Brad Friedel: Alex McLeish must have a strong start to win over Aston Villa fans

Brad Friedel – Aston Villa (Getty Images)

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Aston Villa’s former goalkeeper Brad Friedel believes new manager Alex McLeish will soon settle into the club but must prove himself early on to win the fans over.

Villa fans were angry at the confirmation of McLeish as their new boss after it was confirmed on Friday.

The hostility towards the Scot has emerged because of his move from local rivals Birmingham City and his history of two seasons ending in relegation at St Andrew’s.

Friedel, who recently moved to Tottenham this month, thinks owner Randy Lerner has made a brave move appointing McLeish as the new manager.

“The Villa fans will speak out about this, I’m sure, and it will be important for him to get off to a good start,” Friedel told Sky Sports News.

“It doesn’t matter as much to the players. From what I hear he’s a very good man and a very good coach.

“It was a bold move by Randy. Any problems he encounters I think will be off the pitch from making the move across town.”

The American keeper left Villa after a troubled last season, and the 40-year-old concedes that it was a difficult time: “Through the season, at times, it was hard. It wasn’t all smooth sailing.

“So many things happened that shouldn’t have happened during the season. (They were) not all the manager’s fault, absolutely not.

“There was never a problem player to player, we always had a half-decent team spirit.

“A lot of it was the players’ fault as well. Thankfully all the boys pulled it together in the last eight games or so and the unthinkable didn’t happen.

“We had good enough players in the changing room and it was just up to us to put everything that had happened in the season behind us and just get the points, which we did.”