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We Let Ourselves Down

We let ourselves down, we shot ourselves in the foot - good cliches aren't they.

Speaking to the Official Site after that total embarrassment McLeish said.

'It was unbelievable, frightening. After such a good performance the confidence and morale was really high and we went and shot ourselves in the foot. It was so disappointing to see us take three positive steps forward and then to take steps back.'

So we can expect changes for the next game then, picking a team based on merit, and not sticking with players who continually let us down...not likely is it?

Afterall, following the talk of possibly resting players, he rotated sensibly for this one didn't he. Given the effort and the application shown today shall we go with the theory the players were tired as opposed to celebrated the Chelsea win too much?

'I did contemplate changes, but we don't have too many options to change the team. I really did feel the morale and feel good factor would be enough to get through. I don't think it was a mistake. Making the errors we did was the problem for us.'

All that said, even Jack Grealish is defending McLeish, saying it's time the players took some responsibility. Been waiting for that all season so far, McLeish surely can't be still waiting for that to happen from the serial disappointments in the first team.

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Writer: Mike Field Mail feedback, articles or suggestions

Date:Monday January 2 2012

Time: 7:14PM

Your Comments

It is ******** stupid playing so soon after New Years Eve. We were outmanouvered and outplayed though. Individual mistakes, yes again Mike and very true, they have been going on all season unpunished by the bench. The Buck must stop with Eck though. He's very quick to lap up the fans support after a win, especially at Chelsea but he never takes responsibility when we lose. Randy and Faulkner won't take any responsibility for their appointments either. THE BLAME GAME at Aston Villa is a pandemic and they don't care as they're all on ridiculous money. A simple, we got it wrong would suffice but I'm not sure if they actually believe their own BS or they're just worried that they'd be apologising that they got it wrong every ******** week that they try to shift the blame hoping that enough will believe them to scrape though to another game in their overpriveleged, overpaid jobs. Not fit to manage a team.
Villan444
We ALL played two games in two days----that's Christmas and the New Year in England----it's nothing new. You were out-played that's all--get over it! Your manager seemed ungracious and disrespectful to a brilliant Swansea performance-- I'd ditch him like radio-active waste.
Philto
No Mcleish YOU let us down once again with your tactical inability
ByEck
You prat eck,don`t drop albrighton,we have been better ever since he came into the side. First name on the team sheet in future mr mcleish.
lerneravfc
Never tired after a win, but always a problem when you lose, typical poor excuse for me...Swansea have played the same as us and have no bigger/better squad, but are well set up and play some very good football from what I witnessed today...Us on the other hand did shoot ourselves in the foot and rightly so it does set you back, but that is all...Surely thats no excuse for poor tactics, motivation and substitutions and just to confirm is that not a managers job to inspire, tactically beat the opposition and change things accordingly as it requires...Something McLeish himself was talking about when he was surmising the Chelsea game, the same interview when he said tiredness is no problem especially when you play well and win...?!
marcobavfc
The likes of Manure have got a 4 day break Philto. We get exscuses from McLeish all the time though. He isn't ungracious, he's just an idiot and his lack of confidence eminates through the team. They are all too scared to lose to try to play to win. Well played by the way, do you fancy swapping managers?? Well said marco
Villan444
At least you are gracious in defeat, Villan--I don't normally comment on other sites but your manager annoyed me today. We'll keep our manager--sorry! Good luck for the rest of the season.
Philto
Strange. Every game has two teams. Afterwards though the focus is always on just one of them. In a win the team was great. After a defeat the team was poor with people to blame. Fact is Swansea, who cost relatively little, played very well and won. We played poorly and lost. Some of the credit should go to them. Then we should ask why a team that cost so little can play such good football with real desire, and play us off the park. Against a team of footballers we were shown to be second best, both as individuals and as a team. Dyer gave Warnock a torrid afternoon and was just one example. £60k a week some of this lot? That is the rub. Yes Eck is not blameless but players of this so called caibre need to take a long hard look at themselves.
Gordonsleftboot
You DID NOT let YOURSELVES down...
YOU LET US DOWN YOU STUPID STUPID MAN.
The Fear
He annoys us Philto, so don't let that reflect on us the fans please mate. He has no grace, he has little football knowledge it seems. Thought you guys made a GREAT account of yourselves and the fans were excellent as well. We were played off the park in my humble opinion.
The Fear
Isn't always the way Fear--the fans are great , managers not so great
Philto
wheres jack said that
meakers
Was via Prep Meakers, so either twit or book.
mike_field
how was ireland?
ljw-avfc
Mcleish is just the scape goat and the panto villan folks, while Randolph has turned the tap off at Villa and we sell anything that is wanted by the top 4 Mcleish has to make do with this weak and ***** squad of players, blame Mcleish ok i didn't want him but this is why no top manager would even flutter an eye lid at Villa in the summer no money no ambitions, wages being slashed even afet we sell 2 60k a week players and release 12 others in the summer? don't be fooled we are being run down by this inept clueless board who appointed Mcleish to take the flack as they are no longer building anything at Villa just mediocrity at best get used to it until Randolph sell!
clivethevillan
ljw - Ireland was the only one on the pitch who actually looked like he wanted the ball. Why is he the only ****ing player in our side who moves at throw ins? Swansea were great today but only because we let them play. Their only threats were ever going to be dyer and routledge but we chose to leave Warnock isolated against Dyer all game. They like to pass it out from the back (they play the same every week) but we were set up to drop off into our own half rather than press high up the pitch. We isolated Gabby wide right and played Nzogbia despite it being obvious after 15 mins that he hadn't got the bottle for the game and was looking to pass the buck every time the ball went near him (he looks like Downing in his first season). Mcleish needs to go and go now!
AVbornandbred
What an absolute shambles of a performance. We were woeful. Completely outplayed. How just a mere forty eight hours after rolling Chelsea over on their own patch, can we serve up such an abject offering? It was Swansea City, a club without an away win to date this campaign, a team full of players whose names you dont even know, whose faces are unknown, yet they turn up at B6, with drive, determination, and application, and let it be said, with no shortage in the skill department, and make us look like a collection of dead-beats. After journeying back from Stamford Bridge on cloud nine, tonight I feel thoroughly dejected and totally deflated. Wouldn't mind that Dyer operating wide right for us. Trouble is, why in the real world would he ever think of leaving the Liberty Stadium for a club going backwards at an alarming rate? We can blame McLeish all we like, he's the easy and most visible target, but he's not the only worrying problem at Brummagem B6.
glensider
look at rodgers sitting in front of that villa background. It just suits him. Wouldn`t mind him bringing that passing game to villa park. Eck just looks a mess in an ill fitting suit.
lerneravfc
Spot on ByEck. We're playing too deep at home and why the hell does he play Bent, then drop Albrighton? Where is Bent gonna get a chance with no-one whipping over a decent ball???? The Idiot is beyond belief!!!!!!!
Pride of Lions
AMc found a winning team and formation at Chelsea through injuries and suspension. He decided to change it. The buck stops there.......
dinarob
OK so it's all the players' fault, underperforming, not following instructions, poor attitude, etc. Fine but then we should still have players in our squad capable of matching Swansea.

