Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: Mike Field 
Date:Tuesday February 28 2012
Time: 7:30PM
UK time is: 09:10:16
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Robbie Keane: Players Are Behind The Manager
Robbie Keane has insisted that the players at Villa are 100% behind the manager.
Speaking to Talksport our former loanee said that fan unrest wasn't helpful to the team and that contrary to opinion, the players are completely behind the gaffer.
'I heard someone saying about the manager that the players are not behind him but that is totally wrong. I have only been here a short space of time but I can see the players are 100% behind Alex McLeish.'
Keane goes onto add that McLeish needs time to build his own team and when he does, we'll see a different Villa.
'It's always going to be tough when you have come from your rivals but he is a great manager and when het gets his own kind of players you will see a different team.'
Keane also references Steve Kean at Blackburn.
'Everyone is entitled to their opinion, they pay good money but you have seen the situation at Blackburn a few months ago. Every week Kean was getting stick and all of a sudden now you don't hear too much about it. Players do speak about what happens with the fans and singing McLeish's name, it certainly doesn't help anybody.'
Taken me all day to get to this one and really wasn't worth it was it. Shock horror, player backs manager - again references former club which is irrelevant, but fails to actually comment on our style of play, our results, the way we are set up and everything else that is actually sending the faithful insane.
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Your Comments
Or maybe he didn't say what you wanted to see?
Gordonsleftboot
Absolute *********. Sick of hearing this rubbish from players, but especially from pundits like Paul Merson and Charlie Nicolas who every Saturday yap on about how Villa fans don't like him because of the Blues link. Haha! And more recently Martin Keown saying Villa fans should "get real". Hohoho! Are they all that pallsy in the professional football world? Making us out to be a bunch of naive idiots.
Stephen Jay Hawkings
LOL, quality Gordon. I know you're just on the windup.
Villan444
Good point Hawkings. Keys and Gray were raving about him this morning but both admitted to being really good mates with him and unashamedly backed him whilst proclaiming that they would never say a bad word against him solely because they're mates. People have got to ignore the pally business and see the simple fact that the football on display is shocking. Eck seems to have made lots of friends in the game and uses them for his own personal gains. If he was a **** like O'Leary then he would've been slated in the media and given his marching orders by now.
Villan444
What he really means is I might want to move here at some point and why say bad stuff about a bloke who has just got you paid a few hundred grand for 6 weeks work.
villan57
I am with Gordon, why can't it be simply that he is speaking the truth! Now his loan has finished he doesnt need to lie about anything!
villa_de
Is this the same Robbie Keane that proclaims that "this is my boyhood team and I've supported them all my life" about every team he has ever signed for??? He was treated like a God by Eck paid enormous fees for keeping fit. Why bite the hand that feeds?? The comment about Eck getting in his own players was the killer. Hutton is the worst RB I've ever seen in a Villa shirt and N'Zogbia has gone from player of the season to bench warming and admitting to being seriously depressed about football. Own players?? FFS
Villan444
Don't see what the point is of asking players questions about managers etc. just like Gary Gardner a while back saying McLeish is a great manager. What's the poor fella supposed to say??!! "The gaffer is a complete and utter inept ***** way out of his depth, and he'll take us down but I'm looking forward to starting this weekend anyway". As for Keano, he's always said the "right thing", in other words, he's full of crap, so maybe there is some truth that he'll come back. But if you have the likes of Keys and Gray as Villan444 said, and most other pundits singing AMs praises, what chance do we have? Other fans tend to listen to pundits and formulate their opinions from them when it comes to other clubs, so basically if feels like we're screaming for help and no one is listening. Only Blues fans know and they're laughing. Nightmare.
Stephen Jay Hawkings
I'd expect a more balanced opinion 444, in light of 54m losses and player support. Style of football is *****e, I agree but ALL things considered.....top players wanting out, record losses, last mngr has a near cardiac, theone b4 that left ushigh and dry, fair play rules on the way, and 11 draws (that is the wounder) but you always rally on ONE factor- mcleish. It's not balanced.
