Mcleish - 'I Accepted the challenge'

[Dave Clark Five]

I cannot understand why so many people, who are not Blues fans, have such an intimate knowledge of McLeish's career.

[The Moose]

I have a small knowledge of his career, and am willing to give him a chance.

Saunders wasn't exactly an overnight success.

But it was worth the wait....

[PeterWithesShin]

I'd have thought most football fans have decent knowledge of all managers in the same division as their club, and that most pay a bit more attention to what's happening at their local rivals than they do to most other clubs.

[Dave Clark Five]

I'd have thought most football fans have decent knowledge of all managers in the same division as their club, and that most pay a bit more attention to what's happening at their local rivals than they do to most other clubs.

They should have forgotten about them when they went into the 3rd Divison instead of showing so much interest in them instead of putting their energy towards Villa.

[kippaxvilla2]

Explain Hughton. Getting Newcastle promoted was a piece of piss given the players they had, a much easier job than getting Blues up.

Everyone is so one eyed about McLeish's record, yes they went down last season but they also won a cup and had their best ever PL finish the season before. He's also got decent achievements from his time in Scotland and not just with Rangers. So it's a mixed record, not the unmitigated disaster that is being suggested. He's also, seemingly, a thoroughly decent and likeable man.

He wasn't my first choice, far from it, but now he's here he's got my backing and I'm not going to undermine him and therefore the club by bitching and whinging about it every 5 minutes.

When Hughton was sacked on 7th December 2010, Newcastle were 11th in the league and 5 places better off than Villa, the previous week they had been 9th, having gained a 1-1 draw at Chelsea.  They also had in that season impressively beaten Villa by 6 goals to 0 - they ended up finishing 12th with a new manager and over half the season left -  at the very least he was a very promising manager in my view and he attacked, which is more than you can say than Alex 'Hard to Beat' McLeish.

[pauliewalnuts]

Incidentally, whilst I think it is harsh and narrow minded of people to slaughter the manager five league games in, I think it equally narrow minded to reach for the "you're only saying that because of who he used to manage" script when people do moan about what they've seen so far.

I agree with much, not all but much, of your post, Paulie, but strongly disagree with this bit. I have absolutely no doubt that there would be far more patience shown if it wasn't for who he was formerly employed by. I'm not saying it's the only reason and I'm not saying it is true of everyone but the Small Heath factor does make a difference.

You're right, I'm sure it does make a difference, I think the main difference will be that he's going to get far less leeway than, say, Houllier did when things start going badly wrong.

I do strongly think, though, that it's silly both to slate him for where he was before and also to use that as a reason to write off criticism of him. His former employers should be used neither as a stick to beat him with or as a reason to discount what people may see as valid criticism of him.

[PeterWithesShin]

I'd have thought most football fans have decent knowledge of all managers in the same division as their club, and that most pay a bit more attention to what's happening at their local rivals than they do to most other clubs.

They should have forgotten about them when they went into the 3rd Divison instead of showing so much interest in them instead of putting their energy towards Villa.

I would have thought that having knowledge of football in general and of your local rivals has fuck all to do with putting energy into following your own club.

And God forbid, most of my mates support local clubs so when we talk football I hear what's going on at their clubs.

[hawkeye]

Mcleish is a symptom of where the club is at, not the cause.
He represents the ambition of the owner.

[Compass]

I don't think it makes a difference that he came over from Blues and here's why. Just imagine if the board hired Avram Grant instead of Alex McLeish. I think the fans would be equally be less patient with him seeing as he tooken down 2 clubs in the Premier League. Another proven example was Steve McClaren who we didn't want.

If Alex McLeish finished Blues in the top half in 4 seasons in a row (with silverware) and then went to us, I think alot of fans will have faith with him. I sure would.

Fact is, he isn't good at at all. He had a bigger net spend than Wigan and they also played better open attacking football. There's a reason why the board chose Martinez before McLeish.

I'll tell you another manager who would have been good and available seeing as we were cutting costs. Di Matteo. He was available before becoming the assistant manager of Chelsea and had to work in a serious budget at West Brom. He would have been interesting that's for sure. I thought he was unfairly sacked at West Brom despite the bad run seeing as he got them promoted and played good attacking football including a good victory away at the Emirates and a draw at Old Trafford (the only match Man Utd didn't win at home that season). He could have turned it round unlike McLeish who has failed twice.

No idea why the board overlooked him. Again, I'll put it down to them being clueless and out of their depth. I like Randy Lerner, but he seriously needs to hire a new group of people who know what they're doing.

[PeterWithesShin]

My Albion supporting best mate reckons the bad run they were on was far from the main reason they got rid of Di Matteo. The fact he was touting himself for other jobs while at WBA didn't impress the board for some reason.

No idea how true that is but have no reason not to believe it either.

[villaparkb6]

I make no apology for wanting the best possible candidate to bring success to my club - it is a shame as will be proved over time and once again that Alex McLeish is not that candidate.

As I said, he isn't going to be given a chance as you've already made up your mind. So what happens is everything he says or does is criticised and twisted to turn it into something negative because you're desperate to be "proved" right.

you and your fellow sympathizers must surely realize that this was always going to happen, when you employ a manager which totally splits the supporter base ( especially one from our bitterest rivals) it can NEVER be good for the football club as a whole, he will be given a chance by the few but the underlying trend is one of the majority waiting for McLeish to fail, and this is why Lerner should have known better, and he should not have been signed, for the good of Aston Villa Football Club, this appointment would never have happened anywhere else in football , and shows our american owners lack of understanding of our traditions ( in america it is considered kudos to steal your rivals coach) McLeish will have to be the best manager of recent times to be accepted, which even you know he wont, so he is doomed to fail, just think how good he could be with a chairman who backed him.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I don't give a flying fuck where he came from. Although I suppose it would add to the piss taking pot if we took their most successful manager in living memory and he led us to some success.

All I care about is what he does for us, and so far he's just about done ok, which given our fixture list to date isn't overly inspiring. So put me firmly in the "sitting on the fence" section of our support. I assume it's where most of our support currently is regarding him.

Exactly. It's not fucking rocket science but when you have complete and utter morons critisising every single word he says, you'll always opt for the non-moron side. I want to see what he can do with the existing squad, shit, it's not that bad, there's plenty of room to show what he's about. Hide behind the wage cuts etc and there's plenty out there that would jump at the challenge.

For now, I'm prepared to give him my support, afterall, he is the manager of the team I love. That support is not unlimited, I have my expectations but to read some of the shit thrown against the man, it really is embarrassing.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'd have thought most football fans have decent knowledge of all managers in the same division as their club, and that most pay a bit more attention to what's happening at their local rivals than they do to most other clubs.

Sure but as we know, it makes no difference what manager you put in front of that rabble, they're always going to be shit. They're a poxy little club, always have been, always will be. What's with the obsession?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Mcleish is a symptom of where the club is at, not the cause.
He represents the ambition of the owner.

Whisper it but Lerner thinks he's found our own David Moyes and for half the price.

[Rigadon]

Mcleish is a symptom of where the club is at, not the cause.
He represents the ambition of the owner.

Whisper it but Lerner thinks he's found our own David Moyes and for half the price.

Yep.

On your earlier point, I find myself rooting for McLeish more with every lobotomy-inducing 'blue nose *insert expletive*' comment.   I think and hope that most of us are fair minded enough to give the bloke a fair crack.