AVFC statement - McLeish sacked.

[PaulWinch again]

At the beginning I was prepared to give him a chance, it was only fair. That being said like the vast majority I thought it was a terrible appointment that would never work, and low and behold looks like the fans were right.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

At the beginning I was prepared to give him a chance, it was only fair. That being said like the vast majority I thought it was a terrible appointment that would never work, and low and behold looks like the fans were right.

Same here.
I was baffled by the appointment but got slightly suckered in by the General's medication inspired comments about giving him financial backing.
I truly thought that they'd give him some cash to strenghten the midfield area and to let him put of few of his players in.

As it turns out, he's had poor backing and he's made a complete shit sandwich of the resources available to him, mainly through a cowardly, unadventureous way of playing, with a seeming determination to put shackles on our more creative players.

This added to increasingly delusional press statements demonstrates that he's way out of his depth at a Premier club the size of Villa, he'd be more suited to the rough and tumble of the Championship, but I prey that's not with us.

[paul_e]

It's only relevant in relation to the bottom three though.

Not quite, it's only relevant to 18th place.  After 32 games last season Blackpool were 18th on 32 points, so 6 points behind Blues, so the same gap that we have currently.

In fact the similarities between us this season and blues last season are uncanny, and that was McLeish playing with a team of 'his own players' which some people have used as the argument of why he should be allowed the summer.

[Risso]

It's only relevant in relation to the bottom three though.

Not quite, it's only relevant to 18th place.  After 32 games last season Blackpool were 18th on 32 points, so 6 points behind Blues, so the same gap that we have currently.

In fact the similarities between us this season and blues last season are uncanny, and that was McLeish playing with a team of 'his own players' which some people have used as the argument of why he should be allowed the summer.

Exactly right Paul.  It's not the points total, it's the gap between teams, and as we saw last season at Blues, and this season here, McTwateiderdown (using Mazrim's name generator!) couldn't motivate a team if his life depended on it.

[Fernando Partridge]

The future of Alex Mcleish at Aston Villa I would guess depends on staying up. If he can learn from his experience last season then he has  improved. Remember Blues won the league cup so anything is possible !   

[Irish villain]

I hope he doesn't hire behind injuries because he had a fully fit squad until January. He had one of the best strikers in the league at his disposal and he hadn't a clue how to get the ball to him so that goals would be scored. He had Bent wandering around aimlessly in the opposition half where Houllier had tried (and now he did suffer injuries throughout last season) to have him on the end of intricate passing moves or crosses from Downing.

McLeish should have had more points on the board by the time Bent got injured. 80% of us were behind him, willing him to succeed. Before the Spurs game I remember posting that we'd finish 8th under him leaving us well poised to assault the top 6 the following season.

The Spurs surrender was a sign of things to come. He basically told the players they weren't good enough to compete with Spurs and it was the same against United at home and Man City too. At the end of the day its eleven men against eleven men and we have a squad full of internationals. Alex McLeish has underperformed with this squad. He has got to be sacked.

I hope this season is just a lesson to the board. The O'Neill approach didn't work. Swinging austerity with an out of depth manager didn't work. Time to try an ambitious young manager who knows the game outside Britain and Ireland and who wants to stir the sleeping giant. There must be somebody out there. Newcastle, Wigan and Swansea seem to have found a successful combination, why can't we?

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

Looking at it slightly differently, what if AM was appointed in the hope that he would be able to keep us up, but in the process, accept losing Downing and Young, then many other players, who are on high wages, would not want to stay. So, they leave, our wage bill is reduced considerably, and we use the youth players, AM will be given until Nov/Dec time to show if he is actually capable (even though nobody thinks this) and then we get rid of him for a new, young and exciting manager to take over in a position where he has good, young players and also money to be able to bring in the players he wants. Basically starting all over again when RL first arrived at the club.

Hang on, maybe that's just too far-fetched...perhaps it was just Lerner fucking up and AM should just go now.

[JUAN PABLO]

The future of Alex Mcleish at Aston Villa I would guess depends on staying up. If he can learn from his experience last season then he has  improved. Remember Blues won the league cup so anything is possible !   

How depressing

[Concrete John]

As I see it, we need to start investing in the squad again regardless of who is in charge.  I think Randy has learnt from the MON era, so that will be more structured, with better use made of the youth set up, overseas scouting and Bosman signings.  However, I'd be reluctant to let McLeish do that spending, but not for the same reasons as most of you. 

He's lost such a large section of the fans that I fear there is no way back for him.  Any defeat from now on will be blamed on 'negative tactics', regardless of whether true or not, and gates will fall, creating an awful atmosphere, until Randy is left with no choice but to act, probably mid way through next season.

So then a new man comes in, with resources and space on the wagebill used up by someone else's signings.  Say it's Lambert (my personal choice if he goes), will we then be able to spend again to move players on and let him  mould his own side?  Or will it be similar to this season where AM has had to try and get the best out of a mish mash of MON and Houllier signings, with the best ones wanting off?

Our only chance is that Randy backs McLeish PROPERLY this summer so we can get off to a flyer and start to turn opinions around and lift the gloom.  Anything else will see us enter another 'transitional period', which we can only have so many off before it causes some serious longterm damage to the club.     

[Rip Van We Go Again]

With his appointment and the dragging down of our expectations, never has the saying 'shit hits the fan' been more appropriate.

[pauliewalnuts]

The future of Alex Mcleish at Aston Villa I would guess depends on staying up. If he can learn from his experience last season then he has  improved. Remember Blues won the league cup so anything is possible !   

I honestly don't think it does.

I don't think they'd bin him if we went down.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

The future of Alex Mcleish at Aston Villa I would guess depends on staying up. If he can learn from his experience last season then he has  improved. Remember Blues won the league cup so anything is possible !   

I honestly don't think it does.

I don't think they'd bin him if we went down.

Yep.
The words 'Vital Championship experience' would appear in a club press statement, post relegation.

[phantom limb]

The future of Alex Mcleish at Aston Villa I would guess depends on staying up. If he can learn from his experience last season then he has  improved. Remember Blues won the league cup so anything is possible !   

I honestly don't think it does.

I don't think they'd bin him if we went down.

If we go down I would think he has to get the boot, otherwise I would genuinely fear for his safety.

[Lee]

The future of Alex Mcleish at Aston Villa I would guess depends on staying up. If he can learn from his experience last season then he has  improved. Remember Blues won the league cup so anything is possible !   

I honestly don't think it does.

I don't think they'd bin him if we went down.

If we go down I would think he has to get the boot, otherwise I would genuinely fear for his safety.

For me there is no other option. Relegation or survival, he has to be removed from the position as soon as the Season finishes. I doubt very much that will happen, but at the moment we are on course to finish on our worse points total since football began in 1992.

[Clampy]

The future of Alex Mcleish at Aston Villa I would guess depends on staying up. If he can learn from his experience last season then he has  improved. Remember Blues won the league cup so anything is possible !   

I don't think they'd bin him if we went down.

I think they would. How many fans would they expect to buy Season Tickets to watch Championship Football under Alex McLeish?