AVFC statement - McLeish sacked.

[PaulWinch again]

Don't know if it's been posted anywhere else, but here are some quotes from Alex Hleb, now at Krylya Sovetov in Russia, talking about his time at Blues:

"At Birmingham, the team played the long-ball game, practically bypassing midfield," Hleb told Russian website RIA Novosti.

"To get into the game you had to play up front or linger at the back with the defenders to get hold of the ball, which more often than not flew right past me.

"The day before a game he would come onto the pitch and show us what to do: 'You stand here, the goalkeeper will give you the ball here, kick it as far as you can and don't pass to anyone nearby. And we all run.'"

Sounds incredibly damning to me, not to mention familiar.

It is, frankly, terrifying.

Also it's very obviously true from how we play. He's got to go.

[TheSandman]

It's not like it's a surprise is it?

[Tom Sawyer]

"The day before a game he would come onto the pitch and show us what to do: 'You stand here, the goalkeeper will give you the ball here, kick it as far as you can and don't pass to anyone nearby. And we all run.'"

It sounds like a very funny pastiche, unfortunately im sure it's absolutely true.

[Monty]

It's not like it's a surprise is it?

Not at all.

It's also no wonder the seniors prefer his 'methods' to the training techniques of GH, which must have been too much like, you know, trying.

[Matt Collins]

I really don't think they have any intention of sacking mcleish. It would take a combination of things to make that happen, possibly as much as relegation

[Ad@m]

Don't know if it's been posted anywhere else, but here are some quotes from Alex Hleb, now at Krylya Sovetov in Russia, talking about his time at Blues:

"At Birmingham, the team played the long-ball game, practically bypassing midfield," Hleb told Russian website RIA Novosti.

"To get into the game you had to play up front or linger at the back with the defenders to get hold of the ball, which more often than not flew right past me.

"The day before a game he would come onto the pitch and show us what to do: 'You stand here, the goalkeeper will give you the ball here, kick it as far as you can and don't pass to anyone nearby. And we all run.'"

Sounds incredibly damning to me, not to mention familiar.

It is, frankly, terrifying.

Also it's very obviously true from how we play.

Yep, with Collins playing the 'kick it as far as you can' role.

[danlanza]

That's exactly what we have been seeing all season.Maybe Hleb should have been given a phone call before the appointment of said Ginger one!Site standards are being observed.

[preston28]

I struggle to understand why people genuinely believe that McLeish will be sacked at the end of the season.  This is a man whom the owner and CEO defied fans protests and payed compensation to our rivals to lure him to our club.  The club has spent in excess of £12m paying off previous managers so the last thing they would want to do is go down that road again - even if we got relegated.  I firmly believe that Mcleish's only objective this season was to survive by any means necessary.  If by luck we managed to get into Europe then that would have been a bonus.  We might as well get used to it that he is here for the long term. 

I for one, do not believe he is the right man for the job and wish the club would sack him but it ain't going to happen.  I believe that should the same happen next year regarding our position in the league, they will still keep him as long as we maintain premiership status.  I could be very very wrong and I really hope I am so i can go and eat humple pie but i just cant see it.
I can see them giving him money though in the summer to buy new players......players he wants so that he can stamp his authority on them. 

I have no problems with fans wanting to protest or even boycott matches and not renewing season tickets.  Hopefully that will make them open their eyes.

well you might be strugggling to see why people think he will be sacked,
when i cant think of one, not one reason why Randy will keep him on, he been a disaster in every area, if people think bringing the wage bill down is a sign of success i think not, he didnt do that anyway, the club do that.

there is not a single reason when you look logicaly at it that would be worth giving AM another season, i know you can say Randy wont look at it logicaly,
and yes he has made the big mistake in the original appointment, but he is not that stupid, he knows what he has to do, its as plain as the nose on his face

I'm not sure I share your faith in Mr. Lerner being logical about McLeish's position - he has shown with his NFL franchise a remarkable ability to alienate his own fans and appoint a succession of bad coaches. 

[john e]

i know what your saying Preston, and i'm not saying the next manager will be a brilliant chioce, because we dont know who its going to be,
 but Mcleish is definitley going out of the exit door

[paul_e]

I really don't think they have any intention of sacking mcleish. It would take a combination of things to make that happen, possibly as much as relegation

I've seen loads of people saying this, what are you basing the opinion on?  I'm really intrigued as to why so many people are so certain that he's got the safest job there is, I just don't understand why it's so clear to some people that Lerner will think things have gone as well as expected.

[VillaAlways]

I've seen loads of people saying this, what are you basing the opinion on?  I'm really intrigued as to why so many people are so certain that he's got the safest job there is, I just don't understand why it's so clear to some people that Lerner will think things have gone as well as expected.

I think thats because it was such a ludicrous appointment in the first place. Randy would have no reason to think the season could have gone any differently given his track record It's not like we employed Guardiola and he is under performing Randy has got exactly what was said on the tin It was ludricous that he was appointed therefore it's not ludicrous to think Fergie lover won't sack him on what grounds? He is doing what he does

[Villanation]

I think the criteria for sacking McLeish will be 17th or lower, will be fan hostility, lack of bums on seats, and the fact he will have to go before the end of the season, short of that being he is still here by the start of next season and I genuinely feel we will all sink together next season.

Imagine, another wonderful fun packed season of football cornucopia and excitement under big Eck. 

[Monty]

See, if he stays to the end of next season I can see us going down. If he performs as badly in this one and by, say, January we look in bother, if we act and get rid of him and FINALLY appoint the right manager, we could get out of it. Big Ifs at play there though.

[Legion]

See, if he stays to the end of next season I can see us going down. If he performs as badly in this one and by, say, January we look in bother, if we act and get rid of him and FINALLY appoint the right manager, we could get out of it. Big Ifs at play there though.

I agree with that summation.

[ozzjim]

If we finish under 40 points he should be sacked on the grounds that most seasons he would have taken us down.