The, he's finally GONE! Tell us your thoughts Thread

[irishjay]

Jenas on Sky now praising McLeish saying he was a good manager and would do well here

That's the painkillers talking.

[Humanoid]

You can keep your stats, just look at what is happening, the way we play and be honest with yourself. There is no future with Alex McLeish. He is managing this team day by day with no thought for 2/3 years down the line. He is on borrowed time already and he knows it.

I had a chat with my friend who's a Rangers fan about Eck, and he said exactly what you have. Eck has doesn't do long term plans.

[markavfc40]

McLeish is doing OK

6 wins in 22 games is not "OK".

By all means im happy we won today as wins are as rare as rocking horse shite under McLeish.

But cmon he has not be doing OK by any means.

I agree. I guess our league position is ok but if this were last season we'd be in a lot more trouble. Thank God the teams down the bottom are doing a lot worse this season.

If you want to compare to last season, which is obviously setting the bar low given how poor we were under Houllier, then had we have had 27 points this time last season we’d have been sitting 12th compared with 11th this season.

It seems the biggest improvement on this time last season is not just the 5 extra points but the fact we have conceded 10 less goals and scored 2 more.

Comparing to last season is not only a low benchmark though but of course doesn’t take account of the fact that we lost Downing and Ash and had a transfer budget over the summer of -20mill.

[samclarke2010]

I love how mcleish seems to get more stick when he wins.

People are saying we got lucky with 2 wonder strikes.

Ok Keane didnt do a lot else in the game, but mcleish put him in the hole and he won us the match, if its the managers fault when he takes ireland off against swansea why isnt it him who gets praised when he brings in someone who can find the net.

Seems to me that if we play well its cause the players did well not mcleish but if were no good its all mcleish and his tactics fault and nothing to do with the players.

I also saw someone write "a team of our stature".....what stature? we are no better than Sunderland/Fulham/Everton.

All of your high expectations are the reason your all moaning at mcleish and they are extremely too high.

[Mantis]

McLeish is doing OK

6 wins in 22 games is not "OK".

By all means im happy we won today as wins are as rare as rocking horse shite under McLeish.

But cmon he has not be doing OK by any means.

I agree. I guess our league position is ok but if this were last season we'd be in a lot more trouble. Thank God the teams down the bottom are doing a lot worse this season.

If you want to compare to last season, which is obviously setting the bar low given how poor we were under Houllier, then had we have had 27 points this time last season we’d have been sitting 12th compared with 11th this season.

It seems the biggest improvement on this time last season is not just the 5 extra points but the fact we have conceded 10 less goals and scored 2 more.

Comparing to last season is not only a low benchmark though but of course doesn’t take account of the fact that we lost Downing and Ash and had a transfer budget over the summer of -20mill.

I don't really see how this disproves my point? We would have been closer to relegation had the teams down the bottom been like they were last season and thus the pressure would've been on for a lot of this season like it was last season.

Yes, you keep on emphaising how comparing this season to last season is setting the bar low but is it really? We finished 9th in the end and while we may have had Young and Downing and spent a fair bit of money that season was one of huge turmoil off the field as is evidenced by the fact that we had 4 (3 if you don't count pre-season) managers in one season.

I'm pretty sure most people here would be satisfied with finishing 9th this season, so why is it setting the bar low to compare this season to last season?

[CI]

Id love to know what he said to them at HT

Hair dyer treatment ?

[Rob182]

Do you want me to list the chances that Wolves wasted whilst McGinger sat on his hands for 30 minutes of the first half? Bet even you were pulling your jumper over you "Go McGinger" T Shirt at that point?

Whilst we were squirming, I bet you were doing your best to hide your joy and your 'Go Wolves' t-shirt.

Don't worry mate, as Villa fans, WE will enjoy our win.

Do you know what Rob, your right, your a much better fan than me!

The fact I would like to see us try to progress even under financial constraints (ala Newcastle) or attempt to play something worthy of football (like Wigan) or even understand what our manager is attempting to achieve for his 1 million pounds a year puts me in a place far way below your league.

Of course, I delighted as Wolves showed up our management staff for being tactically naive in picking players out of position, sick players and failing to respond to us being totally overrun because they probably think you are not allowed to make substitutes in the first half.

Personally, I want to see us go somewhere. After 36 years of watching Villa, I understand that will need patience and vision. I dont expect us in the champions league this year, the next or the one or two after that.

What I expect is for us to sort out the shower of defensive shite we see every week, put in place a tactical plan and then adapt if it is not functioning. Cloughie said football is about putting right players in the right positions and motivating them, lets start with that.

