If McLeish was sacked, who would you want in?

[lukey27]

What concerns me is our lack of goals and in general lack of chances created. Fair enough we've only lost against the current Top 3, but we've also failed to score from open play against Fulham, Swansea, Wolves and QPR.

16 goals scored so far and 8 of those against Norwich, Wigan and Blackburn. So 8 goals in the other 11 is worrying. So far Mcleish shows no sign of ringing those changes he's promised, what does Collins have to do to get dropped, when is Gabby going to play up front, there's genuine issues and at the moment he seems to be trotting out the same old lines after every match.

But he won't be sacked.

[Rick_avfc]

I think the manager is scared to ring the changes.  I think we need to be playing 4-4-2 with Gabby and Bent leading the line. either that or Bent/Heskey or Gabby/Heskey.  I only say Heskey as knowing Ecks style of play, it will be lumped up top all the time and neither Bent or Gabby can do that job.

[UsualSuspect]

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

Totally agree with Merv

Our youngsters aren't so young any more and what does it say so someone like Clark when he sees Ivanhoe and petrov playing week week out and doing the same old shit?

Blame for our current predicament lies firmly at RL's door.

Fuck me we even paid compo for the tosser

[N'ZMAV]

Lerner put his bollocks on the line to appoint McLeish, therefore there is no way I believe he will sack him. He's in this for the immediate and medium term future, we don't like it, obviously, and things have to change somewhere, but replacing McLeish isn't going to happen.

[Risso]

Lerner put his bollocks on the line to appoint McLeish, therefore there is no way I believe he will sack him. He's in this for the immediate and medium term future, we don't like it, obviously, and things have to change somewhere, but replacing McLeish isn't going to happen.

I agree with you, but things may change if we ever do get into the position whereby relegation looks like a possibility.  I can't see another Darren Bent type signing being sanctioned to save us this year.

[NeilH]

Lerner put his bollocks on the line to appoint McLeish, therefore there is no way I believe he will sack him. He's in this for the immediate and medium term future, we don't like it, obviously, and things have to change somewhere, but replacing McLeish isn't going to happen.

I would bet that like many other multi-millionaires he will not like to be proven wrong and even less be told ‘’I told you so’’ by a bunch of football fans. McLeish is going absolutely nowhere, so we can either like it or lump it..... Harsh I know, but no manner of protests or gnashing of teeth is going to alter this one in the near or worse still medium term future.

The only glimmer of hope is that come next summer we will have a cleanup of dead wood of the likes we have not seen in some time. I am just hoping that once this deadwood is cleared out that the club makes clear their strategy instead of wibbling on with stupid platitudes about chasing European football.

[pauliewalnuts]

Lerner put his bollocks on the line to appoint McLeish, therefore there is no way I believe he will sack him. He's in this for the immediate and medium term future, we don't like it, obviously, and things have to change somewhere, but replacing McLeish isn't going to happen.

I agree with you, but things may change if we ever do get into the position whereby relegation looks like a possibility.  I can't see another Darren Bent type signing being sanctioned to save us this year.

Last year we had an identifiable problem scoring goals.

This year, the problems seem to be a bit wider than that. A squad who look like they don't give a shit, and a manager who is doing what he likes to do.

I don't think there's a realistic signing we could make to turn that around.

[Chooch]

I dont think Randy would sack him even if we went down!!

[Greg N'Ash]

Lerner put his bollocks on the line to appoint McLeish, therefore there is no way I believe he will sack him. He's in this for the immediate and medium term future, we don't like it, obviously, and things have to change somewhere, but replacing McLeish isn't going to happen.

I would bet that like many other multi-millionaires he will not like to be proven wrong and even less be told ‘’I told you so’’ by a bunch of football fans. McLeish is going absolutely nowhere, so we can either like it or lump it..... Harsh I know, but no manner of protests or gnashing of teeth is going to alter this one in the near or worse still medium term future.

The only glimmer of hope is that come next summer we will have a cleanup of dead wood of the likes we have not seen in some time. I am just hoping that once this deadwood is cleared out that the club makes clear their strategy instead of wibbling on with stupid platitudes about chasing European football.

multi-millionaire's hate losing money a darn sight more than losing face. If we're looking very iffy in January, then any sort of "AM or bust" policy may fly out the window once he looks at what a relegation will do to the balance sheet. Anything is possible in football.

