McLeish meets fans - notes from MM...

[rob_bridge]

PR Bullshit but that is Premier League football nowadays. I don't like his football but thought he had integrity until 12 days ago.

That said he has more self awareness in his receding hairline than the Clueless Clousseau had in 63 years on the planet. And his sidekick McDuff.

Whatever else he is I doubt we will struggle against relegation next season or the one after. It won't be pretty but at least he will try and find out why Ireland and Warnock couldn't be fucking arsed last year. The worst ever divide and rule man manager ever at the Villa was possibly a reason.

And I have said it before I don't want any BigTimeCharlies like Downing who think he is better than he actually is at the club, we had it with Gregory as a player, Gray, Elliott, Hodge, Dorigo, Collymore, Bosnich, Southgate and lots of others. We were never worse off when we lost any of them.

And yes I would like to see NRC back - type of player we need in a scrap. At least he realises that.

Above all I want Faulkner out - the way he has handled the 2 appointments is an absolute disgrace. Hiring Houllier is bad enough, hiring him when he still had work to complete was a joke. And then the trawl though candidates - even Grand Old Duke of York would have been baffled. He couldn't run a bath.

[Greg N'Ash]

mebbe but it does come across as a PR exercise. Like some of the things he said but the reality is he doesn't have to convince people like Woodhall or Fear. Not that they are convinced.

But considering they run Fanzines you'd expect them to have a good idea of what a lot of fans are thinking and hopefully put that across to AM.

yeah but again your guilty of thinking H & V or Villatalk is the voice of the fans. The ones that will try to drive him out probably aren't even on here. He said he was impressed by Woodhall's knowledge of Rangers - the people who he has to convince don't care about Rangers, or know anything about them

greg - what constitutes the "voice of the fans". It's no different to democratically electing a politician to represent your area. He/she may never represent the views of every constituent, but it's the best system we know to give an objective view for the majority. While Dave wasn't elected as such, and I am sure would never claim to represent all views, he was still likely able to convey the feelings, hopes and concerns of most of us.

I've no problem with woodhall being put forward and i'm sure the guy wouldn't claim to be the voice of villa fans, whether its me or you but again its not me or you AM has to convince or the majority on here. This site and Villatalk is a very small section of the support and as we argued the other day half of us don't go and the other ones travel for 3 or 4 games from abroad.

[Ger Regan]

Again, what's the alternative?

[Clampy]

If today was a chance for the new boss to get a feel for the club and the viewpoint of some of it's fans, then it was a positive move which can't have done any harm.

[Dave Cooper please]

mebbe but it does come across as a PR exercise.

Of course it's a fucking PR exercise you daft bugger!
McLeish and everyone else at the club know that they have some bridges to build and a lot of fans to convince, how better to start than to invite the editor of the fanzine, the clubs bestest fan (copyright J. Fear), the VT bum-fest (copyright MCLEISH OUT) that is MM and a couple of winos they dragged in from Aston Park?

I'm as cynical as they come but I can't see any problem with our new manager wanting to speak to fans who can get his message across.

[Greg N'Ash]

Again, what's the alternative?

stick him in at an open Q & A  at Villa Park, first come 1st served. :0)

[pauliewalnuts]

Again, what's the alternative?

stick him in at an open Q & A  at Villa Park, first come 1st served. :0)

Oh, Greg.

You've just rolled the ball past your own keeper with that one.

[Dave Cooper please]

stick him in at an open Q & A  at Villa Park, first come 1st served. :0)

Would you go?
Want to borrow my sat-nav?

[Concrete John]

I've no problem with woodhall being put forward and i'm sure the guy wouldn't claim to be the voice of villa fans, whether its me or you but again its not me or you AM has to convince or the majority on here. This site and Villatalk is a very small section of the support and as we argued the other day half of us don't go and the other ones travel for 3 or 4 games from abroad.

So, if the easily identifiable and contactable guys that were invited weren't a good enough cross sample of fans, then what should they have done?  Conducted a lottery of ST holders?  Asked for nominations?  Employed a marketing company to create a focus group?

Personally I'm glad and encouraged he cared enough about fans opinions to do something like this so don't think he should be criticised for the selection process, especially when it was the only logical way to do it.   

[pauliewalnuts]

stick him in at an open Q & A  at Villa Park, first come 1st served. :0)

Would you go?
Want to borrow my sat-nav?

*clicks stopwatch*

Mind you, Dave, you'd probably only go if it was a freebie

*wink*

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

I'm quite happy to have Mr Woodall be my representative at this summit. I think of him as I would my local MP.

[Lambert and Payne]

Sheesh. Roll on the start of the season and football matches to judge, rather than this silly bickering about a very interesting initial post.

Exactly this! Every day someones arguing!

Its a very interesting post and I hope that he sticks to all this.

[Greg N'Ash]

Again, what's the alternative?

stick him in at an open Q & A  at Villa Park, first come 1st served. :0)

Oh, Greg.

You've just rolled the ball past your own keeper with that one.

why? I don't want to ask him any questions. He's our manager and though i'm not happy i'll accept it. Again, i'm not the problem or 99% of the people on here

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm just glad to have The Fear representing us. It's like having Winston Churchill as your MP.

[rob_bridge]

yeah but again your guilty of thinking H & V or Villatalk is the voice of the fans. The ones that will try to drive him out probably aren't even on here. He said he was impressed by Woodhall's knowledge of Rangers - the people who he has to convince don't care about Rangers, or know anything about them

I'll ask again, how would it have been possible to gather a group of villa fans this quickly to an informal meeting? And again, he'll be conducting fans forums later on.

And I don't think he really has to convince the extremist (and, to be honest, idiotic) nutters like McLeishOUT to give him the space to make a good go of the job. He has to convince the disillusioned fans such as Lee, Fletch and the likes that he actually might be up for the job. I've yet to be convinced, but at least he's started the right way.

I agree with you on this. Completely. I may disagree with Dave on a number of specific points re players mainly. However I would never put any other Villa fan I have known in 35 years as a supporter as a more preferable delegate to attend in this instance.

I repeat McLeish (for all the turgid football) has self awareness to know he is unpopular and has lots of work to do to win us over.

If we play absolutely shite for the large part, are in a relegation scrap for most of the season, antagonises the remaining senior players and has obvious people skill weaknesses, plays young players out of position and claps the undead in freezing cold condiitons to the exclusion of our fans, then we can rate him lower than Houllier. I doubt it will come to that - this season at least