at the first opportunity' then they would be very disappointed.
"We have to mix sensible short-term thinking and long-term planning. We can't be too short-termist, but on the other hand we can't be thinking five years ahead because a lot will happen in the next year or two."
Villa have recently sacked chief executive Tom Fox and sporting director Hendrik Almstadt, and there are widespread reports that head coach Remi Garde could imminently follow.
Meanwhile, the club want to hire "someone who would best be described as director of operations", according to Bernstein, "who will be responsible for the running of this side".
He said: "He will need to be very strong operationally, can look at things and make changes where necessary, but also someone who has football knowledge.
"I don't want someone just for business, who has no football background, but it won't be a director of football. It will be an operational guy with football knowledge, which frankly the club has lacked at the top level."
