Alec

I hope your right as I don't see him being a regular in our side anytime soon but if you are correct the likes of Ferguson, Wenger, Boas, Mancini, Dalglish, Redknapp perhaps even Mourinho and Guardiola etc will all be sniffing around him, we can have a bidding war, make a fortune on him, and go and buy someone who fits in better with a team of our standing. Nicely over the top there! Makoun looks like a fish out of water in our team because frankly, we are not a good enough footballing side to integrate him. His only chance of having a part to play is in a midfield three alongside other technically adept players such as Bannen and.......................therein lies the problem. Technically very good but has no place in a side whose football philosophy appears to amount to up the wings or lay it back for Collins to lump forward. Given one of the criticisms most people would have of our performances so far this season is a lack of width and the fact that the goals scored against Blackburn have come from passing moves that have seen the team move the ball impressively through the middle of the park, suggesting McLeish's philosophy 'amounts to up the wings' or 'Collins lumping it' seems over the top itself. It's certainly not accurate. If Makoun doesn't make it here, it won't be because he's too good for us - it will be because he wasn't good enough to adapt or improve his limited game. The outball from defence consists of up the wings or lump it from Collins, I would estimate 70% of our play is this way. Dont be fooled by the fact he is playing wingers on opposite wings so they can cut in instead of hitting the byline. I'm not fooled by anything. We simply aren't playing wingers at all at present - even N'Zogbia looks like more of a deep lying forward at the moment, drifting inside every chance he gets. I personally think we may be more effective if we did have more of an outlet out wide on both flanks, but N'Zogbia and Agbonlahor will always make us look narrower than what we had become used to with Downing and Young. Only when Albrighton has appeared have we seen a player hug the touchline so far this season (and, unfortunately, Albrighton seems sadly out of sorts). And whilst Collins is guilty of trying too many Hollywood balls, most of our play against Fulham and Blackburn stemmed from the deep positions that Petrov and Delph took up (they were key to the build-up of each of our three goals) and time and again we kept moving the ball into dangerous central areas just outside of the opposition 'D'. This is how I see McLeish setting us up to hurt teams this season, and in fairness, it looks promising - we just need a player with superior technique and less brute force than Heskey to be the player who chiefly benefits from this. Though he has played well so far - and the truth is he has probably been more involved in all of our play in the final third than any of our other attacking players so far - a player like Bannan or Ireland would be my preference. What does this have to do with Makoun? Well, this could be a position that some may suggest he could be suited to, but it would involve him advancing into more dangerous positions than he has so far shown a willingness to, so the other two would be ahead of him in the pecking order. In this formation, there's only really one position that he could play well in and that's taking up Delph's role alongside Petrov (not the other way around as both still need the strength and experience of Petrov alongside them). But Delph looks like the better player at present - stronger in the tackle, more energetic, greater composure running with the ball. And this is why it is likely going to take a serious injury or someone incurring a three-match ban for Makoun to get a look-in on the basis of what we've seen from him so far.

I hope your right as I don't see him being a regular in our side anytime soon but if you are correct the likes of Ferguson, Wenger, Boas, Mancini, Dalglish, Redknapp perhaps even Mourinho and Guardiola etc will all be sniffing around him, we can have a bidding war, make a fortune on him, and go and buy someone who fits in better with a team of our standing. Nicely over the top there! Makoun looks like a fish out of water in our team because frankly, we are not a good enough footballing side to integrate him. His only chance of having a part to play is in a midfield three alongside other technically adept players such as Bannen and.......................therein lies the problem. Technically very good but has no place in a side whose football philosophy appears to amount to up the wings or lay it back for Collins to lump forward. Given one of the criticisms most people would have of our performances so far this season is a lack of width and the fact that the goals scored against Blackburn have come from passing moves that have seen the team move the ball impressively through the middle of the park, suggesting McLeish's philosophy 'amounts to up the wings' or 'Collins lumping it' seems over the top itself. It's certainly not accurate. If Makoun doesn't make it here, it won't be because he's too good for us - it will be because he wasn't good enough to adapt or improve his limited game.

The problem with Makoun is I don't think any of us can really tell how good he is. So far the only thing he has really demonstrated is that he is good at moving the ball effectively, but his passing range seems distinctly limited, rarely extending beyonmd half a dozen yards. He had an opportunity to impose himself on a game on Tuesday night against Hereford and didn't. Sitting in the role he was given, he could've dictated the play without covering a massive amount of ground given that Ireland and Bannan were playing in more advanced positions, but he did little more than the bare minimum you would expect. I don't sense any drive or urgency in his play - despite evidently being a quick thinker - and for one of the senior players on the pitch, he didn't exhibit any sign that he was inclined to take responsibility for taking the game for the opposition, content to do his little portion which consists mainly of shuffling the ball to the next nearest man. That kind of player may well be seen as an asset in other leagues, but they will always struggle to make an impact here unless those attributes are combined with others (such as the ability to break up the opposing team's play or man-mark one of their key attackers, neither of which Makoun possesses). If he is to make it here, he will have to adjust to us and the Premier League, not the other way around. I wouldn't write him off yet but there is no getting away from the fact that he looks very lightweight.

