Would someone Tell McLeish - Villa are tripe when they sit back

Everytime villa line up against a "big club" we pile players behind the ball and just hope Bent or Gabby can knick one.

Yet when we play the "smaller clubs" he plays with a far more aggressive formation. I fail to see why we don't have a go at the big sides, it is really bloody annoying. He played 6 defenders against the 2 manchester clubs and spurs, the games were awful.

That's a trait of McLeish unfortunately, he's done it everywhere he's been and he's to long in the tooth now to change, what I will say though is he's a lucky manager though

He got birmingham relegated twice. He is not all that lucky.

Ian

I dont get it myself.

The spurs game was just sh1te to say the least.

Man U no better.
Bent looks pished off and quite rightly so.
Needed to get that win on saturday, next 4 games are going to be tough(not saying we cant win any of them).

I cant believe he has only just started to play Albrighton.

Really hope Gardner gets on the bench now that Jenas is out for season(no big loss imo).

Petrov back is a good thing.

We have actually got a decent squad.

Delph, Ireland, Gardner, The Fonz, Bannan, all decent/good players imo.

Just stop playing Heskey, especially in midfield.

Albrighton started a lot of pre-season and at the the begining of the season, only to put performances in that were terrible. Even a lot of the Villa fans were giving him a hard time for being a one-trick pony due to those performances.

McLeish has a good record as a manager at every club he's been at, he'll generally over-achieve during one season with what he has at his disposal only to then take them back to where their investment and scope derserves. Motherwell, Hibs, Rangers, Scotland (partly proved), Birmingham have all proved this trend.

No doubt you are playing poorly though, as for Bent he needs to put those gilt edge chances away rather than missing them having a terrible game and then wondering why he's off after 80mins. The service was there on Sat he just failed to deliver and I'm a huge Bent fan even from his Spurs days when everyone was bemouning him as being a waste and useless.

Bent did miss chances on he weekend, but we were so defensive the previous weeks it was painful.

He has sent Gardner on loan to Coventry. Can you think of a worse insult.

Nothing like a confidence building trip to a side getting horsed every week.

I heard he might be calling him back before the end of the month.

Very good player, need to give him a chance, done well for england u21.

Massive win at the weekend, wasn't it?

Right then, who is backing us to beat Liverpool?

2-1 Villa, the heart says.
Think it'll be close

Would like to go 442
Guzan
Cuellar(he'll play Hutton) Collins Dunne Warnock
Albrighton Herd Petrov(c) N'Zogbia
Gabby Bent

Marshall?, Clark, Cuellar, Fonz, Ireland, Deplh(if fit),Heskey I suppose if not, Bannan.

ian_jamsie wrote:

He has sent Gardner on loan to Coventry. Can you think of a worse insult.

Nothing like a confidence building trip to a side getting horsed every week.

Oi!

Despite my Surrey base these days and much of my time now being spent following cricket, I was a Coventry City season ticket holder as a child (Junior Sky Blue! ) and saw us win promotion to the old Division One (now the Premier League) back in 1967.

Before again mocking our current situation, Jamsie, just remember that what goes around tends to come around ....

I remember when we beat you 3-2 to send you down.

Cov fans had 'we'll be back' signs, still waiting sky blue fans

Westisbest - the decade or so since we went down is but a nanosecond in the history and future of Midlands football ....

McLeish will do everything to make his club play like Rangers in the Pub League; even Italian teams have more imagination!

I think people forget that everyone expected Birmingham to be a yo-yo team and would struggle to stay up under McLeish considering the backing he was givne. While in the long run this proved to be correct he did achieve a Cup win and a 9th place finish and was extremely unlucky to go down due to a lack of strike options at the end of his final season. When Cameron Jerome is your sole outlet your in serious trouble from the start.

McLeish isn't the next coming of "insert name" but he's got a track record that most managers would be proud of and has been a succes at every club he's been at. I have no doubt given time he can bring success to Villa and will for the best part take them to where their investment and ambition deserves.

See how we do in the next few games

Liverpool h
Arsenal h
Stoke a
Chelsea a

Could easily be 4 defeats.

Maybe because its a friday and the festive season, but i'm going with

Liverpool, home win
Arsenal draw
Stoke away win
Chelsea home win.

so out of 12 remaining points this year, think we'll get 7, i'd take that.

westisbest wrote:

Could easily be 4 defeats.

Agreed.

guildfordbat.

wouldnt surprise me.

But i'm having some festive faith.

Westy -

Good luck to you over the rest of the season

Hope Keane can add a few goals in the few weeks he is with us.

Good to see Shay back training.

Villa has been a long ball team for so many years now. When was the last time they actually played a good passing game?

Awful manager...Someone like Martinez would have been a better appointment.

Their not doing any worse than normal, McLeish is a good manager but if you want attractive football it won't be from his teams.

Sad to say but agree with you mj, about the attractive football part.

As I have said before, think we have a decent squad(concerned about our defence though).

Got some good young players, some are getting a decent run out.

Martin O'neill was a good manager, Mcleish is anything but...Got Birmingham relegated twice.

Great to see Keano get a brace for us today.

Good result. A game alot of people thought we would loose.

In a bit of trouble up front now with Bent out for season, Keano gone back.

Time for Weimann to shine.

Am going to Ewood Park sat, be a tough game.

what do u expect from a guy who exploits heskey amazingly quick pace on the left wing

Well Heskey will follow McLeish out the door in the summer.