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

[Keyblade]

I can't see how anyone can be so blinkered as to the think the squad just decided to play well, and then did what McLeish wanted after half time. It's total nonsense.

You don't think it's likely McLeish would have told them to try to defend the lead? I mean, that is the logical conclusion. Blackburn weren't exactly setting the world alight with their attacking flair in that second half. That goal was coming, and only because we allowed it to.

[Eames]

Since you've seen the game 3 times, presumably you had your eyes closed at the footage of AMc on the touch line ordering the players forwards and not to sit too deep?

That's the problem with logic without knowledge, it's just personal prejudice.

[Cule4life]

For me AMC is mostly to blame but you also should take into consideration the disruption caused by certain individuals.

For the football shown and the results Villa are defo a bottom 5 club at the moment as the football is that bad.

AMC should look in the mirror and think well most clubs i manage end up shite so im obviously mostly to blame.

AMC is mainly here for the money im sure of that as he knew he would be hated from the start and its only got worse as its done at other clubs for him.

[Eames]

I'm going to preface my post with the following so my perspective is understood.

I'm not: a "McLeish apologist," a blues fan, happy with our league position, defeatist, or ginger.

However, I also do not believe that McLeish was ever, nor is now the right man to take Aston Villa forward. I also don't see any sense in sacking him.

The game yesterday demonstrated what he is capable of, good quality, dominant attacking football. For the first half anyway. So what happened in the second half? I saw a group of players devoid of confidence desperate to avoid the catcalls and booing they have recieved on several occasions this season. A team with a 1-0 lead who went backwards trying to protect it and failing dismally. McLeish stood on sidelines pushing the team forward urging them not to sit too deep, and not first time this season he was ignored. his decion to bring on Bannan and Gardner were hardly negative or defensive.

Yesterday, like others before it showed me that McLeish COULD take us forward and have us playing decent football and winning a few games. Trouble is, he needs the finances and the support from the fans and board to achieve it. The squad needs a major overall, new centre backs a support striker, a creative midfielder and a winger.

Can't see him getting the time to do it.

Im sorry, but we could just as justifiably argue that the second half was more systemic of what McLiesh is. I never saw him once waving people forward, anywhere.

Given time and money, there is only one place this fool is taking us and its not up.

So the first half was nothing to do with McLeish presumably? He just got the players in at half time and told them to defend for 45mins?

Don't accept that at all.

Ah, go on then, put those words into my mouth! I watched 45 minutes of inaction as Blackburn bossed the game. The substitutes were poor, really poor and did not take into consideration where the game was or actually what was needed. Tactically naive.

As for not accepting it, you wouldnt. Your appear to think that McLeish is not responsible for this debacle and constantly look for excuses to blame others, sounds very reminiscent of the man himself. I am not sure what you have seen to justify your stance, to me it sounds a lot like the emporers new clothes.

Haven't said that. IMO he isn't rhe right man for the job. But he's here, he won't resign, and having paid £12m in compo in the last 2 years, he ain't getting sacked either.

But he is not solely responsible for the failings this season. We have players that aren't good enough, players that don't listen to him, and his own mistakes both tactically and in terms of team selection. Combined with the financial restrictions we have a perfect storm of shite.

Where he has been at fault I have said it...l following the surrenders against the top six season for example. Yesterday however was not down to him and him alone.

[Pilchard]

For me it is no co- incidence that his former team was relegated for drawing too many games and not scoring enough goals and we have been dragged into the relegation battle because of the very same thing.

We won't win another game this season.

[Keyblade]

Since you've seen the game 3 times, presumably you had your eyes closed at the footage of AMc on the touch line ordering the players forwards and not to sit too deep?

That's the problem with logic without knowledge, it's just personal prejudice.

I don't hold any personal grudge or prejudice against the guy. In fact, I was one of those advocating for giving him a chance when he was being unfairly abused. But it's not like this is the first game where this has happened.

