Email from McLeish

[sid1964]

Print off the letter and show it to him as he is walking down the touchline before the game and remind him what he said!!!

[levico]

I hope you are right Paulie but I've gone beyond cautious when going into games where we should get something - I think Swansea was the final straw.

[Chico Hamilton III]

What did BFR used to say.......................

He dribbles a lot and the opposition don't like it - you can see it all over their faces

I never comment on referees and I'm not going to break the habit of a lifetime for that prat.

'Liverpool will think ‘we could have won this 2-2.’'

'Lee Dixon will be up against two South American left-handers tonight.'

'Think of a number between 10 and 11'

'You don't want to be giving away free kicks in the penalty area'

'How are they defensively, attacking-wise?'

'The ball goes down the keeper's throat where it hits him on the knees to say the least'

'He had acres of time there'

'That’s not the type of header you want to see your defender make, with his hand'

'We haven't had a strategic free kick all night. No one's knocked over attackers ad lib'

'He could have done a lot better there, but full marks to the lad.'

"That boy throws a ball further than I go on holiday"
-On Dave Challinor of Tranmere.

'[Phil Neville] was treading on dangerous water there...'

"The keeper should have saved that one but he did"

"The Spaniards have been reduced to aiming aimless balls into the box"

'Jari Litmanen should be made compulsory'

'Scholes is very influential for England at international level.'

'At international level, giving the ball away doesn’t work too often.'

'They've certainly grown, the Japanese. I mean grown in stature, playing-wise.'

'He sliced the ball when he had it on a plate.'

'You half fancied that to go in as it was rising and dipping at the same time.'

'They must go for it now as they have nothing to lose but the match.'

'Woodcock would have scored, but his shot was too perfect.'

"If Glenn Hoddle said one word to his team at half time, it was concentration and focus"

'They've picked their heads up off the ground, and they now have a lot to carry on their shoulders.'

"Carlton Palmer can trap the ball further than I can kick it"

"Ryan Giggs is running long up the backside"

"I would not say David Ginola is the best left winger in the Premiership, but there are none better"

"The Bulgarian players are tried and trusted. Well, I'm not sure they can be trusted"

"I tell you what, if the Cameroons get a goal back here they're literally gonna catch on fire"

"Well, Clive, it's all about the two M's. Movement and positioning"

Suker - first touch like a camel"

"Chelsea look like they've got a couple more gears left in the locker"

"Now Manchester United are 2-1 down on aggregate, they are in a better position than when they started the game at 1-1"

[Villanation]

Dam, I though for a second that was a letter of resignation, I'd already got the acceptance with a note of overwhelming sense of joy on its way, then I read the rest of the stuff.

Oh well, there is always the protest at the Everton game, looks to me like he has wind of it, clever move really.

[Bottom Right 89]

What did BFR used to say.......................

Chico beat me to it but I'll raise you..Dean Sarnders, Bang at it, Wide awake club.

Fair play to Alex he's winning me over just stick with Ciaran Clark and Albrighton and we'll start climbing the table in no time.

[Legion]

Fair play to him.

[hulkamania]

Personally I think its rubbish. I dont give a stuff what he did in Scotland or with Scotland. What i care about is Villa and is he good enough for us in the EPL. For me he is a piss poor manager in this league. That letter is all just a bit desperate for my liking. I'm not obsessed that he's come from SHA either. Did his managerial record in the Prem warrant him being offered the Villa job? Lose on Saturday and that's 5 home losses on the bounce. Disregard Saturdays match and weve still lost 4 on the trot at home. That's simply not good enough. I'll accept he's a decent fella but I won't ever accept he is the man for Villa

[not3bad]

We will never know how much was written or contrived by the PR team but it doesn't matter. His name is on it.

Judging by some of the crap that comes out from our PR team, I'd say they contributed nothing towards the email.

Totally agree with Villadelphia.  Did you see the shite the PR dept sent to us last summer?

Very good letter and like others I look forward to the actions matching the words.  There have been some promising signs lately (excluding the Swansea match) so let's see what happens against Everton.

[not3bad]

Before Swansea, they had played good attacking football. And I'd class the swansea game as one that was seen on more than one occasion during MON's reign.

Yes.  Especially some of the home performances against Wigan.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I hope you are right Paulie but I've gone beyond cautious when going into games where we should get something - I think Swansea was the final straw.

I think you're doing Swansea a diservice. They were bloody good that day, sometimes you get a game where everything just comes together and to their credit, they've been working on their style of football for 5 years. If you're looking for pathetic, non-excusable performances, look no further than the Spurs, Man Utd and Liverpool games.

One thing is being outpassed by a organised Swansea side, it's quite another to drop your trousers and surrender to any club in the top 6.

[Toronto Villa]

It's a very well thought out letter from McLeish. He says a lot of what needed to be said. I want to see some of that desire though from him in press conferences also so that we all get a bit fired up going into a game. But that very minor point aside, I want even more for him to be a success. Let's hope this nonsense being planned for the weekend is nothing to concern ourselves with and that fans really get behind the boys and the manager.

[PaulWinch again]

It's a good letter and welcome as well, I'm pleased about the attacking football bit.

[Dave Clark Five]

The manager recognises poor performances and does not call them 'terrific' or 'tremendous'.

[Billy Walker]

Maybe I'm easily pleased but I think that's a very good read.  The one thing that I've admired about McLeish in all of this is that he has handled himself with grace and a good nature despite the negativity of the support.  In that respect he is very different to Martin O'Neill, whose reaction to booing and chants of "You don't know what you're doing" would, I'm sure, have been prickly to put it mildly.

Reading this there does seem to be some reference to a plan and philosophy going on behind the scenes, too.  I'm delighted to hear he will be showing faith in the Academy - if he supplements this growing young squad with quality additions then I think we will have a lot to look forward to.  It's frustrating being a Villa fan at the moment and this is the kind of communication I feel we need in such times - we need to know where we are going and we need to know that club has not given up on competing for and winning top prizes.  Let's not forget McLeish took Birmingham to their first major Wembley final and won them a trophy to boot.  He must have something about him.

[Toronto Villa]

My only other comment that as much as it is good as a letter to the ST holders, it really should be posted on the OS as an open letter to the fans. Off course the risk with that is that is grabbed and made public by the media, but I suppose that could happen from this site too. It is a good read, and hopefully we will see his plan come to fruition with his own signings and out brilliant kids coming through in the next 12-18 months.