Villa 2 Wolves 1 37,453

The second half was getting increasingly uncomfortable before the breakthrough and I thought we played much of the match at the same tempo as a rpe-season friendly, which made it a lot easier for Hereford to do a containing job (in fairness to them, they impressively kept their shape for the duration and their fans created more atmosphere in their section of the North stand than the Villa fans did throughout the rest of the ground). Guzan - 6/10 Not much to do, but looked solid enough. Herd - 6/10 Decent at the back and had a couple of testing moments in the second half. Dunne - 7/10 Marshalled things well and guided the young players around him through the game effectively. Clark - 7/10 Composed and elegant - could be a very accomplished player at the highest level once he learns not to be pulled out of position. No such problems last night though. Lichaj - 7/10 Very good on the whole and adds physical presence in a position where we are used to the comparitively smaller likes of Young or Warnock. Threat at set-pieces - as evidenced by his goal. Makoun - 6/10 Neat and tidy, always comfortable on the ball but not much drive or urgency to his play which he sorely needs to break into the first team. Ireland - 6/10 Some very good touches at times and got into some very promising positions. Has a tendency to float in and out too much and, like Makoun, not much of an inclination to take responsibility and drive us forward to get a result. Bannan - 7/10 Always bright, always hungry for the ball. Looked the most likely to create something and provided good deliveries from corners and set-pieces. Sometimes guilty of trying one too many 'Hollywood' passes, but this formation suits him and I hope McLeish now gives him a full run of games to prove himself. Albrighton - 5/10 Visibly frustrated with himself at times and wasted a number of opportunities with porr crosses. He just needs to keep working and play his way back to some good form. N'Zogbia - 5/10 Disappointing and still looking like he is lacking for sharpness. Needs to start doing more frankly. Bent - 6/10 Caught offside too many times in the first half but not a great deal of quality supply that he could do much with. Always willing to put in a shift but shame he couldn't seize the opportunity to beef up his season's goal tally against this kind of opposition. Subs; Delfouneso - 7/10 Looked bright and just seems to keep getting more impressive physically - time to start making more of a mark. Good striker's goal. Weimann - 7/10 Also looked impressive - strong on the ball and good running with forward with it. Unlucky to see a long-range effort bounce off the bar. Would like to see a few more appearances from him this season. Beye - 6/10 Closed out the game. Good cross to the back post that was nodded back for the second goal. McLeish - 6/10 Will be glad to get this game out of the way. Seemed to strike a better balance of mixing youth with experience than his predecessors sometime shave in these kind of fixtures, but Villa fans may not be convinced that he is yet taking the competition as seriously as they would like. When things were just starting to get a little dicey int he second half, there weren't any experienced heads he could turn to on the bench either. Realistically, the League Cup is our best chance of silverware this season - I for one would be perfectly happy to win this trophy and finish mid-table - and each match in this competition, no matter the opposition, should be approached with this in mind.

Neat and tidy last night, but same questions remain as to his overall suitability to the English game. There's not much, if any, drive to his play and whilst he's clearly a very good footballer, he needs the team to be set up in a certain way in order for him to function. It was noticeable in the second half when N'Zogbia was withdrawn and Bannan went outwide that Makoun and Ireland conceded a lot of ground in the centre to very limited oppositon. Really hope he comes good but last night's performance not only demonstrated why Delph is currently being chosen ahead of him, but why Petrov, for all his noted flaws, is also still so important to this team until further additions arrive.

The problem with Makoun is that he has looked too lightweight for the Premier League so far. There are ways and means of getting him up to speed but I think McLeish recognised in pre-season that he had to make a choice between Makoun and Delph for the first game because both need the experience and strength of Petrov alongside them. Delph is more combative than Makoun and also seems more energetic in his box-to-box running - and his two performances so far would vindicate the decision to select him over Makoun. Not saying I don't think Makoun can play that role in the system McLeish has used so far - in fact, I think he could be rather good - but perhaps Deplh just has that little bit more to offer that suits the English game. It would be great if we could pair Makoun with Delph and have them sit in front of the back four, but unfortunately I don't think either are yet ready or strong enough to perform as we need them to without Petrov next to them. So if a player was to be released, I can see that there would be a pragmatic argument that Makoun would be one to consider letting go - but only if it enables McLeish to bring in a replacement. Personally, I hope he stays and forces his way into the team eventually, but it may be an uphill battle.

