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


Richard

Do you THINK McLeish will be gone by next season?  

370 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you THINK McLeish will be gone by next season?

    • Yes I think he will
      230
    • No I think he will be here
      140


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Anybody else had a phone call from the club chasing season ticket renewals been told they might have good reason to renew after May 17th.?

The response in that case should be "O.K great, call me back on May 17th then."

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Anybody else had a phone call from the club chasing season ticket renewals been told they might have good reason to renew after May 17th.?
That's a bit vague. I'd tell them I'm about to spend my season ticket money on a holiday as McLeish is still in charge. See if their tone of voice changes. :suspect:
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Anybody else had a phone call from the club chasing season ticket renewals been told they might have good reason to renew after May 17th.?

The response in that case should be "O.K great, call me back on May 17th then."

What they gonna do, tell us the manager is sacked but it's OK. We have secured Mick McCarthy on a 6 year deal (5 M a year) and by the way he has a War Chest for transfers of 2.2 Millinion pounds.

I wish I could say that 100 % won't happen but well you know....

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It wasnt me they called it was a mate who also season ticket holder.

Maybe she wasnt referring to a change of manager but could have meant there were some more offers in the pipeline.

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Fantastic article by Moxley in the Mail today.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2138920/Alex-McLeish-Aston-Villa-want-bums-seats.html

No more Mr Nice Guy if Villa want bums on seats

By Neil Moxley

Under pressure: Alex McLeish is feeling the heat from the Villa fans

Managers pass before sports reporters with increasing regularity these days.

For instance, the shelf-life of a Championship boss was, at the last time of looking, around 13 months.

As a hack, it doesn't give you much time to forge a relationship, but you try your best.

And we see all sorts pass before us.

The good, bad and ugly.

Obviously, given time, alliances are formed. Friendships, even, in many cases.

On a personal level, I have to say that I've enjoyed working with Alex McLeish.

It's over four-and-a-half years since he arrived from Scotland. During that time he has proved himself to be one of the good guys.

Ask him for a favour and it was done.

For me, that request was for McLeish to phone a friend of mine who was battling bowel cancer, to give him a gee up.

He took the number and made the call. No fuss. 'Nae bother,' as he said afterwards.

What's more, two months later, he even asked how my friend was getting on.

Touch of class, that.

There have been several occasions when he has demonstrated that in public.

I thought he handled the situation over Martin Taylor's tackle on Eduardo with grace in the face of severe provocation.

And, in difficult circumstances, he has tried to maintain an equilibrium this season.

McLeish has though, incredibly, united a divided football city in its' dislike for one individual. But I have to say he is a man with whom I'm sure most football supporters would happily share a pint.

However, reporters also have a responsibility to their readers who are, in many cases, football supporters too.

Having been present at Villa Park last week for the defeat against Bolton, I now think the relationship between the club and its fans has become one of total disconnect.

Much as it pains me to write, McLeish is pretty much the sole cause for that.

In 18 years of covering Villa, the only other occasion I'd known such a poisonous atmosphere at Villa Park was on the night of the Birmingham derby in March 2003.

That was for altogether darker reasons.

But the evidence of that schism between a club and its' fan-base - and it exists - will manifest itself in a drop in season-ticket sales, merchandising and a fall in sales of corporate seats.

That is what will happen this summer if nothing changes at Villa Park. The gap between the club and its supporters will widen against a continued backdrop of unrest.

Eighteen months ago, I penned a pretty vicious piece in which I suggested it was time for Gerard Houllier to be shown the door.

The disconnect then was between the manager and his players.

Eventually, it turned out okay. After the owner spent £24m - and safety was then only assured with two games of the season to go.

There is no doubt that Villa would have been in a far stickier spot had Randy Lerner not dug deep. Darren Bent's goal-return is evidence of that.

This time the disconnect is between the manager and the supporters.

They may not have grasped McLeish to their bosom. But they have given him a chance.

(I would hope that Villa fans ditch any pre-match protest against the manager for the good of the club this Sunday. By my reckoning they need one point to limp over the line. It would be nice if there was an air of positivity. Spurs are not exuding the same confidence they did back in November.)

All I would point out is that if he remains in place and if he is allowed to spend significant money in the transfer market this summer, what happens if Villa lose their opening two matches next season?

Doomed to fail: Gerard Houllier's time in charge of Villa was short-lived

Doomed to fail: Gerard Houllier's time in charge of Villa was short-lived

More howls from the Holte... and we would be on the way towards another 12 months of civil war. Opinions will become even more trenchant and the swathes of claret coloured seats will become more evident.

On the pitch, I cannot point towards much, if anything, that has improved over the past 12 months.

Several of the younger players have been given a chance, I suppose.

But exciting, edge-of-your seat football? Er, not at Villa Park, no. (Well, it will be edge-of-the-seat stuff for all the wrong reasons this weekend.)

The fact is, McLeish's appointment was flawed in its conception and its execution.

Despite the fact that Aston Villa seem determined to hand over as much money as possible to a succession of managers, they may need to find some more.

Because in the long-term paying that price is going to be damn sight cheaper than counting up the money and goodwill lost through the continued disaffection of the club's supporter-base.

And surely, surely, those in power can see that.

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Read & Take note of Moxley -

"I would hope that Villa fans ditch any pre-match protest against the manager for the good of the club this Sunday. By my reckoning they need one point to limp over the line. It would be nice if there was an air of positivity"

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The latest in a refreshing and growing line of mainstream media articles reminding the club that he has to go. I'm convinced the tipping point has been reached.

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I wonder, between the Browns and Villa, how much Lerner is paying managers/coaches.

I bet he could field another Prem team with the money.

And that article was spot on. If we keep McLeish and we fall out of the gate, supporters will be keen to set to burn it all down.

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