At Birmingham, the team played the long-ball game, practically bypassing midfield. To get into the game you had to play up front or linger at the back with the defenders to get hold of the ball, which more often than not flew right past me.
The day before a game Alex McLeish would come onto the pitch and show us what to do: ‘You stand here, the goalkeeper will give you the ball here, kick it as far as you can and don’t pass to anyone nearby. And we all run.’
When you look at the teams, some of football isn’t that good and some of the lower teams are booting the ball long and there’s not much football involved.
I don’t think it needs much excuse for them to get on my back just now. I’m pleased for the Villa fans. I know they had a little dig at the substitutions but I know what football is like and it is extremely fickle.
The more you lose, the more you don’t win
I want a bit of respite and I know how hard I work here. I’ve not got a magic wand and I don’t think there are a lot of managers who could do a lot better than the job I am doing just now.
McLeish’s biggest asset is his media friendliness. Nothing negative sticks and only his successes are ever mentioned in articles like this.
When he took over at Motherwell, we had a great side and finished 3rd in the league the season before he arrived. Finishing second wasn’t the achivement it’s painted as, Celtic were in complete disarray at the time and Rangers were struggling at the end of their 9 in a row era. He broke our budget, pay structure and youth system in the process and left a successful, financially healthy club broke and at the bottom of the league. He jumped at the first offer that came along (as he’s done several times).
Sure he won the 1st division with Hibs but with a budget many times greater than every other club in that division and a squad of over 50 players at one point. He also left them broke and at the bottom of the league when he high tailed to Rangers.
At Rangers, he presided over the worst run of results in their entire HISTORY. 11 Matches without a win. That last day league win mentioned actually occurred as a result of Motherwell’s Scott McDonald scoring two goals in the last 5 minutes against Celtic to beat them 2-1 and allow Rangers to win the league.
As Scotland Manager, he took over Walter Smith’s reasonably successful side mid-campaign and did OK until he changed the team and tactics in an away match in Georgia where we were utterly hopeless against a team with 3 players under 18 in it.
He ditched Scotland without a backwards glance after 8 Games to join Birmingham City who he managed to get relegated twice (any other managers allowed to keep their jobs in those circumstances?) and built teams that are the lowest scorers in the division.
As soon as the chance arises he abandons them having dumped them in the Championship and joins their biggest rivals. He’s already getting his his excuses in early having been quoted as saying he can’t compete in the transfer market with the “big” clubs. That must have come as a complete shock to him?
His MO at club level is to keep signing players and hope something happens. You won’t see much youth development, that’s for sure, just overpaid, mediocre foreigners. Every club he’s managed has been left poorer and in poorer shape after he’s finished but the media will make sure he ends up at Chelsea or Man U (who he’ll dump to take over at Man City because they have more money).
Yeah, great manager.
First time in my life I’m not happy playing football!!!
It’s like Aston Villa are the promoted side.
Former Aston Villa defender Shaun Teale says the current side look negative under Alex McLeish and claims it is worrying times for the club.
Of course. I’ve got pride. I’ve got a lot of experience and I always look at myself.
I did that after the Spurs game and admitted maybe I didn’t get that right, so I tried to do things differently against Swansea and Manchester United.
Listen, I can only do what I do. I’m a determined guy and I’m sure we’ll get it right. We’re not far away.
I think a lot of the players have played at a good level, but we’re looking for outstanding levels now going forward. I’ve thrown the gauntlet down.