Good win to get the home campaign off to the right start. A lot of points already covered so I'll try not to go over the same ground but a few points of interest struck me yesterday, both good and bad, that may indicate where we are going at present. Firstly, the formation used in these first two league games seems to have surprised a lot of people and I think we've seen how it will potentially work to our advantage in different ways in the fixtures against Fulham and Blackburn. Petrov and Delph is a pairing Martin O'Neill tried with limited success and one that many of us would've said was too lightweight to work, but McLeish has essentially set them both up as defensive, 'quarterback' style midfielders. Positional discipline and a cautious approach to joining in attacks is something we know suits Petrov but judging from his two performances in the past week, I believe a lot of work has gone into Delph during pre-season and the way he can tailor his game to curb some of his more energetic tendencies. Both players are sitting in front of the back four and doing a pretty good job of protecting them centrally (most of the danger posed by Blackburn yesterday came from the flanks as a result), and their role when we go forward is to offer an outlet when wide players need to bring the ball inside and keep it moving. Delph is naturally a box-to-box runner and it is possible that we're losing a side to his play that may give him more opportunity to shine as an attacking force (which he is capable of being) but I feel the positional awareness gained from modifying his game is already making him a better player, and one who looks a good deal more comfortable on the Premier League stage. If you watch the game back, look carefully at the position Delph holds as Petrov goes forward before releasing Bent in the build-up to the opening goal, and note the starting positions both players take during the build-up to the second when Delph plays in Agbonlahor on the edge of the box. This isn't to say that he has suddenly transformed into an outstanding player, but for the first time since he arrived, he is starting to look like more than mere potential and could well develop into a key player for us not only this season but for a long time to come. The performances of Delph and Petrov, both impressive yesterday, enables McLeish to play with more flexibility than what we saw under O'Neill or Houllier last season, when we would often look very flat across the middle. When we go forward, we look like we are operating a 4-2-4 and when we are defending it quickly adjusts to 4-4-1-1 or 4-5-1, and I've been impressed by the willingness of Heskey to be the one player who has to constantly change his position whilst the game is in flux in order to make this work. One tends to think of Heskey as being at his most effective when used as atarget man with a Michael Owen or a Wayne Rooney spinning off him from deep, so I don't know how naturally this comes to him but from a positional standpoint, the intuitive sense he has shown in the opening two games of the season has been outstanding. When the opposition has the ball he becomes a third central midfielder and though it rarely looks elegant, his closing down combined with a few crudely cumbersome challenges have assisted in breaking up the play (and earning him a couple of slightly harsh bookings) and enabling Petrov and Delph to mop up and re-start attacks. When we are going forward, he is linking up well with Bent and Agbonlahor in particular (he favours the left side of the pitch for some reason), running on to the ball in the final third in some very dangerous positions, as evidenced by the team's second goal. Unfortunately, this also exposes the limitations of his game of which we are all well aware, and though it worked yesterday I believe we have other options that may work better. His goal was well-taken, but he had a fantastic opportunity not long afterwards in which he received an excellent cut-back from Bent that he took in his stride on the edge of the area but overran it and squandered the chance to put the team three goals up. And whatever the footballing intelligence that he possesses that allows him to get into so many good positions, he lacks both the pace and agility to react quickly enough (an accusation that could be levelled against two or three of our players) that slows the play down just enough for the opposition defence to organise and react. When Barry Bannan came on for him in the second half, he showed great initiative in covering much of the same ground and compensating for his comparitive lack of power with the swiftness with which he can keep the play moving. Maybe we lose a little strength, but I can see players like Bent and N'Zogbia especially benefitting from Bannan's link play and the virtue of this formation is that Bannan does not look as slight with two sitting midfielders behind him. For much of the last twelve months, we've seen ample evidence that there is a lot of talent among our younger players and the concern has been how to integrate them without weakening the centre of the team. Delph and Bannan are not physically big (though both are maturing year on year) and struggle to hold their ground when used in a central pairing with any other midfielder, but McLeish's formation seems to have found a solution that his predecessors have struggled to see. What will be very interesting now is how willing he is to try out different permutations within a system that not only seems to suit us, but feels more continental in approach than anything we have seen since Brian Little introduced a sweeper in a three-man defence with wing-backs supplementing a midfield diamond. And that there is perhaps the best news for Villa supporters having endured an uncertain year under Houllier in which the players never seemed comfortable whatever the result. The team looks balanced at the back where Stephen Warnock has slotted right back in and has rediscovered the form of two years ago. Like Luke Young, he is never going to play a massive role going forward (both are a far cry from Kyle Walker) but the central defenders seem a lot happier alongside them and they keep their shape without getting stretched or pulled out of position the way we often saw last term. And we look so much better defending set-pieces again, in stark contrast with our encounter with Blackburn at Ewood Park last season when we looked vulnerable to every corner and throw-in. It's not perfect - far from it - but a good start for McLeish and one that should easily quell any concerns about our league security and give hope that we will ultimately be a lot closer to where we were under O'Neill as the season progresses. We look hard to beat, our passing and movement is yet to find any consistent fluidity and we're still lacking in the kind of technical nouse and genuine top quality in the final third when it comes to creating chances, but in Darren Bent we have a striker that only needs one half chance to score a goal - and that's something very few Villa managers have had in a generation. Truth be told, if Mr. Lerner was to sanction just one or two purchases before the transfer window closes then we could have a very good squad (not just a very good starting eleven - after all, we could afford to leave Jean II Makoun, Stephen Ireland, Marc Albrighton, Ciaran Clark as well as Bannan on the bench yesterday). Ratings; Given - 6/10 Not especially busy but organised the players in front of him well. That nagging groin strain is a worry as he is visibly uncomfortable kicking and often used his weaker foot for goal-kicks until James Collins took over those duties in the latter stages. Young - 6/10 Solid as always and even got into some promising attacking positions in the first half. Picked up a knock and had to go off. Collins - 7/10 Commanding in the air, read the game well - looking strong. Dunne - 7/10 Much the same; looked comfortable throughtout. Pedersen got in front of him for the Blackburn goal but Hoillet's cross was so good it always favoured the attacker. Warnock - 7/10 Very good again. Whatever went on last season, he looks settled and focused. At the end of the day, we are better with a recognised left-back in the role and he's the best one we have. Petrov - 7/10 Excellent distribution, including some good forward passes. Key part in the opening goal. Delph - 8/10 Industrious, composed, accomplished. Key part in the second goal. N'Zogbia - 7/10 Flashes of brilliance and looking sharper than last week. Has slotted in very well and will hopefully continue to get better. Heskey - 7/10 Formidable work-rate, constantly involved in the first half, a great asset to the team at the moment even if he's never really great to watch. Well-taken goal. Agbonlahor - 8/10 Another benificiary of McLeish's formation and was the game's most influential player before getting injured and was replaced at half-time. In this formation, he's not really playing as a winger but a wide forward - maybe it's a subtle distinction but he looks a lot less isolated and is able to make a greater impact. Of the fifty goals he has now scored for Villa, I can't think of many better than his opener yesterday. Bent - 7/10 Some neat link-up play and appeared a lot happier than the previous week at Fulham. That's probably going to be the way of things with this system where away games will demand a lot of thankless running with little reward and home games see him working a lot more closely with the other attacking players. Got one clear sight of goal - you know what that means. Subs; Albrighton - 5/10 Disappointing half and struggled to get into the game, whilst he was too easily beaten by Hoillet for the Blackburn goal. One good effort that went wide but one feels he has a lot of work to do to convince his new manager that he should be starting. Clark - 6/10 Very comfortable at left-back to see out the game when Young went off injured (Warnock went to right-back). Bannan - 7/10 Instantly busy and looking increasingly confident. I really think he could be a star in this formation if given a run of starts. Always hungry for the ball, rarely gives it away and a constant threat in and around the opposition penalty area. Good delivery from wide positions too. The manager - 8/10 Couldn't really have asked for a better start, all things considered. I was slightly disappointed that he went with the same eleven as last week as I felt we needed more creativity with the onus on us to attack, but the formation can work for either type of occasion and will hopefully become more cohesive after another half dozen games. Still perhaps reluctant to take a chance on the younger players from the start and go with the experience of Heskey in what may be the most important position in this system (though he played well). Encouraging that he looked to the youngsters for all of his subs ahead of more experienced options though. The attendance was disappointing. Whatever the collective dissatisfaction at McLeish's appointment, we are still Aston Villa and 32,000 is pitiful for an opening home fixture. I hope the board have taken note and realise how frustrated a lot of supporters are at having sold key players for big money that only a fraction has been re-invested, but if we are to remain a big club, the fans have a part to play. Those that turned up got behind McLeish and the players, and yes, there are the price rises, economic conditions etc etc etc. but the fact is that after having spent no money and are facing up to a far grimmer future than ourselves, Everton still brought in more than 35,000 for a less than enticing fixture against QPR. I have criticised our board for not puching at the Club's weight, but frankly, if we can't get more people in the ground than this perhaps we are misjudging our own status. There were plenty of deals available yesterday for those that couldn't afford season cards and no doubt it was those that stayed away that will be the first to moan when we lose, but whatever your feelings, it certainly doesn't do the larger image of the Club any good to see so many empty-seats. Maybe it's an indication of the spreading apathy amongst football supporters of all clubs outside the feted top four, but that's another conversation. Let's hope that this is as low as it gets this season.

