If McLeish was sacked, who would you want in?

[Rick_avfc]

I remember when the manager hunt was on and villa fans grumbled at every name that was mentioned (Hughes, Martinez, Rafa, Mclaren) someone said to me (and I also heard it on the radio - think it was talksport) that you should be careful what you wish for and look what happened?  Mcleish was named manager!  He will not get the sack for sure.  Even if he takes us down.  It was the owners decision so he will stick by it unless there is another mass protest for him to be sacked ( i fear that wont make a difference).  If, by some miracle, that Eck gets the boot come Jan then I would like to see us go for Mark Hughes (who I have never had a prob with), Rafa Benitez (unfortunately, there talks of him going to PSG), Hiddink (YEAH RIGHT!!!) or maybe even approach Martinez again.  Knowing our luck, we could end up with Steve effing Bruce.

[Merv]

Some Villa fans... personally, I'd have happily accepted the first three names you mentioned. But I agree, McLeish is going nowhere.

[Rick_avfc]

Some Villa fans... personally, I'd have happily accepted the first three names you mentioned. But I agree, McLeish is going nowhere.

Sorry, yes, I did mean to say some villa fans.  I thinking my brain was working faster than my typing skills this morning

[dazzyg]

Strange isn't it how some fans earlier in the season were getting on the backs of the fans who said McLEISH wasnt the right man for the job I was very vocal in not wanting him now more people are agreeing with us. What a shame this lame excuse for a manager has ruined our famous club. We are going to be bottom four by end of the year and we are going nowhere apart from down. McLeish has to go now .

[jembob]

I honestly look at that squad and think we should be in the shake up for Europe. 

I honestly look at the squad and think how the did the club manage to conspire to get us in this mess with an average at best squad and players who have lost their way as professional footballers...all of whom are more than happy to take home their ridiculous salaries. If we're being honest, theres a big difference between optimism and reality...the reality is that our squad was in urgent need of strengthening rather than weakening, and we are left with dross which is clearly reflected on the pitch.

The reality is that the majority of our players on the pitch on Saturday have played at international level. Their potential is significantly more than what we have seen from them but that also applied to MON's time here too. For the life of me I can't see what is so difficult in organising a team of players of this standard to at least pass the ball and move into space to get it back. We see lesser teams doing it with journeymen players so it seems criminal to me that the talent which we do have is squandered in this way. I agree that if our squad was properly managed we would be in the mix for Europe but as it is I can see us flirting with relegation again in the new year.

[Concrete John]

I think the thing about the manager is that whoever it is is secondary to our financial situation right now.  We're presently sitting 9th, which, for all the talk about AM's style of play and tactics, is probably about where we should be given our squad.  We can only genuinely expect better results with more money, which doesn't seem likely right now.  A new manager may get an initial response and improve things, but unless it's a really top man, who wouldn't come unless there WAS money to spend, we'd eventually level back out to where we are now.

So the question Randy is faced with is whether getting us playing a style more people are happy with is worth the expense of a managerial change?  Because if you're expecting us to get transformed back into a top 6 side by a new man then forget it.

[Rick_avfc]

If i'm honest with you then I have no probs with villa finishing 8th/9th this season but I would like to see some passion and some entertaining football.  I'm pretty sure that a lot of fans could take losing in games if we showed some passion and played decent footy but this clearly isn't happening.  Is it the manager's style?  probably yes! Yes he picked what on paper looked like an attacking line up (4-3-3) but for what I could make out (and i'm no expert or coach) we were playing more 4-5-1.  I mean, Mcleish is known for his boring, defensive long ball football and this clearly showed on saturday.  I mean look what happened when we kicked off the 1st half.  It was passed to collins who decided that he would hoof it up top to Bent!  When are these players going to realise that Bent is not a target man and you can expect him to hold the ball up if it is hoofed up field to him.  The likes of Vidic and Rio were always going to win those aerial battles.  If Eck wants to deploy that style of footy then I'm sorry, he has to play heskey up top with Bent in a 4-4-2 formation so that Heskey is the target man.  People are getting on the back of Bent which I personally feel is unfair.  There are different types of strikers and he is the one that needs to be supplied with through balls or even crosses from the byline.  I know alot of people will disagree with me on this but its just my opinion.

[UsualSuspect]

I think the thing about the manager is that whoever it is is secondary to our financial situation right now.  We're presently sitting 9th, which, for all the talk about AM's style of play and tactics, is probably about where we should be given our squad.  We can only genuinely expect better results with more money, which doesn't seem likely right now.  A new manager may get an initial response and improve things, but unless it's a really top man, who wouldn't come unless there WAS money to spend, we'd eventually level back out to where we are now.

