08 May 2012 13:40:23
Having survived in, at best 16th position, I think it would be appropriate to look t the cost of the appointment of McLeish. Let's ignore the thousands of season tickets which won't be renewed if Mcleish is retained. Whilst our squad wasn't the strongest this season with a half decent manager we should have been more than capable of a mid table finish. So had we finished 10th and not 16th the premiership prize money would have been circa £5m more than we will receive. This may not seem a vast sum but it would have been £5m extra profit or £5m less loss.
Projecting this forward to 2012-2013 and assuming that with a manager capable of motivating the team to play for 90 minutes, to continue to attack when in the lead and the opposition are down to 10 men. Capable of coaching the players of taking advantage of set plays and capable of coaching a strategy of defending corners. We could and should finish several places higher than we will ever finish under Mcleish. On this basis sacking him is self funding !
Well lets face you had how many consecutive 6th place finishes under O'Neill, but that squad was dismantled under cost cutting.
You've been lucky Wolves have been rubbish, Blackburn have been run as a shambles, QPR bought poorly in the summer and Bolton somehow absolutely imploded after previous good seasons.
Always thought he was a strange appointment, its like Liverpool hiring Moyes when Kenny goes, or McCoist going to Celtic, you wouldn't think of it happening, taking the manager from cross city rivals. Bizarre choice.
You sound just like the media! It's nothing to do with where he came from, absolutely nothing it's his style of play (or lack of)!
I'm sure i'm not alone in thinking that I would welcome the current Birmingham manager Chris Hughton to Villa it's just a matter of the type of football played by the manager!
I, like many other fans, was prepared to give Mcleish the benefit of the doubt when he arrived although I did find his appointment strange given his Blues affiliation, his past record in the premiership and his style of play. Unfortunately, we got exactly what it said on the tin, negative style of play, reliance on the long ball and no plan B. As a consequence Villa have won fewer home games than at any time previously, we have scored a 37 goals in 37 games and we have generally been abysmal for most of the season. Now Mcleish may blame this on the players, but, as manager, he must take the fall, he's well paid to motivate these guys to produce a performance ever time they step on the pitch, blatantly he has failed dismally to do so.
Nothing to do with the teams he has previously managed but Villa fans expect a style of football that entertains and is played with passion and, I would suggest, most would be happier if we lost attacking the game rather than trying, and most often, failing to sit behind the ball and kill the game. Spurs showed us on Sunday how to play football, down to 10 men and it was them not us who went for it.
Under Mcleish we will never get attacking football, even if he brought in Messi, Ronaldo & co he would play them out of position in a defensive formation !
I would take Hughtons wife over Mcleish, you are right i dont care about the Blues at all. not really interested whether they win lose or draw. the only thing i care about is Aston Villa FC and Mcleish is not right for the club. the fans dont want him, i dont know anybody who supports the club who does. Karl henry is unbelievable what has lerner done to our club, proud history no Future
"It's nothing to do with where he came from, absolutely nothing it's his style of play (or lack of)!"
Course it has something to do with where he came from. There were protests as soon as he was appointed, and that had nothing to do with his style of play, but everything to do with that he came to you from BCFC.
There are still people protesting about him entirely to do with the fact he's the ex Blues boss. The fact you've had an awful season just backs up what they've been saying. If you'd had had a better season those protesters wouldn't have a leg to stand on.
As for Hughton yes he's a much better manager and would do a good job, but i know a lot of Villa fans that wouldn't want him because of his current job. And lets face it all those currently protesting at McLeish would probably protest at Hughton.
I know Villa fans that slate Heskey based only on that he is an ex Blues player.
McLeish was never going to succeed purely because avast section of the support was alieniated from day one, throw in the cost cutting and the bad run of form, bad run of injuries all taking you into a relegation battle and thats it, there's almost no way back for the guy.
But you can't afford to sack him and he's stubborn to resign so you are stuck with him for the foreseeable future.
The wage bill will shrink further this summer with Heskey and Cueller already on there way out and replacements will be Bosmans and you raiding the relegated clubs.
To the previous poster, those protests were generally very poorly supported from the off so even if what you say is true then the majority of fans didn't instantly despise McLeish just because he crossed the city divide. He was given a chance by the vast majority and blew it. End of. As for Heskey, well, most have slated him for being a strike who can't... erm strike... rather than a former blue. Get with the programme, man. We know our football and every club has a few morons who love an excuse to say 'We told you so' but the key words there are 'a few'.