AVFC statement - McLeish sacked.

[PaulWinch again]

The reality is even if we had somehow managed to scrape a point from that 'performance' on Sunday he would have got criticised for the approach we took and we would have clearly been very lucky. The fact we didn't get anything at all, means there is not even the slightest defence for the strategy. We looked horrible and we got fuck all for it.

[midnite]

I got drunk to numb the pain of watching the match. So I actually can't rember much of the game at all.

Think it's going to be a new strategy for me for future games too.

[garyshawsknee]

I got drunk to numb the pain of watching the match. So I actually can't rember much of the game at all.

Think it's going to be a new strategy for me for future games too.

I think some of the players are ahead of you on that one.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Seeing how he sets up against the "big teams" suggests he's frightened of getting a 4 or 5 goal hammering, which would make his life very difficult.

Whereas losing only 1 or 2 nil, means the pressure is less intense.

So I'd suspect that's the reason why we don't have a go.  And again it shows how ridiculous and unworkable appointment it was in the first place.

[mr-villa]

Bar the fact that Hart made a great save from Bent, I struggle to see how anyone could say we were unlucky to get nothing from that match going on the rest of it.

Thats fine but study your own statement then study the game, the facts are that only one goalkeeper (Hart) had to make a great save in the entire match as City created very little in the way of clear chances also.  Most neutral observers would say that we deserved a point across the whole 90 mins of "action".  Get used to it as McLeish is going nowhere in the immediate future.

[Rick_avfc]

He should be sacked as even Emile's missus knows he is playing him out of position.....

http://tinyurl.com/7w4fq53

[Chico Hamilton III]

Most neutral observers would say that we deserved a point across the whole 90 mins of "action".

My sample of neutral observers probably wouldn't stand up to peer review, but every neutral I spoke to about the game commented on how absolutely awful we looked and how, for long periods of the game, Man City were taking the piss.

I think we got everything we deserved out of the game on Sunday, unfortunately.

But it was Man City, so lets see how we do against Wigan

[Rick_avfc]

Im struggling to understand how these "neutrals" think we were unlucky not to get a draw?  We only played for 5 mins fo the game so that constitues as being unlucky?  We were piss poor and cant see how and where things will improve.  Like a number of people have been saying, the next 4 games are crucial to our survival bid other we are in for a proper fight to stay up.  Theres no spirit in the site or passion.  The teams below us (except wolves) still have a lot of fight within them but we, sorry I mean Eck, it happy playing for draws and negative tactics

[pauliewalnuts]

Bar the fact that Hart made a great save from Bent, I struggle to see how anyone could say we were unlucky to get nothing from that match going on the rest of it.

Thats fine but study your own statement then study the game, the facts are that only one goalkeeper (Hart) had to make a great save in the entire match as City created very little in the way of clear chances also.  Most neutral observers would say that we deserved a point across the whole 90 mins of "action".  Get used to it as McLeish is going nowhere in the immediate future.

Most neutral observers reckon we deserved a point across 90 mins? That's totally at odds with what I've heard neutral observers say.

There's nothing to get used to, I know he's not going anywhere soon.,

[Dante Lavelli]

He should be sacked as even Emile's missus knows he is playing him out of position.....
http://tinyurl.com/7w4fq53

She said what?  Seriously why do people write like that?  I'm not even convinced it saves much time.

[cheltenhamlion]

It would be folly to sack him now but, come the end of the season, I am not so sure.

Sunday was the first time I got frustrated with him to the point of thinking "will he ever fucking learn?"

Recent attacking performances were building up some good will and then he pisses it away with one team sheet and an even more jaw dropping post match interview.

[TonyD]

I wouldnt be so sure.  See where we are after the next 4 games.

If AM takes us down he might think he will get the Spurs job.  Promotion through failure.

[cheltenhamlion]

Thing is, I am still not in the slightest concerned by relegation at the minute. I think we will do ok in the next four games but without it turning into a run of victories.

[paul_e]

For all the people who think the tactics worked and it was a good way to set up I think the problem is, playing that way for the opening 15minutes would've been ok if we then started to grow into the game.  That it went on for another 10-15 minutes after they'd scored shows that he had no idea what to do to get a victory, if they hadn't scored I don't think for the slightest second he'd ever have made a change to make us more positive.

There is nothing unlucky about it, if you send a team out with the sole objective being to not concede a goal, as soon as they concede a goal the tactic has failed.  As soon as the tactic fails you have to face up to the fact that you got things wrong.

I'm annoyed with the performance but if we'd kept a clean sheet and got 0-0 or even snuck a 1-0 I'd accept that he got the tactics right, regardless of how shit they were to watch.  But by the same token he (and the people defending him) need to accept that as not only were we shit to watch but we also failed to do the 1 thing the team was setup to achieve.  There is nothing excellent about that and his failure to understand this in his interviews is the most worrying thing. 

An honest response of, 'I thought the tactics were working for 60minutes but then a defensive error ruined our gameplan and we couldn't get back into it' would've seen him keep a lot more good faith than he has now and would've been a much fairer reflection of reality.  I'd still be pissed off at the insipid shite he put out but at least I'd know that he accepted blame for it.  His current attitude seems to be to default to blaming anyone but himself which is the least acceptable trait possible for a manager at any level and in any environment.

[Chris Smith]

For the first time in a while we defended with discipline and commitment. The price we paid for that was to sacrifice a lot of our attacking intent. It was ugly to watch but effective for the most part. It now needs to be transferred to games where we have more possession.

Calling for the manager to be sacked on the back of it is just childish.