Two months ago, I warned Villa fans about exactly what Alex McLeish would bring to the club. I warned that flair and entertainment would be a thing of past. I warned how his teams are built around a goalkeeper and central defenders and that flair players are not suited to his style. I warned that the football would be drab, dour and depressing and that the country would hardly notice that Villa were in the Premiership this season.
To those people who poured scorn (and considerable abuse) on to this point of view, please take same time to look at what has happened so far, now that we are ten games into the season.
------- We have 11 points from 8 games. If we continue to accumulate points at this rate, we will pick up 52 points. That does equate to a mid-table finish, but .......
------- In our 8 league games, the average position of the teams we have played is 13th. Man City apart, we have played NOBODY likely to finish in the top half of the table. We can therefore realistically reduce our end of season points prediction by several points. This indicates a struggle against relegation!
------- Our two solitary wins came at home to the bottom two sides in the league (Blackburn and Wigan).
------- Including two absolutely dire performances in the Carling Cup, making 10 games in total, Villa have not actually played well once. NOT ONCE. Our much 'heralded' draws against Fulham, Everton and QPR were all football muggings and not deserved (Birmingham City style, during their own McLeish era).
------- Villa have netted just 12 goals in 10 games, as I've already pointed out, against weak opposition. This includes a game at home to Hereford United!
------ Only Given, Dunne and Collins have performed well this season. Hmmm
------ The attendances have fallen sharply.
I warned that McLeish would bring a drab, dour, dull, depressing and mediocre season. After 10 games, I see no reason to change that opinion.
With Albion to come next week, I only feel dread at the potential humiliation in this match against our oldest enemy.
McLeish out - now.
McLeish - the depressing facts
posted on 17/10/11
Yes, it's clear that even the most optimistic Villa fan out there would not be happy with McCleish. We were genuinely starting to play very good football under Houllier and by the end of last season I was confident we could push on further this season. I felt Houllier would have bought some good players this summer if he had stayed and most notably bought faster, better and more technical defenders than Dunne/Collins (and I believe Houllier would have kept at least one of Young or Downing).
As it stands, we have a manager who plays the inept Heskey every week (when he's fit), and leaves players like Albrighton and N'Zogbia on the bench. Bent is not performing to anything like the standard of last season, and the only attacking player to have improved on last season is Agbonlahor (which was always going to happen anyway because last season was probably his worst for us).
The football is awful. We don't pass the ball very much. The speed of our attacks isn't nearly as exciting as last season or when we performed well under O'Neill. Defensively we look solid but only because of the negative style of football. If we played attacking football Dunne and Collins wouldn't be able to cope with playing a high line as they aren't good enough, as was proven last season.
Basically, we have gone back several years after trying to go forward for so long. Appointing McCleish was not the solution. Surely Hughes would have been the much safer bet and this theory is being proved right. McCleish will not get us relegated this season but it will almost certainly be our worst season since O'Leary's final season with the club.
We're a mediocre Premier League club once again and things will need to change if we want to be back competing with the top six again.
posted on 17/10/11
I personally am predicting a 15th place finish with, west brom, bolton, sunderland among those likeley to be above us.
I dont think we will get beyond 4th round of fa cup (barring any fluke draw of league one or below. Even then I would worry).
We will be flirting with relegation for most of the period after christmas and end up being safe with 2-3 games to go.
McLeish should go after that.
Oh yeah, Bent wil go to.
It's great being a villa fan.
posted on 17/10/11
Wow, I think I'm even more depressed about Villa now than when I wrote the article!
At least it had replies, unlike the same post on Sport Witness, which was ignored.
posted on 17/10/11
Is he not playing N'Zogbia?! The guys unreal, he did that all the time at City. He'd buy a "star player" then start regularly playing them about 10-12 games into the season.
It was even worse during the January window when he'd start playing them regularly with about 7 games left!
What a mug.
posted on 17/10/11
I never enjoyed the McLeish era at Blues, and made my feelings obvious.
Okay we won the Carling Cup, but that was more luck than judgement. AND I was never intending to replace my season ticket if McLeish had stayed. What, Championship and desperately boring, poor football - not a chance.
However, you should also be pointing the finger at Lerner. Clever man, who has diverted attention from himself. Clawing back some of his millions, and dropping in the best possible fall guy.
Villa will not get relegated, but boredom and mediocrity will be the name of the game this season.
posted on 17/10/11
Okay we won the Carling Cup, but that was more luck than judgement
-----------
Yeah, people forget that we scraped past Hereford and Rochdale (I think) on penalties, played Avram Grants West Ham in the semi's and were fortunate to get Arsenal "We can't remember how to win trophies" FC in the final.
posted on 17/10/11
I think you know what I am getting at brummerdickens.
McLeish played a team against Brentford that should have lost. Philips goal in the dieing seconds saved us, and we done it on pens. We also scraped past Rochdale and MK Dons in an earlier Rounds.
I can't argue with the fact that we were great against Villa, the 2nd leg versus West Ham, and of course the Final.
I'd still take that Cup over Premier survival - which I did say at Seasons end, and prior to the Yeung debacle. Imagine being in the PL now with no squad and no money!
Doesn't alter the fact that McLeish plays boring, desperate football though.
posted on 17/10/11
I think I was agreeing with you; I think our Carling Cup win was incredibly lucky.
posted on 18/10/11
Rayzabluenose
You're spot on with your assessment of good 'ole boy Randy,he's definitely hedging his bets and playing a good poker hand!
McJudas,shoestring budget,Prem.survival,maybe even another lucky cup run and silverware!
Unfortunately for villa fans it just demonstrates the complete lack of ambition at their club now!
posted on 18/10/11
Lionbrad, you are not allowed to criticise Villa on SW did you not know that? or you get attacked for being a wum