Can we have our club back please

[Oscar Arce]

Great post and exactly how I feel.
I have a season ticket this season, my 25th consecutive year, but it shall be my last.
There is a cancer in our club and we are sleepwalking into oblivion and it's a long way back.
I have seen it before many times and it's happening again.
Football is crap, no ambition, lack of leadership, players don't seem to care, it is like groundhog day, in short we are going absolutely nowhere.
I don't know what the answer is but I know I have lost it thgis season is the final straw for me, it killed me financially to buy two season tickets this season and we have to accept that, and the white flag.
No thanks.

[pauliewalnuts]

Houllier goes -and he had to go-   and we opt for McLeish. Where is the continuity, the strategy?   RL talks about being impressed with Big Ecks passion for the game, how engaging he is and how he buys into the importance of making the most of our youth team. I can well believe McLeish is engaging. I can well believe McLeish also told him what he wanted to hear.  But a quick glance at the clubs he's managed previously doesn't mark him out as a boss who likes to give youth (or flair)  it's chance.

The fact that they were interested in Martinez also speaks volumes about the lack of direction.  I'm not buying the lie about McLeish being identified early on as the sort of manager Lerner had set his stall out for, when Martinez, a completely different sort of manager altogether, would almost certainly have been our manager if he'd decided to speak to us.  Or before that, if Benitez had said that he'd be content with little money to spend, he'd have probably been offered the job as well.

I don't believe it for a moment, but the very thought that early on in their candidate seeking process they identified McLeish as the number one is possibly the most terrifying indicator of cluelessness I've heard yet.

[ozzjim]

Houllier goes -and he had to go-   and we opt for McLeish. Where is the continuity, the strategy?   RL talks about being impressed with Big Ecks passion for the game, how engaging he is and how he buys into the importance of making the most of our youth team. I can well believe McLeish is engaging. I can well believe McLeish also told him what he wanted to hear.  But a quick glance at the clubs he's managed previously doesn't mark him out as a boss who likes to give youth (or flair)  it's chance.

The fact that they were interested in Martinez also speaks volumes about the lack of direction.  I'm not buying the lie about McLeish being identified early on as the sort of manager Lerner had set his stall out for, when Martinez, a completely different sort of manager altogether, would almost certainly have been our manager if he'd decided to speak to us.  Or before that, if Benitez had said that he'd be content with little money to spend, he'd have probably been offered the job as well.

I don't believe it for a moment, but the very thought that early on in their candidate seeking process they identified McLeish as the number one is possibly the most terrifying indicator of cluelessness I've heard yet.

it is enough to make you think Randy has grown to dislike the fans and this is his punishment!

[KevinGage]

I don't swallow it either.

I think it was you Paulie that made the point that if he had been a promising up and coming manager, highly coveted and just so happened to be at the B-lose, that wouldn't have put most of the fanbase off.   Afterall, quite a few were keen on Foster and Dann.

If anything, it would have made it even sweeter.

But brilliant interview aside (and it must have been)  I don't see how anything in his background to date marked him out as being an adequate candidate.

That whole process (and the one that led to the GH appointment) was farcical though.  In the latter, we seemed to be treating the job like a vacancy for McJobs- interviewing non-entities such as Curbishley and other oddballs.  In the former, we asked for permission to speak to Martinez. Very noble, but it might have been worthwhile to ascertain (through intermediaries/ third parties or whatever) that Martinez might actually want the job in the first place.

[Clampy]

I personally feel that there's been a bit of an over-reaction from a few on here today. Understandably i might add and there's a lot of truth that's been spoken, but a bit of an over-reaction in some quarters all the same.

Last night was our third league defeat, the others being against an outstanding Man City side and unfortunatley a derby, a game we were doing ok in until Phil Dowd intervened.

Last night was McCleish's first real big howler since taking over (although Bolton was'nt pretty). He got it horribly wrong and we've got to hope he realises how wrong he got it.

I think we should get to the end of the year and look at it then, that's fair i think but he's not going to get away with many more team selections and perfomances like that.

[Rigadon]

I personally feel that there's been a bit of an over-reaction from a few on here today. Understandably i might add and there's a lot of truth that's been spoken, but a bit of an over-reaction in some quarters all the same.

Last night was our third league defeat, the others being against an outstanding Man City side and unfortunatley a derby, a game we were doing ok in until Phil Dowd intervened.

