Gerry is a Leeds fan living in Ireland and he had this to say:

I have to say I feel sorry for Villa fans. I am a Leeds fan and hold O'Leary and Ridsdale equally culpable for our decline. Who in their right minds would spend just short of ?30M on Seth Johnson, a declining and perennially injured Robbie Fowler, Michael Duberry and Darren Huckerby?

The sad fact is O'Leary and excuses should appear alongside each other in the dictionary. I've heard them all; injuries, young squad, no money, court cases, Galatasaray syndrome etc etc.

The truth is that at Leeds he inherited a great bunch of kids brought through by Eddie Gray and Paul Hart's youth system, and systematically dismantled George Graham's good work in making Leeds stable (on a shoestring budget) and bringing them into Europe.

Tactically he was never at the races. Remember, it was his former mentor George Graham that said he was not ready, and needed to serve an apprenticeship. Leeds already had Hasselbaink, Martyn, Kewell, Harte, Bowyer, Kelly and Radebe with Woodgate and Smith about to come through.

Leeds bought strikers for fun and ignored the positions in the team that were lacking.

Villa should know. They came back from 2-0 down in a cup game and won 3-2 through an inspired Carbone.

I humbly suggest he did not serve any apprenticeship and was all too soon given all the money he requested and spent it foolishly.

0-4 reversal to Liverpool at Elland Road, knocked out of cup competitions by Tranmere, Cardiff City, played off the park by many inferior teams. I saw it all and yet in many games a player would hardly leave the bench.

I have tremendous respect for Aston Villa but you are going nowhere with O'Leary. I just hope that Ireland have found a new manager before he is sacked at Villa Park, because I couldn't abide to see him at Lansdowne Road.

Thanks to Gerry for sending this in..

Does anyone have a positive opinion omn O'Leary? Email us at honestdave@astonvilla.biz.

Now, just in case you're not aware of it we have a petition.