AVFC statement - McLeish sacked.

[ez]

What I don't get is our apparent reluctance to close opposition players down. We just stand off and invite pressure and it's happened so many times it looks like it's a deliberate tactic.

It's what often worked for him at the Blues, reaching it's nadir in the League cup final against Arsenal.
I'd like to think we have superior players to what he worked with there, so i'm puzzled at his persistence in this sleep inducing method.

He appears to see no wrong in it. We could be watching this for years.

[villan1975]

I do have some sympathy for AM as others have said he has been hung out to dry with an unbalanced squad from the previous overspend.My worry is next season if he stays and does get money his natural instincts are towards caution and in a years time I can see us playing the same way but with the right negative defensive players for his system.

[ez]

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.

 

I agree the defense has been better in recent games. They are 'standing up' now rather than lunging in but as the commentators said, there was very little respite for them. Such relentless pressure is bound to get a goal either by skill or defensive error.

[Clampy]

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.

Bearing in mind we did'nt really test their keeper until the last 10 minutes at home, that was too big a sacrifice i think.

[JUAN PABLO]

Out of interest, this tactic of playing Heskey as another defender and not bothering to attack .. How many times has it worked?

The last 5 games Heskey has started . We have not scored a goal .

[JUAN PABLO]

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.

 

I agree the defense has been better in recent games. They are 'standing up' now rather than lunging in but as the commentators said, there was very little respite for them. Such relentless pressure is bound to get a goal either by skill or defensive error.

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.

 

I agree the defense has been better in recent games. They are 'standing up' now rather than lunging in but as the commentators said, there was very little respite for them. Such relentless pressure is bound to get a goal either by skill or defensive error.

recent games?  one    .  we let 2 in the game before

[VillaAlways]

And 3 before that

[ozzjim]

Re the luck, he started this with injuries last season as things got gradually closer to D-Day. Dann being down as the player they missed most, although he had signed the Czech guy and Davies to cover there, and had Ridgewell.

[ozzjim]

Out of interest, this tactic of playing Heskey as another defender and not bothering to attack .. How many times has it worked?

The last 5 games Heskey has started . We have not scored a goal .

Is that true? If so, it is as clear a signal of the idiotic decision to start him as any.

[villadelph]

Out of interest, this tactic of playing Heskey as another defender and not bothering to attack .. How many times has it worked?

The last 5 games Heskey has started . We have not scored a goal .

Is that true? If so, it is as clear a signal of the idiotic decision to start him as any.

Didn't score at Stoke, didn't score at home against Liverpool, didn't score at Swansea, didn't score at Spurs, didn't score at home against Wolves, didn't score at Fulham.. all games in which Emile Heskey started.

It seems to just about check out but I know he scored against Blackburn and started when we drew Everton 2-2.. so we've got to be fair to him. But regardless, the above paragraph says it all. Not only are we losing, we're not even scoring.

[Toronto Villa]

we simply have to stop giving the ball away. You can Baresi, Maldini, Beckenbauer and Moore at the back, with Banks in goal and even they would concede if the ball kept coming back into the box time and again. At the top level of the game, good teams, let alone great team will find a way to score if they see enough of the ball. We really have been our own worst enemy this season.

[ozzjim]

It is all going to be ok. Randy has flown Mcleish and the backroom staff to Cleveland to spend some time with the Browns coaches and staff for a learning exercise. Unfortunately Heskey has not been taken to become a new line backer, but McLeish is thought to be getting new tactical tips as there is a 2 week hiatus in the premier league. Because we are out of the FA Cup.

The OS talks of the close bond of Randy and Eck. We are going to have this turgid, poorly thought out shit at VP for the next 3 years like it or not. We will be lucky to be averaging 25k through the door by the end.

[NeilH]

It confirms what I’ve been saying for some time. Contrary to the opinion of many on here, Lerner does not in any way believe that McLeish is doing a bad job and he certainly will not be sacking him any time soon. Given the fact that Randy is not exposed to the negativity and apathy of Villa Park these days and is no doubt being spun a positive picture of the Saturday 3pm atmosphere, I suspect we’ll be seeing McLeish’s face for quite a while.
It really will take a seismic event to open Lerner’s eyes to the reality of life at Villa and McLeish is certainly doing enough right now to avoid this.

[Chipsticks]

I just had a flashback to the time when many on hear were calling for 'MON Out'.

I hope you're all happy.

[cheltenhamlion]

And with what he spent, and the shite he signed and didn't play, they were right.

Little did we know that Randy was going to pull up the financial shutters and MON fucked off as soon as he wasn't getting his own way on money.