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

[Bazdavies79]

I think Randy may be a chairman more likely to give managers time than most. If so I think that's a good thing and not something to criticise. However AML has failed to hit his very minimum target of positioning the club in a safe mid table position for most of the season, so I think Randy would be foolish to keep hold of him.

Paul Lambert would be my choice.

[Die_Hard]

Unfortunately, I don't think there is a chance in hell that McLeish will be sacked this season, unless of course the unthinkable happens and we go down.

He will be given time to buy players in the Summer with the limited resources that will be available. If we are still sitting in 15th come Christmas, then I believe the calls of protest against McLeish will be so loud and attendances so low that Lerner will have little choice but to give him the boot. We keep hearing about the wage bill but wouldn't a more positive manager who is going to shift ST's and start filling the ground again compensate for any extra expenditure on wages? The way its going, there will be sub 30k attendances in numerous games next season which is absolutely unacceptable for a club of our size. Hitting Lerner in the pocket is perhaps the only way he will truly take notice of the fans.

[Morpheus]

Mmmm. Seem to remember this site creaming itself at the thought of signing N'Zogbia and then gloating when we actually signed him instead of Everton. There wasn't many on here apart from one poster who thought that N'Zogbia was an average player with a poor attitude.

Simply not true. Sure plenty thought it a good signing but there were plenty who didn't think it was as good as others believed and plenty like who said at the time he was an average player with a poor attitude.

Even if what you claim were true (which it isn't) and only one poster was saying these things about signing N'Zogbia that is irrelevant. McLeish is the manager, he is paid well to do the job and to make the decisions and he went and spent the bulk of his budget on a player that has contributed very little.

It has been poor judgement, just like the signing of Jenas and Hutton and in my opinion the decision to give Given a 5 year deal.

McLeish's management has simply been poor, his decisions have been poor and his signings have been poor. While his football and the results it has achieved have been dire and his excuses pathetic.

I believe N'Zogbia will turn out to be more than a decent signing for us when the right players are signed in the summer giving us a better balanced squad allowing him to play the role he played for Wigan. What i mean is that we will hopefully get a better defence in place plus a defensive mid which will give N'Zogbia more freedom to play his actual game. We all know that tracking back is not one of N'Zogbia's best attributes but then he didn't do much of that at Wigan either.

Yes we all know that but McLeish seemingly didn't, just as he seemingly doesn't seem to realise that N'Zogbia has never been much of a winger and all his best moments came for Wigan cutting inside or playing a more central role.

He might turn out to be a decent signing, though I doubt it but if he does I don't think it will be under the management of McLeish because he seems incapable of getting the best out of him and the player seemingly has very little respect for his manager or his tactics.

Actually is was true. I cannot remember the poster's name but he was absolutely slated on here for even questioning the validity of N'Zogbia's signing.

As far as N'Zogbia's performance is concerned i have repeatedly stated my opinion on that. You disagree with me and that is fair enough.

[Morpheus]

Hopefully in the summer with our defence revamped and the signing of a quality centre mid then we will be more positive in our approach?

And what is this hope based upon?

His signings of cultured midfielders like Ferguson and Bowyer at Birmingham perhaps?

Or is it perhaps based upon the excellent judgement he has shown in the transfer market since he has been our manager?

Why didn't he go and get this star midfielder that is the answer to our problems last summer instead of wasting money on Jenas and Hutton and taking a punt on N'Zogbia?

I don't see any reason to be optimistic that will go and find this creative player and even if he does I would fully expect him to utterly fail to get the best from him.

Where have i said creative?

I see for the second time you have resorted to putting words into my mouth to suit your own debate and i would ask you to stop doing it and read my posts properly. Clearly your dislike of our manager has clouded your judgement!

If you had read my previous posts debating with other posters on the same subject leading to the one you have commented on, you would see that i meant a defensive mid, not a creative mid and i have repeatedly stated that in other posts that i have made.

I also see that you have not commented on my point about the signing of Keane and how our football improved when he was in the team. But lets forget that, again to suit your own debate.

[lmarsha_926]

Th main problem is the set piece goals we have conceded 21 goal from set pieces but only 43 in the league so that is only 22 from open play.

If we only conceded half those set piece goals We would have the 4th best defence in the league and be in the top 8.

We would of beaten both Liverpool and Stoke and got a point a Chelsea/

[Rob182]

NowDoINotLikeThat was the poster I believe. Morpheus is right. Very few people were against the signing. It was reiterated that Zog was the most obvious replacement for Young/Downing. I don't recall many people providing realistic alternatives. Pennant, Etherington and Johnson might have been mentioned (Pennant and Johnson being the realistic ones).

IIRC

[Morpheus]

Thanks for that 'Rob182.' I knew there was one poster in particular who was totally against N'Zogbia's signing and he then had to deal with most of the site venting their anger on him.

You're also correct about the other wingers that were mentioned as an alternative to N'Zogbia.

I actually wanted Johnson and stated it at that time but it was rightly pointed out that he would have cost more than N'Zogbia.

[briny_ear]

AML has failed to hit his very minimum target of positioning the club in a safe mid table position for most of the season

Actually, that's exactly what he's done. We may have drifted down to the bottom of the mid-table pack since Christmas but we have always been reasonably safe (despite the air of panic over there in the "Relegation" thread), not teetering on the brink of the relegation zone like last season.

That may well have more to do with the failings of the 5 clubs below us but it doesn't provide the killer reason to get rid of McLeish.

[TrentVilla]

Actually is was true. I cannot remember the poster's name but he was absolutely slated on here for even questioning the validity of N'Zogbia's signing.

As far as N'Zogbia's performance is concerned i have repeatedly stated my opinion on that. You disagree with me and that is fair enough.

No it wasn't.

