Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: J P Fear 
Date:Thursday February 2 2012
Time: 10:30AM
UK time is: 07:26:23
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Alex McLeish Post QPR Match Reaction
Alex McLeish spoke to Paul Brown at www.avfc.co.uk after the 2-2 against QPR.
Doesn`t matter what he says really, he will get slated, but I don`t think it was him not giving us the penalties for blatant hand balls. Most of the first half was woeful as anyway there will attest, but at least the lads fought back and gave us something to get behind in the second half. If only Villa could realise that if they played the full 90mins every game, we might just win a game every now and then.
McLeish said: 'I just couldn't believe the first half performance. The goals were a joke. It was a pedestrian performance. Although we probably had more of the ball, we never penetrated. There was no running off the ball, no imagination, no creation."
Adding that our goal just before half time gave helped. Must admit, I think if we`d gone in 2-0 down it would have been game over. They looked bereft of confidence. Quite why is anyone's guess, the players should have a bit more respect for themselves, it was QPR we were facing, not Real Madrid (no disrespect at all meant to QPR)
'We spoke at half-time and we told them that wearing the Villa jersey it has to be a much quicker tempo, especially in front of the home fans. They responded, credit to them for their recovery."
He says the players can`t keep turning on and off and that they should be playing a more dynamic style. Now if he is telling them this (and I sit by the bench, I know he is) then why aren`t they listening? If I was trying to defend McLeish I`d point out that he wasn`t able to move any of the top earners out of Villa in order to bring in his own targets this Jan. My argument falls down slightly if someone was to then bring up Hutton!
McLeish admits if they played like they did the whole game, they could have won.
This isn`t just a McLeish problem, the tendancy for Villa to play just one half well and the other half in a half arsed nature has gone back a good few years. Not sure what the answer is, well, I am but it involves clearing out the back four and a few others from the Club and to be fair, I don`t think anyone particularly wants them.
Bit of a catch 22 then!
He also points out there were 10 international players on the pitch, they really have no excuse at all for the first half do they? He says the players are too inconsistent and they have to do something about it.
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Your Comments
"The goals were a joke"????? Well you should know Idiot, you're the biggest joke mate!!!!!
Pride of Lions
Well that was fun last night. the first half was a disgrace. I unfurled a banner in support of the club saying'Get the F'eck out of Villa'. It is my opinion that he is destroying the club and it is a sign of good support to challenge his role at the club. However the Support Prevention Officers (stewards), with Police back up told me that if I displayed it again it would be confiscated and I would be ejected from the ground. I asked on what grounds and was told that the club will not tolerate freedom of expression in the ground. Well that has set the challenge. It will be displayed again at the next game except it will be my daughter displaying it. Let me see them arrest a child. In the meantime I am going up to Villa Park and am going to hang the banner from the gates outside the Trinity Road. I will get it photographed and sent in to the Birmingham Mail with the story on the clubs approach to supporters. Not sure if the paper will do anything with it, but it will make me feel better. I will also be handing 1000 A4 sheets simply saying 'ECK OUT'. These will be offered to people on the roads leading up to the ground with instructions for people to show them as McLeish walks to the dug out. I gave vocal support for the players last night. I never booed Warnock. My support is for the the club. McLeish will not get that support. Get the F'eck out Villa. Up the Villa.
voiceoftheholte
Just to clarify, it will be my daughter displaying the banner and me handing out the leaflets at our next home game against ManCiteh. Good news is that this game is also on TV. Villa for life. Eck for the dole!!!
voiceoftheholte
Misplaced passion voice.
Villainyorks
All about opinions yorkie
voiceoftheholte
Each to their own, but I wouldn't put my kids in that position, even if they totally agreed with it. If she gets chucked out, is that the stewards' fault, or your voice?
onlyteaminthemids
VOTH, I have agreed with you on may things, but not this. I don't care where the manager comes from, could be a martian for all I care. What I care about is the job he does. And that job is influenced by others and not just the manager himself. We have lost 7+ first team players last Summer. A former ejit spent all the cash and bought too many old and very over priced 'stars' who still remain. The job facing any manager this season was a mammoth one. OK McLeish has made some mistakes - look around you has Villas Boas who many dreamed may come to us been any better? I for one am glad they took the banner off you last night. Its time for solidarity from the supporters not discord. I'd rather look at the second half last night, the kids sitting on the bench and the other psoitives and believe that we stick together then the club will progress.
Gordonsleftboot
May not agree with banners but I do think the Villa stewards these days act more like the gestapo than guys representing the club.
VOTH should not be threatened with ejection even if they do have the right to tell him to take the banner down.Almost as bad as earlier in the season seeing a fan being told to "quiten down" by one (he was cheering his team on yeh he was loud so what ?). They would do a better job telling the boo boys to shut up and support the players on the pitch as VOTH does.
Merlin128777
Gordon, while I agree we need to get behind the team and there are some possitives within the club I still believe fans should be trying to get ECK out anyway they can, becuase if we settle for him then next season will be exactly like this and possibly worse as ECK has shown at other clubs the longer he is there the worse they get, I find it ridiculous that a steward will kick a fan out for trying to espess their opinion whatecver happened to freedom of speech?? surely VOTH you could refuse to leave as what they are doing is an infrignment of your basic rights as a human being who pays his taxes and pays to support the Villa, I don't really care where we finsih this season as long as we don't get relagated and as long as we have a new manager next year I have no respect for ECK and it looks like most the players don't either.
