Alton Towers

[villan1975]

Agree with most of what is said but without going over the same old ground
"But what people have to remember is Aston Villa Football club is a business"
which undoubtedly it is .Why when choosing your manager make for most villa fans the most
unpalatable choice possible for whatever reason?
This is what is and will always be completely unexplainable to me.
As many have said he is our new manager and I genuinely respect his courage and will support him,the club and the team as strongly as ever.

[TheSandman]

I personally thought it was a fairly well-written, thought-provoking article.

I agree.

I hope most of our support will give Alex a chance at least but sadly, I doubt it.

[KevinGage]

From this point onwards, he'll be judged solely on what he does (or doesn't do) at VP. I don't think anyone genuinely wants to see him fail and disadvantage the club at the same time, just to prove a point. So the 'back the club/ get behind the manager' dirge is empty rhetoric to me. I'm kinda with garyfouroaks on this one. The whole mess of the recruitment process and the eventual conclusion reached still doesn't sit right me and I can't pretend it does. More power to those who can seemingly shrug it all off so easily.

Maybe my current stance will soften as we come closer to the start of the season and we get down to the business of acquiring decent players and so forth. We'll see.  My primary concern is if we had money to spend to secure said decent purchases, we probably wouldn't have hired McLeish.

Also, when he had decent attacking players available (Hleb/ Bentley) he failed to utilise them properly and still resorted to dull, safety first football. So I'm far from convinced that the better standard of player he'll have available here will automatically result in a major rethink of his favoured approach.

[brian green]

He missed out Stan Lynn from the defectors list.

I just don't get this business of you must be a disloyal fan because you are unhappy to have Alex McLeish as our manager.

I am not a disloyal fan.   I am absolutely and totally committed to Aston Villa.   What I do not get is this banging on about getting behind the manager and giving the manager a chance.   McLeish does not need a chance from me or anybody like me.   He has been given his chance by the owner and board of the club and the love I have for the club and the years I have spent cheering them on entitles me to state unequivocally that I believe they should have appointed a better manager.

I will cheer on the Villa if they are bought by Gold and Sullivan and managed by Trevor Francis but the cheering is for the team, the organ grinders not the monkeys.

I reserve the right to be deeply depressed at the choice of manager we have made and the way it was done.

[paul_e]

Very well summed up Brian, exactly my thoughts.  I want him to do well and I'd love to have to hold my hand up in a year and admit I was wrong but I just don't think he has the tactical ability or the ability to spot good attacking players that we'll need to get where we, as fans, want the club to be.

[adrenachrome]

[cheltenhamlion]

I don't believe he was in any of our top five lists for the new manager. Hell, he may not even have been in the clubs!

But he is here now so let's see what he does.

I have no issue with people being disappointed or believing we can do better. But we cannot take the furore of the last few weeks into next season. That would be disastrous for the club.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I have no issue with people being disappointed or believing we can do better. But we cannot take the furore of the last few weeks into next season. That would be disastrous for the club.

Agree with Stu, i'm dead against the appointment, but we have to get on with it and make the most of a bad situation.
Hopefully, the board will provide a sweetener by way of healthy transer funds, I have my doubts.

[UsualSuspect]

"But what people have to remember is Aston Villa Football club is a business"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That line always makes me laugh, they're a business when it suits them. Having a wage bill equivalent to 87% of turnover isn't how most businesses operate. Most businesses wouldn't pay through the nose for a machinery that ends up never been used and getting covered in dust and then sold in the bargain basket.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

I will cheer on the Villa if they are bought by Gold and Sullivan and managed by Trevor Francis

Can somebody call me a doctor?

[cheltenhamlion]

You are a doctor

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

You are a doctor

Boom and indeed, tish.

[Rick_avfc]

Hopefully, the board will provide a sweetener by way of healthy transer funds, I have my doubts.

I dont think there will be much money available.  Reports have already surfaced saying "there is no pot of gold" and he wont get some of the Ashley Young money.  Maybe they are saying that so that clubs think we dont have much money and will give realistic prices for players rather than high prices they may give knowning we have a lot of funds available?  Who knows hey?

[cheltenhamlion]

I will be very, very surprised if we don't spend a few bob this summer.