Mcleish Makes Villa Switch

"We Don't Want Him!"

Alex Mcleish has today had successful talks with Aston Villa, Birminghams hated rivals and has now been unveiled as the Villa boss to replace Gerard Houllier who resigned at the end of the season due to health problems.

Mcleish led Birmingham to Carling Cup glory last year however Birmingham were also relegated from the Premier league. Mcleish was then told his job was safe and was expected to stay on until he sent Birmingham an email a few days ago leaving Birmingham in shock as he had resigned.

It is not only Birmingham unhappy with the deal. Villa fans are furious about his appointment and have been protesting. Especially when the club decided not to appoint Steve Mclaren because the fans didn't want him. So why have Villa made such a change of opinion for Mcleish?

"There are no problems and it's looking as though it'll be confirmed later today," said BBC Radio 5 live's Pat Murphy.

Birmingham are demanding over £5 million compensation for the deal which they felt the email was very unfair and unproffesional . Birmingham are now in the hunt for a new manager themselves.

500 fans protested outside Villa park to try and sop the board appointing the Scot. They did not hire Mclaren because the Villa fan forum were going mad and did not want him at the club.

"They gathered at North Stand just before 1700 BST then they moved onto Holte End," said BBC 5 live reporter Phil Mackie. "At 1900 BST they moved back to North Stand, broke through gates and sat on steps. It was fairly good-natured."

Mcleish returned from holiday early on wednesday to hold the talks with Villa and it has now emmeged that they were successful and the Scot is the next Villa boss.

Birmingham have started a fresh row with Villa as they claim that they "tapped up" Mcleish. Birmingham feel everything was in place for Mcleish to prepare to get back in to the premier league before Villa came and disrupted that. Birmingham are unhappy that Villa made an announcment that they would like to meet Mcleish to interview him before they had even told him or Birmingham. However, at the time they did this, it was already known that Mcleish had resigned.

"The club feel this will taint football and give the game and the footballing authorities a bad name if this is allowed to materialise," added the Birmingham statement.

"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."

Despite the Villa fans protests, the Villa board claim they have taken the fans thoughts on board. "In deciding to interview McLeish, the board has taken his tenure at our local rivals and the strong emotions associated with this very seriously," the Villa statement added.

Mark Hughes, still jobless since his resignation from Fulham was at first expected to get the job until it emmerged that Steve Mclaren was Villa's faveroute choice. Howver due to the fans unrest at this decision they made an approach for Wigan's Roberto Martinez who turned Villa down because he had "unfinished business" at Wigan which is what lead Villa's search to local rivals Birmingham for Alex Mcleish.