Are We Alex McLeish's Claret & Blue Army Now?

[Concrete John]

It was also hard to get fullbacks overlapping against Swansea when one was a CB and the other had a good winger up aginst him.

I bet Warnock couldn't wait for that game to end. Dyer took the piss out of him all afternoon.

Impressed with him.

As was I.

Oh, Alex......

[Dave Clark Five]

I wonder if the fans who think McLEISH is doing a good job actually go to Villa Park.......... because everyone I speak to and there are many people no one seems to be in favour of him......... and to the fans who have made comments regarding my posts.......... if a fan wants to boo who says I am wrong to do so?

You don't boo though, as far as I can see. You keep asking for 'everyone' else to join in with you. I am not hell bent on getting the manager sacked as you are. Booing at the end of a game / half is one thing but you seem to want it all the time. Have you considered writing to Mr.Lerner? He may be able to help.

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't have much of an issue with booing at full time.

Booing at half time, though, is a different thing.

[dazzyg]

I always have and always will support the team but you don't have to support a manager who has no grasp of how a team should be structured. How many times has he been relegated in his career? Why does he not play to Darren Bents strength by basically giving him the ball , its not rocked science is it?

We are now being linked with Drogba-Keane-Duff - this is desperation is it not?

[NeilH]

I don't have much of an issue with booing at full time.

Booing at half time, though, is a different thing.

Agree, booing at half-time simply sets a poor precedent for the 2nd half. If you are frustrated then try and hold it in for another 45 minutes and support the team in-between. You never know they might respond.

[SheffieldVillain]

I always have and always will support the team but you don't have to support a manager who has no grasp of how a team should be structured. How many times has he been relegated in his career? Why does he not play to Darren Bents strength by basically giving him the ball , its not rocked science is it?

We are now being linked with Drogba-Keane-Duff - this is desperation is it not?

Why do you have this need to make sure that everyone else boos with you? If you hate McLeish, fine, go for it. If you want to sit during the match and boo, fine, go for it.
 
You remind me of the schoolboy who wants to misbehave but doesn't have the balls to do it by themself so looks around the room to find someone who'll join in.

[Ad@m]

That's rubbish, Adam. You're basically saying that 4-4-2 is the only way to pay an attacking team when in reality hardly anyone dies it these days.

Ah, Chris Smith and your standard respectful debating style.  It's been a while.

You're just showing yourself to be as tactically narrow-minded as MON was.  I'm not at all saying 442 is the only way to play.  To give you an extreme example, Barcelona, the most attacking team in the world in my opinion play 3 up front.  We could've quite easily gone with three up front against Swansea on Monday by telling Gabby and CNZ to push further up the field and trouble their defence.  Instead they spent the majority of the game so close to our full backs they could've held hands with them.  Also, how often do you see our full backs overlapping these days?  Under MON they were overlapping all the time as we pushed teams back.

They've clearly been told to not be too adventurous; a safety first mentality.  Not the best tactic for scoring goals.

Again, that's rubbish. You've got a position and you manipulate the facts to suit it. There was nothing safety first about our display on Monday, we were on the front foot for the majority of the game but after a bright first half, whether through tiredness or lack of ideas, we ran out of steam as the game went on.

4-3-3 and 4-5-1 are two sides of the same coin. When you're going forward it is the former and when defending it's the latter.

Barcelona play a unique style where they hunt in packs and press high up the pitch and with a very fluid attitude to formation with players interchanging constantly. Using possibly the best team the world has ever seen as a comparator is not particularly helpful.

I'm not manipulating any facts.  The facts are that we had one shot on target at home against Swansea.  Another fact is that in 180 minutes against Swansea we haven't scored a single goal.  Another fact is that Chelsea aside we've scored 3 goals in 8 games.  What in all of that am I manipulating?  What in all that is evidence that we've been good going forward?

Given you say 'there was nothing safety first about our display on Monday' I've got to ask if you actually saw the game?  Time after time our players crossed the half way line with the ball and had no-one to pass to so turned around and either passed it back to the centre-halves or back to Guzan.  Throughout the game their defence passed it around between them with no pressure whatsoever.  This was exactly the same against Liverpool and was pretty similar against Stoke although having Gabby up front against Stoke at least put their defence under a bit more pressure.