I think he will receive polite applause, which is really all that it should be. If we were to all give him an overly rousing ovation it would seem more than a little disingenuous in light of the fact that none of us would have chosen him for the role. If he's doing well in a few weeks time then I'm sure he will be made to feel that he is being accepted by the fans. If he deploys overly defensive tactics in home games that we don't subsequently win then people will quickly be on his back. Until then, attention will be on the players and McLeish will be perfectly content to go about his business with characteristic modesty.

Good, solid start in a difficult fixture against a team with superior match sharpness. The formation won't work week in, week out but I think you could see where it may benefit us during away games such as this. Defensively, we looked well-organised with Given in outstanding form and the back four all looking comfortable. Unlike last season, everyone seemed to know what their job was and we rarely looked troubled from set-pieces - where time and time again last term we were often woefully naive. Problems arise when we cross the halfway line with little dynamism, movement or creativity. Where both Heskey and Agbonlahor offered both the two central midfielders and the full-backs plenty of protection, they could provide little more than muscle going forward and that isn't going to create many opportunities except through forcing errors on the opposition's part. We can perhaps afford to play one of them in such a role, but not both - and especially at home, so I hope McLeish makes at least one change next week against Blackburn. Ratings; Formation - 4-2-3-1 (at times alternating to 4-4-1-1) Given - 9/10 Faultless performance; great instincts, assured handling, a beacon of confidence. Young - 6/10 Solid at the back, offered little going forward. Collins - 7/10 Generally strong, but for a few too many overly ambitious long passes that went straight out of play Dunne - 8/10 Back to his best. Good in the air, strong in the tackle, looked focussed at all times. Warnock - 7/10 Slotted back in nicely and much more like his form of two seasons ago. A few good probing runs forward as well. Petrov - 7/10 Calming influence, you know what you're going to get as always. One very good effort from range in the first half but largely unwilling to take responsibility for driving the team forward. Delph - 7/10 Very promising 90 minutes from a player who really needs to prove he can establish himself this season. Looking more physically mature and often displaying excellent technique on the ball, could prove to be a high point if he continues to improve. N'Zogbia - 6/10 Patchy first start for the Club. One very good cross should have been headed in by Collins but otherwise looked leggy and yet to forge an understanding with the other attacking players. Heskey - 6/10 Can't fault his workrate today and linked up the most closely with Bent but with the best will in the world he isn't the man who is going to make chances. Easy to underestimate the defensive work he does though. Agbonlahor - 6/10 Drifted out of the game for large periods and, much like Heskey, was more effective in his own half than the opposition's. Where to play him is one of McLeish's biggest problems. There's no evidence so far to suggest he can link up with Bent in a partnership and his pace and tireless running is mostly wasted out wide. Bent - 6/10 One chance, one goal - sadly but correctly ruled out for offside. Otherwise no service and would've benefitted from the introduction of either Bannan or Ireland in the second half who could perhaps have been able to utilise his runs off the last defender's shoulder. Sub; Albrighton (for N'Zogbia) - 6/10 Unable to make a telling impact but actually seemed to give us greater balance in the latter stages. I'd have taken a point beforehand and despite the scrappy nature of the match, Villa fans should be satisfied if not exactly inspired with the performance. There will be far greater expectation for the next two matches, both at home, when McLeish will have to deliver more than the kind of robust organisation we saw this afternoon. But if he can take the team away to difficult venues such as this and come away with something more often than not this season, then that's a sound basis for improvement over the much-discussed weaknesses continuously exhibited on the road during the last campaign. A point gained.

