That Villa fan on page 5 of the Mail today...

[SoccerHQ]

Anyone seen it?

Been claimed he's the only backer of McLeish, says our problems have been mainly long term injuries to key players (it isn't Alex himself btw). One comment that really caught my eye though was at the end...

"It's highly unlikely fans of a club like Newcastle would get on the back of its manager like Villa's,"

I think a quick pint and game of darts with Sam Allardyce would put him right that.

It's something I've never got tbh that Villa fans are moaners and get on the backs of players and manager. Yes we do on occasions but so do most other teams.

I go to Arsenal a couple of times a year and they moan and whinge when teams go wrong and regularly boo their team off at half time, Liverpool fans didn't want Hodgson and weren't quiet in showing it and Newcastle and Allardyce is a good relevant example of fans of a club not wanting to accept a manager's style of play.

Just don' undertstand the classification of football fans sometimes, we're all essentially the same, just some teams are more successful than others.

A few people have commented on this board that McLeish has had an easy ride at VP for most of the season given some of the dross games we've had and I agree. If anything we've been too tolerant towards him.

[timeoutbigbar]

"It's highly unlikely fans of a club like Newcastle would get on the back of its manager like Villa's,"

"That Kenny Dalgleish fella, they've got him all wrong.  He loves multiculturalism"

[PeterWithesShin]

And they stuck with Ruud Gullit through thick and thin.

[Legion]

Vill?

[Jimbo]

If the national media says something often enough anyone can believe it, even if it is the person it's being said about.

[Dave Clark Five]

'Only backer of McLeish'?

[villajk]

'Only backer of McLeish'?

The only one that came forward.

[Dr.Feelgood]

Hmmm.... Newcastle, now, - let me think :  SIR Bobby Robson ??  One of their own ?? 

I think he's either a publicity seeking old chap, - or else it's McLeech's Dad. Poor Sod.

[FrankyH]

I hate when people use Newcastle as a comparison to Villa.

Although I respect Steve Stride and wish he was still at the club to give Lerner some much needed advice , he was one of the worst culprits.

Every AGM when Doug  came under fire  Steve Stride would always bring up Newcastle and how they filled their ground week in week out and that Villa couldn't compete with them.It really did boil my piss that a club official and Villa supporter to boot used that club to belittle  our own.

[eamonn]

'Only backer of McLeish'?

Well, you were busy working when they tried to call you, DC5 (whistley emoticon).

[OzVilla]

"It's highly unlikely fans of a club like Newcastle would get on the back of its manager like Villa's,"

I'd suggest the credibility of the article ended there.

[Stu]

Every AGM when Doug  came under fire  Steve Stride would always bring up Newcastle and how they filled their ground week in week out and that Villa couldn't compete with them.It really did boil my piss that a club official and Villa supporter to boot used that club to belittle  our own.

I think the difference in attendances will start to tell when the FFP rules kick in properly. I'd love to see some real scouting being done by the club then, as well as working hard to get the best players for the academy. We'll still be mid-table though.

[Mister E]

We'd better get used to this  sort of press over the next two weeks - everyone is itching to pull the trapdoor-lever on us and any belittling press story will be milked for all it's worth.

Our dalliance with the drop has massive press interest: not just because we're one of the original EPL teams but also because of the prospect of McLeish's unenviable and unique feat of taking two teams down from the same City in consecutive seasons.

[ktvillan]

All fans moan. We're no worse and no more or less fickle than any other bunch fans.  If anything I've been frustrated at the lack of crowd hostility towards a manager and owner both so hopelessly out of their depth that they are seriously damaging the club.  As for Stride's comments, someone should have pointed out to him that Newcastle only started filling their ground when they signed a series of bums on seats players and played some of the most exhilirating football the top flight has seen.  Perhaps if he and Ellis had tried the same, he'd have had a case for comparison. 

[brian green]

There is a man lives and works in our village, a friend of mine who was born in the Black Country and who played centre forward for Newcastle United.   He says it was a horrible club with fickle fans who would give you a hard time as soon as look at you and he could not wait to leave the place.   For what it is worth he is a Liverpool fan.