KerryVillian
A lot went wrong since they stopped using fans as stewards and started using companies from across the W Mids, many of whom are noses, boingies, etc. That said, they're doing what the club wants, ie basically trying to turn the fans into automatons. And don't think a standing area will help either - we'll still be monitored like schoolkids. For the record I no longer think AMc is the answer (pity, still don't dislike him as a bloke), but will try and be positive on match days, whatever crap I'm served up. Negativity might drive our bunch of nervous wrecks to play even worse!
onlyteaminthemids
Even bluenoses are laughing at us now :(
thorpyuk
It's unfortunate that people's opinions of McLeish are hiding the real problem - what appears to be a lack of consistency and commitment from some senior players. As said by Fear in his report, Eck is in the technical area screaming at players to start playing as they have been told to, but they aren't doing it. The fact that Eck's team selection and tactics (whatever they might be) can be successful was demonstrated in the second half. There was absolutely nothing wrong with what he put out there - except some of them didn't turn up in the first half. We need to start judging each game on its merits and separating what we think of Alex McLeish from what the players are doing (or not).
BobTheBuilder
Bob, totally agree.
Gordonsleftboot
For the record I have no issue with McLeish as a bloke. He seems to be a nice chap. But I do not wwant a nice chap to be managing our club. I want a winner who cares for nothing except winning. I don't care if he upsets players, owners or even the fans if it is all aimed at making us winners. Unfortunately McLeishes last two club jobs have ended in failure. He relegated Small Heath twice and for that he should be applauded. He had four years at Rangers to build a team. He did build a team. They came third in a two horse race and he was chased out of Glagow by the supporters. He even managed to to help Rangers to the longest winless streak in their history (10 games!!!!! How the f*** can Rangers go 10 games in Scotland without a win. It is almost impossible to do that, but Big Eck managed it). The man is not Villa quality. He was unwanted before he came and he is unwanted now. It hurts to say it but when we were looking for a manager, Houghton was on the market and Mcleish was at Small Heath. And Randy thought that McLeish was a better bet and paid the compensation to get him. Houghton has made chicken soup out of chicken sh111t and has produced a team that has scored 14 goals in their last 3 away league games and knocked a Premier League team out of the FA Cup. Up the Villa. McLeish out.
voiceoftheholte
Unfortunately its down to the board to see what we see and tbh I'm not sure RL sees it the way we do. Slow decline under Eck will continue.
holte ender 1969
Not a fan of Eck, but I tried to have an open mind, and applauded him to the dugout against Blackburn. I also appreciate the club trying to balance the books, and that we are faced with being a mid-table team at best. However there are two ways to achieve this. The Eck way of staunch defense, and being difficult to beat, or what I would describe as the Keegan way, let's go out and score more than them. If we are fated to mid-table mediocrity it is important that we go the latter route. Having said that there have been signs in recent games that we are becoming more adventurous. As such, surely now the transfer window has closed we have to let Eck see out the season at least. As for transfers Eck hasn't done too badly. Given was obviously a good signing, N'Zogbia seems to be improving, Hutton was relatively cheap and at least is better than Warnock, and Keane has been excellent so far. I still remain troubled as to why Makoun was shipped out so quickly, having played in all of the pre-season games.
Finally does anybody know the position on the contracts of the fat cats at Villa Park. I understand that Cuellar, Heskey, and Beye are out of contract this summer, but what about the likes of Dunne, Warnock, Collins, and Ireland, all of whom I suspect are on more money than they are worth. I suspect that Dunne and Warnock are both on serious money.
2big4seatswannastand
FFS Bob and Gordon, can you not see what's plainly in front of you??? I have NO problem with Eck as a person. Facts are that he isn't a good manager though. I actually think that he IS a good motivator and man manager at times. Problem is that he is technically, tactically patheticly naive and inept. He does get good performances out of certain players at times and I think that the players do respect him. Problem is that what he's telling them is completely wrong and he's completely out of his depth in a premiership that is so tactical compared to his braveheart, "no-one likes us or expects us to win but we'll show them" attitude. Problem is that a lot of people expect the Villa to win and that will never work here. There have been several outstanding performances from the likes of Gabby, Herd, Ireland and now Keane. BUT these performances are one-offs and the whole team can't do it at the same time and none are consistent.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Do you seriously believe that 1 or 2 of the lads listen to him correctly and take in what he says and the rest just ignore him or can't understand his accent or whatever tripe Eckscuse you want to make for him????? Seriously, is that what you believe???? I put it to you that he is woefully out of his depth, no doubt a nice guy but completely past his time and needs help with everything. He can't even get the defence right and that was supposed to be all that he was good at FFS.
Villan444
WE ONLY PLAY WELL WHEN THERE'S NO PRESSURE AND THERE'S NOTHING TO LOSE. IE. we're up against a team that we have no chance of beating on paper, we're losing by such a defecit at half time that no-one would expect us to turn the game around, on the occassional time that we are playing against a team in the bottom 3 he lets the team relax as he doesn't put the fear of McGrath in them. This is no way to manage anyone and the team isn't full of oppressed Scotsmen who are riding into battle against the English in a war of independence. Eck OUT!!
Villan444
What you say sounds plausible, 444, but it just doesn't fit the facts - at least as far as the QPR game is concerned. Like I said, there was nothing wrong with the tactics or the team he put out, as was amply demonstrated in the 2nd half. What was missing in the 1st half was NOT tactics or the right players - it was the players themselves.
BobTheBuilder
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