Henry Winter has just tweeted that he expects ALL London PL games to be postponed this weekend; henrywinter I can't see London #PL games going ahead this weekend. Police will still be stretched. Football rightly not high on Met's list of priorities Without overestimating the comparatively trivial matter of football, it's a real shame that such thuggery and lawlessness can disrupt so many things.

Totally agree. A multi million pound organisation. Yet it would appear that the word "organisation" needs the 3 letters; d, i & s in front of it. General, I would have to echo this point. I am still also waiting for my season ticket after having been told it would arrive no later than 6th August by the ticket office when I purchased it. In addition to the minor inconvenience of not being able to access certain aspects of the website as others have mentioned above (AVTV), I am also currently unable to secure further match tickets for the Wolves game due to apparently not having sufficient priveleges on my account (aside from now being a season card holder I also attended more games via online booking last season than the site states I require in order to purchase these tickets so there are also clearly issues with the ticket purchasing system/booking history itself). Very frustrating and, again, very disappointing when the season is now so near. Maybe it is all a string of unfortunate coincidences but the facts are that Villa were the last to unveil their kits this summer, the last Club to put them on sale, the last Club to commence pre-season training, and now, it would appear, the last Club to issue season cards to the very supporters that have dug deepest to make a considerable financial commitment to the Club following a summer in which many feel - with some justification -that they have been ignored and taken for granted. Can the Club guarantee that all season card holders will receive their packs before the first home game and are steps being put in place to ensure that the Club will not continue to be the last to conduct any of the above business in the future? Many thanks.

General, I think there is an important distinction between stating that you disapprove of the way Mr. Lerner is running things at present and wanting him to sell up and move on. As I tried to explain in my own post on that particular thread, I have no wish to see Mr, Lerner depart, but I am seriously concerned about the perceived inconsistency and confusion surrounding our key decision-making this summer and, indeed, over the past twelve months. As such, I can't agree that the Club is currently being managed to the standard I believe it should be and I'm afraid this does add to the persistent feeling that a lack of football experience and knowledge in the boardroom is largely responsible for this. But like I said, I would much rather see Mr. Lerner put these things right than leave, and I like to think that he is still very much the right man to have in charge. On another note, I would like to pass on my appreciation to the ticket office staff, and in particular a young man named Mark, who took a great deal of time on Saturday assisting me with my season ticket purchase. I have sat in the same couple of places for so long that I wanted to check out a few alternatives in different stands and he couldn't have been more patient or accomodating. Contrary to a lot of the negativity that remains around the Club, I am still looking forward to the coming season and believe we may yet surprise a few people, including our own supporters. Spending a couple of very enjoyable hours at the Club at the weekend have only fortified this belief so please pass on my thanks. Regards.

It will interesting to see the length of contract offered. Four years has been the standard for deals such as this but we've repeatedly found ourselves in positions where we've either had to sell or face the challenge of keeping a player focussed who's had his head turned only halfway through such a contract. He will be on high wages, no doubt, but I'd like to think we have heeded the lessons hard learnt by the departures of Barry, Milner, Young and Downing by agreeing a five year deal that will at least ensure it is the club, rather than the player, who is in the stronger position should his performances over the next season or two attract the attentions of others.

Not for the want of being negative in the face of good news, but I'd actually say the club have handled this deal atrociously. If anything, we should be paying £500k less than the fee accepted in January, not £500k more. At least it looks like it's getting done. I hope he isn't the only winger to arrive, but I've a feeling he will be. I think his performances in the second half of the season though, especially during the run-in, would have pushed his price up. So whilst it's true he's six months nearer the end of his contract, he's also a more visibly important asset who's delivered during a very difficult period for his club. That the price is on an extra 500k due to him going into the last year of his contract shows what a bargain we're getting. Top player - quick, skillful, versatile. Scores and creates goals so is certain to be a key figure.