We all (or at least most of us) criticised MON for freezing players out, well in this case I would support certain players being frozen out even if they are the best on their possition as their attitude is having a negative effect on the whole squad, not just their own performance (as if that alone was not bad enough)

McLeish needs to single out those that he doesn't want to use and either ship them out or if that's not an option, bannish them to the reserves until they can show an improvement in attitude and commitment. He may then be able to bring in some players of his own too. The remaining players should be those that he can work with, guide and motivate.

If he then fails to win but gets them playing acceptable football then he's done all we can reasonably ask of a manager, the team will be playing to the potential of teh talent available, if he failes to get them playing "his way" then the problem is most definately with the manager not the players.
villan of the north
Agreed Pride of Lions. His decisions make no sense at all. It is as if he looks at the game totally differently to anyone else...
ByEck
Villian of the north im sorry but your deluded if you think ECK can ever bring accepable football to villa park, the man probably can't even spell football, and how can fans say the players aren't good enough? fair enough there are SOME players who are not good enough but at the end of the day its down to the manager to drop them, improve them, and make the team play well, look at swansea how many of them would any Villa fan have wanted last year? none gaurenteed! but they have a manager who knows how to play football, there is no way anybody could say that swansea have a better team than us but what they do have is a football philosphy that works and that all top teams try to play, and yes it is Randy's fault for hiring a guy that we all knew was never going to be good enough but it was a chance for ECK, he had the chance to up his game, to prove he could manage at the top level and not just be a man that gets teams relagated, sadly he couldn't do this, I don't see him being sacked this year so we need to get behind the team and hope that we won't get relagated that would be a success, well for ECK at least.
KerryVillian
 

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