As I've said, McLeish should be judged at the end of this season, not last.
I don't get this at all.
The football under TSM was appalling; the record speaks for itself (see below).
We are not doing very well at the moment but to suggest that in some way TSM's season should be put into any sort of comparative context seems a little crazy to me.
Even if we take the drop (after 2 seasons of narrowly avoiding it) I'll feel that we will have made some sort of progress ... perverse though that may sound right now.
The own-goal that RL made was in not following through with the GHou / GMac strategy: I suppose he got scared that we would be offloading lots of expensive mistakes from MON and would then have had to spend more to rebuild. The reality is that spending in 2011 to bring in the likes of Cabaye would have been better financially than the 'hit' we took last season on expensive flops and reduced income.
McLeish:
- 2 relegations from four seasons (and dicing with it last season).
- His three outfield-player purchases (including Jenas) failed to ignite the team, particularly N’Zogbia of whom many had high hopes.
The season:
- Win ratio of 18.5% for the EPL season.
- Worst points haul since 1986-7.
- Highest number of draws in the division: 33% more than the next team (Sunderland).
- Highest number of draws in a Villa season since 1975-6.
- Lowest number of goals-scored in the bottom 6 clubs (and only surpassed by Stoke in the whole division).
- Lowest number of goals scored in a Villa season since 1969-70.
- Worst record in the league for losing from winning positions – 22 points lost.
- Conceded more from set pieces than any other team.
- The only EPL team not to score from a corner all season.
- Villa's worst-ever league home record.
- VP crowds down by 9% this season.
