AVFC statement - McLeish sacked.

[Holte L2]

Hoddle's a clown. We dont want him. Does nobody remember his spells at Spurs and Wolves? He was an awful manager!

[eastie]

Hoddle's a clown. We dont want him. Does nobody remember his spells at Spurs and Wolves? He was an awful manager!

Compared to mcleish hes a lot better option but i agree we should be looking for better .

[Rico]

I'd love Hoddle as manager. He transformed Swindon and then got the Chelsea bandwagon moving. Classy midfielder and with Sid on the coaching staff we would have the two most naturally gifted midfielders of the late 70s and early 80s coaching our kids! (always thought Sid was the better player). Bring it on! At least we'd actually attempt to pass to a claret and blue shirt.

[berneboy]

I have lost any faith I ever had in McLeish.
He is now making excuses ready for our relegation.
I especially dislike his use of the word 'they' when describing us last season. I know he wasn't here but WE are the Villa and they separates him from us. Go away Alex.

---=========
Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish admits he fears being dragged into the relegation dogfight.

Villa sit just five points above the drop zone and they arguably face the toughest run-in of the sides down at the wrong end of the table.

McLeish's options have been hit by injuries to the likes of Darren Bent, Richard Dunne and Charles N'Zogbia and the absence of Stiliyan Petrov through illness and the Villa boss is determined to get to the 40-point mark as soon as possible.

"But we have been weakened by injuries. Birmingham were also definitely significantly weakened after winning the Cup final - losing about five or six key players.

.....  McLeish admits he is not surprised Villa have struggled this season after losing the likes of Ashley Young and Stewart Downing last summer.

"I did say at the beginning of the season it wasn't the greatest experienced squad though," added McLeish.

"We had a lot of young players augmenting the squad. I said it would be a tough challenge for us and a transitional period given the way Randy wants to run the club and get the wages down.

"It has been proven and we are weaker than the players here last season at this stage.

"They had Ashley Young, Downing and Kyle Walker - three terrific players."

[Risso]

What a lamentable coward that man is.  He was crap last season and took Blues down, and he's been crap this season and seems intent on doing the same thing with us.  It isn't anything to do with luck, as all teams get injuries and dodgy decisions over a season.  If anything, he should consider himself lucky that Lerner was stupid enough to give him a job in the first place.

[VillaAlways]

"I did say at the beginning of the season it wasn't the greatest experienced squad though," added McLeish.

What a load of crap. I specifically remember him talking about what a cracking squad he had after he was appointed

[Concrete John]

Well, I might be alone in the view, and certainly don't agree with his beliefs, but the Eileen Drewry thing wasn't why he lost his job with England - the disabled/past life stuff was.  If you look at some of the religous threads in the Off Topic section, people can get offended by the idea of someone praying for them.  If an England manager said he would be remembering (easy example as it's recent) Petrov in his prayers, should he lose his job over it?

I think not, as we can't say we live in a society with religous freedom and then say someone should lose their job over what they believe.   

You're missing the point.  He's free to believe what he likes, but when it tips over into being offensive about disabled people then he can expect to lose his job.  Just like we have freedom of speech, but Suarez was banned for making racist comments.  It's not that hard a concept is it?

So anyone that shares his belief system should lose their job?

Let's not forget, this broke as a story when he thought he was talking to a journo off the record (yes, I know!) who had an interest in the subject.  That's not to excuse it, but it's not as if he was using his position as England manager to spread his beliefs.

The Suarez issue is different to me, as he abused someone during a game.  If Hoddle had ran over the the handicapped section at Wembley and told them they were all sinners in a past life, then yes, sack him.  However, he had his private beliefs that were made public by someone else, so you either say everyone in his faith system should be sacked or you accept others believe different things, which sometimes can be offensive. 

[cheltenhamlion]

Whatever the rights and wrongs of his England sacking, I don't want Hoddle here than you.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

sportinglife.com

Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish admits he fears being dragged into the relegation dogfight.

Villa sit just five points above the drop zone and arguably face the toughest run-in of the sides down at the wrong end of the table.

McLeish's options have been hit by injuries to the likes of Darren Bent, Richard Dunne and Charles N'Zogbia and the absence of Stiliyan Petrov and the Villa boss is determined to get to the 40-point mark as soon as possible.

"I don't think I have ever not been worried this season," McLeish told the Daily Mirror.

"We have to look to get to at least 40 points. That is the target I'd be giving to the players and get to that target as quickly as possible.

"I think we could have been better with some of the points we have thrown away.

"But we have been weakened by injuries. Birmingham were also definitely significantly weakened after winning the Cup final - losing about five or six key players.

"That does make your job much harder without doubt. But I care, I am conscientious and try and leave no stone unturned.

"I am a deep thinker about things. I am concentrating on winning enough games to make sure Villa is OK."

[Greg N'Ash]

Only an idiot or a yes-man would have gone into this season with our squad strength.  It was bad enough numbers wise last season so it was obvious to anyone given the normal amount of injuries you get in a season, that at some point we'd really struggle. Mcleish really can't play the injuries card because he should have had the balls to stand up to Lerner and tell him to provide him with decent resources

[PaulWinch again]

Mcleish truly is pathetic, once again blaming everyone else other than himself. I'm sure the squad really gains confidence from comments like that. When he took over I thought he was the wrong man, but a decent man. However it's become apparent through time that as Risso says he's a coward.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Absolute classic quotes from McCuntybollocks

''I am a deep thinker''

''I am conscientious and try and leave no stone unturned.''

In summary

LERNER, YOU ARE A CRETIN OF THE HIGHEST ORDER

[Concrete John]

Whatever the rights and wrongs of his England sacking, I don't want Hoddle here than you.

Just to clarify, my original post did say I wouldn't want him as manager.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

And still Lerner get's off lightly.

A bit different to the days when Herbert was here, if the pies were luke warm Ellis got slated.

[CJ]

Sporting Life

........."I am a deep thinker about things".......

That explains everything - Big Eck is actually Deep Thought, although his answer is 40 rather than 42, but this explains why we find most of what he says incomprehensible because we mere beings didn't know what we are asking of him