Fulham Fallout

[dave.woodhall]

www.thebirminghampress.com/2012/03/12/the-sun-shines-on-b6/

[Mazrim]

[VILLA MOLE]

it is great reading this when you have won on a saturday. 

I really do hope he looks at all the kids now , what have we got to lose

[frank]

The booing of the substitution of N'Zogbia was unfair. He'd looked bright earlier on, but by the time of the substitution he wasn't contributing anything. Gabby needed support and it made sense to bring on another striker. Unfortunately, it seems that any substitution AM makes is going to get booed.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

Don't agree with booing only for the reason it won't help. I did/do question N'Zogbia decision when Albrighton wasn't really doing anything of any use. At least N'Zogbia looked like he was capable of doing something.

As for the comment on Fulhams tactics, I agree with the article. If that's how they set themselves out every week, then we can't complain about negative, defensive football here. They played for the 0-0 and hardly bothered themselves about winning the game.

[Dave Summers]

I guess the booing was a little unfair, because at the moment any little stick is being used to beat Mcleish with.   However, having had a couple of days thinking time, I honestly believed we won, in spite of his substitutions and not because of them.

Similarly to Blackburn last week, Herd and especially Petrov were fading after 60 mins.  I would have had Gardner on at 65 mins at the latest for Petrov to get some more energy and drive into the midfield.   Petrov and Herd were excellent by the way, but there is nothing wrong in using the bench.  Christ, we have 7 subs, we can afford to be a little adventureous at times and make a change early?.

Weimann coming on was exactly the right move, but again I would have had him on at 60 mins for Albrighton.  It's subjective though and if he thought Albrighton staying on was a better bet, then fair play.   And if I am honest, I thought he did improve in the last 20 mins.

I guess what I am trying to say is perhaps if he had changed it a little earlier, then maybe we would have won it a little earlier and more comfortably?.   As others have said, lets see the likes of Gardner, Weimann, Johnson et al, get some more playing time this season.  Gardner is not going to learn much by 90 secs at the end of a game, even if he does assist with the winner.

[UK Redsox]

The official attendance was 32,372, which meant in reality around 29,000 at the ground.

Are the figures announced at Villa Park "Tickets Sold" (ie including no-shows) or "Turnstile" ?

[damon loves JT]

That's a pretty accurate assessment.

Part of the problem with the indiscriminate criticism of McLeish is that it drowns out the less angry but more accurate stuff. He's able to dismiss the whole lot as 'hate' and just ignore it.

Now we appear to be safe from everything but the wilder improbabilities, we might get a glimpse of his vision for the future. I hope he has one because we can't keep lurching from Saturday to Saturday and from transfer window to transfer window, just hoping things get better.

[PaulTheVillan]

Ireland didn't look very happy at all when he was told to play wide left

[Simon Ward]

I had no problem with making the substitution but I just wondered if Albrighton or indeed gabby shoul have gone off!

[frank]

I had no problem with making the substitution but I just wondered if Albrighton or indeed gabby shoul have gone off!

I expected it to be Albrighton, but, in his defence, in addition to his many overhit crosses he was still making one or two very good ones

[Concrete John]

I had no problem with making the substitution but I just wondered if Albrighton or indeed gabby shoul have gone off!

I think Weimann for Gabby wouldn't have changed the shape much, but an extra striker does, so it needed to be one of the wide players, IMO.

I would have taken Marc off, who at that time was fading.

[paulcomben]

The booing of the substitution of N'Zogbia was unfair. He'd looked bright earlier on, but by the time of the substitution he wasn't contributing anything. Gabby needed support and it made sense to bring on another striker. Unfortunately, it seems that any substitution AM makes is going to get booed.

Absolutely agree.  It was a fair decision, although Albrighton probably deserved the hook more than Charlie.

[MarkM]

Ireland didn't look very happy at all when he was told to play wide left

I saw that as well, I think I saw an interchange between McL and Ireland after that, McL was giving Ireland the thumbs up, i think to check he was ok with being moved to the wing.

Maybe thats fall out from whatever issues have gone on between players and manager

[olaftab]

Good article whoever wrote it! Obviously Mr Woodhall being a celeb  has the services of a proper journalist  at hand....