Aston Villa have confrimed they want to interview Alex McLeish "imminently" with a view to him becoming their new manager, according to the BBC. McLeish quit his post at Villa's city rivals Birmingham City on Sunday. Villa released a statement on Tuesday evening which said: "The club understands that Alex McLeish is a free agent. We therefore intend to interview him imminently." Following that announcement, Birmingham immediately struck back with a statement of their own, which claimed Villa were guilty of "tapping up" McLeish. It read: "Birmingham finds Villa's announcement to proceed with an interview with Alex McLeish a contempt of Premier League and FA rules. "The club feel this will taint football and give the game and the footballing authorities a bad name if this is allowed to materialise. We will lodge a formal complaint as there is now not the slightest doubt remaining about this tap up attempt. "This conduct, if condoned, will open up floodgates and set a very bad precedent. It is also an attack against the intelligence and integrity of not only the Villa fans, but most importantly our fans who are badly let down after relegation." With Villa fans conducting internet campaigns against McLeish becoming Gerard Houllier's successor, Villa also dealt with this issue in their statement. It continued: "In deciding to interview McLeish, the board has taken his tenure at our local rivals and the strong emotions associated with this very seriously. "We are determined, still, not to allow that three-and-a-half-year post [at Birmingham] to disqualify him should he be the best candidate for the role of Aston Villa manager," added Villa. "From the beginning of our search, we have set out criteria based on proven Premier League experience, compelling leadership, an ethic for hard work and, most importantly, sharing our vision for Aston Villa. "We know that without a shared vision any appointment, however attractive, will ultimately fail. "We feel it is essential to select a manager who understands and supports our strategy for the club to grow and to be sustainable. "Otherwise, the natural tensions and competitive pressures that are involved with every season will ultimately cause instability and make continuity impossible." The Villa job has already been turned down by Wigan manager Roberto Martinez, while Steve McClaren, since appointed at Nottingham Forest, was forced out of the running by an internet campaign against him. Former Fulham boss Mark Hughes has also been linked with the position. McLeish, who is currently on holiday in Corsica, is set to pursue a case for constructive dismissal against Birmingham.
McLeish is the perfect appointment as far as Aston Villa and their fans go. These are the same fans who savagely laid into Martin O'Neill on Phone-ins, 606 & other message boards after he left and the same group of fans who wanted Houllier out at Christmas even though he hadn't had a pre season to work with the squad. These 'fans' also took to the message boards and phone in's again in their thousands to state that they didn't want Steve McClaren anywhere near the club forcing him to rule himself out of the running then they said they should be aiming higher than Roberto Martinez a man who has "only just" saved Wigan from relegation Ironically on Villatalk some of the users have signatures saying stuff along the lines of Goodbye Houllier whoever is next can't be any worse, well how wrong they could be!!!! Martinez may have "only just" saved Wigan from relegation, but he plays good football and he hasn't been relegated twice like McLeish. Talksport are reporting McLeish will be announced as manager today. I can't wait this should be hiliarous
It appears that many of the fans don't want McLeish. Will Randy Lerner listen to the fans again like he did with the Schteve McClaren?
Changing your job You work for Firm 'A', but your efforts are not appreciated by the Boss. Things come to a head and you resign. Firm 'B' down the road then offers you the same Job (and similar money) with them. You don't have to move house. Your kids don't have to change school. What would you do ? Or ask Ron Saunders.
It is very difficult to work at a firm where most of your customers want you to leave, is it not? All I am saying is that without the fans true backing, the job will be difficult for AM. How much time will he be given by the fans if things do not go well at the start of he season?
Do Villa fans dislike Big Eck because he's bluenose scum? I'm not so sure. I think it might be more to do with the fact he's a very mediocre manager.
i can see why villa fans are so upset, why plump for a manager who took a team down? not to mention the small matter of being ex bham boss?
When MON took over at Villa they has finished 16the the season before with David O'Leary who did well to keep Villa up not being allowed to buy with Villa being sold. Randy has been a much better owner than I thought and has made serious money available something Doug Ellis the previous owner certainly did not. In three season the highest MON has taken Villa in 6th having spent considerbaly more than 150 million pounds sterling, which is awful lot of money for a club like Villa but still 6th is highest he could achieve. DOL spent a total of 17 million pounds in three years at Villa and because of minimal funds available for eveything did well to get the same level as O'Neill and keep Villa up. The target was to keep Villa up last season without buying any players, he did that and did the double over the Blues.The quality of football was much more entertaining under David and he had brought through some fantastic young players as well as acquiring Martin Laursen, Fred Bouma, James Milner and bringing through young players like Angbonglahor, Cahill, Steven Davis, Ridgewell, Gardner and other young players who have gone on to make a name for themselves at other clubs like Cardiff, Man City, Liverpool. On a nett spend of just over 50 million at Leeds he took them from a 16th place in the Premier to 2 Champions League semi finals and a European Cup semi final, taking his team to the top of the Premier for long stretches ahead of Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool. Some of the pundits don't like him because he is a straight talker and did tell the truth about certain fickle fans. He was actually born in England has in fact the best record of all time, of any English born manager in the Champion's league. Villa need to Bring Back O'Leary immediately before McLeiash sinks them next sesaon !. O'Leary knows the club, he kept us up before and has the experience. Its Villa's last chance to stay up. Its too late to bring in an outsider, O'Leary knows the club and the run of the place. He is the one to get Dunne and the other Irish lads firing on all cylinders. He is the one to save Villa.
