If McLeish was sacked, who would you want in?

[PeterWithesShin]

You'll be suggesting buying young cheap overseas players next Kevin. You have a lot to learn about the Villa way. *wink*

[KRS]

Talk of being in a false position in the league table is often used to describe teams placed lower than they should be; very rarely used in a context where a team is still in the top half by the skin of their teeth. I think its fair to say that the majority of fans have conducted themselves very well given the appointment of AM and given him the benefit of the doubt, however the danger signs have been there for all to see for a couple of months now and the decline into the lower depths of the table is nearly upon us.

Admittedly he was been given a rough hand to play with...we've sold our best players and the players in the squad are average at best. Could another manager to do any better with what would be at his disposal? I have no idea if its down to poor training, tactics, ability, player attitudes or a combination of all, but I would like to think that another manager would have been able to string togther better results given the fixtures we've played and with a more attractive style of football. 

It is sometimes best to swallow your pride, and admit that your wrong and that you've made a mistake. It took a lot of balls (or blatant naievity) for Randy to appoint AM, lets just hope he's got the balls to step up and sack him before its too late for someone else to do anything about it.

[PeterWithesShin]

Does anything illustrate how shit the top flight is now better than the fact that 14 games into the season the side in 9th place has managed only 3 wins?

[Shoody]

Bent is bone idle

Covered more ground than any other player vs Swansea. We know what type of player he is but he isnt Bone Idle. Stats show that he is desperate for chances and is running his ass off to do it. I, like all Villa fans, would like him to be more involved in the game... but if he did that AND had his goal scoring record... he would have cost more than £24m. (and wouldn't be with us anyway)

[villan1975]

He is not going to be sacked.   He was the owner's personal choice after the total balls up made by the board with their initial blundering.

Even if we are relegated they will keep him on because they will be able to spin him as the manager who is best at getting out of the Championship.   As was already said we are between a rock and a hard place.   If he keeps us up its job done and he stays.  If we go down he becomes the man to get us back up again.   Classic Catch 22.

This is spot on and makes you feel a little unwell.

[Iago]

He is not going to be sacked.   He was the owner's personal choice after the total balls up made by the board with their initial blundering.

Even if we are relegated they will keep him on because they will be able to spin him as the manager who is best at getting out of the Championship.   As was already said we are between a rock and a hard place.   If he keeps us up its job done and he stays.  If we go down he becomes the man to get us back up again.   Classic Catch 22.

This is spot on and makes you feel a little unwell.

Sickening.

[Vanilla]

He is not going to be sacked.   He was the owner's personal choice after the total balls up made by the board with their initial blundering.

Even if we are relegated they will keep him on because they will be able to spin him as the manager who is best at getting out of the Championship.   As was already said we are between a rock and a hard place.   If he keeps us up its job done and he stays.  If we go down he becomes the man to get us back up again.   Classic Catch 22.

This is spot on and makes you feel a little unwell.

They club would rather stick their heads in the sand and bring it up come May hoping we had a strong finish to the season, rather than admit they have made a massive managerial mistake again.

[Compass]

He is not going to be sacked.   He was the owner's personal choice after the total balls up made by the board with their initial blundering.

Even if we are relegated they will keep him on because they will be able to spin him as the manager who is best at getting out of the Championship.   As was already said we are between a rock and a hard place.   If he keeps us up its job done and he stays.  If we go down he becomes the man to get us back up again.   Classic Catch 22.

This is spot on and makes you feel a little unwell.

They club would rather stick their heads in the sand and bring it up come May hoping we had a strong finish to the season, rather than admit they have made a massive managerial mistake again.

What's frustrating with the board is that they actually made a very good appointment with Houllier. He was a breath of fresh air compared to MON, but he had so much bad luck it was untrue. No pre-season, biggest injury crysis, deadwood throwing their toys out of the pram and causing a scene who remain in the fucking squad still, fans didn't give him a chance despite all his honours/league record and of course his health. The board also made the correct choice of backing him all the way or otherwise we may have gotten relegated.

