NOT Alex Mcleish's Claret and Blue Army !

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Well so far I dont think I have heard a single rendition of "Alex Mcleish's Claret and Blue Army" or for that matter "Alex Alex give us a wave". Something we have had with just about every incumbent at least as far back as Ron Atkinson. I wonder why ?

I know Alex McLeish doesnt slip off the tongue as easily as Brian Little for that song, but the name fits about as well as Gerard Houllier or Martin O'Neill when you want to get it going for 20 minutes while banging the seats up and down. Actually Ron Atkinson didnt fit at all so we had the situation of 20,000 fans singing to an individual that he is  Big and Fat !

Personally I'm happy it is not being sung, but not because I have any problem with the manager or where he has come from. Back in the day we used to have a simple "Saunders, Saunders, Saunderssssss......", but it was usually reserved for singing with any real gusto at promotions, intermittent Cup final victories and League Championships. Saunders's main acknowlegment from us used to be loud but nervous applause when he would come marching down stony faced from the stand mid-way first half because he wasnt happy with the team.
 
Maybe this distance between fans and manager will prove a good thing for us. Generally in football the increased singing of the managers names seems to have gone hand in hand with them starting to get sacked earlier and earlier. Years ago, the first sacking would occur in January. A club bottom of the table getting knocked out of the 3rd round of the cup. Even then, the board of directors would be accused of having pressed the panic button. Nowadays, talk radio stations invite bookmakers on air with the latest "sack race" odds during August !

As I say Im happy its not being sung. Let Mr Mcleish get on with his job and this distance between us may prove a positive. At least there hasn't been outright hostility to him inside Villa Park. Then again, we havent gone 1-0 down at home yet.

[VancouverLion]

I've watched all our home games so far this season thanks to Setanta Canada, I'm yet to hear us sing anything, never mind a Mcleish chant. The level of support for our team at home is embarrassing! No wonder the players look subdued, thousands of empty seats and an atmosphere like a sunday morning in the library!

[Ads]

You can't sing when you're booing.

[taylorsworkrate]

I've watched all our home games so far this season thanks to Setanta Canada, I'm yet to hear us sing anything, never mind a Mcleish chant. The level of support for our team at home is embarrassing! No wonder the players look subdued, thousands of empty seats and an atmosphere like a sunday morning in the library!

The players get paid obscene amounts of money.  They should not need any help in feeling motivated.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

With any other manager, at this point in the season, the vast majority would be talking about being unbeaten. However, with McLeish managing a club so close to us (geographically that is), people saw that his Birmingham City side played some shocking football and so the unbeaten side doesn't matter and he'll get booed after 5 games. How many other teams fans would do that? Give the guy a chance. Any manager starts off by ensuring your defence is sorted, then you look at the forward play. He hasn't even had chance to sort out his first team as of yet, how could he with only a few games in? I think most on here would agree with the players in defence and Bent as centre-forward, but for all the other positions there'd be a big mixture of thoughts. Give him time.

[TimTheVillain]

I've watched all our home games so far this season thanks to Setanta Canada, I'm yet to hear us sing anything, never mind a Mcleish chant. The level of support for our team at home is embarrassing! No wonder the players look subdued, thousands of empty seats and an atmosphere like a sunday morning in the library!

It is embarrassing I agree.

In saying that, the game has changed a lot and it's the away fans who make the noise these days more so than the home ones apart from a few clubs like Spurs, Newcastle, Liverpool, Everton and to an extent Man Citeh who seem to get loud home support almost whatever.

[Mister E]

I don't recall a "David O'Dreary's C&B army" chant ...

[pauliewalnuts]

The reason the atmosphere is so muted is because there's not been a great deal to get excited about, and we've just come off the back of a miserable summer.

I agree with CCBB about the shocking football blues played being something people are concerned about, but the vast majority could not give a flying fuck if he managed Smsll Heath or not.

If he had had a record of decent football and not getting relegated there, we'd have been cock a hoop at stealing their manager.

The "used to manage them, that's why the idiots hate him" line is fast becoming the most predictable high horse for people to climb on.

If our crowds do not pick up, it won't be because people are remaining stoically anti AM because of who he used to manage, it will be because the football on offer is so uninspirational, turgid, and symptomatic of the feel of malaise about the club at the moment.

[Trinitymiddle]

I've watched all our home games so far this season thanks to Setanta Canada, I'm yet to hear us sing anything, never mind a Mcleish chant. The level of support for our team at home is embarrassing! No wonder the players look subdued, thousands of empty seats and an atmosphere like a sunday morning in the library!

It is embarrassing I agree.

In saying that, the game has changed a lot and it's the away fans who make the noise these days more so than the home ones apart from a few clubs like Spurs, Newcastle, Liverpool, Everton and to an extent Man Citeh who seem to get loud home support almost whatever.

Liverpool, and Everton get loud home support??? Not whenever I've been there!

[KevinGage]

With any other manager, at this point in the season, the vast majority would be talking about being unbeaten.

Had we encountered the likes Of Citeh, United and the other Turd 4/5 first up, I'd probably agree.

But as starts go, it hasn't been very demanding, has it?

Fulham away, Blackburn at home, Wolves at home, Everton away and Newcastle at home.  In any period of the season -if you had that run of fixtures to come- you'd be looking for a few wins out of that lot.

[Pete3206]

I've watched all our home games so far this season thanks to Setanta Canada, I'm yet to hear us sing anything, never mind a Mcleish chant. The level of support for our team at home is embarrassing! No wonder the players look subdued, thousands of empty seats and an atmosphere like a sunday morning in the library!

You can't blame the empty seats on the people who've turned up. I wouldn't say the supporters have been embarrassing, far from it. We've come off the back of a shit season, appointed an underwhelming manager and made underwhelming signings. I think the majority of regular fans have stuck with the team, but it's hard to get excited when the team turn in 2nd half performances like Saturday.

[Phil from the upper holte]

We don't have to sing, arsenal dont sing, I don't remember everton singing. Don't judge people on singing. I think people have been quite patient so far considering the football has been shit

[VancouverLion]

I thought Everton were loud last week, came across on the tv like they were anyway.

I agree the football served up has been crap, I just feel if we were to get behind them and get the place rocking again it would lift the players, few home wins will sort it out, hopefully!

Up the Villa.

[cheltenhamlion]

Sorry but seven from five with the start we have had isn't good enough.

[UsualSuspect]

How many other teams fans would do that?
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Wolves got booed on Saturday

Everton got booed after QPR

Arsenal were booed pre-season


Don't try and make out that we are the only supporters who boo and if say 1000 out of 30000 want to boo after paying their hard earned cash to watch rubbish then why shouldn't they?