An ex-manager speaks

[dave.woodhall]

Former Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish has stated that he sees his former club as 'a work in progress' under Paul Lambert.

McLeish left the club after being sacked in the summer of 2012.

Speaking about his former club McLeish said: "I think it is still a work in progress for Paul.

"I was there a year and there is no way I could have turned things around in a year. There definitely had to be some kind of clear-out and I stated that at the end of my very last game. But it just wasn't the right fit for me and Aston Villa unfortunately.

"It would have been great to have gone forward with Villa because they are a huge club with great heritage and the fans expect them to be up in the top six or eight at least every season. Because of where Martin O'Neill got them, the expectation levels are that they should be up in that top six.

"Paul has brought a lot of young boys in and it looks like he has adhered to the money side of things that I worked under as well. There is a great improvement in terms of the quality of the strikers."


http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/alex-mcleish-no-way-could-6331647

[eastie]

Fair enough comments - I wish him well in his quest for a new job.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Seems fair. I hope he finds work at a club that works for him, we were not a good fit.

[SteveN]

Decent man - poor manager for us, but I hope he finds a manager's job that suits him

[Legion]

Wrong person, wrong place, wrong time. Shame as he comes across as a very decent person who holds us in high regard. I wish him well.

[SoccerHQ]

Never had much of a problem with what TSM used to come up and say apart from a few silly post match comments trying to spin performances.

As I've always said decent bloke, woeful football philosophy.

[Clampy]

He came a cross as a nice enough chap and he was offered a job he would have been stupid to turn down. He just should have never been offered it in the first place.

[The Man With A Stick]

Decent bloke who didn't have a chance from day one, for a variety of reasons.  Good luck to him wherever he ends up.

[jcsutv]

Fair play to him.  That season was heading for the bottom of the trough and he kept us up just.  Unlucky to be relegated with Blues and on a damage limitation job with us.  Too happy to draw 0-0 or win 1-0 for my liking but others may not have done as well as he did. McLaren would have taken us down IMO.

[Ads]

Its strange how much I like the bloke, even when he was at SHA, but cannot abide the football he had us playing.

[eastie]

I'm really pleased with the comments made here in this thread - we are good people and even though it was a mistake good to see people hold no grudges against him.

[dave.woodhall]

I'm really pleased with the comments made here in this thread - we are good people and even though it was a mistake good to see people hold no grudges against him.

That was exactly my thoughts. He's the ex-manager I would least like to see in charge again, but the one I would most like to have a few drinks with. He'd be paying, obviously. 

[Ads]

I think you're right Clampy, nobody is surprised he jumped at the job, the problem was the he was offered it in the first place.

[Toronto Villa]

I think even though it was a bit of a nightmare he actually has more affection for us than he has for that lot where he actually won a trophy. Not hard mind you considering the clowns that lot have in charge. I imagine he was treated with more respect the day he was fired by us then most of the days he spent with Birmingham.

[johnboy]

Its strange how much I like the bloke, even when he was at SHA, but cannot abide the football he had us playing.

Totally agree Ads, I would have loved it if had proved his doubters wrong