Because the question is specifically phrased regarding 'current approval' rating then I have to vote disapprove. I do not want to see Mr. Lerner sell up and leave and don't believe that he has any intention of doing so. He has done much that is good in his five years in charge and this will not soon be forgotten by any of us. However, it is the steadily increasing list of decisions that appear unfathomable that is the cause for concern. I can't quite put my finger on who is most to blame (though obviously the buck has to stop with the man in overall charge) but it's quite clear that there is little confidence in the judgement of either Mr. Lerner or Mr. Faulkner. The truth is we know very little about the rest of the board and their varying contributions. The General has proved to be a good outlet for the disclosure of certain information and insight, though this is evidently drying up. Mr. Faulkner is an obvious fall guy for disaffected supporters, and there has been little in either his actions or his often vaguely worded official statements published on the website that would suggest he is strong enough to hold such a position at a Premier League club. Having said that, I'm sure there is much that goes on behind the scenes that we never come to hear of and the fact that he is the most visible simply renders him the easiest target. But therein lies the problem - everything seems to happen in such shrouded secrecy and the level of communication and the dismal public image that the Club allows to represent them is so bad that it is very difficult to condemn anyone for jumping to negative conclusions (even if their extremity is usually inappropriate to read through The General's thread). The truth is that despite our many frustrations, we remain in a healthier state than most of the rest of the league. Even a club like Spurs have a sell-to-buy policy and despite progressing to the latter stages of the Champions League last term have only been able to make one signing of note this summer - our ex-goalkeeper on a free. With the exception of Liverpool, Utd and Sunderland, nobody is exactly doing a high volume of trading this summer and we have been no different. Of course, it is hard to take seeing star players leave for the third successive summer and at a substantial profit that has yet to be re-invested, and time will tell if Mr. Lerner's commitment to sanctioning large transfers will continue. I believe it probably will, but the terms under which new players arrive may have to pass through a much tighter level of scrutiny than previously, and if this leads to high-salaried players like Heskey, Beye, Sidwell etc. not sitting on the bench or wasting away in the reserves at our considerable expense then so be it. But one cannot escape the fact that the selection process for appointing the new manager was deeply flawed, and this is simply inexcusable for determining the most important position at the Club. I'm not speaking specifically about Mr. McLeish, his background or past allegiances, but the confused criteria that seemed to shift dramatically from one confirmed candidate (Roberto Martinez) to the eventual choice (Mr. McLeish), the apparent discarding of perfectly suitable - and eligible - candidates, and the lack of ability to secure or persuade, or it seems, even entertain the possibility of approaching more ambitious options. One cannot escape the sheer lack of preparation that was all too evident when the season finished and Mr. Houllier's illness was confirmed as being severe enough to prevent him returning, especially in light of the first-hand experience gained only nine months earlier when the Club found itself with little time and even fewer options when it came to replacing Mr. O'Neill. I think the nature of Mr. McLeish's eventual appointment points more to a conflation of circumstance that Mr. Lerner and Mr. Faulkner happily jumped upon with time ticking away which only reinforces this view. One cannot escape the nagging feeling that though bestowing the near omnipotence enjoyed by Mr. O'Neill during his time as manager is highly problematic and subsequently led to a multitude of problems when he left, his control shielded Mr. Lerner and Mr. Faulkner from many football-related issues that they have since had to grapple with. The naivete and apparent lack of understanding they have demonstrated in many of their key decision-making has created grave doubts in their footballing acumen. They seem determined to adhere to a rigid business model in their dealings that just doesn't seem in step with the way the rest of the football world operates. One cannot escape the fact that year after year there are continual problems with the basic kit, whether it be the superficial (in terms of design decisions that seem unnecessarily random and controversial, making a mockery of any plan to cement a wider brand identity) to the tangible (protracted release strategy that sees them in shops long after league rivals, manufacturing issues, delays in availability). Some may argue that there have been circumstances that been unavoidable (at least relating to the manufacturing problem last year) but I don't believe for one second that any other Premier League club would stand for it, especially the timescale that elapses before solutions are put in place. One cannot escape the fact Mr. Lerner's board lost the first shirt sponsorship deal they had agreed in less than twelve months of the contract being signed (32 Red were signed by Doug Ellis and Acorns was obviously a charitable concession). Regardless of the recession and whatever FX Pro's reasoning, it is another unmistakable sign of weakness - and one only worsened by the time taken to confirm a replacement. Like the departure of Mr. Houllier, I understand FX Pro's decision to pull out was confirmed before the end of the season and that it has taken a Club of our stature the time it did to establish agreement with another company once again puts serious question marks against Mr. Lerner's and Mr. Faulkner's ability to effectively penetrate a competitive marketplace. Naturally, I hope the deal with Genting will prove to be a beneficial, long-term partnership, and on the face of it, is no more obscure or less impressive than many that adorn the shirts of other Premier Lague teams, but the nature of reaching the agreement would appear to bear all of the hallmarks that seem to characterise the way we make any other appointment - chiefly, with little speed or foresight. One cannot escape the fact that nobody it seems - from supporters to players to the manager himself - has any idea what the overall aims of the Club currently are. Ostensibly, we appear to be drifting. There is little talk - whether just for effect or otherwise - of a desire to compete for honours in the short term or build a challenge for greater things in time to come. Ambitions seem to be to remain as competitive as possible, but it is very hard to define exactly what that is beyond Mr. McLeish's assertion that he would like to improve on last season's ninth placing. The truth is that we, as supporters, have little to invest in at present beyond the habit and routine of following the Club because that is simply what we do. The impression is increasingly of an ownership that is content to play upon this loyalty for as long as possible without committing to grander aims - and the mounting unrest and dissatisfaction among the fans stems from their gradual recognition of this. This is not a case of being 'fickle' - it's about a total lack of inspiration, exacerbated by the ever-widening disconnect between us, the lifeblood of the Club, and an owner who appears increasingly aloof by way of his continuing silence. The Club is currently engulfed by malaise and suspicion, some of it merited and some of it not, but it all unfortunately comes back to Mr. Lerner. Perhaps one of the greatest frustrations is that there is much that could be put right with relative ease and minimal expense - and that the Club doesn't is as bewildering as it is infuriating. We say we want action and not just words, but quite frankly, a few well-chosen words would make for a pleasant and much-appreciated change.

