The General's thread - do not respond to other posts!

[makouns_grin]

Good Morning General.

I appreciated that fans do not know how to appoint a manager and should be kept at arms length when it comes to certain things.

However, my question to you is, are the fans important to Aston Villa and yourself?

If they are then surely should be considered when making an appointment?

Its not because he came from Birmingham City, its because he has been relegated twice in four years and has a poor record.

You could say your looking at his record before Birmingham City, then that does not include your criteria of Premier League experience your after?

I applaud you to put aside any stubborn thoughts the board has that they wont be dictated to by the fans and look at how this appointment would effect Aston Villa's future.

I appreciate that some over-react and spout abuse left right and centre, but Alex Mcleish is the wrong appointment on so many levels.

Please reconsider this obviously bad appointment?

Thanks for listening.

[gingerjust]

Hi General,

Were the reports of the cancellation of Steve Mclaren's interview, due to a negative fan response true? ( I believe they came from Pat Murphy originally)

If I were to guess I would have to say no otherwise surely a man of your calibre can see the massive hypocrisy here.

Thanks for your time.

[KSV]

Hi General,

It has been a frustrating season and it has long continued into the off season. We have known about Houllier's condition for a long long time. All the background managerial work should have been done when we first realised he MAY not go on. Obviously you have to be respectful and not bring in managers for interviews, but you would think the process would have begun earlier.

We have confirmed two managers who will have interviews. One is Martinez and one is McLeish. One managed a club that barely survived relegation on the last day and the other is a manager who relegated his club two times in three seasons.

Obviously we do not know who the other managers are, however as we are not told, we can only assume that the manager's are of similar stature.

It has been mentioned numerous times the club wants a manager with Premier League experience. Why? Ancelotti and Mourinho didnt have experience before they arrived in England and won trophies. Why is it necessary?

Forgetting the fact that it is needed, does it not matter if their experience in the Premier League is actually any good? Your talking about a man Mcleish who has relegated a club twice in three years. Yet the club says its his record before in an INFERIOR SCOTTISH LEAGUE that were interviewing him for. Again, Why? If Premier League experience is neccessary and McLeish has a failed Premier League experience on his CV, why is he being interviewed?

It does not make sense and this is why fans are very frustrated. Fulham brought in Jol who is a far better manager who has Premier League experience and is a young hungry manager and did it with no media circus. Managers such as Rafa Benitez and Mark Hughes not considered? They also have a better Premier League experience.

What about managers like Dechamps, Rijkard, Van Gaal who all have WON TITLES in more respectable leagues than the Scottish League. Van Gaal averages a 56% win percentage in his career. McLeish has 26% in the Premier League.

With all due respect General, who is advising the club? The advice is terrible and needs to go. The fans may not know the process of hiring a manager, yes its difficult and is a long drawn process, yet we can spot a dud when we see one.

If he is hired, i fear the worst for this football club. Relegation will become a reality.

Good luck to Randy and the Board in making the decision. I hope the fans thoughts are considered. We are the ones that pay to watch the crap that gets dished out by a McLeish footballing side. Maybe watch some Birmingham games from last season and find out.

After the downer that we had this season, the fans need a boost, the atmosphere was waning. Hiring McLeish is not the answer. A high profile manager will boost the club and the players. The atmopshere will be electric with a full house and the excitement returns.

I guess the club does not care about that.

[Biffta]

General

In the interview can you ask McLeish one question for me

Would he Manage Celtic if he was offered the job?

[Jon]

General - don't post in your thread often, but given the quite rabid backlash that has erupted over the whole Big Eck thing, I'd just like to say that he is IMO a very decent manager, and if it does transpire that you stick to your guns and bring him in despite this negative backlash, you'll have my full support.

That he managed the noses is neither here nor there for me. He did a decent job there despite the turmoil, and would do even better here with the backing RL could give him.

