Alex McLeish - Thank You.

[sonlyme]

Now calm down.



I know it is hard seeing this face.  Like a slice of over-boiled breaded ham - it sits there, limp and unwanted on the imitation porcelain plate that is professional football.  But, after enduring a season of the most defensive - direct - and incompetent football since David O'Dreary wormed his way into the hallowed halls of Villa Park, it is hard to hear the name AMcL (see - I can't bring myself to spell it out again) in the same breath as 'thank you'.

But there are two reasons to be thankful.

First off - he is gone.  Hallelujah!  Nothing can compare with this for lifting the spirits.

But secondly, and more importantly, he brought this bloke to Villa Park.



Brett Holman cost nothing - and is on a modest (by top Premier League standards) salary.  Yet watching him I am nothing but impressed.

That ball to Weimann in the second half against Everton.  His guile and graft against the much vaunted Newcastle midfield totally neutralised their attacking edge, and forced them into long balls and strikes from distance (doh).  And then yesterday - against Swansea - the pass masters of the Premier League - Holman chased down every ball - often won it - and then found a team mate or fashioned a chance.

He was that good Paul Lambert thought he might need a third lung to keep going.  For those of you old enough and lucky enough to remember Villa under Ron Saunders - it looked familiar.

It's early days of course - but the attitude of Holman and of his manager Lambert is reminiscent of those heady days.  When I see Holman chasing and harrying the opposition to distraction he puts me in mind of a certain Des Bremner - and when he skips inside - bamboozling the opponents defence with his quick feet and mind - I see glimpses of Sir Anthony Morley Esq - just glimpses for now - he needs to improve his distribution but the omens are good.  And I love this stat - Holman wins 80% of the tackles he attempts - now wonder the Carlos Kickaballs are kicking it away before he can get to them.

The club attracted a lot of criticism from some sections of our 'support' for not spending much - for signing players no one had heard of (Mat Lowton or Chris Benteke anyone?) - there were the usual bluenose trolls in bogus Villa scarves trying to whip up some anti-Lerner sentiment - and after the Everton game - the whining reached a crescendo.

We were told by some that our kids were not good enough - that Bannan should be sold - that Clark was slow and weak - that Weimann wouldn't cut it - that Guzan was second rate - and all this negative bleating was wrapped up with that most Gareth Southgate of words - 'ambition'.  Lerner had none so Villa had none.   That we were beaten by an Everton team that had been playing Moyes style of football for years was disregarded.  That we came back and fought hard and outplayed them in the second half was disregarded.  Yet if Holman's superb pass to Weimann had resulted in the goal it deserved - who knows what could have happened?

What I do know is that Lambert has instilled an ethic into Villa that I have not seen since the early 1980's.  It is not the same as MON's defend deep and counter attack philosophy - this is more like a hardknock version of total football - without the ball you press and harry - with it you pass and probe.  It comes apparently from Lambert's time in Germany under the legendary Ottmar Hitzfeld.  The German philosophy is apparently much like the Dutch - but the German version comes with balls - large stainless steel  balls.  I have news for you Ottmar -  the legendary Ron Saunders was at it back in the 1970's.

So thank you big Eck - you have gone yet you have left us a parting gift - we lose you and we get Paul Lambert and Brett Holman - I feel like I've won the lottery.  So farewell Eck - may the road rise to meet you - as long as it is the M6 away from Villa Park.

Oh - and stay out of the sun.

[Chipsticks]

Very good piece of writing, I'd suggest sending this into Woodhall as a contribution for the next issue of H&V.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

In years to come we'll still be scratching our heads and wondering
'How the fuck did we ever take him on as Manager?'

[Karl Bridges]

I was shocked that he wasn't even in the top 3 players for distance covered in yesterday's game. Bannan covered the most ground 6.76 miles, KEA 6.74 & Lowton 6.18.

[Toronto Villa]

In years to come we'll still be scratching our heads and wondering
'How the fuck did we ever take him on as Manager?'

It won't take years. How about all the time?

[Legion]

TSM, please.

[PeterWithe]

As it happens I thought we played as I hoped we'd play under TSM, we'd sacrifice quality for workrate and guts. I wish him well in his next job, wrong man, wrong club, wrong time.

[Mortimer's Bear]

As it happens I thought we played as I hoped we'd played under TSM, we'd sacrifice quality for workrate and guts. I wish him well in his next job, wrong man, wrong club, wrong time.

This

[Chipsticks]

As it happens I thought we played as I hoped we'd played under TSM, we'd sacrifice quality for workrate and guts. I wish him well in his next job, wrong man, wrong club, wrong time.

I'm not sure I'd agree about us having much 'workrate'. We often gave up at half time and always seemed to slow down and die off.

[ozzjim]

Back to the reason, I agree re Holman. Dodgy start when arguably not fully fit having got a knock in the week prior at West Ham, but nothing but impressed since, and works his nuts off for the team. If you have someone like him it makes the rest of the side 1. follow suit, and 2. easier for the players behind as they know he will cover. Best thing he did while here.

[Dave]

I was shocked that he wasn't even in the top 3 players for distance covered in yesterday's game. Bannan covered the most ground 6.76 miles, KEA 6.74 & Lowton 6.18.

But those three (unlike Holman) played the full match.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Please close this thread. I am much to happy to even hear his name ................

[Mortimer's Bear]

As it happens I thought we played as I hoped we'd played under TSM, we'd sacrifice quality for workrate and guts. I wish him well in his next job, wrong man, wrong club, wrong time.

I'm not sure I'd agree about us having much 'workrate'. We often gave up at half time and always seemed to slow down and die off.

He's saying it's how he hoped we'd play under TSM, not how we did.

[Chipsticks]

As it happens I thought we played as I hoped we'd played under TSM, we'd sacrifice quality for workrate and guts. I wish him well in his next job, wrong man, wrong club, wrong time.

I'm not sure I'd agree about us having much 'workrate'. We often gave up at half time and always seemed to slow down and die off.

He's saying it's how he hoped we'd play under TSM, not how we did.

He said he thought we played as he'd hoped.

Unless he's on about the Swansea game, not last season in general. In which case, I'm a muppet who assumed the wrong context.

[Pete3206]

Take his face off the screen. I don't want to see it.