Alex McLeish confirmed as manager

[Big Dick Edwards]

Steve Bruce,Roy Keane, and Bryan Robson also captained under Fergie's management and they like Eck became mediocre managers.

Bruce, Keane and Robson have to date won nothing as managers. McLeish has.

They would have done if they'd managed Rangers as would anyone.

McLeish won titles and cups with Rangers at a time when Celtic (and O'Neill) were spending all the money.

[pablopicasso_10]

as an alternative, a hibs fan on another forum i visit was singing his praises after getting them to a cup final and apparently playing some great football (for a scottish club)...

i think even jebus himself would struggle to polish the small heath turd...

thats not to say i want him as manager, as his record in the premier league is shit at best, and thats what really counts, but just chucking that thought out there to la la land...

[5ft811st2 Durham]

Steve Bruce,Roy Keane, and Bryan Robson also captained under Fergie's management and they like Eck became mediocre managers.

Bruce, Keane and Robson have to date won nothing as managers. McLeish has.

They would have done if they'd managed Rangers as would anyone.

What about if they'd had all had a chance of managing Small Heath?

Plenty of average managers have managed to fluke a cup win.

[Chris Smith]

Steve Bruce,Roy Keane, and Bryan Robson also captained under Fergie's management and they like Eck became mediocre managers.

Bruce, Keane and Robson have to date won nothing as managers. McLeish has.

They would have done if they'd managed Rangers as would anyone.

What about if they'd had all had a chance of managing Small Heath?

Plenty of average managers have managed to fluke a cup win.

Plenty of good managers have been relegated.

This sort of cherry picking the bits of his career that suit and dismissing those that don't suggest that it's all about the Small Heath connection but you're embarrassed to admit it.

[cdbearsfan]

I think we'll find out whether he is a good manager or not at Villa. In the meantime, let's give the bloke every encouragement.

[Big Dick Edwards]

Plenty of average managers have managed to fluke a cup win.

But Bruce, Keane and Robson haven't managed to fluke one between them..

[hilts_coolerking]

This sort of cherry picking the bits of his career that suit and dismissing those that don't suggest that it's all about the Small Heath connection but you're embarrassed to admit it.

His PL record, which is by far the best guide to how he might fare with us, isn't very good.  Two relegations suggests his preferred method isn't effective in this league.  The league cup win was a fine achievement but I don't think it really balances the two relegations.

[martyn ellis]

It's a funny thing with managers. So much depends on circumstance, on the people around you, on timing, on the general state of things. Funny that if we had employed McCleish when Blues did, we would probably all have thought it was a great appointment; funny that if McClaren had come at a different time, we may have felt the same. Mark Hughes' early reputation at Blackburn was of producing a team of cloggers and strong arm tacticians to suit the players available before he blossomed and bloomed as his career developed. For Roy Hodgson, everything was wrong at Liverpool and so he was wrong. Doesn't make him a bad manager. Even Sir Alex had some very delicate moments at Utd during the early part of his reign and I remember after a 3-0 defeat at Villa Park, most people thought it was an experiment gone wrong. Curbishley at Charlton and then West Ham is another example of how things can wrong (or right).

So we get McCleish, who quite honestly seems an uncomplicated and pretty determined guy, who played half a season without some key players at Blues and with well-publicised uneasiness in the relationship with his directors, and who certainly wouldn't have been the first name on Villa fans lips when we were looking for a new manager. But interestingly, he does seem to be highly regarded amongst a fair number of people within the game.

I'm not holding my breath, but maybe, just maybe, he could just be a trump card if the circumstances, the timing and the people around him are right. And that includes the fans who just can't afford to let their gut feelings and cries of 'Ee took the Scum down twice' make it even more difficult for a bloke who will need all the support we can give him. So, 'enough already', moaning about McCleish and roll on next season. Let's get over the embarrassment of childish protests outside the Holte End and let's mix it with the big boys.

[Villa'Zawg]

Steve Bruce,Roy Keane, and Bryan Robson also captained under Fergie's management and they like Eck became mediocre managers.

Bruce, Keane and Robson have to date won nothing as managers. McLeish has.

They would have done if they'd managed Rangers as would anyone.

McLeish won titles and cups with Rangers at a time when Celtic (and O'Neill) were spending all the money.

I think Celtic spent some money before McLeish arrived at Rangers but I don't think they spent more whilst he was there.

[cdbearsfan]

Steve Bruce,Roy Keane, and Bryan Robson also captained under Fergie's management and they like Eck became mediocre managers.

Bruce, Keane and Robson have to date won nothing as managers. McLeish has.

They would have done if they'd managed Rangers as would anyone.

What about if they'd had all had a chance of managing Small Heath?

Plenty of average managers have managed to fluke a cup win.

No manager at Villa has in fifteen years. Fluke away please Eck!

[Ads]

Two relegations with Small Heath and a promotion is pretty much par for the course with them. They’ve done it more than anybody else has.

Finishing 9th and winning a trophy with that same lot, suggests he’s got a bit about him.

[Chris Smith]

This sort of cherry picking the bits of his career that suit and dismissing those that don't suggest that it's all about the Small Heath connection but you're embarrassed to admit it.

His PL record, which is by far the best guide to how he might fare with us, isn't very good.  Two relegations suggests his preferred method isn't effective in this league.  The league cup win was a fine achievement but I don't think it really balances the two relegations.

Then there's a 9th place, their best PL finish.

My Nose mate reckons that the two cup runs last season over stretched the squad and that when injuries hit they had no answer. You could argue that was bad management or you could take the view that winning a trophy was a gamble worth taking (as many on here were at the time of the Man City game).

I think both points have merit and we'll have an idea which is correct over the next couple of seasons.

[olaftab]

I suppose having the Fergie seal of approval should count for something.

Yes he is pleased that there will no new imposters disturbing their cosy Skyteams  elite group!

[Legion]

Death threats!? FFS!

[PaulWinch again]

Fucking ridiculous, we should give the guy a chance now and get over it.