Who is to blame?

[Concrete John]

The thing is, McLeish can say "I want to play attractive football" and be telling the truth

It was possibly why the cynics amongst us were prepared to give him a chance. 'He could'nt possibly play drab football with the players we have' we thought at the time? Somehow he's managed it.

eh? While i agree i thought it was more than likely the football would be drab with Mcleish in charge, I certainly didn't look at the likes of Dunne, Heskey, Petrov Warnock etc.. and think "he's gonna have a hard time turning them into a dull side"

Why would you expect a CB, a DCM and a shit striker to be the source of our entertainment as opposed to N'Zogbia, Gabby, Bent, Ireland and Albrighton?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

The thing is, McLeish can say "I want to play attractive football" and be telling the truth

It was possibly why the cynics amongst us were prepared to give him a chance. 'He could'nt possibly play drab football with the players we have' we thought at the time? Somehow he's managed it.

eh? While i agree i thought it was more than likely the football would be drab with Mcleish in charge, I certainly didn't look at the likes of Dunne, Heskey, Petrov Warnock etc.. and think "he's gonna have a hard time turning them into a dull side"

Why would you expect a CB, a DCM and a shit striker to be the source of our entertainment as opposed to N'Zogbia, Gabby, Bent, Ireland and Albrighton?

John is correct and i'd add Makoun to the mix, but he fucked him off with indecent haste.

[Concrete John]

McLeish. For all the bad decisions, McLeish had relatively decent money in the summer from sales and time to assess the squad, and has then blamed much of the last 2 months poor performances on it not being his squad etc. Lerner still has a little good will in the tank for me, but if there was a Faulkner McCleish option it would get my vote straight away.

Time yes, but not money.  We lost a host of key players from a side that still only managed 9th and he had around half that amount to replace them.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

McLeish. For all the bad decisions, McLeish had relatively decent money in the summer from sales and time to assess the squad, and has then blamed much of the last 2 months poor performances on it not being his squad etc. Lerner still has a little good will in the tank for me, but if there was a Faulkner McCleish option it would get my vote straight away.

Time yes, but not money.  We lost a host of key players from a side that still only managed 9th and he had around half that amount to replace them.

That's part of the reason why I blame Lerner.
They seemed utterly convinced that he was the right man for the job, I just couldn't see it myself, but If they were so convinced, they should have backed him with decent transfer funds.

[Concrete John]

McLeish. For all the bad decisions, McLeish had relatively decent money in the summer from sales and time to assess the squad, and has then blamed much of the last 2 months poor performances on it not being his squad etc. Lerner still has a little good will in the tank for me, but if there was a Faulkner McCleish option it would get my vote straight away.

Time yes, but not money.  We lost a host of key players from a side that still only managed 9th and he had around half that amount to replace them.

That's part of the reason why I blame Lerner.
They seemed utterly convinced that he was the right man for the job, I just couldn't see it myself, but If they were so convinced, they should have backed him with decent transfer funds.

Fully agree with that.

While I understand the wages/turnover issue, we had a lot of players with a year left on their contracts during last summer (Carlos, Heskey & Beye), so it would have been a short term hit to give him a fighting chance.

[VillaAlways]

SirAlex has just said we're fighting for our lives with Wigan etc in his Press Conference.Thanks for that letter Alex

[Clampy]

The thing is, McLeish can say "I want to play attractive football" and be telling the truth

It was possibly why the cynics amongst us were prepared to give him a chance. 'He could'nt possibly play drab football with the players we have' we thought at the time? Somehow he's managed it.

eh? While i agree i thought it was more than likely the football would be drab with Mcleish in charge, I certainly didn't look at the likes of Dunne, Heskey, Petrov Warnock etc.. and think "he's gonna have a hard time turning them into a dull side"

Why would you expect a CB, a DCM and a shit striker to be the source of our entertainment as opposed to N'Zogbia, Gabby, Bent, Ireland and Albrighton?

Is the right answer.

[villajk]

SirAlex has just said we're fighting for our lives with Wigan etc in his Press Conference.Thanks for that letter Alex

It's all his fault for sending Randy that letter of recommendation.

