McLeish out Chants / banners / protests

[Chris Smith]

What's that now, 5 games out of the last 7 where we haven't scored?  Piss poor.

It's not great but there are some mitigating circumstances. We've payed 4 of the top 6 in that time, we've been to Swansea who have the best home defensive record in the country (2 conceded) and Stoke who have the 5th best in the league (9) and have had our main striker missing for a chunk of it.

We've looked a decent side in 3 out of the last 4 games, the players appear to have found some confidence. There's plenty to be optimistic about for the second half f the season.

[brian green]

I feel the most important thing to be positive about is that Alex McLeish appears to have accepted that the raw material he inherited when he came will not give him a brick shithouse defensive unit and that the Premiership retrenchment he has been instructed to deliver will be best achieved by playing through the midfield not over it.   Whisper it but I think he shows faint signs of wanting to be a half decent manager.

[Dave Cooper please]

I was disappointed in the lack of further substitutions as a few tweaks cold have brought some reward. Especially in the final thrid.
I would have liked to have seen Bannan, Ireland or Gradner come on in that regard.

Because of the run we are on and the form we are in I think there's a sense of a fear of losing which is over-riding the will to go all out for a win. McLeish probably has it in the back of his head that if he had thrown a creative midfielder on and then Sturk had pinched the win due to Clark being missing from the defence on a set-piece, or Ireland missing a tackle and not tracking back like Petrov does, he would have been crucified.

[Risso]

What's that now, 5 games out of the last 7 where we haven't scored?  Piss poor.

It's not great but there are some mitigating circumstances. We've payed 4 of the top 6 in that time, we've been to Swansea who have the best home defensive record in the country (2 conceded) and Stoke who have the 5th best in the league (9) and have had our main striker missing for a chunk of it.

We've looked a decent side in 3 out of the last 4 games, the players appear to have found some confidence. There's plenty to be optimistic about for the second half f the season.

It's what McLeish has made a career out, horrible football with hardly any goals scored.   The only teams who have scored less than us are Stoke, Everton, Swansea and Wigan, and none of them have forwards of the calibre of Agbonlahor and Bent.

[Dave Clark Five]

What's that now, 5 games out of the last 7 where we haven't scored?  Piss poor.

It's not great but there are some mitigating circumstances. We've payed 4 of the top 6 in that time, we've been to Swansea who have the best home defensive record in the country (2 conceded) and Stoke who have the 5th best in the league (9) and have had our main striker missing for a chunk of it.

We've looked a decent side in 3 out of the last 4 games, the players appear to have found some confidence. There's plenty to be optimistic about for the second half f the season.

It's what McLeish has made a career out, horrible football with hardly any goals scored.   The only teams who have scored less than us are Stoke, Everton, Swansea and Wigan, and none of them have forwards of the calibre of Agbonlahor and Bent.

We haven't had forwards of the calibre of Bent for the last couple of games. If we can continue the work rate and passing, with Bent integrated into the team, things could start to look up. The problem comes if Bent is just a passenger as has been the case most of the season. With the final arrival of N'Zogbia onto the scene and a resurgent Albrighton there is promise.

[Chris Smith]

No it isn't, but don't let the facts get in the way of a bit of hyperbole.

I think any manager coming in and trying to build a side having lost six first team regulars would have had similar problems but the signs are that the players are finally responding to the way he wants them to play. We're not in the bottom 3 by now, as many expected, and after Chelsea we've got a run of games where we can start turning performances into points.

[brian green]

I agree wholeheartedly Riss but I do detect signs that he wants to be different but is too scared to commit.   He is terrified of losing so he sticks to what he knows.   Bit like a plain woman who is too scared to use perfume and make up and works on her cooking skills to find a husband.

[brian green]

I think Chris, and no contradiction intended, that it is not that the players are learning how to play the way he wants them to but the reverse.   He is learning to have confidence in his players and let them play the way they prefer.   I think the long ball over the top vaguely in the direction of Bent's head culprits are a small minority of the Villa squad and most of them have been just as pissed off with the ugly football as we have been.   Just my opinion

[Chris Smith]

We'll have to agree to disagree, Brian. In several post match press conferences he has made the point that they're not translating work on the training ground on to the pitch. Albrighton confirmed it after the Liverpool game. Now that he and N'Zogbia have found some form and confidence we look a different side.

[Clampy]

Now that he and N'Zogbia have found some form and confidence we look a different side.

Yes we do, but we're still not testing opposition keepers anywhere near enough. That needs to change sooner rather than later or we'll be looking anxiously over our shoulder at the clubs below us come the last month or two.

[Chris Smith]

I agree Clampy, hopefully Bent will be back fit soon. He got on the end of a couple of things at Bolton but wasted the chances and hasn't played since.

[JJ-AV]

He's got to go.

[brian green]

Fair point Chris.   My opinion that it is the manager moving closer to the players than vice versa is shaped by the fact that I spend a lot of time studying form.   It is racehorse form admittedly but all competitive sport can be predicted more accurately by the evaluation of previous performance.

Alex McLeish has form for playing a certain style of football.   I will not provoke argument by elaborating on his approach to management suffice to say we are all pretty much agreed on what it is.

With one or two exceptions  and once again we know who they are, we have a squad with key players with proven records for playing the sort of attractive passing football we want to see.

Marc Albrighton and Charles N'Zogbia have been commented upon as being central to the better football we have played in recent games.

Here is my point.   Those two players have established form as quality players.   You could say the same about Stephen Ireland and Barry Bannan and Stylian Petrov and Cieran Clark.   They have started to play to the level of their previous performances (in racing this is called "franking the form").   It is McLeish who needs to change and in all fairness to him I believe he is starting to do so and I respect him for it.

[Ger Regan]

Albrighton was WAY off the boil long before McLeish came to the villa. Same for Ireland, and new signings such as N'Zogbia can often take a bit of time to bed down (I would agree though that his performances were far from acceptable up until very recently). I would say that Petrov has been one of our most consistent players this season, so don't see him as being a problem this season.

All this, coupled with the fact that we lost arguably our two most important creative players during the summer is as much a reason for our toothlessness up front than McLeish's inherent defensive-mindedness in my opinion. I'm not saying that he's an entertaining manager, or that he's got all his decisions right, but to lay all the blame on him is unfair. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

Bear in mind, even when we were flying high(ish) under he who shall not be named, we were regularly frustrated by our inability to break teams down in the final third, and that was with a much better team than what we have now. It's no surprise to me that we are now lacking a real attacking threat.

[ez]

I dont want to see us ever play the surrender football like we did against Manure, Spurs, Citeh and Liverpool. If he has worked that out then he deserves a chance.

Did he choose to surrender or were we simply unable to compete in those games? Thats what i wonder. In the last 2 games we have shown that we can take the game to the opposition. Change of tactics or the team now gelling?