Thats what I want as a Villa fan, and is probably why fans like yourself who take delight in the odd victory no matter how fortunate the manner and who are prepared to accept mid table mediocrity will always be better fans.

I didn't mention anything about ANYONE being a better fan than you :S

I hope you haven't wasted too many of your 30+ years writing pointless nonsense aimed at arguing a point that wasn't there.

[samclarke2010]

probably told them to pass the ball backwards, then hoof it up and not to go too far forwards.

hes negative isnt he?

and hes not a motivator and cant do anything right.

bull.

[nazvfc]

1. I expect a team of our stature to beat a Wolves side in the bottom 3.

You would expect a side of Spurs' stature to beat them too I imagine?

You can never count on a win in this league.

Very true mate - just ask Liverplop - beaten by a shit Bolton Team!(according to many on here) - No team can expect to beat another - just ask Arsenal - beaten at Swansea - who couldn't beat us at their place - what does that prove - absolutely **** all other than no result is guaranteed. Flukes or no flukes - it just doesn't go to form.

[VillaAndLoyal]

Do you want me to list the chances that Wolves wasted whilst McGinger sat on his hands for 30 minutes of the first half? Bet even you were pulling your jumper over you "Go McGinger" T Shirt at that point?

Whilst we were squirming, I bet you were doing your best to hide your joy and your 'Go Wolves' t-shirt.

Don't worry mate, as Villa fans, WE will enjoy our win.

Do you know what Rob, your right, your a much better fan than me!

The fact I would like to see us try to progress even under financial constraints (ala Newcastle) or attempt to play something worthy of football (like Wigan) or even understand what our manager is attempting to achieve for his 1 million pounds a year puts me in a place far way below your league.

Of course, I delighted as Wolves showed up our management staff for being tactically naive in picking players out of position, sick players and failing to respond to us being totally overrun because they probably think you are not allowed to make substitutes in the first half.

Personally, I want to see us go somewhere. After 36 years of watching Villa, I understand that will need patience and vision. I dont expect us in the champions league this year, the next or the one or two after that.

What I expect is for us to sort out the shower of defensive shite we see every week, put in place a tactical plan and then adapt if it is not functioning. Cloughie said football is about putting right players in the right positions and motivating them, lets start with that.

Thats what I want as a Villa fan, and is probably why fans like yourself who take delight in the odd victory no matter how fortunate the manner and who are prepared to accept mid table mediocrity will always be better fans.

I didn't mention anything about ANYONE being a better fan than you :S

I hope you haven't wasted too many of your 30+ years writing pointless nonsense aimed at arguing a point that wasn't there.

No, you didn't suggest you were a better fan, you suggested he wasn't even a fan at all which is even more pathetic and childish. Grow up.

[markavfc40]

I'm pretty sure most people here would be satisfied with finishing 9th this season, so why is it setting the bar low to compare this season to last season?

We may have had this discussion before but its down to how high your standards are for Aston Villa and I set my bar pretty high as I know this great club can do far better than it has been over the last couple of seasons. Last season it was totally unacceptable that between November and the end of April we were in or with in spitting distance of the relegation zone. That after 22 games we had 22 points and were 18th, that after 31 games we had 34 points and were 16th, that it took until the 36th game of the season for us to be safe from relegation.

Lets not kids ourselves that the two very good results under Gary Mac at the end of last season masked over what was an exceptionally poor season. Well it was by the standards I set for this great club. What others choose to do is of course up to them.

I do therefore think that we are setting our standards low by setting the bar at how well we did last season. I am though of course also mindful of the fact that since last season we have lost Ash and Downing and have a transfer deficit of -20 mill.

[Mantis]

I'm pretty sure most people here would be satisfied with finishing 9th this season, so why is it setting the bar low to compare this season to last season?

We may have had this discussion before but its down to how high your standards are for Aston Villa and I set my bar pretty high as I know this great club can do far better than it has been over the last couple of seasons. Last season it was totally unacceptable that between November and the end of April we were in or with in spitting distance of the relegation zone. That after 22 games we had 22 points and were 18th, that after 31 games we had 34 points and were 16th, that it took until the 36th game of the season for us to be safe from relegation.

Lets not kids ourselves that the two very good results under Gary Mac at the end of last season masked over what was an exceptionally poor season. Well it was by the standards I set for this great club. What others choose to do is of course up to them.

I do therefore think that we are setting our standards low by setting the bar at how well we did last season. I am though of course also mindful of the fact that since last season we have lost Ash and Downing and have a transfer deficit of -20 mill.

I've heard the stats 10 times already Mark.