VillainYorks
Villian Yorks , It's Villan by the way not Villian and you obviously haven't watched us much this season if you think the players are behind this idiot. Some senior players can't stand the man , trust me on that one
villan57
Depends whether you have a criminal record or not 57. Sorry pal, thought I'd take Keanes comments as gospel on the thread.
VillainYorks
VillainYorks, most of us can accept all the other external factors and we all know we can't compete, I for one accept we have to sell if players want out, books have to be balanced, the managerial situation has been in turmoil since MON walked out, but after all of this, why oh why, for the love of god, was McLeish appointed!!! ANYONE would have been better! Some young unknown from League 1 would have been better, our squad is good, it's full of internationals, lots of quality, we're not like the other crap at the bottom, so I don't see how all of the other factors have any influence on where we are right now. With a half decent manager we'd be in the top 7 or 8. So it pretty much is all down to McLeish.
Stephen Jay Hawkings
I think there will be 20-30 players behind him when he is driving the team bus...
col8
SJH - fair points on eck mate but you can't say that you can't see that the other factors do not bear any influence. Surely?
VillainYorks
VillainYorks - of course, in the bigger picture yes, but I was really referring to results on the pitch. Yes, we lost Milner, Downing and Young, Randy obviously wanted his money back after MON wasted so much, I accept it. No one can deny we're in transition again, it just would have been so much easier to take with a different manager (Lambert, Rogers, Adkins, Howe, Holloway, I could go on...). As I said our squad is still full of quality and capable of exciting attacking football, and all of this negativity and apathy would have been avoided. Of course, not everyone would be happy but that's always the case.
Stephen Jay Hawkings
Sounds like Robbie may be looking to return to B6......
If Idiot was walking the plank, I'd be 100% behind him too - just to help him with the final step!
Pride of Lions
Stephen... brilliant!! I'd so love a player just to do it and come out and say "The gaffer is a complete and utter inept ***** way out of his depth, and he'll take us down" hahahaha SPOT ON.............. But the truth hurts I guess so as if their ever going to say it whilst under contract, talk to the players when Eck is gone or they are gone or when their books come out.
AdzVilla11
Remember the heady days of MON, just a few months back? Remember going into work early Monday morning with a spring in your step and a smile on your face because of the weekend result? Remember looking forward so much to the next fekcing game that you're itching inside? Falling asleep trying to picture the whistle going at the next kick off? So quickly that's gone. Nothing left. Thanks Randy. Thanks Paul. Thanks Alex - and do the decent thing and resign.
ljkal
Jumpers for goalsposts etc.........
ljkal
I will just take the comments as Keane puts them the players are behind the manager just doesnt say if there holding baseball bats etc lol.
Merlin128777
Oh so this is absolute proof that the manager is a complete and utter idiot then, as we all knew in the first place.
Avfc94 we do
I'm sick of saying this, but it has nothing to do with where McLeish came from. As proof, I for one would take Chris Hughton as our next manager any day of the week.
KevJoyBoy
agreed Kev he was my second choice behind Laursen
Merlin128777
The players are behind mcleish? Why? Is he stood on the edge of our own penalty box? ;)
thorpyuk
I too would take Chris Houghton, he has shown at Newcastle and now at the Blouse that he is capable of taking a bunch of sh*** and turning it into a decent football playing machine. Just imagine what he could do with the quality we have to offer!!!
Charizma
Lets be honest here it's rare that players slag a manager whilst still at the club and ok Keane is not part of the squad but how often have we seen a situation where as soon as the manager is sacked or resigns they all come out of the woodwork saying what a t**t he was so i don't read anything into Keanes comments
cynicalone
look at blackburn keane!!
Gruck
Young, Downing, Barry, Milner all in the England Team and all walked away from our club. How heartbreaking
sporty
you forgot Cahill also...
YatesyVillan
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