Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: J P Fear 
Date:Wednesday April 18 2012
Time: 10:32AM
UK time is: 18:51:29
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An END To The Alex McLeish NIGHTMARE Coming?
Is this the first glimmer of hope?
The Daily Star has an article today... yes, yes, I know, it is a red top... however, we can but dream surely?
Where was I?
Oh yes, they say that Randy is looking at a total change in the summer including removing Alex McLeish and bringing in a sporting director to work with a new manager.
Starsport understands Lerner has already begun drawing up a list of potential Villa bosses. He is also set to step up his efforts to attract new investment to Villa which could boost his bid to bring in one of his top targets.
They also say that Roberto Martinez and David Moyes would again be looked at.
I SO hope this is true. Anyone can forgive a mistake if the mistake is adequately rectified surely? And imagine the atmosphere next season if we are clear from this negative football and starting to see signs of moving forward yet again?
Get your prayer matts out folks!
************
Article from the other day on the odds and list of managers we've all talked about!
Deanovilla has just started a thread in the 100% Vital forum: The Next Manager Odds
Just noticed there are currently 2 bookmakers giving odds on the next Villa manager, despite the fact we already have one... strange.
Not reading too much into it but thought it would be interesting to share -
Here's the Top 10 candidates according to Victor Chandler and Stan James -
Victor Chandler -
Benitez - 8/1
Curbishley - 10/1
MacDonald - 12/1
Solksjaer - 12/1
Martinez - 12/1
Bruce - 12/1
Moyes - 14/1
McCarthy - 14/1
Lambert - 14/1
Rodgers - 16/1
Stan James -
Benitez - 3/1
Curbishley - 6/1
Bruce - 8/1
MacDonald - 10/1
Solksjaer - 10/1
Martinez - 10/1
Moyes - 10/1
McCarthy - 12/1
Lambert - 12/1
Keane - 12/1
Not the most inspiring bunch of names in the world ay? Benitez would demand, and then probably waste money. Some would big big gambles on little experience. Others are offer the experience but are what I would consider 'safe' options not exciting at all.
Depressing isn't it, that this would be the best on offer should McNugget finally get the boot.
We also have the 'who would you have` thread: page one of (currently) 38... Click Here
so far in this thread:
Ancholotti
Tony McAndrew and Kevin McDonald.
Roberto Martinez
Louis Van Gaal
Frank Rijkaard
Martin Laursen (some saying with Big Ron to help)
Simon Grayson
Roberto De'Mateo
Gianfranco Zola
Ray Wilkins
Gareth Southgate
Stuart Pearce
Nigel Adkins
Gus Poyet
Eddie Howe
Paul Lambert
Owen Coyle
Brendan Rogers
David Moyes
Brian Little
John Gregory
A.Villas-Boas
Dean Saunders
Guus Hiddink
Mark Hughes
Steve Bruce (or should that be in the funny ones!)
Cowans, Mortimer and Wilkins
Andy Gray
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer
Ian Holloway
Antoine Kombouaré (no, don`t worry, I`d not heard of him either!)
Lee Clark
Jochim Loew
Ronald Koeman
Fabio Capello
De Caneo
Funny Ones
Saints And Greavsie
Bert and Ernie
Mike Bassett
Marlon Harewood
Rab c nesbit o sorry we already got him
David Cameron
Mick McCarthey
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Your Comments
Calm down Fear, Mysteryman (whoever he is but he has been very right before) says there is no truth in this and it is just poor reporting. Me? I have no idea but it does not look right to me given what is happening in terms of the signings of new players for next year, recent history of too many appointments, Lerner's nature etc. Just selling more copies of a crap paper, I fear.
Gordonsleftboot
I'm not a praying man, but if you're up there superman, sort this out.
kaythanxbai.
BOF
We'll see, I fear he remains but can they really stand by and do nothing after this season and the likely drop off in season ticket etc sales? Mystery man is well connected, has good contacts (like I do! LOL) but no one can second guess Randy until he comes out and says something definitive I don't think. It is probably just wishful thinking but................
The Fear
Would be sad if the Daily Star have a better plan for us than the board!
The Fear
glb you are making me laugh. Anything to keep supporting McMuppet eh? I have been told from within the club two weeks ago that an exit strategy was in place and that new managers were already being discussed. Have to say that I heard nothing about a Director Of Football though. The survey of potential Season Card renewals which has absolutely caused mass panic within the club was the straw that broke the camels back. Randolph may have made a massive error in appointing McMuppet, but he is a business man. And he knows a business with no customers is not a business. You keep spouting the rubbish supporting McMuppet, I know because the info comes direct from within the club, McMuppets days are numbered. It is in the fans hands. Withhold your season ticket money until the final day before your seats are released on general sale (July 3rd) or until McMuppet is removed (whichever is sooner) and we will have a change in plavce for next season. We can then only hope that it is a positive change and that Randolph gets it right this time.
voiceoftheholte
Please god not another ex Liverpool manager rather keep Mclies
there again probably not, but there has to be a decent up and comming young manager who would want the job?.