[Maradona10]

Cheers General, I have e-mail Paul to express my views and it's good when you give us all this jargon that the FANS are the most important part of the club however with your actions and comments along with Randy and Paul, you have destroyed the soul of this club pal by even attempting to bring McLeish i, hope you are all happy with yourselves. Yes you have done great things, but this is by far the worst thing you could have done in my book, nothing to do with employing an ex bluenose, the fact is football is atrocious is another story, the fact you have ignored the fans pleas. Hopefully you enjoy seeing the empty seats at Villa park from your nice cosy mansion.

[Craigy1874]

He did a decent job there despite the turmoil

Yip getting them relegated is a decent job. NOT.

General, this manager has suffered 3 relegations in his short managerial career to date.

I honestly cannot see what you think he brings to the table.

I think the most important thing we need to know, and know now is - ARE THERE ANY OTHER MANAGERS LINED UP FOR AN INTERVIEW?

[TheEgo]

As you have repeatedly said General........AVFC is OUR club, well can we have it back please? Im not sure I trust you guys with it anymore. Please don't proclaim to know how I feel, you don't. You're not a FAN you may be a supporter, but one with an vested interest. I don't wish to be disrespectful and Im speaking to you as a board member who courts "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" well you can't disappear and be selective with your posts now it has got ugly. I will support MY club, but won't support you and your board members if you naively appoint someone who is clearly not qualified or GOOD enough to manage our club. The day we appoint McLeish will be the day our dream dies. What a way to unite the whole city, BOTH sets of fans don't want this. For the life of me I see NO logic in this appointment.

Good Luck, I think you're in for a bumpy ride.

Edited for typo's

[Villa5shitty1-down-u-go]

Gen we all knew GH was leaving 55 days ago - u knew it Randy knew it and the fans knew it . So how has it com down to this???? Getting the 1 man in world football yes world football the Villa fans didnt want ??? Listen to the Villa fans and go for someone eles while u still have the chance!!!!!!

if u thought the feeling towards GH was bad then u havant seen anything yet!!

[b6bloke]

General I have decided to renew but only because I love my club and team.

If you sign AM I wil lose faith, trust and respect for you and the board and if it were me that would be as bad as losing my money!

You can try and drag my club down but I and a few others will be holding and will fight you all the way as we did Doug. If the owners passion or money has gone pass it to someone who has it.

Randy said he was just the custodian, well give the club back to the fans if you cant do the job

[steaknchips]

General,

Please can you throw this "must have Premierleague Experiance" away? Its nonsense..

And instead, concentrate on "must have European competition Experiance" or "Champions League Experiance" ?..

McLeish and Martinez are poor managers on the European stage, neither manager will ever win a Champions League..Yet there are managers available right now that have the ability to build Champions League quality teams..Some of these managers available could also build these teams without massive spending too. Purely because they have knowledge at the top level of the game, not just in methods, tactics and training etc but in aquiring players from the untapped market.. Unheard of players that become world class...Neither Martinez or McLeish will have this vision, half of the next batch of world class players coming through wouldnt even have heard of McLeish..He is too small time.

McLeish/Martinez/Hughes etc will only sign these type of players once they've came through the ranks and their price has rocketed. Yet by this time we will be competing with Man City/Chelsea etc for the Player's signiture.

[Welfare]

It is obvious from club statements that Randy and the board actually have not a single clue of what this club means to the people that have supported it through the good and the bad, if you did you wouldn’t have even thought about talking to McLeish!!

Just by talking to him you have succeeded in tearing this club apart! (Not even in the worst Ellis years did this happen)

Sadly I think it’s time that Randy and Co. sold up and gave us some owners that clearly understand how the fans feels about these kind of matters after all it looks like even after all your big talk that yourself and Randy have no f**king idea!!

I am truly gutted to see what you have turned my beloved club into in the space of weeks, you should truly be ashamed we are a laughing stock.

[RussG]

General,

I'm a long time viewer of this thread and admire and respect you for coming on here and giving us real insight to the club and helping people when required.

If you appoint AM then you've just undone every ounce of work you've ever done, if you, Randy and the enigma that is our CEO aren't listening to the fans then I'd like you all to just go because you've a huge shitstorm coming your way now and you're shitting on us from a great height.

