Mark Albrighton was trying to make a name for himself at Aston Villa when they appointed Alex McLeish as their manager in 2011.
Looking back at it now, this was the start of Aston Villa’s demise and it would result in the team’s relegation in 2016.
This wasn’t a case of it being McLeish’s fault, in fact, he is far down the blame list, but the decision-making of those in charge wouldn’t stop being so atrocious, and ultimately, it resulted in the club’s demise.
To appoint a manager from a rival club in Birmingham City, to cut costs on transfers, and to appoint Remi Garde years later – it all played a part.
But when Villa brought in McLeish, he had just been relegated with Birmingham City and also helped them win the League Cup.
Yet, the likes of Randy Lerner, the Villa owner, and Paul Faulkner, the chief executive, felt he was the right man to replace then then-departed, Gerard Houllier.
At the time, Villa had just dropped out of Europe and the fans were keen for the club to get back in, but little did they know what was around the corner.
There were protests even before McLeish was appointed and Albrighton highlighted how that would also take place outside of the training ground.
There was clearly no love lost and the fans simply weren’t having him, and understandably so, but it was a different story altogether inside the four walls of Bodymoor Heath.
Albrighton stated it was a ‘shame’ it didn’t work out for the former Rangers boss because he was ‘such a good guy’ and ‘always honest with you’, as he told Undr the Cosh.
The now-retired winger, who came through Villa’s academy, admitted that he could ‘never’ see it working out, even though players got on well with him and his coaching staff.
Villa would end up surviving relegation and finishing in the bottom half under McLeish’s stewardship, before the keys were handed to Paul Lambert.
Marc Albrighton hails ‘good guy’ Alex McLeish at Aston Villa
“Big difference (when Alex McLeish came in),” said Albrighton. “The uproar of how all of that unfolded, it was just a recipe for disaster.
“I could never ever see it working out, which was a shame because Alex McLeish, as a bloke, I can’t speak highly enough of him. He was such a good guy. As a manager, he would always be honest with you. He would speak to you on a level, as a player, you just want honesty, don’t you?!
“We had him and his number two, Peter Grant. He was the same. I can’t speak highly enough of him. They were brilliant. But it was just never going to work. There were protests outside of the training ground, from the off. There were bedsheets ‘McLeish out’ before he even got the job. People sitting on top of the wall going into the training ground. Must have been hundreds of people there outside of the training ground, like protesting it from happening.”
Through the dark times into the Champions League
That period was the worst in Villa’s history, but those dark times have resulted in the light now being shone under Unai Emery.
From the Championship to the Champions League, the club is far better run now and fans are dreaming big.
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Emery has done wonders at Villa and the team is still going strong despite some questioning how they might get on with Champions League football beside them.
From playing in England’s second tier to Villa now set to play Bayern Munich, it’s been very tough this last decade or so, but now it’s worth it.
