N'Zogbia has been very good the last 3 or 4 games.
Hutton is the worst full back I've seen in 37 years of watching Aston Villa regularly, but I don't see how anyone could call him a flop - that label implies people expected him to be good.
Anyone who has watched more than a handful of matches (and isn't McLeish) could have told you Hutton is a brainless clogger.
You need to stop buying domestic.
Edit: As in Aston Villa Football Club, not your goodself of course.
Old habits die hard.
Mind you, Given was domestic, and he turned out alright.
True.
Problem is, paying good money for English players doesn't even get you England B players. It's 3rd and 4th rate now. Buying those kind of players is just accepting your run on the ladder rather than trying to box clever and make up the gap.
Look at Spurs for example, flying high right now. Last season if you'd asked a Spurs fan which players they wanted shot of I bet they'd have mentioned Hutton, Jenas and Keane. McLeish has bought/signed all 3 of them.