Mirror: How Alex McLeish is winning over the haters at Aston Villa

[usav]

We've then appointed as manager the fella who finished third bottom. I admire the optimism of those thinking we'll have a good season but I cant share it.

Alternatively, you could say we've appointed the manager who guided that shower of shite to a domestic trophy win over Arsenal.   Something we haven't done in 15 years now.

[eastie]

this years signings of bent, makoun , nzogbia and given are 4 quality players who have come in for similar combined money to the cash raised from young and downing.

What happened to the Milner money then?

It is obvious the wage bill needed to be bought under control, so far we have got a no of high earners of it:

Sidwel
Reo Coker
Carew
Young
Downing
Friedel
Probably Cuellar

Add to them a few decent earning fringe players such as Salifou and Pires.

I'm all for getting our house in order, but believe the rate we did this at should be more gradual, so that we don't slip too far in the short term.

One or two good new signings would still mean we are going in the right direction financially.

can only imagine most of the milner cash went towards balancing the books, as has been reported at length the bent money was supposedly spent in advance on the basis of youngs sale and nothing that has happened would suggest that kendrick was wrong on that , otherwise we would still have £20m or so to spend -i think personally that if randy took the gamble and invested in dann and parker we would have a very good squad of players indeed.

[taylorsworkrate]

this years signings of bent, makoun , nzogbia and given are 4 quality players who have come in for similar combined money to the cash raised from young and downing.

What happened to the Milner money then?

It is obvious the wage bill needed to be bought under control, so far we have got a no of high earners of it:

Sidwel
Reo Coker
Carew
Young
Downing
Friedel
Probably Cuellar

Add to them a few decent earning fringe players such as Salifou and Pires.

I'm all for getting our house in order, but believe the rate we did this at should be more gradual, so that we don't slip too far in the short term.

One or two good new signings would still mean we are going in the right direction financially.

can only imagine most of the milner cash went towards balancing the books, as has been reported at length the bent money was supposedly spent in advance on the basis of youngs sale and nothing that has happened would suggest that kendrick was wrong on that , otherwise we would still have £20m or so to spend -i think personally that if randy took the gamble and invested in dann and parker we would have a very good squad of players indeed.

Fair points.

We sold Downing for £20 million though, and have so far spent £13 million of it.  A signing like Parker for say £8 million wouldn't hurt us too much financially, and would improve the side immeasurably. 

[Merv]

I think that's probably a reasonable assumption of what has happened, Eastie.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

We've then appointed as manager the fella who finished third bottom. I admire the optimism of those thinking we'll have a good season but I cant share it.

Alternatively, you could say we've appointed the manager who guided that shower of shite to a domestic trophy win over Arsenal.   Something we haven't done in 15 years now.

You also forgot to mention he won 5 Scottish cups and 2 Championships in Scotland. We see what we want to see ..........

[SX150]

We've then appointed as manager the fella who finished third bottom. I admire the optimism of those thinking we'll have a good season but I cant share it.

Alternatively, you could say we've appointed the manager who guided that shower of shite to a domestic trophy win over Arsenal.   Something we haven't done in 15 years now.

You also forgot to mention he won 5 Scottish cups and 2 Championships in Scotland. We see what we want to see ..........

Thats the difference between the Premiership and the SPL.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

We've then appointed as manager the fella who finished third bottom. I admire the optimism of those thinking we'll have a good season but I cant share it.

Alternatively, you could say we've appointed the manager who guided that shower of shite to a domestic trophy win over Arsenal.   Something we haven't done in 15 years now.

You also forgot to mention he won 5 Scottish cups and 2 Championships in Scotland. We see what we want to see ..........

Thats the difference between the Premiership and the SPL.

The Carling Cup ?

[SX150]

A noteable achievement particularly with that shower of sh*te. His league success is not quite so presentable though. I would love McLeish to be the man we are looking for and hopefully he is. I just find it a little hard to get excited about it. He now has my backing and lets all hope it works out.

