Return of the Mac

FAIR play to Kevin MacDonald, who having conducted his final pre-match press conference at Bodymoor Heath this afternoon, returned moments later to shake all of the press pack by the hand and thank us for our support.

Fingers crossed that one of football's genuine good guys gets what he wants - whether that be as a quiet unassuming unsung hero for Villa's reserves again or as a first team manager at another club.

I've written a piece in the Sports Argus supplement in tomorrow's Birmingham Mail outlining my feelings over the exemplary way Kev has conducted himself while he has been in caretaker charge.

Whether or not you feel he has been messed about having stuck his head above the parapet to apply for a post he subsequently missed out on or whether you think Newcastle and Vienna proved the top job was a step too far, MacDonald, to his credit, has never moaned about his lot.

Interestingly it also seems the role he was offered - and turned down - in Gerard Houllier's backroom team was not that of assistant manager as first thought, but an undefined coaching role.

Let's hope his eventful experiences of the past six weeks, far from holding him back will in fact make him an even better, stronger coach, wherever he decides to ply his trade.

Cheers Kev.