What you're implying is, the players who just produced a very good, attacking first half performance were suddenly incapable of attacking in the second half because of the monumental increase in Blackburn's ability and desire. Sure they were utter crap in the first half, but they really weren't so much better in the second. We were sitting back, plain and simple...c'mon Eames.

[macandally]

Or could it be the fact were just that bad as a footballing side some people seem to point the finger at MCleish and others constantly.

When sometimes the blame does sit with the players as for me they literally are i,d say a bottom five club.

Generally not good enough especially when your getting outplayed by Wolves and Blackburn who are also awful.

6th, 6th, 6th, 9th, thats exactly what you would expect from a bottom 5 club?

Before you start quoting playing squad at me, yes it has changed, but there is enough quality in our team to be higher in the table. You saying we are bottom 5 suggests you have just given up on the club. We are not, nor should you think we ever will be that bad.

All we need is a manger who knows what he is doing.

[Eames]

Or could it be the fact were just that bad as a footballing side some people seem to point the finger at MCleish and others constantly.

When sometimes the blame does sit with the players as for me they literally are i,d say a bottom five club.

Generally not good enough especially when your getting outplayed by Wolves and Blackburn who are also awful.

6th, 6th, 6th, 9th, thats exactly what you would expect from a bottom 5 club?

Before you start quoting playing squad at me, yes it has changed, but there is enough quality in our team to be higher in the table. You saying we are bottom 5 suggests you have just given up on the club. We are not, nor should you think we ever will be that bad.

All we need is a manger who knows what he is doing.

Or a manager with no wage restrictions and pretty much unlimited funding for transfers?

MON is was and for ever more shall be a better motivator than McLeish, but he didn't exactly know what he was doing in Moscow did he? Or during the traditional March/April collapse.

[macandally]

But he is not solely responsible for the failings this season. We have players that aren't good enough, players that don't listen to him, and his own mistakes both tactically and in terms of team selection. Combined with the financial restrictions we have a perfect storm of shite.

On this we are in agreement, shit happens with your playing squad, but ultimately, at 2 milllion a year you should have the knowledge, experience and the cahoonas to cope with the issues and do what your paid to do, manage.

I dont think McLeish can or does.

[macandally]

Or could it be the fact were just that bad as a footballing side some people seem to point the finger at MCleish and others constantly.

When sometimes the blame does sit with the players as for me they literally are i,d say a bottom five club.

Generally not good enough especially when your getting outplayed by Wolves and Blackburn who are also awful.

6th, 6th, 6th, 9th, thats exactly what you would expect from a bottom 5 club?

Before you start quoting playing squad at me, yes it has changed, but there is enough quality in our team to be higher in the table. You saying we are bottom 5 suggests you have just given up on the club. We are not, nor should you think we ever will be that bad.

All we need is a manger who knows what he is doing.

Or a manager with no wage restrictions and pretty much unlimited funding for transfers?

MON is was and for ever more shall be a better motivator than McLeish, but he didn't exactly know what he was doing in Moscow did he? Or during the traditional March/April collapse.

You are right, I would hate to be suffering those minor blips when we could be caught up in the perfect shit heap we are now in.

If we wanted a manager to manage on a budget, there were better options out there and not all needed compensation paying.

[John_Lerwill]

I have just read EIGHT pages of postings on this thread since I left my PC last evening.

Pretty well everyone is frustrated - and justifiably so. A couple seem to be trying to see a good side of McLeish or just accepting that he's staying so we may as well just accept him and his foibles.

I'll try to summarise some facts ...

1. Blackburn gave Villa too much room in the first half. They made Villa look good.

2. Villa finished the match with a reported 37% possession.

3. If Villa fail to win against Fulham next week then the club record of 8 home games without a win (set 1920/21) will be equalled.

4. Villa's squad is as good as Albion's, Swansea's or Norwich's.

5. Villa's main lack of strength is in midfield, yet yesterday's starting selection was i.m.o. the best fielded this season - on paper at least.

