Rejected MacDonald displays loyalty over pride in Houllier’s absence at Villa

Gerard Houllier’s appointment as Aston Villa manager has been welcomed by many fans, myself included, as a mark that the club still has ambition buried somewhere beneath the disarray of the seasons start.

However, fans and everyone at the club will have to wait to see him on the touchline, as he’s still contracted to the French Football Federation and will not take charge until the Carling Cup match against Blackburn on 22 September.

His cheery unveiling, complete with club scarf raised aloft above his head was seemingly a false dawn and has left a temporary managerial space that could ordinarily be difficult to fill.

Vila though are fortunate, as they possess caretaker manager, Kevin MacDonald, who has a trait that is increasingly hard to come by in modern football and that’s loyalty.

Having put himself forward for the position and been rejected, most men in his position would be forgiven for stepping aside and moving on to pastures new, but instead MacDonald has shown a soldier like diligence and loyalty to the job.

Rejection is difficult to accept, especially when it is in the public eye, but the former reserve team manager is clearly bigger than his pride.

“I had always thought that when I did not get the [manager’s] job that I wasn’t going to do it [assistant],” he said on Monday.

“I think Mr Houllier is already in the process of getting some of his backroom staff but if I am asked to do something by the Villa manager that is what I will do because I work for Aston Villa football club, I work for Aston Villa’s manager.

“He asked me on Friday if I would do those things (prepare the team for Stoke and Bolton) and I have no problem at all.

“That will still happen when I go back to the reserves. If he asks me to go out scouting I’ll do some scouting, if he asks me to go and help with the first team I’ll help out - until I decide what I want to do.”

Macdonald’s dithering on the subject of his desire for the managerial position could have been interpreted as a lack of commitment to the club and the role, but his refusal to walk away is a rarely seen assurance of dedication.

His tenure as caretaker boss has clearly given him a taste for life in the hot seat that could casue him to look elsewhere for employment, but his loyalty and sense of duty has bound him to the club until his short term role has been fulfilled.

“I put myself up for the job and once I did that I knew there might be disappointment,” said MacDonald after Villa’s 2-1 defeat at Stoke on Monday night.

“It took me long enough to decide and once I didn’t get the job I was very disappointed.

“But the decision to go back and work with the reserves when Mr Houllier came in was totally down to me wanting to re-evaluate and see what I can - or want - to do.

“I may need to rethink what I may want to do. I may want to be a manager.

“Some people might think I will make a good manager, some people might not - but I need to know for myself.

“Maybe I’ve gained a bit of confidence [as a result of his managerial duties] but I can’t say it’s changed me in any way.”

Having lost three games, won two and drawn one under MacDonald, Villa have experienced a topsy-turvy start to the season that has included and emphatic opening day win, as well as a 6-0 drubbing at Newcastle and being dumped out of the other European competition.

It is the emphatic opening day win that I will always associate with MacDonald though.

Just five days after Martin O’Neill had walked out on the club, the mood was far from expectant inside Villa Park, but in his first major managerial role MacDonald was bold and gave full debuts to youngsters Marc Albrighton and Ciaran Clark and the team played with a childlike enthusiasm to get forward and score goals.

Along with the player’s new found ability to retain possession, MacDonald had stamped his approach on the club.

Whether he continues in his role for the foreseeable future is unknown, but the style of football he insisted on has reminded Villa fans of what good play looks like and his loyalty will certainly not be forgotten by me.

Posted By Dan Mobbs - Thursday September 16, 2010.
Tags: Aston Villa, Premier League