I’m not sure, but leave it to us to get probably the hardest draw for this round. It’ll be tight, however it goes. Do I have a gut feeling? No. But I’d like to think Emery has this.
Me, I’ve been in annual deadline hell and traveling today, so I’ll miss the match. Actually standing line to board a flight to NYC. Hope I’m not glad I missed this one. And I’m hoping the short week suits us better and that we’ll be wanting it. I’m sure Forest will.
So, quick from me, just wanted a fresh page for everyone.
COYVB
Over to you.
Team News:
Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Tielemans, Onana, McGinn, Buendia, Rogers, Watkins.
Subs: Bizot, Wright, Bogarde, Maatsen, Lindelof, Mings, Garcia, Luiz, Bailey, Elliott, Sancho, Abraham.
Forest:
Ortega, Williams, Morato, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Wood, Dominguez, Jesus, Hutchinson, Milenkovic, Aina.
Subs: Sels, Willows, Lucca, Yates, McAtee, Bakwa, Abbott, Whitehall, Sinclair, Hanks, Blake.
Bullshit call. Hands up, but that’s not what a peno is about.
It’s a semi final. You HAVE to score goals. Two away games now where we don’t even look like scoring. We looked way too cautious. A 0-0 was always looking unlikely. It only needs a bad referee decision or stupid mistake and we perish. So it proved.
The last 5 minutes of normal time and 5 minutes of overtime, it looked like we had settled for taking a 1-0 defeat away with us. A huge mistake. Where was the urgency to attack them? Are we able to attack anyone these days? Massively gutted.
This is not the first time Digne has given away a penalty with hand ball over his head. He did it just a few weeks ago FFS. Folks will say the tie is still in the balance. I make Forest firm favourites to go through now.
Yes. That was pretty lame. Too many given-away chances. Of course, Anderson should have watched the second half on television after his studs-up attack on Ollie’s ankle.
We got nothing from VAR. That foul on Watkins by Anderson was disgraceful. Can’t believe how much luck Forest have had. Porto gave them an own goal from the half way line. Digne gave them a penalty. The ref and linesman gave a goal kick. VAR decided the ball was still in without any clear proof otherwise. They guessed it.
Onana was a big loss. Bogey not at the races. Pau very ineffective. But rather than pick on individuals….. I was most disappointed with our approach to the game. Semi final against Palace last season, no goals. Semi final today no goals. We’ve got to take a few more risks if we want to win a knock-out game.
Another limp performance, but the ref and var were awful Anderson pull on mcginn no card his tackle on watkins not even a free,red card everytime
Emery finally giving out about var
It’s an old phrase “you need a bit of luck to win a cup”. How much luck have Forest had?
1) Awarded 7 penalties in this year’s competition.
2) Benefitted from an OG from the half way line.
3) Seen Bednarek sent off after 8 minutes for a challenge that didn’t even look like a foul. Given by VAR.
4) Avoided a red card for a foul that could have broken an opponent’s leg. Ignored by VAR.
Luck? Or something more sinister?
Onana out of the game against Spurs. Having a scan on his calf today.
The Wai Ayes got battered by Brighton but somehow managed to beat them. Great result for us. Win tomorrow against Spurs and we’ll be UCL bound. Only Bournemouth can now reach 61 points if they win their remaining 4 games.
COYVB
Not very happy.
WTF is wrong with them?
These updates on my phone are killing me.
You need a big black box connected to a 55 inch TV screen.
Think spurs are having a rather large new manager bounce.
Fortress Villa Park seems to be defunct. Sometimes I wonder if VP, having all this history and reputation for being a great old school football ground, inspires the opposition more than the home team.
Villa Park is abysmally road and transport grid locked. The ground is hemmed in on all sides so space for expansion is very limited. Time to cut our losses and move out elsewhere to a more purpose built stadium? I wouldn’t say that of course if I could still get to games. Where is my prawn sandwich? Chop chop!
Yeah, rough time facing these sides. Both better than their records and fighting for their lives with new managers setting them loose.
Fab from Buendia.
At least we finally scored.
These spending restrictions are killing us, as designed. Don’t think it’s any more complicated.
