Aston Villa’s latest setback against Man Utd on Saturday night has been glossed over far too readily, for while it left us with a few questions about the champions ability to overhaul their noisy neighbours, it also left us with far too many unanswered questions about the state of Aston Villa’s side, under the directionless and rudderless leadership of Alex McLeish – a manager whose reputation within the English game far outweigh the qualifications on his CV.
The consensus of public opinion on the Villa Park terraces upon McLeish’s appointment could be described as lukewarm at best, outright indignation at worst. Randy Lerner had done the unthinkable; he had appointed the manager of the club’s most bitter rivals directly after he had overseen said rivals recent relegation. It was a move as shockingly bewildering as it was downright wrong. A reign doomed from the very beginning.
Villa fans have been known over the years to be a patient bunch when it comes to those in the managerial hot seat, their vitriol often reserved for former Chairman Doug Ellis instead. The disrespect with which Lerner treated the fans with the appointment of McLeish, though, was as unexpected as it was total.
McLeish has a record of just five wins in his last 27 Premier League outings as a manager. He oversaw two relegations in three seasons while at Birmingham and he wasted a hefty sum of cash along the way too.
So just what is his saving grace? His style of play can best be described as turgid, uninspiring and devoid of ideas. Here is a manager that sets his team out not to lose, as opposed to any other underlying footballing principle.
It was widely reported at the beginning of the season that McLeish had the steadied the ship somewhat after the tumultuous and short-lived reign of Gerard Houllier. Villa were unbeaten in their first seven league games, with five draws and two victories against a struggling Blackburn side and an out of their depth Wigan outfit. Things were supposedly looking up; I’m sure that I wasn’t the only to remain unconvinced by this run.
Although the results, initially, were positive, the overall performances were absolutely dire and cast a false position for Villa’s rebuilding programme. Since that victory against Wigan on the 1st October, Villa have a record of played 7, won 1, drawn 2, lost 4 having conceded 13 goals and scoring just six themselves along the way. This run included trickier fixtures such as Man City, Spurs away from home and the aforementioned fixture against Man Utd.
The galling thing about the Villa performance against Man Utd was the sheer lack of adventure and ambition about it. McLeish set up with five across midfield, leaving Darren Bent woefully isolated up front by himself. The Opta stat that Darren Bent averages the fewest touches per game (24) than any other player in the top flight this term is as much an indictment as you could wish to find on McLeish’s Villa side.
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Their star striker and record signing has been criminally overlooked in the pursuit of the utopia of mid-table security, just when it looked as if the beginning of a genuinely destructive strike partnership were starting to form, with Bent alongside speed-merchant Gabriel Agbohnlahor.
For all intents and purposes, going into the Man Utd game, Villa were a top eight side at the beginning of the day prior to Stoke’s victory away at Everton, but the gulf in class was shocking. Villa lacked the ability to play a simple five-yard pass, seemingly either frightened or completely unfamiliar with this odd round object at their feet called a ball. It was painful to watch.
Villa are by no means a fantastic side at the moment. They have limited squad strength and no-end of underperforming players, but they are simply not as bad as McLeish’s management is making them out to be in my opinion.
His tactics and methods are both outdated and needlessly defensive. Before Saturday, going by the league table at least, Villa were a top eight side; while their performance may have exposed the shocking lack of depth that the Premier League supposedly has and only served to exemplify the ever-expanding gulf in class between those with money and those without, it could also be used as a barometer for McLeish’s time in charge.
Judging it in its simplest terms, against the exact same fixture last term under Houllier’s tenure, and the disparities in both style and performance are stark. The 2-2 at Villa Park last season saw a Villa side, admittedly with Ashley Young and Stewart Downing within their ranks, go toe-to-toe with Ferguson’s first-choice eleven. This season, virtues such as attacking verve, pace and precision have been left by the wayside.
Under McLeish, Lerner has managed to secure a manager that will work under the strict budgetary confines that Martin O’Neill refused to. The result is a club in stagnation. Disillusioned fans, dour football and poor results are difficult to ignore; how long will it be before a mutiny, the likes of which has already claimed one managerial victim this season in Steve Bruce, descends upon Villa Park?
McLeish, much like Walter Smith proved before him at Everton, doesn’t appear to be cut out for English football. He lacks the flexibility, tactical nous and foresight to prove a success in this league. The club now face a tricky run of five games until the New Year which includes Arsenal and Liverpool at home and Bolton, Stoke and Chelsea away. With the club just six points above the relegation zone, there must be genuine cause for concern at the direction the club is currently taking as they face an uncertain festive period of what can only be described as interminable football.
You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1
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