AVFC statement - McLeish sacked.

[paul_e]

The terms of his trust fund will determine when the loans have to be repaid but then its just how he's chosen to finance Villa. It's unreasonable to expect Villa to be financed without any regard to losses. Not from Lerner anyway. He's rich but not a bottomless pit.

I'm critical of his decisions in terms of appointments and giving MON carte blanche with finances but not his financial commitment. Nor do I think there's anything sinister in wanting Villa to stop bleeding money beyond and semblance of sustainability.

Amen

[Risso]

The terms of his trust fund will determine when the loans have to be repaid but then its just how he's chosen to finance Villa. It's unreasonable to expect Villa to be financed without any regard to losses. Not from Lerner anyway. He's rich but not a bottomless pit.

Trusts by their very nature are secretive, and you're right in that they're just a standard vehicle for wealthy people to shelter their funds.  All the loans had set repayment dates, but these seem to have been pushed back.

[KevinGage]

I think I was in a minority of actually liking him and thinking he would do well for us in the future.

we were definitely in the minority. His record after January was very respectable indeed. I still think we'd have lost Downing, and Young was going either way, but the types of replacements would have been creative and imaginative.

I'm in this minority as well. I think he got harsh treatment for some of the gaffs he did, and his vision for the club was clear, modern and refreshingly ruthless (I liked the way he dealt with the unjustifiably big egos in the defence). How far we've regressed since has been gut-wrenching.

I'll be honest and admit that I wanted him gone after the Liverpool fiasco and certainly after throwing the cup game against Citeh - a side who had faced something like 7 games in 21 days and could only squeeze past the mighty Notts County 1-0 the following Sunday.

We shouldn't have expected a victory as of right just by going there with a full strength side, of course.  But we might have at least squeezed a replay and the attritional nature of their run in would have stacked the odds even further in our favour.  To see a Villa purposely piss away an FA Cup QF opportunity for the glory of staying in the league is something I never thought I'd live to see.  And in that sense, and in his general consultant-like distant rhetoric, he never truly 'got' the club.

Against that, he (or maybe it was Gary Mac) spotted the potential of a player like Kyle Walker, who was behind Corluka and Hutton (?!)  in the pecking order at Tottingham, and had only played lower league football until joining us, got Downing looking like one of the best/ most effective players in the league and fixed our shortcomings up top less than three months into the job with the purchase of Bent.  Delph also looked like he was responding to an extended run in the side at the tail end of the season - though again that might have been more Gary Mac's influence.

By the end of the campaign I think he had earned the right to continue with the project, and the cut price signings we were linked with/ set to sign last summer (Cabaye, Saphic, Banega and Amalfitano) have -for the most part- done well at the clubs they joined after GH's departure. So it looks like he at least had his finger on the pulse in that regard.  If the prospect of him (or Gary Mac) remaining had led to more tears from Dunne, Collins and the other shit professionals on the books, that would just have been a bonus. Realistically, they were probably on their way.

We can't pretend he was popular for the majority of his time with us, but - credit to the board- they managed to find a bloke even more unpopular/ unsuitable.   How do they trump that if McLeish does depart in the next few months?  Well Prem experience is the main consideration, of course.  And it helps if the guy has also managed a big club but can operate on a budget.   Step forward Brian Horton.

[PaulTheVillan]

With McLeish staying (and I think Bent going) we're going to be even closer to that bottom 3 next season. I hate this.

[Mazrim]

I just hope Randy and/or Faulkner never make a footballing decision at this club again, sack McLeish and appoint somebody who knows the game to get some sort of long term plan together with a view to appointing the right manager as part of a committment to playing attacking entertaining football from now on.

But I might as well hope Rose McGowan gives me double tops in a layby on the M42.

[MarkM]

With McLeish staying (and I think Bent going) we're going to be even closer to that bottom 3 next season. I hate this.

I agree, I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel. McL is using the 'Transistion' word to describe Villa. I would say thats already happened, we have transitioned from a top six to a bottom six side!