We've scored 22 goals from 20 games this season.  Only 5 teams have scored less than that.  Why don't you start looking at the facts and stop dismissing other people's views as 'rubbish'.

[pauliewalnuts]

Our goalscoring record is abysmal, I don't think anyone could disagree with that. Not even Chris in his most argumentative mood.

The main reason it is that way is not because the strikers are missing chances, it is because we don't create them. Strikers are always going to miss chances, that is the way it goes, but if you're not creating them in the first place, you've got a real problem.

How many matches have we seen where we've had 1 - or zero - shots on target?

[Ad@m]

Our goalscoring record is abysmal, I don't think anyone could disagree with that. Not even Chris in his most argumentative mood.

The main reason it is that way is not because the strikers are missing chances, it is because we don't create them. Strikers are always going to miss chances, that is the way it goes, but if you're not creating them in the first place, you've got a real problem.

How many matches have we seen where we've had 1 - or zero - shots on target?

My point exactly.  I don't blame the strikers at all because as the fact about Benty having the fewest touches of any player in the Premier League proves the service just isn't there.

Then you have to question why the chances aren't coming.  I don't think it's the players selected because with Gabby, Ireland, Bannan, Albrighton, CNZ on the pitch we should be creating loads of chances.  But when you watch the game you see how conservative we're set up and how unadventurous we are going forward and the only conclusion you can draw is that the manager is instructing them to play this way.

[not3bad]

Given you say 'there was nothing safety first about our display on Monday' I've got to ask if you actually saw the game?  Time after time our players crossed the half way line with the ball and had no-one to pass to so turned around and either passed it back to the centre-halves or back to Guzan.  Throughout the game their defence passed it around between them with no pressure whatsoever.  This was exactly the same against Liverpool and was pretty similar against Stoke although having Gabby up front against Stoke at least put their defence under a bit more pressure.

I do remember one specific moment when Villa had got forward but Gabby was still at the halfway line.  What was he doing there?

[dazzyg]

SheffiedVillain - Im not asking anyone to "join in " I don't need anyone else to join I am more than capable of showing my annoyance to the ginger man by myself which I have done now for the past few games (Trinity road stand middle) my point is that I am amazed having heard fellow fans (away from the ground) that there are many more like myself who feel he is not the man to guide us. Dont just agree with the fans who are afraid to rock the boat. We pay good money to watch crap this is not on.

[supertommykN'iba]

SheffiedVillain - Im not asking anyone to "join in " I don't need anyone else to join I am more than capable.....

I will have to stop you here....

Come on lets sing "WE WANT GINGER OUT I SAY WE WANT GINGER OUT" he is nothing more than a waste of time we all know it apart from a few fans who thinks he is the right man - how wrong you are. Are you a secret nose?

Whilst it may not be booing you are asking people to join in. You don't have to ask people to join you. If they share the opinion enough, they will do it anyway.

[Concrete John]

SheffiedVillain - Im not asking anyone to "join in " I don't need anyone else to join I am more than capable of showing my annoyance to the ginger man by myself which I have done now for the past few games (Trinity road stand middle) my point is that I am amazed having heard fellow fans (away from the ground) that there are many more like myself who feel he is not the man to guide us. Dont just agree with the fans who are afraid to rock the boat. We pay good money to watch crap this is not on.

Did it ever occur to you that those who share your opinions put supporting the team first and think booing the manager come what may is counterproductive to that?

[Dave Clark Five]

And you are not asking anyone to join in!

SheffiedVillain - Im not asking anyone to "join in " I don't need anyone else to join.

Calling all Villa Fans !!!!!!!!!!!

It is now time to start McLEISH how we feel we are too quiet at Villa Park. What is it with us? Not once has anyone jeered him at Villa Park? Why?

[Dave Clark Five]

and.....

For christ sake lets do something and start letting Mcleish know that we don't want him.