6. The man who McLeish seemed loathe to play - Quellar - seems capable of ahowing McLeish just how good he is.

Plus: It is strongly rumoured (but could be just idle talk) that McLeish's orders at h-t were to close up and break away when possible.

Villa should be nowhere near the position they are at. In fact, all it would take is 3 wins and Villa would be where Albion now is (9th). But the problem now lies that Villa (till last week) showed more chance of winning away - but all we got was 2 draws against relegation-zone teams.

The future of Villa now lies in whether they can start winning at home again. And they need to win the next two (Fulham, Bolton) to steer completely away from threat and to placate the fans.

Failure to so so will most likely see Villa finishing in 15th or even 16th when the season comes to an end.

So, having survived, is McLeish going to be able to change his spots after his years at Blews (and if-fy record in Scotland) when he buys in his own players? Of course not. Just what did he achieve at Blews?

Mr. Faulkner's expectations of "an exciting season" have produced a season of negative excitement, and the "... Bright Future" pronouncement of 5 years ago is looking anything but.

[Pilchard]

Sorry John, failure to do so will see us relegated - not 15th or 16th. Pretty good summing up though.

[Pilchard]

I think there is a sense of frustration because had we not played this boring defensive shite and won these games we'd have been away from trouble at the bottom.

[John_Lerwill]

Pilchard, I can't see more than 1 of the bottom 5 overtaking Villa.

[Ads]

We won't be relegated, this season anyway.

[Richard]

I'm going to preface my post with the following so my perspective is understood.

I'm not: a "McLeish apologist," a blues fan, happy with our league position, defeatist, or ginger.

However, I also do not believe that McLeish was ever, nor is now the right man to take Aston Villa forward. I also don't see any sense in sacking him.

The game yesterday demonstrated what he is capable of, good quality, dominant attacking football. For the first half anyway. So what happened in the second half? I saw a group of players devoid of confidence desperate to avoid the catcalls and booing they have recieved on several occasions this season. A team with a 1-0 lead who went backwards trying to protect it and failing dismally. McLeish stood on sidelines pushing the team forward urging them not to sit too deep, and not first time this season he was ignored. his decion to bring on Bannan and Gardner were hardly negative or defensive.

Yesterday, like others before it showed me that McLeish COULD take us forward and have us playing decent football and winning a few games. Trouble is, he needs the finances and the support from the fans and board to achieve it. The squad needs a major overall, new centre backs a support striker, a creative midfielder and a winger.

Can't see him getting the time to do it.

I certainly do not think our squad is top 4 or top 6 but it should definitely be performing at top 10 level, the fact that we are performing to a worse standard is all about the manager. Sure we need improvements and for sure Lerner will not provide the resources to do that but the squad should be performing better than they are. I do not accept that Swansea or Norwich or Albion have better squads than ours for example.

He is either giving duff instructions to the players or they are ignoring him (and he has lost the dressing room, if he ever had it)

I just cannot reconcile the two statements that go "he is not the right man to take us forward, but we should not sack him"

I would just add Eames that you mention a team trying to avoid catcalls and boos , how about Blackburn who have arguably suffered worse fan reaction than any club in England this season, were they affected?

[Eames]

The main reasoning behind three wrong bloke don't sack argument is that no one else wanted the job last time and what's left now is worse.

[Richard]

I do not think we will get more than 33 points this season

[Richard]

The main reasoning behind three wrong bloke don't sack argument is that no one else wanted the job last time and what's left now is worse.

Well I am struggling to see how there is a worse manager than him at the moment. I think there are better choices at the club, certainly to take us to the end of the season

[John_Lerwill]

I do not think we will get more than 33 points this season

As Villa are performing at the mo, I agree. Perhaps 35.

Whatever, that number of points would very often see Villa relegated. This season we're probably lucky.