AVFC statement - McLeish sacked.

[villadelph]

I can't see Eck getting another job in the Prem for a very long time, and for good reason. Who would realistically employ this man after his successive and nearly routine failures.

Get gone Alex.

[KevinGage]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves.  The language is ambiguous enough to read into it what you want (naturally most want to believe come the conclusion of the third game he'll be potted).

The other concern for me is even if they do make him walk the plank, the utterly shit job both himself and the board have done means that the job is far less attractive than it was just 12 short months ago. Then, we could realistically entertain notions of Hughes, Benitez and co.  Instead, we (somewhat bizarrely) opted to focus almost exclusively on managers who are no stranger to the arse end of the table, in McLaren, Martinez and McPish. 

As things stand now, that lot plus Curbishley  (and minus McLeish obv) might be about the only realistic candidates for the job.

[villadelph]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves.  The language is ambiguous enough to read into it what you want (naturally most want to believe come the conclusion of the third game he'll be potted).

The other concern for me is even if they do make him walk the plank, the utterly shit job both himself and the board have done means that the job is far less attractive than it was just 12 short months ago. Then, we could realistically entertain notions of Hughes, Benitez and co.  Instead, we (somewhat bizarrely) opted to focus almost exclusively on managers who are no stranger to the arse end of the table, in McLaren, Martinez and McPish. 

As things stand now, that lot plus Curbishley  (and minus McLeish obv) might be about the only realistic candidates for the job.

I don't know, actually. Most managers remember our plight into the top 6 and how easy it was to make us a mainstay, its not like we had a team of world beaters.. We're a large competitive club, that is in a massive market. I think the biggest turn off will be the 40k wage cap on incoming transfers and turning our existing talent back into believers. Who ever comes in is going to get a hero's welcome.


edit: Does anyone have any mobile phone video footage from the 85th minute on? I haven't heard the backlash directly but only smothered out by commentators and TV muting.

[LeeB]

I've spent the night getting twatted in Liverpool, and unfortunately it hasn't resulted in me becoming more upbeat about our survival chances.

However, Bayern looked boss and very unlikely to give up the big cup to a bunch of monkey spunk addicts from West London, so every cloud.....

[Brian Taylor]

Top 4 with MoN and was not good enough! Bottom 4 is better?  The party will continue with a fat lady showing up in a couple of weeks to sing some of our favourites songs. Why have we put up with it so long?
You can't get a price with St Williams on Villa to lose all their last games but I shall enquire on the morrow!
If my mate can turn two bets starting at £50 on chelski at 20-1 into £17k with £500 BM to win on pens, I can have a fiver on a much more likely result!
UTV..sort of!

[Toronto Villa]

Like I said when I read it earlier, that statement is as close to gone in 3 games as you could get.

agreed Ozz. Just read it and to me was the dreaded vote of confidence. That is, we've got your back for 3 games and you better keep us up. The atmosphere is just too hostile now, and the mere thought of him being here next season will crush any plans the club have of rebuilding again in the summer. The dye is cast and he'll be gone. I'm convinced of it. However, I am a little afraid of the next appointment. One can only hope that they'll get it right.

[bones.]

Garry Thompson today in the Daily Mail.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2135123/Garry-Thompson-Graham-Taylor-sorted-Aston-Villa-team-need-same.html

[Californian Villain]

Garry Thompson today in the Daily Mail.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2135123/Garry-Thompson-Graham-Taylor-sorted-Aston-Villa-team-need-same.html

Fair comment. Especially the bit about his jacket.

[bones.]

And an article from the Guardians site from yesterday afternoon, might have already been posted somewhere on H&V but looking to make sure could take a while.http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/apr/25/aston-villa-fans-alex-mcleish

[Californian Villain]

And an article from the Guardians site from yesterday afternoon, might have already been posted somewhere on H&V but looking to make sure could take a while.http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/apr/25/aston-villa-fans-alex-mcleish

Already on this thread somewhere, but worth re-posting for anyone who hasn't read it. I'm a bit surprised Stuart James hasn't written this piece before, he's usually switched on to what is really going on at VP.

[Eigentor]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves.  The language is ambiguous enough to read into it what you want (naturally most want to believe come the conclusion of the third game he'll be potted).

The other concern for me is even if they do make him walk the plank, the utterly shit job both himself and the board have done means that the job is far less attractive than it was just 12 short months ago. Then, we could realistically entertain notions of Hughes, Benitez and co.  Instead, we (somewhat bizarrely) opted to focus almost exclusively on managers who are no stranger to the arse end of the table, in McLaren, Martinez and McPish. 

As things stand now, that lot plus Curbishley  (and minus McLeish obv) might be about the only realistic candidates for the job.

I don't know. Since last summer Hughes had to wait half a year to get a job at QPR, while Benitez is working as a pundit at Eurosport.

I think the biggest obstacle to us getting a decent manager (like eg. Benitez) is Lerner's unwillingness to acknowledge that he should hire the best candidate for the post as Villa manager, not the post as his and Faulkner's new best friend.

[andyh]

Good article from Bruno there. I do like it when old favourites still refer to the club as 'us' when talking about the present day.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Well if he does get the push he will have trousered £4m for the remainder of his contract, his reward for being an utter, abject failure.

What a weird world the football industry is.

[Ian.]

Well if he does get the push he will have trousered £4m for the remainder of his contract, his reward for being an utter, abject failure.

What a weird world the football industry is.

I would hope AM's quits. All this talk of saying "I'm not a quitter I can turn it around". A bigger braver man must be able to admit defeat and say "Sorry everyone I tried my best, cheerio" and leave without a big pay off.
But like you say this is football and it is very strange industry indeed.

[Californian Villain]

Well if he does get the push he will have trousered £4m for the remainder of his contract, his reward for being an utter, abject failure.

What a weird world the football industry is.

I would hope AM's quits. All this talk of saying "I'm not a quitter I can turn it around". A bigger braver man must be able to admit defeat and say "Sorry everyone I tried my best, cheerio" and leave without a big pay off.
But like you say this is football and it is very strange industry indeed.

Ha! You've got more chance of being stuck by lightning! He's not going to give up 4 million quid - in fact I can't remember the last time a manager resigned, that's not how it works these days.