McLeish could be the manager to take this club forward

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

so why pretend that what everybody (including you) feared back then, ie crap football and lack of goals, isn't exactly what he's

We're not seeing " crap football". A lot of what we've seen over the last half dozen games or so has been pretty good, it's only the people who have written their post match thoughts before kick off who are saying otherwise.

I accept that we're not scoring enough goals, but that's through not making the most of our chances, not through sitting back and clinging on.

You'll recall that when he was appointed I said I'd give him a chance and whereas many of you had made up your minds after 6 games I'm still prepared to give him time.

And you'll be saying that until he eventually departs, then pretend that you said he was crap all along. 

No I won't, but given hoe each manager gets rubbished by you at shorter and shorter intervals you should start slagging off every manager in the world now just in case one of them gets appointed here.

I don't like crap football.  You know full well that if we appointed Trevor Francis with Barry Fry as his assistant and they took us down, you'd still be there with your ridiculous Chris Smith schtick.  You believe that you've built an internet persona and nothing with will divert you from that.

Out of interest, who was the last Villa manager you was impressed with?

[Risso]

so why pretend that what everybody (including you) feared back then, ie crap football and lack of goals, isn't exactly what he's

We're not seeing " crap football". A lot of what we've seen over the last half dozen games or so has been pretty good, it's only the people who have written their post match thoughts before kick off who are saying otherwise.

I accept that we're not scoring enough goals, but that's through not making the most of our chances, not through sitting back and clinging on.

You'll recall that when he was appointed I said I'd give him a chance and whereas many of you had made up your minds after 6 games I'm still prepared to give him time.

And you'll be saying that until he eventually departs, then pretend that you said he was crap all along. 

No I won't, but given hoe each manager gets rubbished by you at shorter and shorter intervals you should start slagging off every manager in the world now just in case one of them gets appointed here.

I don't like crap football.  You know full well that if we appointed Trevor Francis with Barry Fry as his assistant and they took us down, you'd still be there with your ridiculous Chris Smith schtick.  You believe that you've built an internet persona and nothing with will divert you from that.

Out of interest, who was the last Villa manager you was impressed with?

Martin O'Neill, for the first couple of years or so.  I then thought that he'd taken us as far as he could, and had wasted a fortune in doing so.  I wrongly though, thought that Lerner would pick somebody better when he left.

[Hoppo]

As I said on the Everton post match thread I seriously can see us going down. Defensively we are shocking. Not one defender is steady. No real unit to the midfield. We have to start playing Gardner along side Herd with Clark in the team no matter what. Massive changes have to be made in defence if we manage to stay up in the summer. At this moment I would sacrifice Bent to buy 2/3 good defenders. I have a soft spot for Big Eck but not enough to see were being dragged down.

[Legion]

[VillaAlways]

Thats ace

[pauliewalnuts]

That's brilliant.

[paulcomben]

Now Swansea are reckoned to play better football than Villa and have a higher league position. How bad does it need to get before we all get really annoyed?

[pauliewalnuts]

As I said on the Everton post match thread I seriously can see us going down. Defensively we are shocking. Not one defender is steady. No real unit to the midfield. We have to start playing Gardner along side Herd with Clark in the team no matter what. Massive changes have to be made in defence if we manage to stay up in the summer. At this moment I would sacrifice Bent to buy 2/3 good defenders. I have a soft spot for Big Eck but not enough to see were being dragged down.

So can I

We look very much like Newcastle in the season they went down.

It's all very well playing ten or fifteen minutes of decent stuff here and there, but we don't win anything like enough football matches.

[pauliewalnuts]

One thing I will say is that we quite clearly need more options in the side, and especially in the defence.

Lerner is clearly not going to give McLeish the backing he needs there until he moves people on. It is very difficult to do any business at all in January, but when you have to sell to buy, it is even harder.

In that sense, he's on to a loser. Relying on this defence for the rest of the season scares me to death, and if the chairman thinks it's going to be alright, that scares me even more.

[Hoppo]

Would you sacrifice Bent for say 18 mill though? Im not just saying it I really can see us getting proper dragged into a relegation battle.

[Legion]

No. I can't.

[pauliewalnuts]

so why pretend that what everybody (including you) feared back then, ie crap football and lack of goals, isn't exactly what he's

We're not seeing " crap football". A lot of what we've seen over the last half dozen games or so has been pretty good, it's only the people who have written their post match thoughts before kick off who are saying otherwise.

"A lot"?

Really? Arsenal was the best display we've put together, but really, to say it is a lot is stretching it somewhat.

Also, is "people who have made their mind up before kick off" the new "it's because he's a former blues manager"?

You only needed to take one look around Villa Park yesterday to gauge the opinion of the majority of fans as to the style and quality of football we play.

Personally, I don't give the first shit that he managed Blues. If we'd taken over a superb manager from them, I'd consider it a bonus. I don't even dislike the guy, he comes across as very personable and likeable (far more so than O'Neill, even). I'm happy to say when I think we've played well or he's got things right (Arsenal, despite us losing).

The problem is, unless you're arguing from a fixed standpoint of "I'll argue against the blatantly obvious", it is very hard to suggest we're anything other than a poor side, putting together deeply unsatisfactory performances and results.

We've lost 4 of our last 5 home games - not won any of them - and scored a total of two goals in the process. That's the kind of form and downward momentum that gets managers sacked, and for good reason.

[James]

He is a poor manager and will NOT take us forward.   End of. 

My toughts exactly. And judging by the way he did not motivate Birmingham towards the end of last season I really hope we are not too close to the bottom three towards the end of the season. AM is a very poor manager. 

How much closer to the bottom three? We're only two defeats away now and have most of the clubs below us to play between now and March!

To me, we are in the same situation as Blackburn. We have an invisible board - do they have a vison? A plan? Do they even care? What are their intentions long-term? The main difference is that Steve Kean is getting the 110% out of his players, and McLeish isn't, not even close. Could you see us beating Fulham with ten men? Honestly? Add that to McLeish's record of 'relegation specialist' and come up with your own conclusion. Anyone thinking that we are 'too good to go down' this season should have a long, hard think about it! So, it's a resounding 'no' for me, he isn't, but....

....as Brian Green posted earlier in this thread, the real question, as with Blackburn, is does the board have the ability or even the desire to take us forward? And if not, what then?

[AVGB1874]

"We realise that our greatest asset is the people who work here.  Each one is absolutely fundamental to the company's continued success in providing superior customer service, day in, day out"  Charles Krulak, chairman and CEO of MBNA International Bank.

How times change!!!!!!!

[James]

Now Swansea are reckoned to play better football than Villa and have a higher league position. How bad does it need to get before we all get really annoyed?

Not just 'reckoned', they actually do! Enough said!