Aston Villa fans fearing worst as McCarthy favourite to become boss

The main point to take out of Aston Villa’s statement about their search for a new manager was that somebody to reinvigorate and bring vibrancy to the club was wanted, so it may seem slightly strange to Villa fans that Mick McCarthy is the new favourite at 11/8.

Roberto Martinez and Paul Lambert were among the first names bounded around and both would not only fit this criteria, but also give Villa fans hope of a future that would see more goals and less draws.

However, it is McCarthy that has been heavily backed from 20/1 and, to Villa supporters, this appointment would seem like a recurring nightmare, especially as McCarthy, like Alex McLeish, is a manager whose last job was presiding over a struggling local rival.

McLeish had already been relegated from the Premier League twice before his appointment and he came mighty close to completing the hat-trick at Villa.

McCarthy’s record is not much better as he was relegated once with Sunderland and then released by the club later in his spell, while the same fate happened as Wolves this season as the likelihood of relegation loomed.

Owner Randy Lerner and chief executive Paul Faulkner seem to have accepted their failings in appointing McLeish and know the pressure is on not to make a similar mistake again.

In fact, this is perhaps the biggest decision in Lerner’s tenure as owner, as both Gerard Houllier and McLeish have failed to build on the foundations laid by Martin O’Neill.

Lerner is set to fly in from America to speed up the process of appointing a new boss and, with McCarthy unemployed and potentially one of the cheaper options available, this may be where his appeal lies.

But whether McCarthy is the man to inspire the youngsters at Aston Villa next season remains to be seen, especially as he arguably failed in motivating the Wolves squad for a relegation fight earlier in the campaign.