Villafied: McLeish Set for Disaster at Aston Villa
It seemed an odd decision for Roberto Martinez to snub Aston Villa in order to stay at perennial relegation scrapers, Wigan. What seemed at first to be a trivial triumph for loyalty and class, may become a textbook example for how young managers should handle themselves. Even if Wigan go down a year from now, no one will fault Martinez’s class and commitment. The same can’t be said for the man Villa went with as their second choice: Alex McLeish.
After leading Birmingham to the League Cup, McLeish saw his negative approach to the game bite his offensively challenged club in the butt, as an anemic second half of the season led to their relegation. Obviously, having to manage a Championship side is not what McLeish wants for himself, however, his escape to Aston Villa has been far from peaceful.
With legal proceedings regarding the Scot’s cross town switch imminent from Birmingham’s camp, it could be a busy summer for Villa in the manner of malignant distraction instead of stabilizing transfer triage. It could be weeks before McLeish is able to set up his backroom staff and discuss new signings with the board, and in a unique transfer season that is already going fast and furious resulting from arguably the tightest league table in Premier League history, it could spell real disaster for the club. The days of yo-yo clubs and “The Big Four” are giving way to more parity and competitiveness in the English top flight, where no club is assured of their status. The relegation of Newcastle, Liverpool’s fall from grace, and the fact that tiny Wigan has managed to stay in the league for 7 consecutive seasons is evidence of that change. If more proof is needed, look no further than QPR, whose infamous billionaire owners (including Lakshmi Mittal, the 6th richest man in the world) may be willing to finally shell out some real funds now they’ve made it to the top flight.
At 52 years old, Mcleish can’t claim that he only has a few years left in management and doesn’t have the time to dig his previous employers out of the hole he is largely responsible for putting them in. As is often in football, when given the chance to redeem poor performance, Mcleish joins the ranks of managers who have sacrificed dignity for luxury. But as he will soon find out, he has not landed a cushy job at Aston Villa.
Aston Villa’s brain (mis)trust has to take a massive share of the blame for this debacle. Although we’ve sung the praises of Randy Lerner in the past, the once shrewd owner who used to linger behind the scenes at Villa Park has come front and center over the last year on several occasions. Rule No. 1 for football owners: stay out of the limelight. Chances are, if you’re on the back pages, it’s not for something good. (i.e. Mike Ashley, Gillett & Hicks, The Glazers) At the end of last summer, Martin O’Neil departed the club citing lack of control in the transfer market, and in particular, player sales. A public spat with Lerner ensued. Now the scrutinized American owner’s reputation is under fire after appointing the manager from the club’s arch rivals.
With McLeish, Lerner is boldly defying the wishes of the fans who displayed a “No McLeish at Villa Park” banner…at Villa Park. More importantly, Lerner is putting a man in charge of a team in limbo who puts reputation and loyalty behind money.
Will this appointment really convince Ashley Young and Stewart Downing to stay on the Villa ship?
Of course not. McLeish may have Villa’s reigns, but he doesn’t hold their leash. Expect the duo to send out an S.O.S. to the EPL’s elite in the coming days and don’t be surprised if other key players such as youngster Marc Albrighton, speedster Gabby Agbonlahor, and experienced defender Stephen Warnock follow their lead in a mass exodus. Frankly, Lerner has just given these players a reason to seek greener pastures, and if you think the club will be able to reinvest those funds into quality players, think again. In the wake of big sales at Villa, admittedly, the club has been able to capitalize in the form of some top new signings. When Gareth Barry went to City, Downing came in, and when the citizens came calling again for James Milner last season, Darren Bent was snapped up the following January.
This time will prove to be much different for Lerner and Co. Villa’s 9th place finish last season is the clubs lowest since 2007 when they finished 11th. Their 48 point total is their lowest since 2006 when the club finished 16th with 42 points.
The league is tighter than ever before, and the transfer market is as wild and treacherous a place to navigate with the new home grown rules and UEFA’s Financial Fair Play measures about to go into effect. Not only do they have to compete with the Champions League participants for intra-PL signings (United, Chelsea, Arsenal, City), but they will also face stiff competition from the likes of a resurgent Liverpool and Tottenham who are looking to get back into Europe’s top competition. Even clubs like Everton, Sunderland, and West Brom will have their fair share of players willing to take a chance on these traditionally stagnate teams after solid seasons. Consider the recent transfer of Demba Ba to Newcastle – who finished 3 spots below the Villans – as worrisome for Lerner and McLeish.
A perfect storm scenario is brewing in the Midlands, and it appears that Villa is suffering from a case of delusional leadership that starts with Lerner himself. Villa now has a manager known for employing a suspect defensive system, look set to get into a legal battle with Birmingham, and have their top players looking at the exit sign with no real realistic replacements in sight. Get ready Villa fans. This could be a very tough season.
UPDATE: Video of Alex McLeish’s announcement at Villa Park – ‘Some people want to punch me in the head.’