[Brend'Watkins]

SirAlex has just said we're fighting for our lives with Wigan etc in his Press Conference.Thanks for that letter Alex

Randy probably thinks that letter has the weight of a 'Get out of Jail free card' should the worst happen.

[VillaAlways]

SirAlex has just said we're fighting for our lives with Wigan etc in his Press Conference.Thanks for that letter Alex

It's all his fault for sending Randy that letter of recommendation.

He's never forgiven us for that 1-0 victory at Old Trafford

[Chris Jameson]

SirAlex has just said we're fighting for our lives with Wigan etc in his Press Conference.Thanks for that letter Alex

It's all his fault for sending Randy that letter of recommendation.

It's okay, we're giving O'Leary a glowing reference for one Ferguson retires.

[not3bad]

SirAlex has just said we're fighting for our lives with Wigan etc in his Press Conference.Thanks for that letter Alex

It's all his fault for sending Randy that letter of recommendation.

Watch Ferguson leap to Mcleish's defense once Man Utd have sewn up their 6 points from us this season.

[KevinGage]

McLeish. For all the bad decisions, McLeish had relatively decent money in the summer from sales and time to assess the squad, and has then blamed much of the last 2 months poor performances on it not being his squad etc. Lerner still has a little good will in the tank for me, but if there was a Faulkner McCleish option it would get my vote straight away.

Time yes, but not money.  We lost a host of key players from a side that still only managed 9th and he had around half that amount to replace them.

I guess it depends on whether you think 9th was about par with a side of our ability last season.  It's a weird one, as although we only clinched 9th on the last day, I'd still say it was under par actually. 

This season we have lost Downing and Ash, true. But we were able to sign a player who Everton and Sunderland both wanted but couldn't afford (N'Zog).  Players like Albrighton, Bannan and Delph are  (or should be)  a further year into development. Ireland -ostracised from the side completely last season- can be as good as just about anything in the division outside of the very elite.  And we signed an upgrade between the sticks.

So based on the players he inherited and the money he had to plug any gaps as he deemed necessary, circa £18 million in that regard is still a decent sum.  More than most of the other managers in the division were able to operate with.

[Merv]

SirAlex has just said we're fighting for our lives with Wigan etc in his Press Conference.Thanks for that letter Alex

Job done, Sir Alex. Villa's demise from challenging Man Utd in league and cup to fighting relegation with Wigan in two years? Tick. This is why the man's a genius.



It's all his fault for sending Randy that letter of recommendation.

[Concrete John]

McLeish. For all the bad decisions, McLeish had relatively decent money in the summer from sales and time to assess the squad, and has then blamed much of the last 2 months poor performances on it not being his squad etc. Lerner still has a little good will in the tank for me, but if there was a Faulkner McCleish option it would get my vote straight away.

Time yes, but not money.  We lost a host of key players from a side that still only managed 9th and he had around half that amount to replace them.

I guess it depends on whether you think 9th was about par with a side of our ability last season.  It's a weird one, as although we only clinched 9th on the last day, I'd still say it was under par actually. 

This season we have lost Downing and Ash, true. But we were able to sign a player who Everton and Sunderland both wanted but couldn't afford (N'Zog).  Players like Albrighton, Bannan and Delph are  (or should be)  a further year into development. Ireland -ostracised from the side completely last season- can be as good as just about anything in the division outside of the very elite.  And we signed an upgrade between the sticks.

So based on the players he inherited and the money he had to plug any gaps as he deemed necessary, circa £18 million in that regard is still a decent sum.  More than most of the other managers in the division were able to operate with.

Our form post Bent's arrival in January was top 6 level, so you're right to say 9th is possibly misleading. 

However, one key element throughout that season was the awful defence, which he's had to then still work with.  Our creative elements were Ash, Downing and Walker, who all left.  And the midfield 'enforcer' was NRC, who hasn't been replaced.  The swap of Given for Big Brad in goal doesn't really effect things that much, other than £3.5m of what he had to spend was gone just to stand still in that position.

I won't argue that he should have gotten better out of what he has, but that still reamins last year's squad patched up here and there, yet still poorer.