McLeish 'I can't spoon feed players.'

[Rip Van We Go Again]

sportinglife.com

Alex McLeish has told Aston Villa's players he can't "spoon feed" them during games.

The Villa chief was reacting to his side's 3-0 defeat at Arsenal with some poor defending for the Gunners' first two goals rightly leaving him frustrated.

"At some stage you can't spoon feed them every minute of the game with tactics," he said.

"You've got to let them play and at times express themselves.

"I didn't feel that the Emirates was a place to express ourselves in terms of passing about at the back because that's not a strength of ours.

"That's no disrespect to our players as they have other qualities."

McLeish wants Villa to be more dynamic and insists that is his focus rather than the frustrations for the club's fans.

"That's not in my control," he said when asked about the club's supporters.


"I have to try and get a team that can win football matches.

"We had a very good game against Fulham a couple of weeks ago with a dynamic performance and that's the type of performances we'll need.

"Today we played everything in front of Arsenal in the first half and that's tailor-made for a team with their speed and guile.

"We never asked the players to do that. We asked them to try and play in Arsenal's half and when they've done that in the second half we had a wee bit more joy."

[Apyadg]

"We never asked the players to do that. We asked them to try and play in Arsenal's half and when they've done that in the second half we had a wee bit more joy."

He's got a point, we only lost 1-0 in the second half. And we had a shot.

That's almost like getting a draw, and what more can you ask for in football than that?

[Shrek]

He hasn't got a clue.

[Nev]

I've had enough of trying to make articulate and salient points about the manager and his ability.


Fuck off you clown.

Thats better.

[JUAN PABLO]

sportinglife.com


"We had a very good game against Fulham a couple of weeks ago with a dynamic performance and that's the type of performances we'll need.

        did we ?  lucky i think

[nick harper]

Why can't we express ourselves, why can't we impose ourselves on the game? Why can't we get in their faces and knock them out of their stride?

I just don't buy it. He is distancing himself purely out of self protection - he is an embarrassment to a great club.

[picicata]

Every time he opens his mouth I dislike him a little bit more.

We accept that Arsenal are the better team but the management should have had the players fired up to be in their faces from the start - Arsenal are the one top team who crumble under physical pressure - yet we stood off them. That is a tactical choice, not an individual player choice.

Plus playing Heskey upfront immediately signals that you have no real interest in scoring and I suspect the rest of the players on the pitch must feel the same way when they looked at the team sheet.

[olaftab]

sportinglife.com

Alex McLeish has told Aston Villa's players he can't "spoon feed" them during games.

Well Alex it's your job to get results from those who work for you. That is why you get paid £2.5M a year.  If you can not to that than please go.

[D.boy]

Why can't we express ourselves, why can't we impose ourselves on the game? Why can't we get in their faces and knock them out of their stride?

I just don't buy it. He is distancing himself purely out of self protection - he is an embarrassment to a great club.

We couldn't express milk from a woman who has just had triplets.

[frank black]

"I can't spoon feed players"
"I can't believe I got this job"
" I can't motivate"
"I can't organise a team"
" I can't keep a team up"
" I can't blame myself"
" I can't be sacked it will be too costly"
" I can't understand why the fans react the way they do"
" I can't resign, who else will pay these wages?"
" I can't see us beating an ELITE team"
" I can't tie my own laces"

Just what can I do?? Oh yeah Heskey you're on son. Keep it tight boys! We are only 2 -0 down.

[PaulWinch again]

Just leave you muppet.

[cdbearsfan]

Go on Alex, give em a good spooning. What's the harm?

[Irish villain]

Did I really just read that? I mean, seriously! That is so disheartening.

He really is a very limited manager. Would he even succeed in the Championship?

[E I Adio]

Plus playing Heskey upfront immediately signals that you have no real interest in scoring and I suspect the rest of the players on the pitch must feel the same way when they looked at the team sheet.

Good point. We played from the start with the expectation of losing. Playing Heskey must surely have at least added to that mindset.

[caster troy]

May as well change the club badge to a white flag with this clown in charge.