If you think about it properly instead of witch-hunting hutton, we just don't have that many good players any more. It's as simple as that.
Given is a good keeper, but none of the others in the back 5 are any good really. They're just not. Dunne and Collins are rash, Warnock and Hutton uncomfortable in possession for modern full-backs and the saviour Cuellar is a decent player but nothing more - his distribution is poor.
In midfield, we have some young talent in Gardner, Bannan and Albrighton, but none are really special if we're truthful. Petrov, Ireland and NZogbia are the only ones with any actual class and Petrov is getting on a bit now unfortunately.
Up front (not counting Keane on loan), Gabby hasn't kept his form going, Bent is a good finisher but offers little else and has stopped working as hard as when he arrived. There's nothing else there.
Yes, we capitulated but look at the season as a whole and the squad as a whole.
The reason we're mid table and prone to being ripped apart and not looking like a good side is this - we just AREN'T a good side.
We don't have enough good players. It's as simple as that.
McLeish isn't a great manager - we know that. But the reason we're no longer the team we were is because we sold our best players.
Quite why people can't understand that is beyond me.