Oh dear. The current state of affairs is not good, nor ideal. Far from it. The question marks remain over whether Alex McLeish is going to be around long enough to see out a seasonal season rather than a football one. It’s been a little over a month since the Scot came in, and at the time that was an acrimonious arrival. It speaks volumes that any departure wouldn’t be with a braying crowd but almost a sense of understanding.
Nobody likes being in a job where they were mis-sold the specifications or the tools been given to you. That is what it seems McLeish feels like, and whether it’s the truth is another matter. But it does feel like when McClaren was moaning about a lack of funds promised.
And although the transfers are different in very large ways, Verhoek and Boyd look like similar bed fellows in impact. For Burke read Routledge, and lord knows who else.
Managers with a “pedigree” though with that tainted and wanting reprove themselves. Making a step down in their book. Failing. There is also the Villa connection. McLeish actually having the job but being hounded out, and McClaren not being offered it despite being approached because of the crowd. There are horrible connections to me all over this sorry affair.
And like McClaren it looks like it will see an early demise to a man with a Scottish surnames tenure at Nottingham Forest. Both took over from managers well regarded by a core of fans (Davies made way for McClaren and O’Driscoll of course for McLeish) Both has strong connections to Alex Ferguson the clubs hoped to play upon, but the managers tenure looks being so brief as to not take advantage of.
I currently have no doubt that McLeish won’t see out February, and even if then, he won’t stay past the summer. Yesterday seemed to be one certain benchmark date to pass. The fact he took training yesterday speaks volumes.
But McClaren stayed on past a rumoured imminent resignation. He didn’t last much longer, results were poor and he cleared off before his reputation was completely destroyed. McLeish might be currently thinking the same. Coupled with a bad transfer window where he feels he hasn’t been backed has been an awful run of results. It doesn’t exactly endear him to fans, which doesn’t make him feel wanted or loved by anyone.
So summer 2011 looks like it’s all happening again, but with different managers, a different board and a different season
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