Aston Villa ask fans to back Alex McLeish but manager looks doomed

Alex McLeish has been given the final three games of this season to somehow try to hold on to the manager's job that he looks likely to lose in the summer, irrespective of whether Aston Villa avoid relegation to the Championship. In a joint statement issued on Wednesday night, Randy Lerner, Villa's owner, and Paul Faulkner, the chief executive, stopped short of offering anything close to long-term support for McLeish and, instead, admitted that they were looking no further than the next three fixtures. They also acknowledged the frustrations of the Villa fans and, rather damningly, said that they "share in them completely". McLeish was subjected to vitriolic abuse from the supporters in the final minutes of Tuesday night's 2-1 defeat by fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers , in a game that was watched by Lerner. Emotions were running high towards the end of the match, when Villa supporters turned on the former Birmingham manager, who was subjected to chants including "Sack McLeish, my lord". The defeat means that Villa make the short trip to The Hawthorns to face West Bromwich on Saturday three points above the relegation zone and on the back of a miserable run that has seen them win only one of their past 13 league games. The Bolton result was particularly damaging because it allowed Owen Coyle's side to move to within three points of Villa with a game in hand. Lerner's and Faulkner's joint statement said: "Right now everyone connected with Villa is hurting badly. A win was in sight [on Tuesday night] against Bolton after a strong start and the tenacity the team displayed, although ultimately we weren't able to hold on for the points. We very openly acknowledge the frustrations of Villa fans and share in them completely. "What matters to us and the board at this moment is how we, as a club, handle adversity and the pressure it brings. Our horizon is the next three games and we continue to be in control of our own destiny. Young players side by side with more senior players are fighting hard for the club. They are now preparing for West Brom followed by Spurs and Norwich. We will continue to support and rely on our manager and the squad and therefore give them our full support. "We are totally conscious, as is everyone at the club, that this is a very trying time for those who love Aston Villa. We know that the team will continue to fight through every minute of the remaining games and we hope Villa fans will continue to show their great support." Stephen Warnock, who scored Villa's goal against Bolton, said that he understood the fans' response but insisted that the players were to blame. "It's a natural reaction in football, they come, they pay their money, they are entitled to their opinion," he said. "But we've got to be behind the manager because he's the one who puts us out on the pitch. It's down to us to go out and perform. It's our mistakes which have cost us, not the manager." Villa were last relegated from the top flight in 1987, returning a year later. "It's a real test of character and we have to stand up and be counted now," Warnock added. "We've got three more games left. It's not like it is the last day of the season and that defeat has sent us down. We're in this and we're going to fight for it. We are still one game away from staying up and I'm confident we will get it."