Wigan Athletic v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[silhillvilla]

McLeish. The worst thing associated with Villa since Steve Hodge.

I guess he's even surpassed him now.

You forgot O'Leary & McNeill

[Ian.]

Been out all day since lunch and I think I want to stay away from Villa related things for now. I will catch up later before bed I think.

There is only so many times you can stay positive and think of good things to say about McLeish. Maybe sometimes you blinker yourself so much to wanting things to work out for the good for Villa that you try and look for anything good to try and believe it will come good. Will it? Fuck knows.

[Nev]

To compare things now with DOL or Hodge is silly. AM might be many things but he's not vindictive, spiteful or nasty.

[eamonn]

The most frustrating thing for me is that we have proved this season away from home that we can be dangerous and get results. If we had played like we did at Newcastle we would have coasted to a win.

6 wins from 26 games is a horrendous record, less than one win for every four matches we play. We'll do well to get to double figures and if we don't it'll probably be the first time since we last got relegated that we failed to get 10 or more wins. Draw-specialists at best. There was a fair bit of that under MON but at least he had a knack of nicking a fair few matches by the odd goal. Today was our first clean-sheet since our last 0-0 at Stoke. I honestly thought that McLeish would make us tight and ground out a lot of narrow wins. What I'd give for a string of 1-0 victories right now.

And leaving Ireland and N'Zogbia on the bench strikes me as him continuing to punish them for their attitude in the Newcastle game. If the answer on 70 minutes is Emile Heskey I struggle to see what the question is.

[Merv]

At least Blackburn and Bolton both lost today.

One again, it's a team selection that borders on hope rather than any kind of considered game plan. Obvious vulnerability in central midfield - would have thought the plan was to bring Ireland in (if Herd not fit to start) and go with a three; Gardner, Ireland, Bannan. Herd as the change midfielder.

Assuming Petrov was a late injury drop-out - other than him, the manager would have known everyone else's availability. He's had two weeks to prepare for this match.

I'm not sure what his plan is regarding N'Zogbia right now. Seems to be psychologically destroying him. Thought this game would have been a nailed-on start for him.

[silhillvilla]

To compare things now with DOL or Hodge is silly. AM might be many things but he's not vindictive, spiteful or nasty.

Agree, he never talks the club down which is a positive.
However, I'm not sure he's a good manager.
Or is it the players letting him down

[TheSandman]

There's no excuse for that and deserves all the abuse he gets when he's ruining our club with horrible negative decisions.

No, he doesn't. He deserves criticism. He doesn't deserve abuse. You don't seem to understand the difference.

Fans are entitled to vent their anger. You don't seem to understand freedom of speech.

As far as I'm concerned you are perfectly entitled to abuse him. Call him a useless ******, a stupid prick or whatever you want. It's when you come out with comments likening him to someone who is mentally retarded or to a cancer at the club. It's not that it is offensive to him but rather the people who have suffered from things like that or their relatives. I lost my mother to cancer and I'm sure that I'm not the only person on this site who has lost a loved one to cancer. Indeed, there are probably people on here who have suffered cancer. To liken him to that kind of thing just makes you seem like an utter twat.

[Witton Warrior]

All said chanting true. Entire away end at one stage.

It will only get worse now, we have held back but the flood gates will open.
I will still find it difficult to boo a Villa manager though - what the hell else do we do?

May have to write a stern letter...

[OzVilla]

I actually also feel abit sorry for AM as really this is all Lerner's fault.

He was never good enough, is being hung out to dry and Lerner is nowhere to be seen.

[silhillvilla]

I actually also feel abit sorry for AM as really this is all Lerner's fault.

Totally agree

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

All said chanting true. Entire away end at one stage.

It will only get worse now, we have held back but the flood gates will open.
I will still find it difficult to boo a Villa manager though - what the hell else do we do?

May have to write a stern letter...

A stern letter to who ? Randy Lerner ? I would be amazed you would get even an acknowledgment from the club these days. I remember writing `stern letters`to Doug on three occasions, he always replied and one time with an even sterner reply. Fair play to the old bugger.

[kippaxvilla2]

I actually also feel abit sorry for AM as really this is all Lerner's fault.

He was never good enough, is being hung out to dry and Lerner is nowhere to be seen.

It's hard to feel sorry for a guy who has a 3 year contract and has doubled his wages and plucked from the obscurity of the Championship.  He probably actually couldn't believe his luck, knew the restraints and didn't mind one bit.

[andyh]

I actually also feel abit sorry for AM as really this is all Lerner's fault.

He was never good enough, is being hung out to dry and Lerner is nowhere to be seen.

It's hard to feel sorry for a guy who has a 3 year contract and has doubled his wages and plucked from the obscurity of the Championship.  He probably actually couldn't believe his luck, knew the restraints and didn't mind one bit.

and one other pretty big thing...he shit on his old club to take the job.

[LeeB]

Not long back.

I'm 35, I've been watching us since I was 7 and playing football just as long.

That was one of the worst games I've football I've ever seen, at any level, and another 2 points slip by whilst our manager clings happily to his beloved point.

Nice to say hello to Dave before the game, after he'd had me for 2 fanzines, he shook my hand without taking his eyes off the potential customer behind me behind me.

Respect.

[Witton Warrior]

All said chanting true. Entire away end at one stage.

It will only get worse now, we have held back but the flood gates will open.
I will still find it difficult to boo a Villa manager though - what the hell else do we do?

May have to write a stern letter...

A stern letter to who ? Randy Lerner ? I would be amazed you would get even an acknowledgment from the club these days. I remember writing `stern letters`to Doug on three occasions, he always replied and one time with an even sterner reply. Fair play to the old bugger.

It was a comment to show how utterly helpless I, and possibly many others, feel about the situation. We are British after all.
Was also a bit of a joke ;-)