So the question Randy is faced with is whether getting us playing a style more people are happy with is worth the expense of a managerial change?  Because if you're expecting us to get transformed back into a top 6 side by a new man then forget it.

We may be 9th but we head 4 clubs on 16 points by goal difference and are 6 points away from the bottom 3 and 7 points away from 7th.

For all the talk of Wolves being relegation candidates they are only 2 points behind us as after our next 5 games I fully expect us to be in the bottom 5.

Unfortunately AM is going nowhere

[Monty]

If i'm honest with you then I have no probs with villa finishing 8th/9th this season but I would like to see some passion and some entertaining football.  I'm pretty sure that a lot of fans could take losing in games if we showed some passion and played decent footy but this clearly isn't happening.  Is it the manager's style?  probably yes! Yes he picked what on paper looked like an attacking line up (4-3-3) but for what I could make out (and i'm no expert or coach) we were playing more 4-5-1.  I mean, Mcleish is known for his boring, defensive long ball football and this clearly showed on saturday.  I mean look what happened when we kicked off the 1st half.  It was passed to collins who decided that he would hoof it up top to Bent!  When are these players going to realise that Bent is not a target man and you can expect him to hold the ball up if it is hoofed up field to him.  The likes of Vidic and Rio were always going to win those aerial battles.  If Eck wants to deploy that style of footy then I'm sorry, he has to play heskey up top with Bent in a 4-4-2 formation so that Heskey is the target man.  People are getting on the back of Bent which I personally feel is unfair.  There are different types of strikers and he is the one that needs to be supplied with through balls or even crosses from the byline.  I know alot of people will disagree with me on this but its just my opinion.

Completely agree, Rick. It's not just that the football is bad, it's that he doesn't even seem to know how to do it properly. If you're going to sit back and hope to break on the counter, then you have to play a system with two strikers. The deep midfielders then have more of an option for the out-ball, and the striker who gets it already has someone in support. Add to that wingers who support quickly and you've got a break on your hands. McLeish, however, just isolates a player who's far from suited to this role then, even though he's probably picked the best side on paper, hoofs the ball over the heads of a talented midfield to the unsuited Bent, who can obviously do nothing about it. It's perplexing.

[Concrete John]

It's not just that the football is bad, it's that he doesn't even seem to know how to do it properly.

The thing about McLeish's Scotland and Blues sides, when they were at their best, is that they were very professional looking outfits with all the players working hard and well organised.  The typical 'difficult to beat' team.  That's what I was expecting, but thus far we haven't really seen that.

[Merv]

Because if you're expecting us to get transformed back into a top 6 side by a new man then forget it.

I agree, John. Top six has long gone, unless there's a radical change on the strategy and investment front.

As we stand now, I simply see us treading water, playing stifling football, which is already establishing us as one of the most negative teams in the league. We'll lose the one or two top-class players we have this way.

I'd prefer it if we just set our stall out, hired a young (actually not really even young) and progressive manager who really can work with our younger players as well and get us playing decent football. I can live with us being in mid-table for the next couple of years at least if I felt we were moving in the right direction. I just don't think AM has the tools to do this. I see our younger players (well, they're 22, 23 now) in and out of the side, or not used at all, and don't see them or the team being developed as they should.

We still have that over-reliance on a handful of senior players who are not performing, yet seem almost undroppable.

I'd love us have the courage to pick a manager, based not on PL experience but footballing ethos, and go, 'right this is us, this our team for the rest of the season - we'll have ups and downs but bear with us':

                                             Given

Lichaj                       Cuellar                 Clark               Warnock/Stevens

                              Gardner                Delph           

                                           Bannan

                Agbonlahor           Bent         N'Zogbia

Subs from: Guzan, Herd, Dunne, Baker, Stevens, Albrighton, Ireland, Delfouneso, Weimann, Burke, Graham, Lowry

[Chris Smith]

Is that squad drastically inferior to the likes of Fulham, Everton, Newcastle, Sunderland, Stoke and co? 

No, now look at the league table and other than Newcastle who have hugely over performed we're pretty much of a muchness.

[SoccerHQ]

I think he might be sacked if we don't win on Saturday and then lose our next 4 which could well happen.

That would then be a run of 1 win in 12 games.

The problem I have with this though is I'd have very little confidence in Lerner to find a capable alternative, he'd be straight on the phone to Steve Bruce imo!

[Rick_avfc]

The problem I have with this though is I'd have very little confidence in Lerner to find a capable alternative, he'd be straight on the phone to Steve Bruce imo!

totally agree!

[QBVILLA]

In the summer my first pick was Paul lambert and i haven't changed my mind on that.