This pretty much crystallises my concerns about our midfield; we simply don't have the players to make 4-4-2 work. I'm not exactly happy about the 'one more signing' revelations but can see some credence in allowing the likes of Ireland, Makoun and Delph to stake a permanent claim on the team. However, each of them only ever looks comfortable when part of a central three, with Petrov (who also looks lightweight in a pairing) sitting deeper with two others further advanced either side. I haven't got a huge problem with either of the following; Makoun - Petrov - Delph Ireland - Petrov - Delph Makoun - Petrov - Ireland Obviously, you then have two wide men playing either narrower or interchanging sides behind Darren Bent. It's the formation we ended the season playing and its the way most of Europe's successful teams are setting up. What worries me are the claims that Agbonlahor will be playing as a second out and out striker alongside Bent, which means you have to sacrifice one of the three midfielders, and what happens when/if one of Albrighton and whoever ultimately is signed as our other winger gets injured or suspended? Clearly, much of this is based on supposition and rumour and we have to wait and see how we line up against Fulham before we are going to know definitively what McLeish's thinking is, but any attempt to either prepare for the new season with only one more addition or send the team out to play a traditional, flat 4-4-2 seems destined to cause problems. And it is increasingly apparent that we absolutely need to tie up N'Zogbia as there are no other options of that standard that could quickly fit in that I can see, whichever formation is used.

Very good piece - encapsulates what a lot of people are feeling at present. Unfortunately, I don't see a great deal changing any time soon so the pressure is very much on McLeish to take advantage of a relatively kind run of fixtures over the first three months of the season to turn this pervasive mood of antipathy, if not outright hostility, around.

A fair few of our supporters have done a stellar job replicating the delusional rantings of their fanbase on these messageboards this summer too.

Smug about what? We haven't landed him yet. Anyway, enough of the foreplay. How do you reckon this one will turn out then lads? I'm not overly confident of landing him but you know how it is, we can but hope. Do Sunderland have a requirement for N'Zogbia or any other winger? Doesn't Sessegnon play on the left? Not saying he's as good but looks quite useful. Bias aside, I still think Villa look the more attractive proposition for N'Zogbia. Higher profile, better forwards to aim his service at and although Bruce has done a high volume of business this summer, the team looks suspiciously like it will resemble a patchwork quilt of expensive gambles (Wickham) and players never-quite-good-enough-to-succeed-elsewhere to me. Nah, Sess quit his last club because he didn't want to play on the left. Where we are currently I think we have to gamble, adding Brown and JOS should see us alright and hopefully their signing will help us a little further along the road to premier league respectability. Not too long ago you were gambling on players like Young and Downing, I'd settle for the degree of success you've had developing them on. Fair enough - though I think there's a massive difference between gambling on Young and Downing who both had Premier League, and in the case of the latter, international experience and a generally untested young striker from the third tier of English football. Though I genuinely hope he does well as England desperately need young centre forwards to develop as quickly as possible. Back to N'Zogbia though - looking around the various news outlets, Sunderland's interest only seems to be rumoured with Villa the only club to formally submit a bid so let's hope this can be wrapped up over the weekend. Can see him being very flexible in terms of positioon too - left or right wing and possibly even as deep-lying striker.

Regardless of personal opinion or what may or may not have transpired behind the scenes last season, it seems clear from Mr. McLeish's comments today that Warnock is very much his first choice left-back for this season so we may as well get used to the idea and support him. Find the form of 2009-2010 and he will be a very solid defensive addition to a team that played virtually the entire second half of last season with no orthodox left-sided full-back. Is never going to offer a great deal going forward but if he gets his defensive duties right then it enables the manager to use what funds he does have available to strengthen elsewhere. The same goes for Luke Young at right-back. If both are consistent then we don't need to rush to spend money on replacements for at least another twelve months when hopefully the rest of the team is in better overall shape.

Smug about what? We haven't landed him yet. Anyway, enough of the foreplay. How do you reckon this one will turn out then lads? I'm not overly confident of landing him but you know how it is, we can but hope. Do Sunderland have a requirement for N'Zogbia or any other winger? Doesn't Sessegnon play on the left? Not saying he's as good but looks quite useful. Bias aside, I still think Villa look the more attractive proposition for N'Zogbia. Higher profile, better forwards to aim his service at and although Bruce has done a high volume of business this summer, the team looks suspiciously like it will resemble a patchwork quilt of expensive gambles (Wickham) and players never-quite-good-enough-to-succeed-elsewhere to me.

