Successful in Scotland, winner of the League Cup with an average midlands side – it’s just a shame that Martin O’Neill has already been Aston Villa manager because otherwise he might be the sort of person they’re looking for.

In his absence (and ignoring the midlands rivalry for the moment) is McLeish really that bad a choice as the new Aston Villa manager?

His record, broadly speaking, is one of achievement. In his first season of management, he took Motherwell to second place in the Scottish Premier League. His record at Hibs saw gradual progression which finished with a third place finish and a Scottish Cup Final appearance in 2001.

At Rangers, he won the domestic treble in 2003 but other than that his performance was average. At Birmingham, he got them promoted in his first full season and followed that up with a 9th placed finish, their highest since 1958-59 and included a record unbeaten run in the top-flight for the club of 12 games. And of course they won the League Cup last year.

All of which points to a manager who is well above average and probably deserves a shot at a bigger club.

Aston Villa are a massive club and chronic underachievers given their history and position as the biggest club in the midlands. But if they want a manager with experience in England (as all the evidence suggests they do – they’ve not been linked with any managers from abroad) then there are not a whole lot of alternatives.

Of the people considered Steve McClaren was ruled out by fan power, Roberto Martinez doesn’t want it and, anyway, his two seasons with Wigan have been fairly uninspiring and resulted in two 16th placed finishes. Mark Hughes is seemingly not being considered because of the way he left Fulham. David Moyes doesn’t want to leave Everton. Carlo Ancelloti wants a break from football for a year (and, in any event, it is difficult to imagine him rocking up at Villa given his track record at Chelsea and AC Milan).

Who does that really leave for Villa? Of the realistic targets left with Premiership experience, Roy Hodgson, Steve Bruce, Alan Curbishley, Owen Coyle, Chris Hughton, Mick McCarthy and Ian Holloway have all achieved less in domestic football than McLeish and none are likely to inspire much confidence in the Villa faithful.

The only current Premiership manager (outside of the big clubs) who might have been worth a shout is Tony Pulis, and why would be leave Stoke where he receives significant backing and support from his chairman?

So, despite the clamour from Villa supporters about the prospective appointment of McLeish, the fact is that their choices are actually rather limited. There are very few options for the rather obvious reason that successful managers tend to already be in employment.

There has been a lot of talk from Villa fans about the need «to take Villa to the next level» but to get there, Villa will have to choose a manager who is currently at about roughly their level who has the potential to take the club forward. A manager of more substance with English football experience and who would take the job doesn’t exist.

Which, by a process of elimination, leaves the largely successful McLeish who has done as much as any young(ish) British manager to warrant a shot at a club the size of Villa.

And if it makes them feel any better, it was only last year that people were talking earnestly about him being a possible successor to Sir Alex at Manchester United so the Villa fans shouldn’t give up hope just yet.

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