I never thought we'd see this day the day you guys officially took over and it's saddening.

Yours,

An upset and disappointed Villa fan.

[steell]

General,

I just want to outline the crux of the issue. If Alex McLeish was manager of West Ham or Blackpool and his legacy was two relegations in three seasons, the fans wouldn't want him managing our team. It is as simple as that. The truly baffling thing is that you are interviewing a manager from our fiercest rivals, looking at paying out a huge compensation claim as well as making us look foolish to the whole world of football. It's a simple equation, is the potential outcome (league success, that Mr McLeish has shown no sign of achieving by the way) verses alienating a huge part of the fan base AND creating an almost impossible situation for Alex to manage in, worth it?

It feels to us fans that the board are entrenched in the belief that this is about Birmingham City, it is not. You must understand that the issue is compounded because there are so many excellent managers out there at the moment, it genuinely feels like you're now trying to prove a point and in trying to win this battle, you are going to lose the war.

[Pilchard]

General,

You and your Aston Villa board have been shown up as liars. You, quite clearly, do not care what the fans of this football club think.

We will were here before you and will be here after you.

You have chosen this. You have chosen to create this mistrust.

Enjoy.

[billybofalbion]

In the past twelve months Aston Villa have been made a mockery of. The recent search for a manager seems to have been completely farsical. I have never had so many friendly 'put downs' from friends who support other teams as I have in the past few weeks.

Alex McLeish being our next manager: forget that he is the manager of our biggest rivals, I know you have, his 'proven track recond in the Premier League' is getting the club relegated. Is it just that you have a desire to win the Carling Cup, I notice that the one thing that links the previous two managers to McLeish? If so you aught to know that generally the Micky Mouse Cup is seen as being as big a joke as you seem to be trying to make my great club.

I have been an Aston Villa fan all of my life and in the past 12 Months you have made me very unhappy with your running of the club.

[tomkeaveny]

Doing the right thing is picking a manager based upon track record and potential. I genuinely believe if Alex McLeish had a track record and potential to make Villa great once more this message board and others like it would be silent.

A founding member of the Football League from a desperately unfashionable part of England , who took on the might of Europe in 1982 , and won against Bayern Munich. Repeated this against Barcelona in 1983 in the European Super Cup and has never backed down . Ron Suanders had the right attitude...Bet against us , I dare you

I believe in Mr Lerner , I believe he will do the right thing..Semper Fidelis and res ipsa loquitur !!!

PS ...Alex is not the man for the job!

[HackneyVillain]

General,

If AM is appointed (and it does seem inevitable, indeed he might be the only candidate by all accounts) and it goes wrong (again it seems inevitable) will you still seek the advice of your advisors for the next appointment?

I do appreciate everything Randy has done for us so far but this really is make or break I'm afraid and I can't help feeling along with most of the fanbase you are being badly advised. Irrespective of his recent past AM will not get the 'feel good' factor back to VP and the fans and Board will be at loggerheads, hardly the 'shared vision' the Official Statement mentions. Just as a reminder the statement reads "as we know that without a shared vision any appointment, however attractive, will ultimately fail."

[Eames]

General,

TBH I've never felt motivated to post on here before - I've never felt the need.

All I have to say, is that I trust you, Paul Faulkner and Randy to act in the clubs best interest. As far as I'm concerned you have NEVER let us down before - and on that basis I have no reason to believe you will do so now.

All that I ask is that careful consideration be given as to the appointment of the new manager, and that whoever he is, is truely the best possible candidate.

You will have MY support whoever you decide that person is.

Up The Villa.

[DeepDish]

General.

Mark Hughes had a honorable exit from Fulham (he did nothing wrong and is in fact free), but McLeish did not have a honorable exit from Birmingham, and the club says that his breach of the contract is not allowed. That means he is still under contract.

Why is it ok to speak with a person who did not treat his former club in a honorable way like Mark Hughes did?