You'd have to be very naive to publicly put your name forward for a job, that you have been doing for a while, not knowing you were going to get the job, which is why I think we have to accept and embrace that Kevin MacDonald is the new manager of Aston Villa.
And you know what, not having done any research, I can't think of a better man for the job either. I'm happy because he ticks most of the boxes I would have want ticked.
I don't think we can have any complaints but Kevin MacDonald, if appointed, has to also accept that he has put himself front and centre and he is now responsible for the football that is served up and the results that come. No more blaming the players.
It is going to be a learning curve for him and he is going to need all the help he can get, but I think, if things work out and he gets a bit of luck, he can win things with Aston Villa.
It is unfortunate that he has waited until the last day of the transfer window to put his name forward, especially after the club confirmed their reluctance to do any business this transfer window without a permanent manager (although that really isn't true), as it is inevitable that he will want to make changes and bring in some players that play the way he wants the club to play, but I guess it is just one of those things.
He just got unlucky with the timing of things but as the club also confirmed that this in no way "reflects a change in direction or dilution of ambition for the Club", then we can fully expect MacDonald to have funds made available to him in January, if he needs them.
Naturally, this is all just guess work, but like I said, he is doing the job and he'd be a fool to have put his name forward publicly without knowing the outcome. If you can get a price on Kevin MacDonald as the next manager of Aston Villa, I'd take it.