But then they made a massive mistake sacking him. There was no need to. Gary Mac, his second man did a fantastic job at the end winning back to back wins against Arsenal and Liverpool. He could have carried on working with the team while Houllier could have worked behind the scenes getting rid of those troublemakers and bringing us to the modern football. But no, the board paid compensation to remove him for McLeish who they also they paid compensation. That's when the board became dead to me. What an utter shitstorm of a move. He is a worse version of MON bringing us back us to the dark ages. They shouldn't back him all the way because he is a proven failure with 2 Premier League relegations. I despise the ****** through all bullshit he makes up as well. We'll get relegated under him I'm sure of it. Right now he's doing worse here than he was at Blues last season. How the fuck is that possible? I want the fucker out.

[NeilH]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. There was a very clear remit for McLeish and that was to try and avoid relegating the club whilst the board performs a series of slash and burn on the squad. I don't think the board care one iota about how we as fans feel. They know that enough of us will turn up every week to watch this turgid rubbish, because we are errrr fans. Those that desert the club in droves have already been financially accounted for.
Before this season is out we will be playing to home gates of around 27-28,000 and should we get relegated I will bet the shirt on my back that McLeish will still be kept on in order to secure an ugly but effective return to the Premiership.

The only positive in this situation right now is that relegation or not, come the end of this season we will get rid of a lot of the non-performing useless wastes of oxygen that have partly contributed to our rapid decline. So let's all thank the board for their wonderful business model whilst we quickly look up the location of the new Brighton ground on Google Maps. Oh yeah and close this thread as McLeish departure is as likely as aliens landing in the serpentine car park.

[Chris Smith]

He won't be sacked and we won't be relegated.

Other than when we wrongly had to play with 10 men for an hour we've only lost to top 4 clubs, we look a different proposition against everyone else - perhaps because the players aren't overawed. I don't see us suddenly starting to struggle against the mid table teams so I I think we'll be comfortably mid table.

That probably won't be enough for many but that's the way the club is currently operating.

[Rigadon]

He won't be sacked and we won't be relegated.

Other than when we wrongly had to play with 10 men for an hour we've only lost to top 4 clubs, we look a different proposition against everyone else - perhaps because the players aren't overawed. I don't see us suddenly starting to struggle against the mid table teams so I I think we'll be comfortably mid table.

That probably won't be enough for many but that's the way the club is currently operating.

I don't think we'll go down either.  But, for me anyway,  the football we're playing is very very difficult to enjoy or even support.  Chris, do you think we're going to improve under AM?  I  must admitI'm starting to doubt it.  Meek surrender is unacceptable for a club the size of Villa. 

McLeish seems visibly perplexed on the touchline so what's going on?  Is he not getting his message across?  If so, what on earth is the message?   Are our players so utterly poor that week after week they are just not able to understand the plan? 

Who might replace him is a very tricky one indeed.  Hughes I suppose.

[Chris Smith]

Rigadon, we're a different team when we're playing Norwich or Sunderland to when we play Manu or Man City. I guess it's down to confidence and although the manager and coaches can help in the end it is a personal thing.

[Irish villain]

Would we lose face by sacking McLeish? We could gain face by going for a top manager and signalling that the good times are on the way back and that the ambition is still there.

Remember Spurs after sacking Jol and Ramos? They were terrible, got Harry in and the rest is history.

Why not us?

*runs for shelter*

[PeterWithe]

Randy would look ridiculous sacking McLeish now after sticking his fingers up at the fans by appointing him in the first place, any road the system and board personnel that decided he'd be the best man for the job is still in place.

[Locko]

Randy is a total numpty who appears hell bent on driving his investment into the ground to prove a point. McDuff and Turder both need to go now while the is still a club. As a wise man once said: 'there used to be a football club there...'
FFS SAKES BOTH GO!!!