McLeish out Chants / banners / protests

[NeilH]

I’d love to know who is going to turn around this sinking ship? It’s all very well protesting but let’s just say that Lerner has some moment of clarity and pulls the trigger. Who’s going to take over a team with a propensity to fire managers and with a squad full of aging nobodies, Championship quality kids and with the depth of an episode of Desperate Scousewives.
The problems at the club go way beyond McLeish and he just happens to be the poor fall guy left running the team when the board have decided to slash and burn to cut costs. Do you honestly think that McLaren, Martinez, Coyle or Hughes would do any better?
The only thing we as fans can do right now is cry to create some kind of atmosphere that makes attending VP less of a chore, something that worked effectively one season ago when these very debates were raging about Houllier. Maybe the players might respond, probably they won’t but paying your money to sit there in silence, bored s**tless seems a little odd to me.

[SX150]

We have half decent players that seem unable to put two passes together. Alot of this has to be down to the manager. The playing side of things is shambolic. There is no confidence, no desire, no expression etc etc. Any of the names mentioned would improve the situation but for me I would put Sid Cowans in charge. He may be too nice who knows but he would have them trying to play football how football should be played.

[Ads]

There is zero confidence within the players at this time. They’re afraid.

Creating a negative atmosphere will not help a performance turn up.

If you’re going to B6 tonight, then get behind the side come what may, save all the negativity and whinging for your family Christmas lunch. Be positive, be encouraging, just give it a go. It will be a cathartic experience.

[Chris Smith]

Alot of people could see this when McLeish was appointed. We had the big debate, decided we support "The Villa" and to get behind the team and give McLeish a chance. Worryingly all is turning out as expected. How long do you support the bloke for? I really wonder what happens in training and would love to hear what Sid Cowans makes of it all. I'm left just shaking my head watching Villa this season.

How long? You haven't even given him half a season

The period of grace a manager receives is getting shorter and shorter. At this rate the next bloke might get a week if he's lucky.

[Pete3206]

Regarding a potential managerial change at this stage, it didn't do Liverpool much harm last season. It wasn't working out and they took action. I'd like nothing better than McCleish to turn the mess around, but I fear that he's just not up for it. It's all very well taking about 'X-Factor' culture and the clamour for instant success, but you only have to look at McCleish's demenour to realise that he's suffering with no sign of recovery. Inevitable defeats like tonight and at Chelsea, make the home game against Swansea, the most important of the season. I can't see us getting anything at Stoke either. 1 or zero points in the next 3 puts us in some trouble I think.

[Fred]

He has not won the fans over with his football (Ex Small Heath does not help), nobody really wanted him in the first place and we are playing some dire football. If RL is going to change then he has to do it soon (by start of Jan12) and back his new manager in the transfer window. I am not sure RL knows football that well to make a decent choice so fear we are stuck with AMC until the end of the season and a relegation battle is on the cards.

[N'ZMAV]

McLeish has to have until the end of the season, but things have to change, some heads need knocking together. Some players need to change their attitude and focus properly. Some players, like Heskey need fucking off, some players like Hutton and Collins, need dropping for a bit, let's make them buck up their ideas till they actually deserve to play. We need to focus the side around talent like Herd, Clark, Albrighton, Agbonlahor, Bannan and even N'Zogbia.

[HOLTENDER]

In a funny way, the "rubbish" teams play better at the beginning of the season where the good teams start to click around now, so you could argue McLeish has not had that easy a fixture list.

That has to be the biggest load of tripe I have ever heard ...... unbelievable!

We have had the easiest start to a season for many a year. I for one expected to be where newcastle were a couple of games ago at least.

[pauliewalnuts]

Alot of people could see this when McLeish was appointed. We had the big debate, decided we support "The Villa" and to get behind the team and give McLeish a chance. Worryingly all is turning out as expected. How long do you support the bloke for? I really wonder what happens in training and would love to hear what Sid Cowans makes of it all. I'm left just shaking my head watching Villa this season.