Merlin128777
Media speculation.
We know how Randy works there will be no leaks about what he plans.
Sadly I personally believe McLeish is bullet proof until Christmas at the earliest. If we are still in trouble then he will go.
Not based on anything more than listening to the official statements.
Trekker
I got my 1st season tickets for 13 years, moved away and my sons now of an age where I think he should have one, we are going on Saturday as well, and it is the 1st time I have never been excited about going to Villa Park..and I am dyed in the wool Villa fan...so imagine the appeal for new supporters...its not just the next few years season tickets we should be worried about its the next ten years...history shows they will probably never return!!
I have only ever called for one managers head before (O'Leary), and McCleish is worse than this, we are at the Tottenham game too, and if we're safe...I will be vociferous in my calls for McCleish to go!
ormskirk
Could the God's or indeed Mr Laerner be that good to us? to be very honest my only concern at the moment is whether we will be playing Reading (other than in a cup game) at VP next season? I still have a terrible feeling that we will not. 4 points from our next two matches the we should be. COTVABU
irish villa
FAST work Jonathan, let's hope RL is reading lol if it's true it will be a massive boost to Villa
griffgriff
We certainly wont be winning over the next generation of fans, what is there to support about us this season apart from the youth players coming through who are being drowned by negative approaches to games! I hate seeing the family ticket offers of 4 for £50, those kids are going to be scarred for life by our awful football. I can take our league position on the chin but not our style of play and approach to matches!!
Chelt Villan
This would be absolute news to my ears! Means i could actually go back to VP! The dark cloud called McLosingMentality would be lifted, and everyone would be in good spirits again hurray! Lets just hope they actually LISTEN to fans this time, because if we sack the relegator and then big sam allardyce walks through the gates, i'm going to be hunting for another sport lol. Seriously though, after the last 2 botched appointments, this one HAS to be right. For me - Moyes, Rogers, Keegan, Lambert, Martinez, Laursen, Solksjaer, A.Villas-Boas. Maybe McDonald as a temporary fix if we cant get the right man. He would get results given time. The idea of a director of football is something we've been crying for for ages! Get in someone who understands the game, understands villa, and understands the fans. Ian Taylor would be a good shout.
thorpyuk
Has to be true, no way can we go through another season of this. It's the most obvious and sensible thing to do. As VOTH said the season ticket sales must be causing a huge panic and the club are waking up. Maybe we've won!
Stephen Jay Hawkings
Oh, and Das Bost is in talks with Wolfsburg
griffgriff
I just dread hearing the statement like West Ham have put out re Big Sam . That regardless of outcome McLeise will be manager next season . I will then go & watch Kiddie
AstonBilla
ooohhhhh please god let this be true, and I wouldn't mind John Gregory back in truth :-)
Metalvillan
VOTH: If you have a contact in the club then your knowledge is way ahead of mine, even though you have accused me before of being a club employee, lover or worse. Try as I might I can find nothing in what I have written today that supports McLeish, but if you want to read things that people haven't said, have it your own way.My interest is only in supporting Villa.
Gordonsleftboot
I have a contact at the Daily Star so I will try to find out if there is any truth in this. Sadly I fear not!
jvilla
I'm firmly of the opinion that Mcleish will still be at the Villa into next season (even though I hate the idea) however two things have combined to make me suspect that he may either leave or move into a different role. Firstly earlier in the season Mcleish was on sky and he responded to an interview question really strangely saying "I'm working with the Villa not for the Villa" I remember because it wound me up at the time. Secondly a friend was on a tour of VP recently and having met RL he was then talking to a club representative, he raised the obvious subject of the manager and the response was as follows " if Mcleish keeps the side up and reduces the wage bill by the summer then he will have done what he was asked to do, i can't say any more than that". Could it be that Randy brought him in oversee a balancing of the books with the promise of either a pay off or a move upstairs to be DoF in the summer?
AVbornandbred
If this happens then there will be £100 on it's way to Acorns and I will buy all members of Vital Villa a pint (1 per member lol) So come on Randy it's your chance to do some good for charity and a little something for the Vital members, you know it makes sense.
