Remi Garde: I have the final say at Villa

Speaking to the English media for the first time since being unveiled, the Frenchman insisted he's comfortable with the club's structure.

Chief executive Tom Fox and Villa's technical staff, including sporting director Hendrik Almstadt, have come in for widespread criticism.

But Garde told of he's used to the controversial set-up at his new club, comparing it to his old club, Olympique Lyonnais, in his homeland.

He said: "It's something we are used to having in France, so I'm not completely lost with this kind of organisation.

"I think it's quite normal to have a sporting director. I had one in Lyon. I had a chairman, I had a chief scout as well.

"So what is normal is that I will have the final say, which is very important for me.

"I cannot travel all over Europe so you need people to support you and I look at this organisation as a support of me, not something I will struggle with."

But Garde, who's only been at the club for three days, wants a better look at his current crop before buying players in January.

He watched Villa lose 3-1 to Tottenham Hotspur on Monday, but will get a better look on Sunday when his team host Manchester City.

The former Arsenal midfielder said: "My main target was to meet the players, to give them a lot of confidence quite quickly because as you know we have a little game on Sunday.

"So I was really focussed on Sunday's game because it's very important. Then we have an international break. I will have more time to look around me.

"There is a lot of things I need to record, to discover, things I need to fix."