How long? You haven't even given him half a season

The period of grace a manager receives is getting shorter and shorter. At this rate the next bloke might get a week if he's lucky.

I'd be tempted to give him longer if he hadn't demonstrated every single thing I was worried about in him, in spades, since the start of the season.

It's clearly not going to work out with him. This is what he does, this is his way of playing football, and I don't like it.

Call it impatience if you like, but hey, that's my opinion. I was prepared to give Houllier time because I thought he was aiming for the right thing. I don't think McLeish is. That's the difference

[Ad@m]

How long? You haven't even given him half a season

The period of grace a manager receives is getting shorter and shorter. At this rate the next bloke might get a week if he's lucky.

Alex Ferguson aside, name another manager that has been successful because they've had ages to get things right.  It doesn't happen.  Successful managers come in and do well.  Simple as.  Clubs do well pretty quickly when they appoint successful managers.  They don't need time.

What happened at Chelsea when Hiddink came in?  What happened at Inter when Mourinho got appointed?  What happened to us at the end of the 80s when Sir Graham got appointed?

On the flip side, Arsene's record gets steadily worse at Arsenal.

McLeish's record was plain to see for everyone before he was appointed.  With that starting point he had to be successful, quickly to justify the decision.  He hasn't been and the simple fact is he's won 25% of games despite us playing some shocking opposition.

We've got an average team and squad so shouldn't get relegated.  So let's get someone in who's going to play football we actually want to watch rather than the horrible anti-football that's served up at the moment.  Sunday was embarrassing the way that any time one of our players crossed the half-way line with the ball they had no-one in front of them to pass to and no idea what to do next.  I'm bored of it and given the ridiculous season ticket price rises we have every year I, and plenty of season ticket holders who sit around me, won't be wasting any more money on them next year unless something changes.

As for who to replace him - it's not easy.  But the longer we leave it and the worse things get, the harder it'll be to attract someone decent.

[Merv]

The period of grace a manager receives is getting shorter and shorter. At this rate the next bloke might get a week if he's lucky.

Agreed, and sometimes the shelf life of a manager is ridiculously short. Then again, sometimes a manager is totally wrong for a club and it's obvious almost from the start. Unless he resigns - or we're relegated (and I'm not convinced he'd go if we're relegated) I can't see McLeish going anywhere but it's perfectly understandable for people to be discussing the manager's future after half a season. Because he was a poor choice from the start and so far, for me, at least, hasn't done anything to change my opinion of how he'd perform at Villa.

[Chris Smith]

You're comparing apples and oranges, Adam.

McLeish has been given the tools to achieve mid table stability and if that's where we are come the end of the season he'll have done his job.

You're also dong what many others are, ignoring the good things and exaggerating the bad. It's the sort on one eyed, black and white style that doesn't allow any alternative viewpoint and it prevents  honest debate.

[Ryu]

Arsene's record gets steadily worse, yet they still qualify for the CL every season and make it to the knockout stages every season, unlike some clubs.

Didn't moyes have a rubbish start at Everton?  But he was given time and greatly improved them.

We were rubbish for most of last season but I don't remember threads like this cropping up in the same way for houllier...

[dave.woodhall]

How long? You haven't even given him half a season

The period of grace a manager receives is getting shorter and shorter. At this rate the next bloke might get a week if he's lucky.

Alex Ferguson aside, name another manager that has been successful because they've had ages to get things right.

Howard Kendall. Sir Graham I. A few of our supporters wanted Brian Little sacked in his first close-season.

[caster troy]

Arsene's record gets steadily worse, yet they still qualify for the CL every season and make it to the knockout stages every season, unlike some clubs.

Didn't moyes have a rubbish start at Everton?  But he was given time and greatly improved them.

We were rubbish for most of last season but I don't remember threads like this cropping up in the same way for houllier...

Houllier wasn't coming in off the back of two relegations in three seasons. He didn't have a reputation for playing dire football. You can't compare the two situations.

Everytime I see McLeish I have to take a moment to realise he is actually our manager. It's like the alternate 1985 in Back to the Future II, a nightmare scenario that somehow came into existence.