AVFC statement - McLeish sacked.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

If his punditry was half as good as his ability to kick women down flights of stairs, he'd be the main man on Match of the day by now.

[KevinGage]

I genuinely don't know what the two sex cases expect.

I'd be even more concerned if our pish home form and general approach to games hadn't got people riled.  Are they saying the dross served up this year is about par?

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Obviously I'm not able to be there but what I can tell from far away it seems just very tense than corrosive. There's the obvious controversy over his arrival, but I believe that had we simply played better football and won more games at home eventually he'd have gotten to the point of being afforded the same time as almos any other manager. The Arsenal home game provides evidence of that. Most level headed yet passionate Villa fans simply want to be entertained and as the season went on McLeish became the man everyone feared he would and the football followed suit. I believed that with better players he'd open up. I was wrong, and even if you took injuries as part of the equation the team have gotten to the point of looking lost and devoid of confidence before kick off. It's not all been McLeish's fault but a very large chunk of it lies at his door.

This says it all for me.

[PeterWithesShin]

collymore or the Mercury, I really didn't know which I dislike more. My life would be enriched beyond my dreams if I never again had to hear or read anything either of them spouted.

[villajk]

Obviously I'm not able to be there but what I can tell from far away it seems just very tense than corrosive. There's the obvious controversy over his arrival, but I believe that had we simply played better football and won more games at home eventually he'd have gotten to the point of being afforded the same time as almos any other manager. The Arsenal home game provides evidence of that. Most level headed yet passionate Villa fans simply want to be entertained and as the season went on McLeish became the man everyone feared he would and the football followed suit. I believed that with better players he'd open up. I was wrong, and even if you took injuries as part of the equation the team have gotten to the point of looking lost and devoid of confidence before kick off. It's not all been McLeish's fault but a very large chunk of it lies at his door.

Sums it up nicely for me.

[SteveD]

McLeish looks finished. But he has been the conducting rod for what has been going on above him: The squad has (again) lost real quality, is relying more heavily on "kids" and has been squarely aiming at mid table humdrum. McLeish works even better as a fall guy because some fans wanted him out before his team kicked a ball; he's not helped himself given his cautious nature, let down by most of his few signings, and some awful football we've played. But he's also been an unlucky manager - losing three of his best players to injury/illness, and others hitting poor form.
I feel a little sorry for him, and think he's conducted himself with some dignity. But I also feel sorry for myself for having to watch such dross for two seasons now.

So now do we trust Lerner to make an inspired appointment, and more importantly give whoever he brings in the tools to do the job? That's enough to compete with the likes of Everton and Fulham rather than Blackburn and Swansea? I can already see Bent going to Liverpool in some cash + Charlie Adam swap deal; and the nightmare will continue. 

[Brian Taylor]

Dembele is out of contract with Fulham and is on his way in close season...to Citeh!

[rob_bridge]

Collymore was a complete leech at Villa- earned considerably money and returned zilch.
Gray is a different type of parasite altogether.Neither of them are true Villa men IMHO despite their protestations. If they were why would they keep having to suggest so.

Oh and they both spout interminable bollocks far too frequently.

[Risso]

Woman beating aside, I like Stan but at times he doesn't half sail with the tide, McLeish has had an easier ride than GH did. The atmosphere at Vp has really been one of boredom and thats no-one fault but his.

Bingo.

But Stan wouldn't know that, as that's probably the first time our very own 'man of the terraces' has been in the Holte for a while. Possibly ever.

Exactly.  He made a big deal of having been to the Bolton match, so he seems to be basing his "analysis" on ten minutes of abuse towards McLeish at the end.  I bet I've been to more Villa matches than Collymore this season.

[PeterWithesShin]

Woman beating aside, I like Stan but at times he doesn't half sail with the tide, McLeish has had an easier ride than GH did. The atmosphere at Vp has really been one of boredom and thats no-one fault but his.

Bingo.

But Stan wouldn't know that, as that's probably the first time our very own 'man of the terraces' has been in the Holte for a while. Possibly ever.

Exactly.  He made a big deal of having been to the Bolton match, so he seems to be basing his "analysis" on ten minutes of abuse towards McLeish at the end.  I bet I've been to more Villa matches than Collymore this season.

He sounds like a right day tripper the way he goes on about being at the Bolton game. "Oh look everyone, I went to a real live football game. And I sat with the oiks. Rah Rah Rah"

[rob_bridge]

McLeish looks finished. But he has been the conducting rod for what has been going on above him: The squad has (again) lost real quality, is relying more heavily on "kids" and has been squarely aiming at mid table humdrum. McLeish works even better as a fall guy because some fans wanted him out before his team kicked a ball; he's not helped himself given his cautious nature, let down by most of his few signings, and some awful football we've played. But he's also been an unlucky manager - losing three of his best players to injury/illness, and others hitting poor form.
I feel a little sorry for him, and think he's conducted himself with some dignity. But I also feel sorry for myself for having to watch such dross for two seasons now.

So now do we trust Lerner to make an inspired appointment, and more importantly give whoever he brings in the tools to do the job? That's enough to compete with the likes of Everton and Fulham rather than Blackburn and Swansea? I can already see Bent going to Liverpool in some cash + Charlie Adam swap deal; and the nightmare will continue.

Maybe he can get another letter from the  miserable old bugger in Stretford with a different name inserted.

Steve Bruce
Brian Robson
Roy Keane
Steve McLaren
Mark McGhee

or any of his other accolytes to ensure they get 6 very easy points against us.

[danlanza]

Collymore should stick to what he is best at.............Looking through car windows while having his hands down his pants!Proven!

[David_Nab]

Mcleish rightly takes alot of the blame but the amount of experianced players we have right now is not enough for a Prem League club.If we stay up questions need to be asked because 2 years running we have been near the bottom and you can't keep avoiding the drop forever.

[Dave Cooper please]

[Dave Clark Five]

This bit from the Mercury article:

'Although there was no repeat of the angry scenes witnessed at Villa’s defeat by Bolton, where McLeish, his wife and children suffered venemous abouse from the terraces, supporters leaving the Hawthorns yesterday believed that the Villa boss should still go.'

I can't think of any abuse dished out to his wife and children on Tuesday.

If there was any abuse dished out to his wife and children then it's utterly embarrassing, it's not their fault and nobody should be turning on them.

How on earth would one identify McLeish's wife and children in the first place?

What a load of old bollocks. The Mercury really is a shite paper.

I think the wording may be a little inaccurate but there is no doubt that the family would have suffered from the abuse. It is the Manager's wife and children that we are talking about. Alex McLeish's daughter was reported to have been in tears at Wigan after the stick that he got. Forget why people dished it out. The fact is that the family would have had to endure it. They were hardly going to join in with the booing etc.