Hiring Alex McLeish as Aston Villa boss is madness & I’m not sure how much owner Randy Lerner knows about football – Tony Cascarino

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Former Aston Villa striker Tony Cascarino has branded the decision to lure Alex McLeish away from Birmingham City and install him as manager of their rivals as “madness”, claiming the Villans are “not the club for him”.

Owner Randy Lerner’s controversial decision to appoint the Scot has surprised many in the game and Cascarino has admitted he is shocked at the move.

“I can’t believe it,” he said, according to The Mirror. “I think it’s absolutely worthwhile taking him as a Premier League manager at many clubs, but Aston Villa is not the club for him.

“You’re looking at pros and cons.

“Firstly, they have to pay compensation; secondly, the Aston Villa fans don’t want him. So the moment they have an indifferent spell, what will happen to the atmosphere at Villa Park?

“I just think it’s madness.”

The former striker also suggested that the decision showed a lack of football knowledge on the part of Lerner, branding the appointment “strange”.

“I’m not sure how much the owner does really know about football,” he added.

“One week they want a manager playing a certain style and a week later they’ve gone for a manager playing a completely different one.

“That shocks me. That’s not a plan.

“That’s not an objective of how to take a football club forward.

“He Lerner hasn’t shown any leadership qualities and I think it was a real, strange decision to go for the manager of their local rivals.”

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