However, we did finish 9th. A poor season but given the circumstances, could've been a lot worse.

So tell me then, if comparing this season to last season (where we finished 9th) is setting the bar low, just where do you expect us to finish this season given that we now have a poorer squad?

[brommy]

After reading this thread, I have two questions applicable to quite a few posters:

If so many of you are bright enough to manage a football team/run a football club better than the current incumbents, why are you not mature enough to avoid juvenile bickering with those who hold opposing views?

As posting on a forum has no direct influence on who manages our beloved football club, why not give the current Villa manager an appropriate opportunity and wait until the end of a full season before critical judgement?

So far we're 50 odd minutes in to a 90 minute season. Much of the first half was poor, but we may go on to do reasonably well. After all, the only score that matters is at the final whistle.

[rjenkins]

We've had some good performances and results, and some bad performances and results. We're a mid-table team in mid-table. We can all think of ways to improve the squad and tactics, but so can any fan of any team. McLeish is going nowhere and, steadily, we are improving. We may as well get behind the team for the rest of this season because nothing the fans do between now and May will see a change of manager at Villa Park.

So chin up you miserable gits.

[OnlyOne]

We're improving? News to me.

[John_Lerwill]

We may have had this discussion before but its down to how high your standards are for Aston Villa and I set my bar pretty high as I know this great club can do far better than it has been over the last couple of seasons. Last season it was totally unacceptable that between November and the end of April we were in or with in spitting distance of the relegation zone. That after 22 games we had 22 points and were 18th, that after 31 games we had 34 points and were 16th, that it took until the 36th game of the season for us to be safe from relegation.

Lets not kids ourselves that the two very good results under Gary Mac at the end of last season masked over what was an exceptionally poor season. Well it was by the standards I set for this great club. What others choose to do is of course up to them.

I do therefore think that we are setting our standards low by setting the bar at how well we did last season. I am though of course also mindful of the fact that since last season we have lost Ash and Downing and have a transfer deficit of -20 mill.

Yes, I'm in sympathy with these views.

We all looked to RL helping Villa to rise upwards (not downwards) when he first arrived with his billionaire tag and (as has been said elsewhere) he's made mistakes on how he's played with his fortune.

I think the point is that we are now coming up to 16 years since the club last won anything and as things are looking at the moment we could be waiting another 16 years. If not that then several more years.

Having repaired the damage of the administration up to 1968 during the 1970s onwards, I do not feel that the board should be adopting policies (e.g. managerial appointments and severe cutbacks) that could threaten the restoration of Aston Villa as a leading club.

Villa is still by far the biggest club in the Midlands and yet the south and the north have been allowed to pick up all the major trophies in the last 20 years.

[macandally]

probably told them to pass the ball backwards, then hoof it up and not to go too far forwards.

hes negative isnt he?

and hes not a motivator and cant do anything right.

bull.

Yes he is, no hes not and your not far wrong.

Not bull.

[VillaChris]

Our games against Wolves have always been close.

First season they came up, we drew twice with them and needed a late Carew equaliser in the home game to get a point. Last season of course we lost at home and needed an 86th minute Heskey goal to beat them at Molineux.

So I find it strange people were expecting us to go there and comfortably win especially as they'd got a point at Spurs a week ago.

Any away win in the premier league is a very good result.

[OnlyOne]

I would take results over performances, but that's not improving. Just because Spurs drew against Wolves at home, doesn't mean we should think a draw at their place is good. So by that logic just because Blackburn defeated Man Utd at Old Trafford, that means a draw against Blackburn at home is a good result for other teams? Nah, doesn't work that way.

When MON was the manager we didn't really improve under him despite the good results. It was more or less the same. Same with McLeish in a worst scale.

We looked like we were improving quite abit under Houllier though. It's a shame his health scare knocked us back abit, but in the last two games we won back to back against Arsenal and Liverpool (that's amazing for us), where not only was we attacking more, but the defence became insanely good by our standards.

[regular_john]

I would take results over performances, but that's not improving. Just because Spurs drew against Wolves at home, doesn't mean we should think a draw at their place is good. So by that logic just because Blackburn defeated Man Utd at Old Trafford, that means a draw against Blackburn at home is a good result for other teams? Nah, doesn't work that way.

When MON was the manager we didn't really improve under him despite the good results. It was more or less the same. Same with McLeish in a worst scale.

We looked like we were improving quite abit under Houllier though. It's a shame his health scare knocked us back abit, but in the last two games we won back to back against Arsenal and Liverpool (that's amazing for us), where not only was we attacking more, but the defence became insanely good by our standards.

Houllier managed us for neither game