The weekly sideproject plug

[dave.woodhall]

Complete with appalingly bad punning headline.

www.thebirminghampress.com/2011/06/21/hou-eck/

[Dave Cooper please]

If he does get punched, as he feared in the press conference, you have my permision to use "Ecky Thumped"

[mazrimsbruv]

Good article Dave.

Do you not think that the appointment of Steve McClaren would have provoked a similar reaction from the fans, if on a slightly smaller scale?

[dave.woodhall]

Good article Dave.

Do you not think that the appointment of Steve McClaren would have provoked a similar reaction from the fans, if on a slightly smaller scale?

Do you really think there would have been a protest over any other manager?

[Mister E]

You're right about the headline.

[mazrimsbruv]

Good article Dave.

Do you not think that the appointment of Steve McClaren would have provoked a similar reaction from the fans, if on a slightly smaller scale?

Do you really think there would have been a protest over any other manager?

I think it's possible, yes. Part of the anger about McLeish was not just where he was coming from but the realisation that, in the search for a new manager, most Villa fans thought we were shopping at Sainsbury's (or at the very least, Tesco) when in fact we were slumming it at Netto.

To me, McClaren would have been just as much of a Netto purchase as McLeish.

[Dave Cooper please]

There were hints of a protest at McClaren, but only from teh usual idiots, it wouldn't have happened or maybe we'd have seen ten twats and a badly spelt banner or something, it was absolutely the Blues connection that bought out the hoards against McLeish.

[Toronto Villa]

very good closing line Dave. I don't really agree with your suggestion regarding his style of play. I think circumstances and playing staff have dictated and will dictate how he approaches the game. Now I don't him to become Guardiola, but I don't expect him to bring Birmingham City football to VP either. I think he'll bring a more disciplined approach but knowing his has the best forward to ever play under him at his disposal he'll do everything he can to create chances for him.

Ultimately it's "we'll see" approach, and I hope fans don't jump on his back with the first defeat. Because it's going to happen at some point, and possibly in the first 6 games irrespective how "easy" they appear on paper.

[Diablo]

Great article Dave, I couldn't agree more that McCleish has "shown more feeling for the club by ten o’clock on Friday morning than Gerard Houllier managed in eight months". As nice a man as Houllier may be, I never took to him as our manager I thought his public relations / interviews were absolutely atrocious. Saying that, having watched Steve McClaren's press conference at Forest (OUCH!) I can't help thinking we've got the better deal of the two (purely from a press conference point of view). I only hope that translates football wise.
At the moment I would say McCleish & Randy 1 - McClaren (and his hypothetical Villa move) 0

[Chris Smith]

There were hints of a protest at McClaren, but only from teh usual idiots, it wouldn't have happened or maybe we'd have seen ten twats and a badly spelt banner or something, it was absolutely the Blues connection that bought out the hoards against McLeish.

Of course it was and it is the reason for much of the ongoing animosity.

[Legion]

The final paragraph in that article is spot on.

[adrenachrome]

Nicely balanced piece, DW, hitting all the right notes.

I was going to launch into a rant that his football does not just "border on the turgid" but dives deep into a cesspool of turgidity until I looked up turgid in the dictionary.

[hilts_coolerking]

I think it's a bit of both.  The majority aren't keen because his record isn't anything special and he plays crap football.  Some, for whom hatred of Blues is more important than anything else, object to him for the SHA connection as well.  Personally I'm less concerneded in the fact that he was SHA manager than I am by the fact that most of their supporters seem pleased to have got rid of him.

[brian green]

Excellent article Dave.   it was a good and fair assessment of a sorry chapter of Villa history.

I still have niggling reluctance about your last sentence.

I do not wish Alex McLeish well.   I do not wish him ill.   I have no feelings about him one way or the other.   I wish the team, the club,  the players, the staff, the board and the owner every success.

I feel like a man whose daughter has run off and married a man you and her mother do not approve of and against your advice.   You hope he turns out to be a better husband than you think he will for your daughter's sake.   That is precisely the way I feel about Alex McLeish