Last night was McCleish's first real big howler since taking over (although Bolton was'nt pretty). He got it horribly wrong and we've got to hope he realises how wrong he got it.

I think we should get to the end of the year and look at it then, that's fair i think but he's not going to get away with many more team selections and perfomances like that.

I'd agree with most of that.  Knee-jerk to want him sacked but there is doubt there about AM that wasn't there previously to last nights game for me.   I worry that he seemed to freeze a bit.  The line up was obviously wrong after about 5 minutes and it took him another hour to change it - the fact he sent the same side out is bizarre.

I don't care to see Heskey or Hutton in our midfield again.  Neither do I think Collins should start again for a while.  If he plays any of them in these positions again he's mental.

As for those wanting their club back, last night was as dire a performance as I can remember but howe are we any less connected to the club than we were yesterday?  I guess it just felt like the last straw for some, such was the humiliation of the gap in quality (and it was 'only' Spurs). 

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Houllier goes -and he had to go-   and we opt for McLeish. Where is the continuity, the strategy?   RL talks about being impressed with Big Ecks passion for the game, how engaging he is and how he buys into the importance of making the most of our youth team. I can well believe McLeish is engaging. I can well believe McLeish also told him what he wanted to hear.  But a quick glance at the clubs he's managed previously doesn't mark him out as a boss who likes to give youth (or flair)  it's chance.

The fact that they were interested in Martinez also speaks volumes about the lack of direction.  I'm not buying the lie about McLeish being identified early on as the sort of manager Lerner had set his stall out for, when Martinez, a completely different sort of manager altogether, would almost certainly have been our manager if he'd decided to speak to us.  Or before that, if Benitez had said that he'd be content with little money to spend, he'd have probably been offered the job as well.

I could see the continuity of bringing in Martinez, he tries to get his teams playing a passing game, something Houllier tried to introduce. It's pretty basic stuff but something we've failed to do for years. But how we got from Martinez to McLeish I'll never know. It was a step back to MON style, something I thought the board realised we had to move on from. Pointless, especially when there was no money to throw around.

This season should have been about introducing the kids, not that they're kids anymore and I can't see the likes of Bannan, Delph, Clark and Albrighton hanging around in the summer if they haven't been given a chance. The ironic point is these players already know how to play decent football, they're tailor made for our objectives.

For me the biggest mistake the board made apart from not getting the right type of manager, was to allow him to bring his own team in. I'd be far happier to see Kevin MacDonald sitting alongside McLeish that his mate Peter Grant. Add to that Sid working on the coaching, we could have made a 'Villa man' out of McLeish. He appears to have the man-management skills but by bringing his baggage with him from the Sty, he's never going to get the tactical side right.

Whilst I think it's unfair to judge McLeish purely on what he did at the Sty, he had very limited resources and his objective was mainly to keep them up, I would have hoped that we would be a little bit more ambitious with our objectives. My concern today is that we're approaching the end of November and we still don't have a settled side, we're accomodating players into a system that really doesn't work and I don't really see the kids being given the chance they deserve.

[Villanation]

Talking to a couple of mates who where at the game last night, Spurs fans, they came right out and said that was the worse Villa side they have seen in a very long time, probably ever, they actually thought we where so weak when the Spuds came out in the 2nd half they had trouble motivating the Spuds side forward and finish us of as we shown no resistance, after Spurs sat back a bit then we came forward.

They where also of the opinion that we would have a hell of a job keeping Bent in Jan and if Gabby decided he was fighting a lost cause we would lose him also.

Putting your best foot forward as you do I pointed out had Bent have scored in the first few mins the game could have looked very different.

You gotta laugh..

RL, has to sit up and take notice, this side is going nowhere other than possibly down, its up to him, he knows full well if he decided to to let AM go the vast majority of Villa fans would back him right now, he may have doubted the wisdom of that at the start putting it down to taking a manager from our rival club, but he must see now that we are only going one way.

Anything less than 3pts at the weekend and I would expect AM to do the honourable thing and say "this is not going to work", and go.

[Fasth56]

Evidently and by his own words Lerner went through 20 people in order to get to Mcleish, so presumabley the ones he wanted to interview must have been very near the top.

So Martinez, hardly set the world on fire at Wigan, won one game all year and he thinks the team is playing really well.

