McLeish confident of avoiding the drop

[Rip Van We Go Again]

sportinglife.com

Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish is confident he will not suffer the misery of being relegated from the Barclays Premier League for the second successive season.

McLeish went down as Birmingham boss last May with Wolves pushing them into the bottom three on the final day of the campaign.

Now Villa find themselves only five points above the drop zone and with eight senior players sidelined through injury or illness ahead of Saturday's clash at Liverpool.

Asked about the prospect of back-to-back relegations, McLeish said: "I don't believe it will happen. That is my school of thought. I know the media will bring it up, that's fine, I can handle that.

"It will maybe be on the tip of everyone's tongue. It is not something I believe will happen.

"I'm sure the players will think about it as well, as they are only human. They were in a battle last season, so they've been through it, and they've got to do it again this season.

"Every week will be a battle but we are only three points off West Brom, and have a game in hand."

McLeish admits he expected this season to be a testing time in what he has stressed is a transitional period for the club.

He said: "I never thought it was going to be easy this season. We have a lighter squad than Villa had this time last season.

"I knew from that point of view it was going to be a big challenge again.

"But I'm confident the players can rise to the challenge and make sure we are okay this season."

McLeish has revealed his determination to show leadership to his players while coping with the setbacks suffered by Fabrice Muamba and Stiliyan Petrov in recent weeks.

Bolton midfielder Muamba, who played under McLeish at Birmingham, suffered a cardiac arrest last month but is making a good recovery, while Villa skipper Petrov has been diagnosed with acute leukaemia.

The Scot said: "You have to show that you still have the focus, the passion, everything that goes with concentrating on the game itself.

"You get these traumatic times in life and you have to deal with them.

"You move forward and show leadership and get everybody playing to the best of their ability and believing in themselves."

[JJ-AV]

I don't think we'll go - but say we get 1 point from Liverpool, Stoke and Man Utd - reckon he'll see out the season?

Morale would be so low it'd be difficult to justify not sacking him and putting KMac in charge.

[Rigadon]

Last season was pish, but I never once thought we'd go down.  I can't say I'm that confident this time around. 

This is an exercise in diminishing expectation, a bit like O'Leary used to do (with DOL operating on a never-before-seen scale). 

He's right about our squad being lighter though, you can't deny that.  Any squad would miss Young & Downing - that's what he really wants to say here.  However, what's really cost us this season is our inability to defend, especially set pieces, and that's something he needs to own up to along with a poor attitude to playing perceived 'bigger' clubs. 

[Risso]

He's quite the Mr Motivator isn't he? 

[PeterWithesShin]

I thought we were goners after the Wolves home game last season. Left the ground in near tears as I really did think we looked doomed. Yet to feel close to that this season, and long may it stay that way!

[pedro25]

Is our squad lighter though?  Last season we only had Makoun and Bent for just over a third of the campaign, and whilst we had Young and Downing we did not have N'Zogbia or Ireland (albeit due to the managers decision not to consider the latter for selection).

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I'll say it again.

If the lightness of the squad was a problem, why did he get rid of Makoun?

[royvilla949]

yes were is makoun

[bertlambshank]

Wages?

[citizenDJ]

See? Everything is fine. He doesn't believe relegation will happen.

What more could any Villa fan ask for?

[woody4866]

Panic over

we can sleep soundly in our beds knowing the ginger one has got it all under control!

[the weatherman]

Makoun left to make room for a "different" type of midfielder (as McLeish put it)
which basically meant the wages were freed up to complete the shrewd signing of Jermaine Jenas. Makoun is at Olympiakos for the rest of the season and a decision will be made on him apparently in the summer

[TonyD]

 Garbage   

[Legion]

Thanks Alex. I'm so relieved.

[Irish villain]

Fuck he is so negative. It has infected the whole place.We all knew this would be a tough season. Austerity is tough but a sunny side up manager would keep things going along. The narrative would be 'transition, we're looking at progressing next season, we're identifying areas of the squad we want to strengthen as we want to challenge again. Looking to build on this transitional season'.

But because he's so negative in every way, the fans and (I am guessing some of the players) just can't buy into any aspect of it and we now find ourselves fighting to maintain our 25 year stint in the top flight.