AVFC statement - McLeish sacked.

[not3bad]

I think the Stoke game on Easter Monday will be vital.  Mcleish will get away with abject surrender against Chelski and Manure if Villa get a result against Stoke.  If we don't then by all that's holy he has to be at least in deep sh*t.

[NeilH]

33-1 at some places for relegation if anyone feels like softening the blow. Couldn't do it myself, an Albion fan has just informed me.

Might have a tenner on.

You bloody heretic... may you burn in the depths of hell with your new found wealth.

[paul_e]

I agree with john e here.

I think a lot of people are thinking under the false assumption that Mcleish was put in to avoid relegation and cut the wage bill.  The compelling argument agaisnt that is you don't offer someone a 600% pay rise to clean shop, you offer that if you think they can make big changes and take you forward.  Everything that's happened since has shown that he isn't likely to do that.  I personally think that the board really wanted silverware after getting close with MoN and they let the cup last year blind them to all else.

It's in no ones best interests to let the current situation continue and even from a business point of view it's impossible to ignore the malaise at the club currently.  He might get a couple of months next season but unless we're looking like a new team I can't see the board risking it continuing any longer than that.

[PaulWinch again]

I'd love to agree with the Paul, but sadly I think Lerner has become entrenched in his support of Mcleish and won't budge. Unfortunately loyalty to the manager in this case won't provide any benefit, it'll just compound his massive error.

[Damo70]

Randy Lerner must know he needs to either sack McLeish or spend big and preferably as early as possible if he wants anything like decent season ticket sales and attendances next season. I said all along that we should stick with him till the end of the season but at the moment it's hard to put any sort of case for him staying beyond that.

[Lowendbehold]

If AM is to go and I don't think he will, it won't be before we are clearly safe from relegation, or relegated and neither should it be.

[N'ZMAV]

And then we'll bring in McClaren.

[not3bad]

Hurrah!

[Stu]

And then we'll bring in McClaren.

Nah, Joe Kinnear. He's got prem experience. Imagine what he could do with the right level of backing.

[Irish villain]

I hope you're right Paul e.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Let’s be crystal clear about this. Firstly, no matter what Hughton’s track record is, there is no way on earth that we are going to look across the city and poach that lots manager once more. Our board might not be the sharpest tools in the box, but even they would not be so profoundly stupid as to once more play with fire.
As regards the immediate issue, I continue to be surprised at the amount of people that believe that firstly McLeish is going and that secondly any resultant drop off in attendance numbers will be a wake-up call for the board.

Dealing with the first point, the fact that McLeish has acquired Holman, the fact that he’s been scouting out here and the fact that at every interview he exhibits all the traits of a man who know his job is as secure as a WWII German bunker, should light up a giant neon sign saying ‘Villa manager next season.’
As regards the predicted calamitous drop off in attendance numbers. I have little doubt that significant number of fans will choose to not renew next season and we will play out a number of games to gates of sub-25K, but it’s not as if it’s a new phenomenon at Villa Park and I am convinced that the board have prepared well for this and enough fans will support; as demonstrated in another thread.
What worries me though is the growing gulf between our board and fans. If, as I predict, we go into next season and nothing has altered, the relations between the board and the fans will simply further erode. I, like many others, simply do not have the confidence in the board to make the right decisions anymore and I fear that the poor decisions of the past are now preventing any proactive decisions for the future, other than the need to simply survive.

Of course things could be a hell of a lot worse and given our recent losses, it highlights that we are certainly not in a healthy situation right now. However, I do genuinely believe that many fans would have understood the necessary cost-cutting had the board not appointed McLeish. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I personally feel that I would have accepted the bitter pills a lot more had we chosen a manager with a record for trying to play the game properly, as opposed to a merchant of negative football.

Good post Neil, the only thing you've not calculated in is the money.

We're currently a club trying to get our house in financial order and to do that a reduction in attendances is not going to help. By my calculations, it's far more cost effective to sack Alex McLeish and bring somebody else in, a simple case of comparing the values of lost season ticket sales against compensation. The club are serious about reducing the costs and I'm sure they are equally serious about the revenue, so if they do the math, I can't see how they can go on with McLeish. It really is that simple.

The big question is are they clever enough to get the right man to replace him. I'd imagine the appointment of Rogers would please most Villa fans, in fact it's a bit of a no brainer. Sometimes you have to do everything to bring in the right man and if that means giving him money to play with, Randy should do it. I don't see how he can not do it any other way.

The point is, no club should approach a new season without hope and expectation from the fans. I think everybody knows, rightly or wrongly, that should McLeish still be here come the new season we'll be a club without hope not to mention a club with a reduced revenue stream. You can keep pruning away at the dead wood but eventually unless you allow for new growth you're just left with a stump.. and a very expensive stump Aston Villa will be to Randy Lerner.

[garyshawsknee]

It's in no ones best interests to let the current situation continue and even from a business point of view it's impossible to ignore the malaise at the club currently.  He might get a couple of months next season but unless we're looking like a new team I can't see the board risking it continuing any longer than that.

Anyone with any sense would make this decision,but the board have shown with their past two appointments they are clueless.

[pauliewalnuts]

We're currently a club trying to get our house in financial order and to do that a reduction in attendances is not going to help. By my calculations, it's far more cost effective to sack Alex McLeish and bring somebody else in, a simple case of comparing the values of lost season ticket sales against compensation. The club are serious about reducing the costs and I'm sure they are equally serious about the revenue, so if they do the math, I can't see how they can go on with McLeish. It really is that simple..

I see your point, Mark, but I still don't believe the board will think that way.

He's bought into McLeish big style. The fact he's letting him sign players for next season says he's going to be here.

There's not a prayer he'll be sacked.

[PaulWinch again]

We're currently a club trying to get our house in financial order and to do that a reduction in attendances is not going to help. By my calculations, it's far more cost effective to sack Alex McLeish and bring somebody else in, a simple case of comparing the values of lost season ticket sales against compensation. The club are serious about reducing the costs and I'm sure they are equally serious about the revenue, so if they do the math, I can't see how they can go on with McLeish. It really is that simple..

I see your point, Mark, but I still don't believe the board will think that way.

He's bought into McLeish big style. The fact he's letting him sign players for next season says he's going to be here.

There's not a prayer he'll be sacked.

The thing is I think we're all overlooking that Randy has really 'good and interesting' conversations with Mcleish. That's surely a reason to keep him in the job.....

[NeilH]

We're currently a club trying to get our house in financial order and to do that a reduction in attendances is not going to help. By my calculations, it's far more cost effective to sack Alex McLeish and bring somebody else in, a simple case of comparing the values of lost season ticket sales against compensation. The club are serious about reducing the costs and I'm sure they are equally serious about the revenue, so if they do the math, I can't see how they can go on with McLeish. It really is that simple..

I see your point, Mark, but I still don't believe the board will think that way.

He's bought into McLeish big style. The fact he's letting him sign players for next season says he's going to be here.

There's not a prayer he'll be sacked.

This was my point.
They crunched the numbers and it would clearly appear that they see it as financially better for him to stay. All the evidence points to a man very secure in his position and building for next season. All the evidence points to a board prepared to accept a large drop off in attendances to enable McLeish to do just that.