McClaren, managed to get Forest from play off hopefuls last year to bottom of championship this.

Bernitez, obviously he wanted money to manage and that was never on the cards

Hughes, not been employed since leaving Fulham, not interviewed

Mcleish, I couldn't care if we played defensively every game and won 1 - 0 with some semblence of tactics, however we don't.

Lerner has cocked up big time and looking at the list of prospective candidates he identified then he lacks any credence in making a football decision. As a business man surely the loss he would take getting relegated means he has to invest in order to preserve our premier status.

[ROBBO]

Some people still don't get it, we ended up with AM because he was the only one that would come knowing all the restrictions and the fact we were going to sell top players. Name another top manager that would have come? and don't think these managers don't get to here whats on offer before an interview it would have been common knowledge among their agents, no wonder Martinez didn't want to be interviewed. The set up against Spurs was cowardly and disrespectfull to the travelling Villa supporters.If we have any kid that shows he is a bit special he will be picked off by the top clubs.

[Shrek]

I disagree Clampy,

He has got an easy ride because of our easy fixtures, he picks bizarre teams and continues with Heskey, who yes try's a lot but is not a midfielder full stop.

Add to this, we are back to not giving the youngsters a look in, he has one game plan which is negative and keeps accusing his players of been afraid while showing his own fears in his resistance to play creative players and negative selections.

We have played 2 good games against Wigan and Norwich, Wigan are shite and Norwich was the Gabby show.

We seem to be in a cycle of just beating the shit, struggle against mediocracy and then getting hammered by the top 6.


We are now Birmingham City playing in Clret and Blue, a sad fact, which will result in one thing Relegation.

[ez]

Realistically we are unlikely to get anything against the top sides as the gulf is big. However its never impossible because thats football. You don't always have to be the better side to win but you've got to try. If we don't compete and take the game to the opposition whenever possible we give ourselves no chance.

[Montys Bro]

He got the Job partly because of 'a good reputation within the game', which I guessed meant 'Ferguson rates him'. This was confirmed by Faulkner, but ferguson is nice about all his ex-players, we have to think for ourselves. PF also said that we are trying to copy Man City with their big f**kers. Problem is Ferguson isn't a good manager because of his rough, glaswegian (sp) shipbuilding upbringing, it's because he's a very good manager, and Man City aren't a good team cos they're players are big, silva, milner, aguero etc etc are all tiny. We are clueless from top to bottom

[ROBBO]

I don't see why Mcleish is getting all the heat, if you were in his shoes you would have jumped at the chance to manage Villa at double the salary. Who employed him? if you want to be critical blame the people who put him there, Mcleish is a crap manager but it seem everyone knew that exept Randy.

[brian green]

It is tempting to say we have never been so bad or that things have never looked so bad but neither is true.   We have been ten times worse than last night and we have been in situations ten times more depressing.

However, there is one factor which is unique to our present predicament and I can only describe it as schizophrenia.   I will mention a few examples of things which illustrate opposing forces which are tearing the club apart.

Alex McLeish came from Birmingham City.   The vast majority of us don't give a flying fuck where he came from but the standard perceived wisdom is that we do not like him because of where he came from.   Thus any opinion of him is skewed by incorrect popular uninformed opinion.

We have a stream of young players coming through.   They are not given adequate opportunities.   When the relegation battles begin McLeish will be even more scared to give youth a chance.

Alex McLeish is a decent man who handles the media well and is very sure footed in matters of public relations.   In actual playing matters he is a rabbit in the headlights.   Scared shitless, tentative and dysfunctional.   

We have two of the most potent front men in the Premiership but have the second lowest total of shots on target.

We had a massive blood letting over the punch up at the bonding weekend but the principal culprits of that fiasco still stamp their hoofball on every game we play.

We are told that the big wage earners must be off the balance sheet before more money can be spent on players yet one of the biggest wages cheques goes to Emile Heskey who is clearly having the team shaped around getting him into it while the manager has effectively promised him a new contract.

Jean II Makoun was given seven games to prove himself before being shipped out.   Ireland looks well on the way to getting seven seasons to show something.

I could go on.   Everywhere there are contradictions.

I have seen the team much worse but I have not seen them playing so badly when there is potentially a great deal going for them.   The cupboard is not bare it is just locked and nobody wants to look for the key.