[PeterWithe]

We've then appointed as manager the fella who finished third bottom. I admire the optimism of those thinking we'll have a good season but I cant share it.

Alternatively, you could say we've appointed the manager who guided that shower of shite to a domestic trophy win over Arsenal.   Something we haven't done in 15 years now.

You also forgot to mention he won 5 Scottish cups and 2 Championships in Scotland. We see what we want to see ..........

Gordon Strachan has a reasonable managerial record in Scotland and a poor one down here, I'd be similarly unenthusiastic if he were to be made Villa manager.

Still, done now.

[TheSandman]

Some of our supporters lauded a previous incumbent on the basis of a load of pots won in Scotland and (admittedly two) league cups.

McLeish managed the same with lesser funds at Rangers (was that third place finish in his final season at Rangers down to his own abilities or the continual spending reductions finally biting? I'm not sure.) than O'Neill did at Celtic and had a comparable record whilst there.

I'm not saying it was a wonderful appointment (it was not this by any means) and that he will be the ginger Mourinho but he's not as bad as the moaners make out. I think if I'm honest if we have a poor season next year it will be due to the current spending reductions and a few gambles not paying off rather than McLeish failing. He's just not as bad as the moaning class make out.

[eastie]

Some of our supporters lauded a previous incumbent on the basis of a load of pots won in Scotland and (admittedly two) league cups.

McLeish managed the same with lesser funds at Rangers (was that third place finish in his final season at Rangers down to his own abilities or the continual spending reductions finally biting? I'm not sure.) than O'Neill did at Celtic and had a comparable record whilst there.

I'm not saying it was a wonderful appointment (it was not this by any means) and that he will be the ginger Mourinho but he's not as bad as the moaners make out. I think if I'm honest if we have a poor season next year it will be due to the current spending reductions and a few gambles not paying off rather than McLeish failing. He's just not as bad as the moaning class make out.

well said bentman.

[andyh]

Some of our supporters lauded a previous incumbent on the basis of a load of pots won in Scotland and (admittedly two) league cups.

McLeish managed the same with lesser funds at Rangers (was that third place finish in his final season at Rangers down to his own abilities or the continual spending reductions finally biting? I'm not sure.) than O'Neill did at Celtic and had a comparable record whilst there.

I'm not saying it was a wonderful appointment (it was not this by any means) and that he will be the ginger Mourinho but he's not as bad as the moaners make out. I think if I'm honest if we have a poor season next year it will be due to the current spending reductions and a few gambles not paying off rather than McLeish failing. He's just not as bad as the moaning class make out.

I would agree generally with this, I just have one question.
How will it be determined that a poor season is down to spending restrictions or Mcleish's failings ?

[Dante Lavelli]

With regard to the Young/Milner money, I'd still back Randy to buy decent players - Dann for example - but first I think he/the club want to get players out. If we sold Cuellar I would not be surprised to see Dann arrive especially if they're on similar wages.

Ultimately I think it's a wages thing rather than the size of the transfer fees.

Does anyone know when the next set of accounts are released?

[eastie]

there were reports of stoke offering dann £35k a week which would probably be similar to cuellars wages if not lower.

[Toronto Villa]

Why is net spend an overwhelming indication of ambition? I would have thought finding gems and selling some of them periodically for over inflated prices at the right time, and then finding more gems would be a more intelligent way of running a football club. Wages paid should be better indicator of ambition, and if we find really good players for smaller transfer fees and pay them well based on a realistic salary scale isn't that a better way to retain our players, and build a more complete squad? Obviously in all that we have to be successful, but I'd rather find motivated hidden talent, a little bit like Wenger was doing for a while, than looking at how much we are spending to dictate whether are ambitious or not.

If this summer we were to spend less than we brought in, yet the players we do bring in are better for the squad, coupled with the players we have and our academy, as a club we'll be in a far healthier position.