[Rick_avfc]

RL definitely will not sack him as 1) he went out of his way to sign him and paid compensation for him & 2) When results didn't go our way last season and we were flirting with relegation, he stuck by GH despite fans putting up banners saying "Houllier out".

RL didn't listen to the hundreds of fans who took to the hotle end in the summer to protest against his appointment and i'm pretty sure he wont listen to them if they started chanting "mcleish out" in the coming matches.  we're doomed and can only hope teams like wigan, blackburn, bolton, Norwich, Sunderland etc keep losing to save us from being relegated.

[Ads]

Lerner put his bollocks on the line to appoint McLeish, therefore there is no way I believe he will sack him. He's in this for the immediate and medium term future, we don't like it, obviously, and things have to change somewhere, but replacing McLeish isn't going to happen.

I agree with you, but things may change if we ever do get into the position whereby relegation looks like a possibility.  I can't see another Darren Bent type signing being sanctioned to save us this year.

Last year we had an identifiable problem scoring goals.

This year, the problems seem to be a bit wider than that. A squad who look like they don't give a shit, and a manager who is doing what he likes to do.

I don't think there's a realistic signing we could make to turn that around.

I think the issue is actually narrower than that. The games where we've shurgged our shoulders, these being Man City, Spurs and Man United, I believe, have created a defeatist attitude and a fear mentality that has seeped into the very fabric of the squad.

Confidence is shot. It took us an hour to realise that Swansea were a bag of balls and actually have a go at them.

The other issue is that too many players have left without ever being replaced. In three seasons we're missing Young, Barry, Milner and Downing, a midfield that would give most sides outside the top three a bit of a going over.

N'Zogbia really needs to sort himself out too. While its not fair to ask him to do both Young and Downing's job, he can offer far more than he has.

[CJ]

Lerner put his bollocks on the line to appoint McLeish, therefore there is no way I believe he will sack him. He's in this for the immediate and medium term future, we don't like it, obviously, and things have to change somewhere, but replacing McLeish isn't going to happen.

I agree with you, but things may change if we ever do get into the position whereby relegation looks like a possibility.  I can't see another Darren Bent type signing being sanctioned to save us this year.

Last year we had an identifiable problem scoring goals.

This year, the problems seem to be a bit wider than that. A squad who look like they don't give a shit, and a manager who is doing what he likes to do.

I don't think there's a realistic signing we could make to turn that around.

Spot on Paulie. Last year we had pace and width but no-one to put the chances away. We had Young on one side, Downing on the other and the missing link was obvious. This year we're not creating the chances. So identifying a top winger to take players on and feed the ball to DB is one thing, and even if we could identify that player getting him to come to VP under McLeish is another. We're stuck with what we've got and I'm worried (unless Enda Stephens turns out to be a flying wing back of course)

[Vanilla]

This year we're not creating the chances. So identifying a top winger to take players on and feed the ball to DB is one thing, and even if we could identify that player getting him to come to VP under McLeish is another. We're stuck with what we've got and I'm worried (unless Enda Stephens turns out to be a flying wing back of course)
[/quote]

Problem you identified there is that we need two wingers. Don't know what is happening with N'Zogbia, and Albrighton now looks like his confidence is shot to pieces. Can't see Stephens coming in as a new boy in a poor team, stepping up to the pace of the EPL and hitting the ground running.

By the way, Jenas? That Harry Redknapp is a canny old so and so.

[VillaAlways]

By the way, Jenas? That Harry Redknapp is a canny old so and so.

I've read that he may be out for the rest of the season.Surely he will return to Spurs if this is the case ?

[Rick_avfc]

By the way, Jenas? That Harry Redknapp is a canny old so and so.

Regarding Jenas, if he is out for the rest of the season that means he will be back at spurs and they will have to start paying hi wages again (assuming we are coughing up for all of it) so not really a canny old so and so should he be returning to the spuds. 

I say Eck calls back JMII and play him in the Jenas role.  If Albrighton's confidence is shot then theres only one thing we can do, loan him out to a championship to play more games to help gain that confidence back.  Clearly, he wont be getting back while he is either sitting on the bench or playing with a bunch of clueless, long ball, cant string 5 passes togther, losers!