AVFC statement - McLeish sacked.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

I wish we could have a facebook group in charge of the club for a season. We'd have gone through about half a dozen managers so far and now we'd be calling for Roberto DiMatteo to be in charge.

[damon loves JT]

No, this certainly isn't the start of a bright new era, but it might be the end of the last one, which was crap. The one before that wasn't too great either.

[PaulWinch again]

I've reconciled myself to the fact he's staying to the forseeable future. So hopefully he will try and get us play some good stuff, blood the youngsters and make some shrewd signings so we're in a much better position when he leaves.

[garyshawsknee]

The fact that,top five apart,the league is pretty average,works in his favour. If he can tighten the defense,do some clever deals in the summer,and with the youngsters improving we should get a top half finish.

I still think he's a limited manager,and how he sets his team out against the top sides will have a bearing on how much more the fans can take.

[Concrete John]

McLeish's brand of football put us in the position where relegation became a worry

I don't think it has.

What has but us where we are in the league is the individual errors from defenders and the lack of form from the creative players in midfield.

[Concrete John]

I've reconciled myself to the fact he's staying to the forseeable future. So hopefully he will try and get us play some good stuff, blood the youngsters and make some shrewd signings so we're in a much better position when he leaves.

I think similar.

We need get the books balanced again, so if we can do this and then be in a position in a year or two to invest again, then this could be looked back on as a key period.  Blood and develop the youth players, clear the decks over the high paid low performers and make a few shrewd signings in the meantime. 

[Mazrim]

Agreed.

[Ger Regan]

So as welcome as the win against Fulham was, forgive me if I'm a bit reticent to see it as the start of a bright new era. It was, for the most part, an ugly performance with very little penetration.  So quite a lot in common a fair few games under Big Eck this season.

Can't agree with the bit in bold really. Little penetration, yes I suppose, but not really any different to our home form for much of the last, what, 3 or 4 years? That can't all be down to the manager. As for ugly, I really don't see that. I thought some of the passing on Saturday was excellent, one touch football and retaining the ball. Granted, I missed around 20 minutes of the second half, so can only judge on what I witnessed.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

So as welcome as the win against Fulham was, forgive me if I'm a bit reticent to see it as the start of a bright new era. It was, for the most part, an ugly performance with very little penetration.  So quite a lot in common a fair few games under Big Eck this season.

Can't agree with the bit in bold really. Little penetration, yes I suppose, but not really any different to our home form for much of the last, what, 3 or 4 years? That can't all be down to the manager. As for ugly, I really don't see that. I thought some of the passing on Saturday was excellent, one touch football and retaining the ball. Granted, I missed around 20 minutes of the second half, so can only judge on what I witnessed.

Agreed. If you thought that was ugly, I wouldn't like to hear your thoughts when we played Man City at home. I don't recall us hoofing it upfield all that often against Fulham (though Collins did start the second half still thinking he can successfully pass the ball 50 yards). I thought we passed it rather confidently considering the lack of support and confidence of the team, especially when playing at Villa Park.

[TonyD]

Now that we look to be safe - I cannot see even us losing ground to 11 points.  I think it is the perfect time to get rid of this truly awful manager.  We can put Sid in charge and starting looking for a new manager.  We can take our time and do it properly.   This would be the sensible thing to do.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

This would be the sensible thing to do.

FF and indeed sake.

[Dave Clark Five]

Now that we look to be safe - I cannot see even us losing ground to 11 points.  I think it is the perfect time to get rid of this truly awful manager.  We can put Sid in charge and starting looking for a new manager.  We can take our time and do it properly.   This would be the sensible thing to do.

I believe even Sid would find that ridiculous.

[Concrete John]

The sensible thing is to let him see the season out, especially as we'd have to pay him of to the tune of millions, and see what improvements he can make with a quarter of the season still to go.

[TonyD]

Now that we look to be safe - I cannot see even us losing ground to 11 points.  I think it is the perfect time to get rid of this truly awful manager.  We can put Sid in charge and starting looking for a new manager.  We can take our time and do it properly.   This would be the sensible thing to do.

I believe even Sid would find that ridiculous.

Well Sid or KM.   The point is that we have seen what AM is capabale of over the last 7 months and indeed during his previous roles to know he is NEVER going to be the right manager for us.  So now would be the right time to get rid and start looking.   But football chairmen rarely do the right thing.

[NeilH]

It is insanity to me to get rid of McLeish now. We’re safe barring a catastrophe and given the constraints he has been put under this season I would say that most will be applauding a job well done.

What I find incredible, is that so many believe that there are managers out there that can do a better job and so few are questioning why it is, that in planning for next season we can only consider free transfers, whilst further cutting the squad down.

All this vitriol aimed at McLeish has totally distracted from the fact that in a rapid period, the club has chucked away any last vestige of attempting to compete and is attempting to drive wages down to a level that will see us utterly incapable of competing in the short term.

Given these gigantic constraints imposed by Lerner, I fail to see how anyone would be capable of doing things better and indeed would be tempted to come; given the brief they will have to adhere to.

With the facts of life being as they are, I’m very intrigued to know what impact it will have on season ticket sales. However, I think it is certainly time to get off McLeish’s case and wise up to the fact that our situation is not of his making. If you really feel the need to apportion blame, then its time it was directly at the right parties.