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

[dr.chekov]

Every time we look like we're hitting a very bad spell we seem to pull a result and/or performance out the bag which seems to keep McLeish's head above the water with a few fans.
Same the other way around though, as we tend to follow up this good result/performance with a shocker.

I can just about live with inconsistency, for now. I'd rather have inconsistency than constant crap.

[Concrete John]

The inconsistency isn't hurting us as much as the crap defending is.

All teams, be it us, Wigan or Man City, will have better and worse games throughout a season.  However, the ones that end up higher up the table are those who can still get the basics right and pick something up when playing poorly.  We can't, as during good, bad or indifferent form, we still gift goals to teams.

[Neil Hawkes]

To really throw the cat amongst the pidgeons............................is there a general consensus that AM might, (whisper it), be quite good for us?

[Toronto Villa]

We can all tell by the pictures that it must be doing his head in watching this defending. Not only is he is giving players every chance to succeed, but it's making his summer transfer policy a little easier in what he might have to concentrate on. We have the makings of a very attacking side. Granted replacing Keane will be a big task, but seeing the likes of N'Zogbia emerge is encouraging. We've simply pissed away too many points this season from not just bad defending, but calamatous defending. Simply horrednous errors that no amount of coaching and teaching can account for. At some point, you have to just hold up your hands and look to other options. I just hope that once the salaries are reduced that McLeish will get the funds he needs to make the neccessary changes at the back.

[dr.chekov]

I don’t know if he is good for us, but I think he deserves a while yet before we call for his head.

I’ve seen much worse down Villa Park… most of Turner, all of McNeil, Venglos, Atkinson’s last half season, Little’s first half season and last half season (4-0 down at HT at home to Blackburn anybody?), GT’s second stint, the fag end of O’Leary, and every March under O’Neil.

I think McLeish needs a fair chance, and for me 25 games, or whatever it is, is not a fair chance.

[Concrete John]

I think McLeish needs a fair chance, and for me 25 games, or whatever it is, is not a fair chance.

That's it in a nutshell for me.

When discussing this earlier in the season, his detractors were asking what signs were there to pin your hopes on that he'll be any good?  Well, we've seen plenty so far, which we haven't been able to convert into points and wins due to the individual errors at the back.  Not that will change people's minds, and in fairness he should have sorted the defence out by now, but at least you can see what we might be under him.

[badluckeric(gates)]

I like his passion and I think he can do a decent job within the constraints. I also believe he will be here for the long haul.

[Walmley_Villa]

I do hope he succeeds but for me a lot of that is in the hands of the ownership. Sounds like the deal was - work with what you have and we can support you with £x in January (= Keane). Once the Heskey's etc are off the wage bill etc you will have room to bring people in. Didn't Villa state that the trnasfer fees were not the problem but the wage bill?
The General tweeted that he was attending last night which is interesting. Wonder if Randy was also over?
Alternatively AM has been told to keep us up prior to the Qatar takeover and Mourinhio returning to England to manage us??

[Concrete John]

Once the Heskey's etc are off the wage bill etc you will have room to bring people in. Didn't Villa state that the trnasfer fees were not the problem but the wage bill?

We always seem to talk about the fact that Heskey, Beye and Cuellar will be off the wagebill, but I can see it being more than that.  We've just sold Lowry, so although he wouldn't be on a great whack, I can see others of his generation of former youth players also going, so the combined effect may make room for a first teamer.  After that, I think Makoun will leave and also have doubts about Delph.  Plus, wasn't there talk/speculation about us not taking up the years extension on Petrov's contract?   

Hard to know how much we're talking about there, but I'd guess at £5-7m in fees and around £250k a week.  The saved wages being much more key to our own summer plans than the incoming fees.

[Dave Clark Five]

There was an occasion where Warnock ballooned the ball into the Witton, not long after his own goal. Idiots were shouting that it was McLeish's fault. The only bearing that McLeish had on it was by picking Warnock. The booing of the crowd every time he touched the ball was contributory to what happened. Some players would have turned round and put two fingers up.
We really deserved to win last night. The crowd were great in the second half. There would have been an explosion of relief if we had won. McLeish deserves credit for getting the team into the frame of mind where they came back from 2 down and entertained us all in the process.

[Neil Hawkes]

Glad to hear there's a reasonable review of his reign, thus far................DazzyG, any comments :-)

[not3bad]

There were rumbles round me though, even after the comeback as we were pressing for a winner.  One guy was just moaning constantly.  At one point N'Zogbia attempted a cross that was blocked, and this guy turned to his mate and said "Do you want to support THAT?" as if a blocked cross was all the proof he needed that Mcleish would never be a success at Villa Park.

[Dave Clark Five]

I think if they ran out of programmes it would be McLeish's fault. I know there are things that do lie at his door but players who have made it into the professional game should not need telling to keep possession and how to pass.

[Neil Hawkes]

There were rumbles round me though, even after the comeback as we were pressing for a winner.  One guy was just moaning constantly.  At one point N'Zogbia attempted a cross that was blocked, and this guy turned to his mate and said "Do you want to support THAT?" as if a blocked cross was all the proof he needed that Mcleish would never be a success at Villa Park.

Have you found DazzyG?

[Phil from the upper holte]

He's brought Hutton who is shocking he's also brought Given & N'zogbia, I think most of us would have gone for Given & N'zogbia so it's hard to judge him on transfers, Mon brought some shit as we all know but looking at what he brought for them I am worried what would happen if he had money to spend.

Is he good for us? I don't know, Not for me personally