[macandally]

Th main problem is the set piece goals we have conceded 21 goal from set pieces but only 43 in the league so that is only 22 from open play.

If we only conceded half those set piece goals We would have the 4th best defence in the league and be in the top 8.

We would of beaten both Liverpool and Stoke and got a point a Chelsea/

If my aunt had nuts she would be my uncle.

[Zatman]

Really strange fact that only top 6 have lost less games this season than Villa

[TrentVilla]

Where have i said creative?

I see for the second time you have resorted to putting words into my mouth to suit your own debate and i would ask you to stop doing it and read my posts properly. Clearly your dislike of our manager has clouded your judgement!

If you had read my previous posts debating with other posters on the same subject leading to the one you have commented on, you would see that i meant a defensive mid, not a creative mid and i have repeatedly stated that in other posts that i have made.

I also see that you have not commented on my point about the signing of Keane and how our football improved when he was in the team. But lets forget that, again to suit your own debate.

You said a quality central midfielder that will make us more positive in our approach. I think it is a fairly reasonable assumption to make from that statement that you were talking about a creative midfielder, its not putting words in your mouth at all.

We have a complete lack of creative players and I for one fail to see how signing a defensive midfielder is going to address this or change it in any way. You clearly think it will free up N'Zogbia to be our creative force but I've seen nothing from him in his time at Newcastle, Wigan or here to make me believe that.

No you are right I've not commented on your post about Keane, I didn't want to attack every post you made despite me disagreeing with almost all of them. You have also though ignored a number of points I've made.

Personally while Keane made a minor difference I don't think he made that much of a difference and I noticed no difference in McLeish's approach to games.

[AshVilla]

Really strange fact that only top 6 have lost less games this season than Villa

I bet they have won significantly more though..

[villa4europe]

Th main problem is the set piece goals we have conceded 21 goal from set pieces but only 43 in the league so that is only 22 from open play.

If we only conceded half those set piece goals We would have the 4th best defence in the league and be in the top 8.

We would of beaten both Liverpool and Stoke and got a point a Chelsea/

yeah but to be fair to mcleish he recognised that in august and has been working hard on it in training every day since...

[b6bloke]

Th main problem is the set piece goals we have conceded 21 goal from set pieces but only 43 in the league so that is only 22 from open play.

If we only conceded half those set piece goals We would have the 4th best defence in the league and be in the top 8.

We would of beaten both Liverpool and Stoke and got a point a Chelsea/

Jeeeze!!! and if those other 5 numbers came out I would have wont the Euro Millions! Come on! its not just that! you can sit there all day and come up with all sorts of shit but the simple fact is that we are shit. We are the only premiership club not to have scored from a penalty, if we had we may have _____________ < fill in blanks

[Bazdavies79]

AML has failed to hit his very minimum target of positioning the club in a safe mid table position for most of the season

Actually, that's exactly what he's done. We may have drifted down to the bottom of the mid-table pack since Christmas but we have always been reasonably safe (despite the air of panic over there in the "Relegation" thread), not teetering on the brink of the relegation zone like last season.

That may well have more to do with the failings of the 5 clubs below us but it doesn't provide the killer reason to get rid of McLeish.

Fair enough, I don't think we've been comfortable enough though. We've been looking below us for a bit too much of the season. Will he get sacked? I don't think that is as remote a possibility as some are suggesting, I can't see performances improving dramatically from now to May and that might just be enough to rid us of him.

[jon_c]

I'd rather lose six and win four. Than draw ten.

It's simple maths, really.

[Morpheus]

Actually is was true. I cannot remember the poster's name but he was absolutely slated on here for even questioning the validity of N'Zogbia's signing.

As far as N'Zogbia's performance is concerned i have repeatedly stated my opinion on that. You disagree with me and that is fair enough.

No it wasn't.

It has been clearly pointed out by another poster that i am correct but if you can't admit when you're wrong then there's nothing i can do about that.

[Denis_B]

I'd rather lose six and win four. Than draw ten.

It's simple maths, really.

As is proven by the fact we have the same amout of losses as Plop and less losses than Everton and Fulham but clearly more draws than the rest of the 91 clubs put together!

[Morpheus]

Where have i said creative?

I see for the second time you have resorted to putting words into my mouth to suit your own debate and i would ask you to stop doing it and read my posts properly. Clearly your dislike of our manager has clouded your judgement!

If you had read my previous posts debating with other posters on the same subject leading to the one you have commented on, you would see that i meant a defensive mid, not a creative mid and i have repeatedly stated that in other posts that i have made.

I also see that you have not commented on my point about the signing of Keane and how our football improved when he was in the team. But lets forget that, again to suit your own debate.

You said a quality central midfielder that will make us more positive in our approach. I think it is a fairly reasonable assumption to make from that statement that you were talking about a creative midfielder, its not putting words in your mouth at all.

We have a complete lack of creative players and I for one fail to see how signing a defensive midfielder is going to address this or change it in any way. You clearly think it will free up N'Zogbia to be our creative force but I've seen nothing from him in his time at Newcastle, Wigan or here to make me believe that.

No you are right I've not commented on your post about Keane, I didn't want to attack every post you made despite me disagreeing with almost all of them. You have also though ignored a number of points I've made.

Personally while Keane made a minor difference I don't think he made that much of a difference and I noticed no difference in McLeish's approach to games.

Don't assume. If you are going to comment on my posts then please read what i have actually said first.

Ireland. Creative midfielder, no?

We don't have a defensive mid other than Herd who in my opinion is a squad player rather than the quality defensive mid we need.

Keane did make a difference to our performance as we played more to feet than hoof and consequently we carried more of a threat. Surely you must have seen that?

I have no problem with anyone commenting on my posts just as long as those comments reflect what i have actually said.