McLeish bemoans lack of time

Ex-Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish doesn't regret his controversial switch from Birmingham City, even though it didn't work out for him.

McLeish is currently looking for a new job after being booted out by Villa this summer following a difficult 12 month stint in charge of the Premier League club. Villa's fans struggled to accept his appointment in the first place due to his connections with their fierce rivals, and those relations weren't improved by the team's poor form last season under the Scot's guidance. The 53-year-old admits it was a draining time for him personally, but he is convinced he could have got things right at Villa Park if he had been given more time to revamp the squad by owner Randy Lerner. He said: "No one likes being out of work and I am eager to get back into management. "I definitely needed a break as there is no getting away from it - things were tough at Villa. It was a draining year as there was no real respite as a faction of fans were against me from day one. "I have no regrets about taking the job. I knew there was a project there and I agreed to take it on. "The project was to reduce the wage bill and remain competitive and it was a tough challenge as we were lacking quality in certain areas of the squad. One season in charge is not enough to get a team to where Villa should be, but the ambiance around the club didn't allow me to continue."