McLeish could be the manager to take this club forward

[pauliewalnuts]

Newcastle's team weren't bought to a specific plan, either.

They lost their three best players (Carroll, Nolan and Barton), and the manager was given very little of even the Carroll money to get players in.

Pardew was got them playing, that's the difference. McLeish has talked about getting us playing, but only managed to fashion a style of play that confirms every suspicion we (most people) had about him.

[tarzansbrother]

OK, let's look at Newcastle or Swansea - 2 teams IMO that have poorer squads than us, but they play better football, are picking up results against top opposition and are higher in the league.
AMC may be a slow burner, trying to get it right until it clicks, but his past record doesn't indicate so. I fear this is as good as it gets i.e. shit.

Spot on. Both represent both ends of the spectrum as where Villa could be. Good style of football without really taking the league by storm or good results playing much more direct football with a poor run of results thrown in. 

Both managers have been allowed to bring in the players they want, I doubt either would get much different from our present squad.

Disagree, our squad is much stonger on paper than Swansea and Newcastle. Ask Pardew if he got the palyers he wanted after the cash they got from Carroll. This season, I've lost count of people asking me why Villa are so shit with the players we have.....

I disagree, we're reliant on kids, have no balance to the squad and have little strength in depth. We're in the position of trying to make a team out of a collection of individuals who were not bought to a specific plan. 

Isn't that the job of a manager then Chris?

[SheffieldVillain]

The point being made was superior customer service.  Randy, the General and PF were all associated with MBNA.  If they were so commited to the customer then what's the change?  We are the customer and what is being served up is far from superior.  Not seeing our team win at home since November 5th is disgraceful!!!!  The big Eck states: " we have played three of the elite clubs"  Well big Eck we are an elite club not some two bob club from Small Heath!
There are three constants in life....death, change and taxes.  It is certainly taxing to watch our great club under this idiot.  If Randy and PF don't change it will be the death of our great club as a force in Premier League football.

With all due respect, if you think of us as an 'elite club', at least in the sense that McLeish meant as one with the budget and squad to be pushing for the league and Champions League, then you are bound to be very disappointed because we aren't.

If you mean 'a great club' then certainly we are. But that's not what McLeish was talking about is it, which you knew full well. Still, it allowed you to reference his previous club again.

[Legion]

I refer the honourable gentleman to my sig.

[mattjpa]

I dont get to many games, ive probably been to half of our home games this season. but after  the baggies I said id had enough and would not be going to any more untill there was a substantial change, I just got to the point where I hadnt enjoyed it all season. its an expensive day out so I expect to be entertained which i dont think i have been. In fact, the only game ive been to where i have felt ive received value for money was the blackburn game which seems a long time ago now. Ive been embarrased a couple of times when taking people from work that have never been to villa park because we have been so appalling.
My point is this: Im pissed off that Alex Mcleish has made me fall out of love with something that has been a major part in my life for 20years. BUT he is carrying out his remit. He probably will keep us up, we may even scrape top 10, but its not going to be fun or pretty. The constraints he is working under make anything else unrealistic and those calling for lambert or rodgers need to realise that they probably wouldnt do much better. This league is too competative to change things drastically too soon as we found out with Houllier and our talented kids are not good enough to keep us up.
I look at the state of the club when Randy came in and compare that to now, despite the millions thrown at it we are no better off, maybe even worse.
One of the empty seats on saturday should have been mine but wasnt and it wont be untill this club gets its vision back. a lack of experience of successfully running a football club at the highest level has bitten Randy on his arse...what we need is someone like GT installing at board level

[Chris Smith]

Newcastle's team weren't bought to a specific plan, either.

They lost their three best players (Carroll, Nolan and Barton), and the manager was given very little of even the Carroll money to get players in.

Pardew was got them playing, that's the difference. McLeish has talked about getting us playing, but only managed to fashion a style of play that confirms every suspicion we (most people) had about him.

Pardew has had half a season longer in which to assess what he needed and what he didn't.

[James]

The people calling for Rodgers or Lambert, just a question, would either of them come to Villa right now? McLeish isn't the man, but until the board start talking we'll not attract anyone better in my view.

[pauliewalnuts]

Newcastle's team weren't bought to a specific plan, either.

They lost their three best players (Carroll, Nolan and Barton), and the manager was given very little of even the Carroll money to get players in.

Pardew was got them playing, that's the difference. McLeish has talked about getting us playing, but only managed to fashion a style of play that confirms every suspicion we (most people) had about him.

Pardew has had half a season longer in which to assess what he needed and what he didn't.

"Pardew has been there half a season longer" is a pretty desperate fall back argument when comparing the two, isn't it?

Ashley sold Pardew's best players from under him and gave him a fraction of the money they earned to do something with. I wouldn't expect McLeish to necessarily have got better results than Pardew, but you'd at least expect to see some indication of where the team is going.

We've had the odd fifteen minutes here and there of better football, but that's nothing like enough.

Regardless of the background of our manager, we're not playing well, we're not getting results, and the confidence is being sucked out of the club (and fans) more and more.

[SheffieldVillain]

I refer the honourable gentleman to my sig.

And your signature is absolutely correct and a fine addition to each and every post you make sir.

But sadly, in a Premier League dominated by those with huge bank balances, greatness does not mean trophies, and trophies do not mean greatness.

[Legion]

Which is a sad state of affairs. Modern football is sh*t. Thanks.

[SheffieldVillain]

Which is a sad state of affairs. Modern football is sh*t. Thanks.

It is, isn't it? Sorry, I've depressed myself now as well. I'm going for a burger and a pint to cheer myself up.

[Legion]

Yes, very much so.

[AVGB1874]

Never have truer words been spoken!  Enjoy the pint and burger.

[DB]

"we're reliant on kids"
An exaggeration Chris. How many of the team on sat were 'kids'.... 2 I reckon. Anyway you can spin it, that squad should be performing better, either by common sense or by comparing other teams in the PL.

[old man villa fan]

and he's ad to deal with losing more than half of the first team from last season

"It's the attempt to paint things as worse than they are to win an internet argument" - your words

The 6 you constantly refer to were part of the squad and not "more than half the team".  You can't have it both ways, Chris.

He was given money to replace some of them.  Friedal replaced with an equivalent and with more 'shelf-life' but he has wasted money on Hutton and overspent on N'Zogbia when you consider other shortcomings of the team.  The big loss has been A Young.