Have to wonder if Emery will wonder what the point is. Could this PSR nonsense be regarded as restriction of trade?
My biggest fear, jbd.
I can’t remember a time since we last got relegated when I couldn’t extract any thing good from a game or see any signs of the slightest glimpse of promise. Any one remember when Martin O’Neill threw the away game in Europe to prioritise the league but lost the league game anyway? Did Emery throw this game for Thursday?
Has Deano’s team finally run out of legs and inspiration? Will the team be so shame faced that they finally perform on Thursday? Has this laborious energy conserving boring playing out from the back finally be found out? It will not wash on Thursday.
Oh yes, Buendia was one tiny sparkly little bit of a sunbeam.
All legit questions…
These are the mutterings of your average Joe which is all I am. When I saw the team sheet with 7 changes I immediately knew it was going to be a tough evening. Unai had shown his hand and given priority to the Europa. The players selected need to look in the mirror and reflect whether they had earned their considerable wages paid for by those watching the crap served up.
Arteta decided to keep his best players on show against Fulham and thereby maintain their rhythm ahead of their return leg against Athleti. Unai did the opposite and a chance of keeping some form of rhythm disappeared. Which one was right will be revealed this week.
It was an absolutely disgraceful performance, blood is still boiling.
Half arsed, unprofessional (Emery included), complete no-show, literally a C-U-Next-Thursday performance. I’m in shock, I can’t believe what I’ve watched…
We were second to the first ball, second to the second ball and just went through the motions. No effort, energy, aggression or movement which is the bare minimum requirement from any side. Just hold the ball at the back when in possession and have a nose bleed if it has to be played forward.
The Spurs fans still gave Cash some stick for a tackle he made on one of their players last season. I was disappointed that the Holte End didn’t do the same to Palhinha for his hatchet job on Kamara.
Couldn’t make out which shape was being deployed. It seemed 4-4-2 at times with Barks up top alongside Tammy. Most times we seemed to have 1 man in midfield. Never noticed Sancho, Rogers or Bogey.
Judging by Unai’s lack of animation in the technical area, he was thinking the same as us in the crowd. I might add that we will be better off getting rid on those players this summer who clearly don’t want to be here.
West ‘Aamm and Forest might feel aggrieved that we gave Spurs their easiest game all season. Certainly the fixture came at the perfect time for them. I’m mightily pissed off. Our next 2 games are HUGE.
Buendia’s fine header at the death gave the score line a false look. Can’t even remember us winning a tackle or duel.
I think the reason why a lot of fans booed and are losing their sh@t isnt because of the performance on the day, it’s because of the performances of late. 3 losses in a row, and even the Sunderland game was a near miss.
This squad looks like it’s gearing up to chuck in the towel in a semi-final and for the Top 5, AGAIN.
In his post-match interview, Emery was talking about “supporting the players” and giving them confidence.
Do me a favour. We’re in 5th place and are in the semi-finals of the Europa, are they a team of people suffering from depression? Why else would they need “supporting” to get them through this difficult time of champions league places and European semi-finals?
I believe Emery, that our team are low on confidence, and I think Forrest are the favourites for this semi, our form has sunk right back down. An early goal for Forrest and all bets are off. That lot are on thin ice with the VP crowd, and another no-show will not be tolerated live in front of the whole of Europe
48 hours o still fuming ,what is it about some of our players effo,rt is number one thing everyone should put in , cost a hell of alot of money to go to a matchday and end up leaving early because that shitshow hurts, emery stood on one spot for nearly entire game yet didnt give like garcia a runn out and if elliot is worse than what was on show he has no future, 19 points from 16 games worst run under unai annd doesnt look like its going to change. where did young go yes had poor showing in ;ast outing in european match in january hasnt been seen since plenty senior players had numerous chances and how have we not got any youth players breaking through what team for forest martinez cash digne konsa torres tielemens mcginn matasen rogers watkins and linderoff as holding midfielder we have team of midgets
the warehouse is cool additions to matchday experience ,disappointed in shop in bullring thought it should have all villa on downstair shop
I’m winding up for the big one tonight. Heading off to VP shortly. Hoping to see us go for it and get the goals we need. No time to be passive in my book. Can’t see Gibbs-White playing for them, it would be stupid with his injury. Time to deliver on the pitch Villa. COYVB.