Sir, The following text is taken from the statement the club released on 14th June 2011; "The Club understands that Alex McLeish is a free agent. We therefore intend to interview him imminently in order to make a decision regarding his candidacy to become Villa manager". Setting aside personal opinions on the divisive nature of appointing the ex-manager of our fiercest rivals, these words would appear to make resoundingly clear the nature of Mr. McLeish's availability so the question of why it was necessary for any compensation package to be agreed with Birmingham City should not be disregarded. There are only two possible conclusions that we supporters can draw from the subsequent turn of events; that Mr. McLeish was contacted prior to breaking his contract with Birmingham or the Villa board misunderstood his status and only afterwards found out that they would be required to pay a bill for aquiring his services. Neither reflects especially well on the Club; the former would lead one to infer that we have not acted as honourably - or, indeed, within the laws of the game - as we have come to expect from Mr. Lerner's tenure, whilst the latter would indicate more than a certain degree of incompetence on the part of Mr. Faulkner and the board in establishing the status of the man who turned out to be their prime candidate. I can certainly understand why compensation would need to be agreed for any peripheral staff that subsequently followed Mr. McLeish to Villa Park to form his backroom team, but if the Club have acted as honestly and having performed the requisite due dilligence all along as has been repeatedly proclaimed then the announcement of the 'undisclosed' compensation figure that has been agreed is concerning. And I'll be quite clear; it would be highly hypocritical for me or any other supporter that has ever speculated on the pursuit of managers or, indeed, players that we would like to see arrive at Villa Park to admonish the board for targetting a manager under contract at another club if they truly believed him to be the best possible candidate, available or otherwise. This is an ultra-competitive industry and the Club needs to be willing to pay for the best quality if we are to progress - and certainly the identification of a new manager is always going to be the most important appointment an owner/board can make at any given time. But when supporters are informed that the management of Club expenditure has to be carefully monitored at present after a period of investing in sizeable transfer fees and high wages that pursuing a man with Mr. McLeish's credentials who would require, in essence, his own transfer fee was deemed the right course of action at a time when several very strong candidates were legitimately available for work. We have seen Ashley Young depart the Club for a fee we believe to be in the region of £15-17m and though I expect to see new faces arrive we are still waiting for the first signs of action in the transfer market. There is, it has to be said, widespread uncertainty throughout the Villa fanbase at present as to whether Mr. Young's transfer fee will be fully re-invested, or indeed, what additional funds will be available to the new manager. Naturally, I don't expect numbers to be confirmed on an open forum that would only put the club at a disadvantage when negotiating with other clubs for players, but we do know for a fact that a number of players have been moved on in the last twelve months to alleviate a bloated wage bill so clearly the financial health of the Club is playing a key factor in important decisions, hence it is only reasonable for one to question the wisdom in agreeing to a further outlay that could've been avoided by making any one of a number of other appointments - and almost certainly one that would've proved more popular among supporters. Don't get me wrong - after the inital anger and disappointment felt at the annoucement of Mr. McLeish as our manager I have since tried to consider what he may be able to do for the Club and I actually believe he will do a decent, if likely unspectacular, job once the season kicks off. I don't fear for our Premier League status and feel that, at the very least, we can challenge for a place within the top 8. (Obviously, this is tempering overall expectations considerably when weighed against the optimism of Mr. Lerner's first years in charge of the Club but seem realistic after the unrest of the last twelve months.) But news of compensation being agreed with Birmingham once again raises serious questions as to the Club's selection process in identifying managerial candidates, who was managing the process and what credentials or experience they had that made them suitable for this task, what standards of due dilligence were being executed in determing the availability of prospective candidates, and what ultimately marked Mr. McLeish out as the best option - especially in light of the fact that it has now emerged that he was also possibly the most expensive at a time when the Club appears to be implementing austerity measures in other areas? Like many others, I am currently weighing up my own re-investment in the club in the form of a season ticket at a time when personal finances are likewise stretched, so your candour in answering these questions would be sincerely appreciated. Many thanks.

The other thing with Ireland is that he will always, it seems, be at one extreme or another; he'll either be on top form and look awesome, or he will be an absolute passenger. Unfortunately, when it's the latter, he tends to sulk and be disruptive which is what makes him a high-risk luxury player. The challenge facing McLeish is not only to get him fit and playing well but keep him at that level because when his form dips, he plummets.

Im guessing maybe it will be more of a diamond formation, with SI in the hole. This is the only way I can see a player like Ireland fitting in successfully with the current personnel; ..........................Petrov............................... ..........Ireland...................Delph/Makoun....... Downing........................................Albrighton ..........................Bent................................... Or; ..........................Petrov................................. ..........Makoun.......................Delph................ Ireland..............................Downing/Albrighton ...........................Bent................................... The latter option is (I believe) the kind of set-up where he functioned best for Man City under Mark Hughes, with Robinho as the other deeper-lying forward supporting a lone striker, but he does have the passing range to work from a more central position (see first option), but as I stated in an earlier post, he's too light-weight for 4-4-2 and isn't strong enough to take on the full responsibility of playing in the hole by himself. And even if he were, we still don't have the right players to accomodate the two wide men we generally like to play with because we would be left exposed in central midfield, whatever the pairing from our current squad. Even if we signed Scott Parker, he would also probably be best suited to the role I've positioned Petrov in above so I really hope that regardless of what McLeish has planned for Ireland that he is not looking to set up with a rigid 4-4-2.