If we ask ourselves honestly, is anyone really that surprised at the news? I would imagine that Kevin MacDonald has been frustrated with being overlooked as manager given the support he has in the dressing room, but it is clear that the club need more than just a first team coach/reserves manager in place at the present time.

As we speak, it isn’t as though MacDonald didn’t have a chance to stake a claim for a chance of managing the club given his dithering before Gerard Houllier eventually was appointed. As I have said regarding both MacDonald and Gordon Cowans, if they really want to have a chance of going for a big job, then they need to leave and make their name elsewhere before coming back – it isn’t massively complicated.

Whilst some fans may lament the loss of MacDonald given his experience and success at reserve level, I have to refer back to my recent piece talking about how Aston Villa use the reserve league and how it doesn’t, in all honesty, reflect how any top team does. To that end the wins at reserve level have done nothing besides provide excessive hype on players who have, more often than not, come to nothing.

With the NextGen series proving to be a suitably used tournament for under-19 level, and Paul Lambert potentially looking at using loan systems more extensively for footballer development than reserve league football much like bigger clubs, the reserves may well be redundant anyway. If all of our younger players are either playing in NextGen or are out on loan elsewhere, then surely this is a positive, not a negative. I will certainly see it that way as this is exactly how I would be developing the club if I was in charge.

Now if Cowans goes, and I am not suggesting that I have information that he will be going, then fans should feel positive as well. Yes, I know that Sid has been a great servant to our club, and was a fantastic player for us but if we look at the team’s success during his time at the club, then we may have to ask how well the players he has coached have turned out.

Some may consider this heresy, suggesting that Villa should keep hold of “loyal” people considering their rarity, but one can also look at the fact that there is a counterargument to loyalty – that these people do not believe they can do any better elsewhere. MacDonald has clearly seized the initiative, whether of his own volition or because of up and coming changes at the club, to move on, and I can only wish him all the best.

Time will tell if MacDonald can flourish and become a top manager of his own right. If he does, I will gladly welcome him back to the club as manager in the future but, till then, I can only wish Kevin all the best with his career and to thank him for his work at the club during his time at Aston Villa.

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