Well, tonight is the night…it could be literally any score. We could smash them, they might score some early goals, or it could be 90 minutes of Torres to Konsa, to Martinez, then Torres…anything could happen.
But like plug says, the one thing that must happen is 11 Villa players running their nuts off all game.
The crowd are expectant, and 5 minutes of a spurs repeat will be jumped on by a crowd that’s been short changed of late.
I think they’ll turn up. Whether it’ll be enough is anyone’s guess, but Unai and the players know that this is THE game of the season.
The tide is about to come in, and it’s time to see who’s got their trunks on…
Utter twinkletoed magic from Buendia to bounce the ball off Ollie into the net.
Rogers badly misfiring upto now. Buendia looking razor sharp.
Reasonably gratifying first half from Villa. We have very noticeably turned up this evening unlike that abortion on Sunday.
Relief with that opener, the clock stopped ticking quite so quickly.
The effort is definitely there, even if they don’t have the legs underneath them. At times we’ve been just one punch short of a proper combo knockout. Just 2 attackers on the pitch when we had to score and it shows, we still aren’t really creating many openings.
There isn’t much on the bench, but Forrest have loads of injuries so they aren’t flush with attacking options either.
Most excellent pen from Buendia stroked calmly into left hand corner.
Thank god, Emi.
You just knew that was going in from Super John McGinn
Trademark long distance curler from SJM into far left corner from right wing.
You beauty!!!
Flipping heck. SJM again but into near right corner.
Aston Veterans 4, Forest Whippersnappers 0. They had their botties smacked for being impertinant not knowing their place.
How do you pick a POTM? Ollie was an incesant rampaging bulldozer up front. Buendia had his best, fastest twinkletoes on and made penalty taking look easy. 2 goals in a minute from SJM after he had spent all game running rings round their left wing and duffing them all up in the process. Big shout out to the Iceman for just walking into DM from nowhere and just doing the job. Also gave me 352 ideas.
Suggest we put Rogers on ice ready for the final. He was just a cog in the machine and looked totally drained. I’m sure we can get those last 3 points without him. Suppose we will have to endure ultra energy saving mode till that final. Park the bus for 3 draws?
Maybe Emery knows what he is doing.
I have seen it pointed out elsewhere that forest had some mainstream players missing especially talisman MGW. So Kamara and / or Onana must have been playing and I was too dozy to notice.
That was all about effort. The game was obviously there for either side and Forest did want to press, but we handled it and most important, matched intensity when it came to contested/second balls. Seized the momentum and the tie from that.
Not always enough, though, and some dribbling magic from Emi and nice movement by Ollie got the deserved breakthrough, peno parity was achieved with a cool take and then you could believe.
Really proud of the effort. Best we’ve put forth in ages.
I agree with all of the above. Such a good feeling. They aren’t at their sharpest or fittest but they dug in and gave their all.
Win vs Burnley, then play the reserves vs pool while the first teamers are treated to an all expenses paid trip to the Belfry’s spa services
I-STAN-BUL…..MY LORD…..I-STAN-BUL…..
This is how to play a semi-final in my book. Masterstroke by Unai going 3-5-2. It’s very attacking, It pushed Cash and Digne into midfield and flooded it. Kept Hutchinson and Williams occupied on defensive duties. Pereira had no answer.
And the effort was there that had been missing. If the team puts the effort in, they will always be forgiven if they come up short.
The atmosphere at Villa Park was electric. Crackling static everywhere. How we know it can be, all the team has to do is try hard. Under the lights, baying for blood, packed to the rafters. It was a night to remember. Forest’s support will want to forget it but won’t be able to, it will haunt them.
A raucous crowd pushed the noise levels up even more around the half hour mark. A pass to Ollie who first timed it forward for Buendia to collect whilst Ollie headed towards goal. Emi’s dancing feet took him and the ball past 2 players. He looked up, picked out Ollie who buried it in the onion bag. VP detonated. It went wild, limbs everywhere.
