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

[UsualSuspect]

If nothing else this is the first time for some time we have a manager who actually wants to be here.

Of course he wants to be at VP

He was on the verge of being sacked at Small Heath and he doubled his wages at Villa.

[willywombat]

Is Villadawg secretly gregnash in disguise?

No

[eastie]

Is Villadawg secretly gregnash in disguise?

No

not sure which of them would be offended the most by that suggestion !

[Concrete John]

One thing I think Mcleish has done very well is not to try and win us over with Villa loving rhetoric or other such badge kissing-like nonsense.  Instead, what he's done is get on wih his job and thus far, although granted in a limited time frame, done so quite well.

I think that's one of the things that's helped him in that we've been so busy talking about the players leaving, budgets, wagebills, net spends and the like, that's it's almost been fogotten he's our manager and we (mostly) didn't want him, so he's been clever in staying beneath the radar and not reminding us.

[olaftab]

If nothing else this is the first time for some time we have a manager who actually wants to be here.

Of course he wants to be at VP
He was on the verge of being sacked at Small Heath and he doubled his wages at Villa.

Regardless of his status at SHA  DW's comment is very valid.
DOL did nothing but rubbish us and talk down our status as a Club. MON always gave the impression that he was much too good for us and just waiting  to grab his chance at Manue or Lpool. So it's good to see someone here who thinks that this is their "moment in life"

[Toronto Villa]

One thing I think Mcleish has done very well is not to try and win us over with Villa loving rhetoric or other such badge kissing-like nonsense.  Instead, what he's done is get on wih his job and thus far, although granted in a limited time frame, done so quite well.

I think that's one of the things that's helped him in that we've been so busy talking about the players leaving, budgets, wagebills, net spends and the like, that's it's almost been fogotten he's our manager and we (mostly) didn't want him, so he's been clever in staying beneath the radar and not reminding us.

yeh well said John. That's the one thing that's come across to me is the "just get on with it attitude" he's brought to the job. I think we all have to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and move on from last seasons issues. I get the impression the players want to, and it's starting to show in their training, performance and overall attitude. Tomorrow's another very good test. We might go down against Chelsea, but it will be with a fight which is all we can ask. Hey, we might even win!!

[eastie]

If nothing else this is the first time for some time we have a manager who actually wants to be here.

Of course he wants to be at VP
He was on the verge of being sacked at Small Heath and he doubled his wages at Villa.

Regardless of his status at SHA  DW's comment is very valid.
DOL did nothing but rubbish us and talk down our status as a Club. MON always gave the impression that he was much too good for us and just waiting  to grab his chance at Manue or Lpool. So it's good to see someone here who thinks that this is their "moment in life"

i disagree about mon - i think he realised and respected the villa tradition and history and i believe during his time here he was proud to manage aston villa.

[usav]

i disagree about mon - i think he realised and respected the villa tradition and history and i believe during his time here he was proud to manage aston villa.

He talked the talk, but there was always that sense of control-freak surrounding him that he was the biggest thing at the club and everyone knew it.

[eastie]

i disagree about mon - i think he realised and respected the villa tradition and history and i believe during his time here he was proud to manage aston villa.

He talked the talk, but there was always that sense of control-freak surrounding him that he was the biggest thing at the club and everyone knew it.

maybe so ,and he did like to be in control i wouldnt disagree but i do believe he was proud of the fact that he was manager of aston villa and realised how big a club this is , as does mcleish.

o leary on the other hand never really got the feel of the club, and too often belittled us.

[Concrete John]

The thing with DOL was it started with the usual 'promise low, deliver high' approach he had at Leeds, to try and keep the weight of expectation off, with the 'babies' becoming the 'honest bunch of lads'.  It was OK in that first season when we got to 6th, but if you do it while you're in the bottom half it takes on a whole different outlook.

Plus, of course, he was a twat. 

[Toronto Villa]

The thing with DOL was it started with the usual 'promise low, deliver high' approach he had at Leeds, to try and keep the weight of expectation off, with the 'babies' becoming the 'honest bunch of lads'.  It was OK in that first season when we got to 6th, but if you do it while you're in the bottom half it takes on a whole different outlook.

Plus, of course, he was a twat. 

John, I disagree with your use of the word "was". Please always refer to the twat in the present tense.

[Concrete John]

He's no longer our twat, so is past tense to us.  And thank the living lord fuck for that!

[Macho Man Randy Savage]

Just looked up DOL on wikipedia, I see he's already lost his job at the UAE team.

[KevinGage]

The thing with DOL was it started with the usual 'promise low, deliver high' approach he had at Leeds, to try and keep the weight of expectation off, with the 'babies' becoming the 'honest bunch of lads'.  It was OK in that first season when we got to 6th, but if you do it while you're in the bottom half it takes on a whole different outlook.

Plus, of course, he was a twat. 

My take on it too.

Though when it really  went to shit in 2005/05 he couldn't help himself. The bigging up of opponents, the 'we're just little Villa' angle, competing with 'the Blackburn's and Charlton's of this world' all went into overdrive.

I did read a magazine article once about Carlton Cole, early part of the 2004/05 season and he said something like 'the gaffer has told us that when we enforce our natural game and get the ball down and play, not many sides can live with us,' so that defeatist gibberish wasn't dished out to the players. Not all the time anyroad.

[pauliewalnuts]

If nothing else this is the first time for some time we have a manager who actually wants to be here.

Of course he wants to be at VP
He was on the verge of being sacked at Small Heath and he doubled his wages at Villa.

Regardless of his status at SHA  DW's comment is very valid.
DOL did nothing but rubbish us and talk down our status as a Club. MON always gave the impression that he was much too good for us and just waiting  to grab his chance at Manue or Lpool. So it's good to see someone here who thinks that this is their "moment in life"

i disagree about mon - i think he realised and respected the villa tradition and history and i believe during his time here he was proud to manage aston villa.

I'd agree with that.

And now I'm off to scrub my face raw with disinfectant.