Alex McLeish opens his English Premier League account as Aston Villa manager at Fulham on Saturday.
Scotsman McLeish made the controversial switch from relegated Birmingham City to cross-city rivals Villa in the off-season, a decision that has won few McLeish few friends on either side of England s second city.
After taking over from Steve Bruce in November 2007, the former Scotland and Rangers manager presided over Birmingham s relegation from the top flight that season.
He guided them back to the Premier League at the first attempt and took the club to an impressive finish of ninth in the 2009/10 campaign.
An upset victory over Arsenal in the Carling Cup final followed last February, but that proved the high point of Birmingham s season, as they succumbed to relegation by one point on the final day of the campaign.
With Frenchman Gerard Houllier stepping down from his role as Villa boss due to health concerns, the club conducted a messy search for a replacement.
A scheduled interview with Steve McClaren was cancelled, reportedly due to a negative reaction from fans, before Roberto Martinez turned down an approach to remain with Wigan.
McLeish then firmed as the front runner, spurring the ire of Birmingham and Villa fans alike.
After an unsavoury departure from St Andrews, the 52-year-old faces a tough task winning over the demanding Villa Park faithful.
Experienced Republic of Ireland international Shay Given appears to be an improvement on veteran goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who joined Spurs in a free transfer.
But the club lost key men Ashley Young and Stewart Downing for big money in the close-season, departures only partially offset by the recruitment of Wigan s Charles N Zogbia.
And in McLeish s first competitive match in charge, they are likely to face a testing examination at Craven Cottage, where Fulham have undergone their own managerial change.
Mark Hughes resigned from Fulham on June 2 after just 11 months in charge.
The Welshman was widely believed to be in contention for the Villa job, but the abrupt manner of his departure may well have turned off his prospective employers.
Hughes had guided Fulham to a more than respectable finish of eighth last season, an achievement his successor, Dutchman Martin Jol, will be hard pressed to improve on.
Jol boasts Premier League experience from his three years in charge of Tottenham, whom he guided to successive UEFA Cup appearances, while falling narrowly short of reaching the Champions League.
Following mixed spells in charge of Hamburg and Ajax, he inherits a capable squad from Hughes, supplemented by the acquisition of former Liverpool fullback John Arne Riise and Czech midfielder Marcel Gecov.