Green Villan
Have heard back from my contact and he is unfortunately out of the country so not in the loop, but does tell me that if Dave Armitage wrote the article he is usually pretty reliable - do we know who wrote it, I havent seen it myself?
jvilla
I would love this to be true but do not feel positive at all
TuBBz
glb - your comment doesn't mention support of McMuppet, but your posts on other threads do. You couldn't get on to this thread quick enough to try and shoot it down. Anyone would think that you were trying to nullify the damage it would do. Unfortunately as soon as you tried that it only made the matter worse. McMuppet is gone. The poor performances. The negative football. The constant critisism of our youth. 21 - 0 on set pieces. Possible relegation. Season tickets expectations within the club of just 4000 (you read that correct, four thousand). Randolph is a business man and is 'owed' tens of millions by the club and he has seen enough. As soon as safety is assured McMuppet is history. Hurrah!!!!
voiceoftheholte
Well you know me TuBBz, and even I'm struggling to stay stress free : ( Fingers, toes and everything else crossed mate.
Steff_the_Villan
voth: It will be interesting to see how reliable your 'inside' source is.
Gordonsleftboot
glb - I know. I am hoping like most Villans, that they have heard correct. Stuff like the Poyet link can only be conversations behind very closed doors, that is Randolphs way. But what is irrefutable is the absolute panic over the number of season card holders that the club is expecting to lose. If we survive and season card levels were at a level that could have been written off as lack of money in peoples pockets then I think that McMuppet may have been given more time. And that would have been a disaster of unbelievable proportions because of of all the reasons mentioned. But it appears that money talks and it is going to be massively more expensive to keep him than to get rid. Fingers crossed, as long as the season card boycott is appearing to happen, McMuppet is gone. I also know that we have different views and different ways of expressing them. We are both Villa men. I do like to push the boundaries, but mean absolutely no offence when disagreeing with your views. UTV. McMuppet Out.
voiceoftheholte
Hmmm voth / glb peace breaking out? look what even the chance of good news brings, what a force we could be if it all came true. I will not commit to holding out to the last day of renewals, I will not renew full stop if McIdiot remains. Imagine if 20000 renewed on the last day (or at least tried to) it would defeat the point and call your bluff. Its all or nothing for me and Randy, don't think I'm bluffing.
RiF
If this is true, i hope to God it is then i cant wait for the end of this season to see what happens. I dont want to be thinking to far in front, but if things in this article happen, we could be on the up again. A director of football wouldnt be such a bad idea, i would go for Comoli who just left Liverpool. He did by Downing haha, but Daglish says every player he wanted, comoli got - good negotiator possibly. Plus the fact the Lerner wants more investment. Strange considering he's a billionaire, but nevertheless perhaps we could get an Arab on board. Mcliesh being sacked would be the icing on the cake. Im liking the 'Martin Laursen (some saying with Big Ron to help)', Tony McAndrew and Kevin McDonald and also Guus Hiddink. But their just dreams hopefully it happens. Interesting article a while back when Houllier Lerner in context was 'refusing to review Gerard Houllier’s position at relegation-threatened Aston Villa before the end of the season'. Could this mean he could do the same with Mcidiot - possibly/hopefully
Carew AV Legend
article wasnt written by Dave Armitage - it was a guy called Adrian Kajumba
bigolbear1970
This is the full narrative from the Daily Star report;
ALEX McLEISH is facing a fight to hang on to his job.
Owner Randy Lerner is plotting an Aston Villa overhaul this summer, placing boss McLeish right in the firing line.
The American wants to bring in a sporting director and is now considering appointing a new manager to work underneath him.
Starsport understands Lerner has already begun drawing up a list of potential Villa bosses.
He is also set to step up his efforts to attract new investment to Villa which could boost his bid to bring in one of his top targets.
Lerner compiled a long list of potential bosses last summer before controversially turning to McLeish.
That included the likes of Wigan chief Roberto Martinez and Everton boss David Moyes, who could be considered again.
Lerner is a big fan of both but failed to lure either last year, with Martinez signing a new three-year Latics deal after rejecting Villa.
The Villa Park supremo could also look abroad for a manager used to working alongside the sporting director, a model favoured in Europe.
Lerner ignored fierce fans protests to appoint McLeish after he quit arch-rivals Birmingham.
But his controversial gamble on the Scot has failed to pay-off.
McLeish hasn’t been helped by Villa selling two of their best players, Ashley Young and Stewart Downing, last summer and then his big close-season signing, £9.5m Charles N’Zogbia, flopping.
bigolbear1970
I'm not usually into sporting directors but it could potentially work well for us since Randy and any of his team have not a clue about football. I'm refusing to even give 2 seconds of thought to McLeish being here next year, he's going ASAP and that will be as soon as we are safe, can't wait.
AdzVilla11
my fear is that, if this turns out to be true - the Director of Football turns out to be McLeish ! It would allow Randy to remove him from the managers job without losing face...mind you, i would rather have McLeish upstairs than in the dugout if we HAVE to have him at all. My vote for Director of Football would be a true Holte Ender like Ian Taylor
bigolbear1970
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