Alex McLeish confirmed as manager

[The Moose]

That's that sorted then.
Eck it is.
Eck Eck Eck Eck
Suppose it'll do....

Eck.

[DeKuip]

It was "Big Eck" when he was at Aberdeen.

[atomicjam]

McLeish move stuns O'Leary
Former Aston Villa manager David O'Leary was astonished by the appointment of Alex McLeish to his old job.


The 52-year-old McLeish broke a footballing taboo by crossing the city of Birmingham, resigning from his job with relegated Blues before taking up the post at Villa soon after.

The move has been greeted with animosity on both sides of the city, and nobody was more surprised than O'Leary, who was in charge at Villa for three years from 2003.

"I just couldn't believe it," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I never thought anybody would cross the city like this.

"It's a big, brave step. I hope it goes well because Villa is really a good club.

"The three years I was there it was a great derby - I wouldn't say hatred but it was a very intense derby and there was always a feeling that it was very hard for players to cross, and the same manager-wise - very seldom it happens.

"The feeling has always been it's something you never do.

"With Birmingham going down as well I think the fans feel he owes it to them to bring them back up again and to actually walk out on them and then to cross to Villa has caused, from what I've read and seen, big hostilities in the city."

He added: "The big thing Alex will have to do is get a good start. Winning games shuts everybody up and that's what he'll be judged on - and he'll have to do it probably quicker than other managers, who might have a honeymoon period.

"The fans are very demanding. They can be very vocal, but it's a very good club."



http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/aston-villa/news/1061551/McLeish-move-stuns-O-Leary

[atomicjam]

Sorry if the Odreary thing was posted earlier- just noticed its from earlier this evening.

[damon loves JT]

If o'leary is offering his views for free, there is a shallow pit by my patio I'd like him to have a look at

[martyn ellis]

Is anyone like me getting just a little peeved at being labelled a furious villa fan? The Guardian is at it again this morning. And every other title has had its say. I'm not furious. A little surprised maybe, even a tad disappointed, after all the high flyers allegedly in the frame during this process. But I didn't protest, I didn't abuse, I didn't post expletive-ridden messages on forums expressing my fury.  I just thought, oh well, maybe our board members were impressed by something they saw and heard, either from the man himself or from others and, let's face it, it's their job to make these decisions, not mine. So we move on and look forward to the first home game with a stadium crammed full of furious Villa fans. I don't think so.

[Concrete John]

Classic case of the press thinking the vocal minority speak for us all and not bothering to look any deeper.

[pauliewalnuts]

Classic case of it being a quiet time of the year and the press not having anything to fill pages with.

[Chris Smith]

Classic case of the press thinking the vocal minority speak for us all and not bothering to look any deeper.

Unless other voices speak up though how are they going to know?

I didn't think the protest was a good idea but was surprised at the numbers that turned up. That sort of turn out on a Wednesday night is bound to make an impression.

[willywombat]

Is anyone like me getting just a little peeved at being labelled a furious villa fan? The Guardian is at it again this morning. And every other title has had its say. I'm not furious. A little surprised maybe, even a tad disappointed, after all the high flyers allegedly in the frame during this process. But I didn't protest, I didn't abuse, I didn't post expletive-ridden messages on forums expressing my fury.  I just thought, oh well, maybe our board members were impressed by something they saw and heard, either from the man himself or from others and, let's face it, it's their job to make these decisions, not mine. So we move on and look forward to the first home game with a stadium crammed full of furious Villa fans. I don't think so.

Yep, I'm not a bit furious. I'm not actually all that disappointed either. I've always rated Eck and was a bit gutted when he went to that shower of shit. I'm not surprised he got relegated twice but I'm f*cking staggered he managed to win a trophy while he was there. I'll try to be a bit furious if we have a bad start to next season. Cant promise though

[Brend'Watkins]

Is anyone like me getting just a little peeved at being labelled a furious villa fan? The Guardian is at it again this morning. And every other title has had its say. I'm not furious. A little surprised maybe, even a tad disappointed, after all the high flyers allegedly in the frame during this process. But I didn't protest, I didn't abuse, I didn't post expletive-ridden messages on forums expressing my fury.  I just thought, oh well, maybe our board members were impressed by something they saw and heard, either from the man himself or from others and, let's face it, it's their job to make these decisions, not mine. So we move on and look forward to the first home game with a stadium crammed full of furious Villa fans. I don't think so.

Yep, I'm not a bit furious. I'm not actually all that disappointed either. I've always rated Eck and was a bit gutted when he went to that shower of shit. I'm not surprised he got relegated twice but I'm f*cking staggered he managed to win a trophy while he was there. I'll try to be a bit furious if we have a bad start to next season. Cant promise though

And neither am I furious.  In fact, I'm more than ever looking forward to next season to see how it all pans out.  I can understand the fury of fans in as much as there would have been fury who ever we had given the job to. 

[The Situation]

I've calmed down a bit since rumours were becoming a reality last week.

I'm looking forward to pre-season and hoping we sign some good players.  I'm going to give Eck a fresh start and see what he does.

[Merv]

I wasn't furious last week, just mortified.

Now I've accepted the appointment and, obviously, I'm hoping McLeish does well. Looking forward to him winning me over.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

McLeish move stuns O'Leary
Former Aston Villa manager David O'Leary was astonished by the appointment of Alex McLeish to his old job.

Stunned ? Id like to stun him !
Now I am bloody furious ! What makes him think he has the right to open his mouth and say anything about anything even vaguely related to our club ?
Just because the rich arab man took away your bucket and spade and sent you back to your big house in Yorkshire, just because your sitting there bored with nothing to do, and starting to worry that everybody in football is forgetting about you, is no good reason to start pontificating about events surrounding us. Yes O'Leary almost everybody in football has forgot you apart from tens of thousands of Villa fans who still quite rightly start to foam at the mouth at the mere mention of your name. O'Leary O'Leary..........aghhhhhhhhh see ? its just gets you so angry doesnt it ?
Protests ?  If I ever hear that bastard is coming anywhere near Villa Park, be it with another club, for the media, or hes just dropping his kids to that bloody Take That concert, I will be the first one down there with a  banner on the steps outside The Holte

[Rip Van We Go Again]

The O'Leary comments may just as well have been.

'I'm still here, don't forget me, i'm a great Manager.'