McL is talking about making summer signings so he can have strength in depth. I can't see anyone with any real class wanting to join us [or play for McL for that matter] so we will get the type of players that none of the major teams want. Further condeming us to more seasons of 'Transition'

I think he is managing at a level above his natural ability and also managing a club that has certain expectations and hopes in terms of the way we play, which again is not to his key management skills.

He is just another in the mold of Warnock, McCarthy and the like... OK at one level but don't have the tactical ability to manage in the higher levels.

The whole club needs a shake up and above all it needs direction from the Owner, an owner that has more than what appears to be a passing interest in the club.

[pauliewalnuts]

I heartily agree, Mark.

[Risso]

Unfortunately, even with the recent cost cutting, I don't think we'll be in a poistion to spend any decent money for a good couple of years.  Other than Bent, we're also short of saleable assets, as most of the valuable family silver has been flogged already.  I wouldn't mind a new low cost, youth-based approach as a way forward if we had a manager who played good football, improved young players and spotted the odd bargain to augment the team now and again.  But McLeish certainly isn't that sort of manager, and so we have a failing team and a poor manager.  The end results have therefore unsurprisingly been disappointing.

[ozzjim]

A lowish cost youth based approach with anyone over 25 being a bosman has long been the way forward, as they are at least saleable and of every 3-4 signed if scouted well there should be a decent profit in them.

[pauliewalnuts]

A lowish cost youth based approach with anyone over 25 being a bosman has long been the way forward, as they are at least saleable and of every 3-4 signed if scouted well there should be a decent profit in them.

Isn't that a bit close to the modus operandi of Wigan?

[MarkM]

A lowish cost youth based approach with anyone over 25 being a bosman has long been the way forward, as they are at least saleable and of every 3-4 signed if scouted well there should be a decent profit in them.

Isn't that a bit close to the modus operandi of Wigan?

Sadly thats where we are headed!

[paul_e]

A lowish cost youth based approach with anyone over 25 being a bosman has long been the way forward, as they are at least saleable and of every 3-4 signed if scouted well there should be a decent profit in them.

Isn't that a bit close to the modus operandi of Wigan?

Sadly thats where we are headed!

When did a great young prospect come through the wigan academy (i.e. a guy who's gone on to be an international in a top national side).

The Bosmans aprt might be how they're operating but surely the aspiration on the youth side has to be more along the arsenal lines.  Just a shame Arsenal have a guy renowned for doing just that, we have a fearful play for the draw merchant with no track record of bringing youth through successfully.  That's the bit that really frightens me about the fact he is here, we need to start relying on our academy more but I just don't trust McLeish to do that successfully.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

How much, Mark? I will take some action on Paulie's bet.

I'm sure you would based on current statements and the like you hear coming out of Villa Park. I'm sure today, Randy has absolutely no thought of sacking Alex but as you know, things can change very quickly in football.

Randy will find himself in a very tricky position where he knows that by keeping his current manager he's almost certainly going to lose money from reduced revenue, something that throws a spanner in the works of sorting out the club's finances. At the same time he's made an agreement with a manager and given his word that come the summer he'll support him in the transfer market. Add to that, if things go badly in the new season and let's say by Christmas he needs to find a new manager, what are the chances of finding a decent man? You would imagine his recent experience on that score is something he's learned from.

My guess is that Randy will find himself having to choose what's best for the Club (company) and the value of his word. I think very reluctantly he'll choose the Club. I'm expecting him to go out of his way to support Alex McCleish until the end of the season but I'm convinced nothing will be allowed to derail his plans to financially stabilise the club. What business man would?

[Toronto Villa]

The crazy thing is, despite the need for stability, if he did make that move, it would be supported by everyone. And I speak as one willing to give the manager the opportunity to bring in his own players. We all simply care about the club, and if McLeish's removal aids that then that's the right course of action. I agree, that Randy will have to weigh keeping him vs getting rid irrespective of what promises he may have made to McLeish.

[TheSandman]

I'm with the Brian Green/Paulie Walnuts analysis. He'll last until at least Christmas next season. Probably longer.