Mcleish - 'I Accepted the challenge'

[pauliewalnuts]

Whatever you think of McLeish, he's not stupid.

He'll be aware of the grumblings about the style of play, and aware that he needs to do something about it. We can't go on drawing matches forever.

[Risso]

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.

Well, you never know. Maybe he has.

As for the style of play argument, and accepting it's only five games into this season, we played some pretty dismal stuff under Houllier and O'Neil too, at times.

McLeish does seem like a solid, safe bet for the club at the moment, and thus far he does appear to have 'galvanised' the squad, which may not have been too easy. He's used the funds he did have well (although N'Zogbia hasn't, um, 'fired' as yet I'm sure he will...), and as an ambassador for the club I'd say he has made a good start. Unbeaten in the league isn't a bad start, either, although I do think we should have done a little bit better.

It's not beyond the realms of possibility that Randy Lerner actually does know what he's doing - by which I mean, a season or two of relative parsimony may well reap rewards in a year or two. Perhaps building a new squad bit by bit might pay off; a new centre-back in January, a new 'holding' midfielder in the summer....

A few 'ifs and buts' there, but I don't think things are as horrendous as all that.

The trouble with that theory is that as we've seen, time waits for no man, and that's especially true in the Premier League.  We've got an owner who after completely losing control of finances, is now implementing an emergency economy drive.  That's not good business sense or good planning, it's the only choice he basically has.  So, a crap owner with no business sense, a club with the finances out of control, and a manager with a reputation for relegations and playing poor football in the Premier League.  It's not the end of the world, but it's not going to sell any more tickets is it?

[oldtimernow]

Who else wanted to work with that bunch of whingeing  unprofessional moaners?

Word must have got around at the after match drinkies what it was like at VP, sorry but nothing will improve harmony there until the last of the MoN brigade goes out the door

[Greg N'Ash]

I see Hutton was in the sunday mercury slagging off 'arry redknapp. Very poor show if he hasn't shoehorned in a jibe at Houllier. The guy must have met him surely?

[citizenDJ]

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.

Well, you never know. Maybe he has.

As for the style of play argument, and accepting it's only five games into this season, we played some pretty dismal stuff under Houllier and O'Neil too, at times.

McLeish does seem like a solid, safe bet for the club at the moment, and thus far he does appear to have 'galvanised' the squad, which may not have been too easy. He's used the funds he did have well (although N'Zogbia hasn't, um, 'fired' as yet I'm sure he will...), and as an ambassador for the club I'd say he has made a good start. Unbeaten in the league isn't a bad start, either, although I do think we should have done a little bit better.

It's not beyond the realms of possibility that Randy Lerner actually does know what he's doing - by which I mean, a season or two of relative parsimony may well reap rewards in a year or two. Perhaps building a new squad bit by bit might pay off; a new centre-back in January, a new 'holding' midfielder in the summer....

A few 'ifs and buts' there, but I don't think things are as horrendous as all that.

The trouble with that theory is that as we've seen, time waits for no man, and that's especially true in the Premier League.  We've got an owner who after completely losing control of finances, is now implementing an emergency economy drive.  That's not good business sense or good planning, it's the only choice he basically has.  So, a crap owner with no business sense, a club with the finances out of control, and a manager with a reputation for relegations and playing poor football in the Premier League.  It's not the end of the world, but it's not going to sell any more tickets is it?

No, it's not, and no wonder. I'm not saying that it's all rosy, and in fact I'm fairly sure that for all the good intentions the board probably aren't as clued up on things as I'd like them to be - and the appointment of McLeish in my mind is, as you suggest, part of an emergency economy. If that's the route we're on, I'd much rather have taken a chance on Martinez or, better still, Quique Flores - at least there'd be an element of the unknown, or some better football on offer.

The most damaging thing over the summer (or the last couple, really) is the sense of predictability around us. I don't think we'll be relegated, I reckon we'll finish around tenth. And it'll be fairly dull getting there, I'd bet.

As you say, that won't sell tickets (I can't honestly say I'm inspired to spend whatever it is to get over there right now!). But if it leaves us better off in a year or so, then maybe it'll seem worth it. Maybe...but I have my doubts.

God, that's not really a great argument for the club at the moment, is it!?

[john e]

probably not all that relavent to the thread,
 but i saw a mate of mine this morning who is a West Ham fan,
 i said good result yesterday,  he pulled his face, and said its the first time he realised what life under Big Sam is going to be like, he's never felt so down coming out of the ground after winning, and he said most everyone else felt the same that he spoke to,

i know they havent had much to sing about for a few years, but i can understand how he's feeling,
 i support AM as he's the manager, i hope he can play a more expansive attacking game, i dont agree with the posters who think its been very negative so far, some of his line ups have been far from that,

 but its always that nagging feeling in the back of your mind that he will always revert to men behind one up front kill the game sort of tactics, as he depolyed with them next door.

[Rigadon]

I see Hutton was in the sunday mercury slagging off 'arry redknapp. Very poor show if he hasn't shoehorned in a jibe at Houllier. The guy must have met him surely?

chortle

[Iago]

Neville believes we are lucky and fortune to have him as manager 

[hawkeye]

A decent manager would have come away with 3 points today

[Chris Smith]

A decent manager would have come away with 3 points today

Yes, it was his fault that the linesman gave a goal kick instead of a corner and then from the resulting hoof we conceded an unlucky own goal.

[taylorsworkrate]

I think Mcleish made a big error in taking off Bannan, who was the best player on the pitch in the second half, and leaving on a poorly performing N'zogbia.  Bannan looked like he was going to create something, Nzogbia looked like he'd struggle to beat an egg.

If Bannan was injured then its understandable.  He didn't look it from his reaction though.

On a positive note, Mcleish must have read them the riot act at half time.  Although we'd have struggled to be as bad as the first half.

[Chris Smith]

Just tiredness with Bannan I thought.

[taylorsworkrate]

Just tiredness with Bannan I thought.

Bannan didn't look like he thought he was tired though.  He was shaking his head when he came off. 

Bit worrying if he was tired after 70 minutes.  How old is he? 21?

[Chris Smith]

Just tiredness with Bannan I thought.

Bannan didn't look like he thought he was tired though.  He was shaking his head when he came off. 

Bit worrying if he was tired after 70 minutes.  How old is he? 21?

He'd played on Tuesday too, nothing wrong with trying to look after the youngsters.

[taylorsworkrate]

Just tiredness with Bannan I thought.

Bannan didn't look like he thought he was tired though.  He was shaking his head when he came off. 

Bit worrying if he was tired after 70 minutes.  How old is he? 21?

He'd played on Tuesday too, nothing wrong with trying to look after the youngsters.

I agree to a certain extent with looking after the youngsters.  Just thought that Bannan was having a vital effect for us in the game.  I think his substitution meant we lost a bit of control and calmness on the ball.  QPR struggled to handle the movement and passing of Bannan and Ireland in the second half.