Into the second half and the din never lowered. Around the hour mark, Pau was pulled back by Milenkovic. From my seat I had a clear view of it. Penalty. But the ref never gave it. Fucking robbed. Thankfully VAR picked it up and sent the ref to the screen. Wondered who would take it. Where’s Malen when you need him. Emi stepped up and although the keeper went the right way, it beat him and started a full scale riot in the stands.
Then Ollie was put in by a Rogers flick and he hit the net only for the flag to go up for offside. A third goal then would have killed it. But it was long coming. Rogers knock down to Ollie who played in SJM with the freedom of VP at his feet. He first timed it into the corner and the crowd went wild. Belief was now coursing through everyone’s veins. Almost immediately afterwards, Rogers played in SJM again in the same spot. This time he hit it into the opposite corner. Limbs galore. It was party time. Joy and ecstacy unrestrained.
We’ll keep the celebrations short. After all, we have won nothing. This game was only the first of two crucial games in 3 days. It will now be a case of rest, recovery and repeat. Another performance like that at Turf Moor should see us into the UCL.
One other comment from the game. At HT Pereira subbed McAtee for Yates whose instructions were obviously to kick anything that moved. What a dirty player he is. Hopefully every Villa player has come through the game unscathed.
We need to put out our strongest team today against Burnley. A 3-5-2 attacking formation also. Go for the jugular. We need the 3 points. Not to mention some momentum going into the last knockings of the season. We move into P4 with a win. UTMV.
Fully agree. A win sees 9 fingers on top 5, then we can focus on having 11 fresh and rested starters for Istanbul. It’s a real shame that we didn’t take all 3 previous games seriously, we’d already be able to switch focus to the Europa final.
If we do it right from the start today, McGinn, Youri, Cash, Torres could all be taken off at around 60 minutes
Team News:
Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen, Tielemans, Lindelof, McGinn, Barkley, Rogers, Watkins.
Subs: Bizot, Buendia, Digne, Torres, Abraham, Sancho, Luiz, Bogarde, Bailey.
We are going strong and attacking. Fingers crossed.
Trademark dozy Villa start. So that’s how it’s going to be.
VAR catches out big foot Watkins and kicks us in the ghoulies.
There there. Barkley near post header calms us down.
Half time signs that Burnley are getting worn down. The Villa plan?
A first half that has been lacking that final touch of quality after decent build up. We actually made a good start and Roger’s should have done better with his shot in the 2nd minute.
We seemed to lose confidence after their goal. And it was starting to look a bit like last Sunday. But we did well with our goal…then proceeded to make mistake after mistake to hand back the initiative to them.
It seems that they are intent on having to drag every single eventuality out until the latest possible minute. If they had just concentrated fully for the first 15 minutes, this would’ve been 3-0
It’s a case of after the Lord Mayor’s Show. Normal service resumed. Can’t be arsed to put some effort in after Thursday’s exertions. Maatsen is getting grilled. SJM is way off. Nobody bothered to close down the Burnley attackers for their goal. Unlucky with Watkins disallowed goal. Seems the lines were drawn against a defender’s foot rather than the ball which he might have been behind. Unai needs to give them a rocket.
Barkley, I don’t rate as a starter, he just doesn’t have the legs, I read that he was close to a loan move to Sheffield United in January…maybe these appearances are to put him in the shop window.
But Maatsen, what is wrong with him. He isn’t being helped by having an off form Rogers in front of him, but he wasn’t doing the basics in the first 20 minutes
Well, at least we got level before the half. I can understand a hangover from Thursday and Burnley having nothing to lose, but that was a poor start. Really wish Rogers would find his form again.
Whatever happens today, I say rest him for red scouse.
Yes, Maatsen is in gormless mode today.
Haha…get in, Ollie.
YEEHAW! Classic route one, WN1 long ball to Ollie. How deliciously retro. Who needs to waste time playing out from the back?
JFC…what are you doing, Matty?!
Then we fuck up. Typical.
Another pathetic give away. We just seem determined to give Burnley something today
Wakey wakey. I’ve seen their sub Foster cause us problems in the past.
Buendia for the iceman. Are we going for it?
Have to, I think.
Can’t believe some players still don’t have their heads firmly on.
BAILEY???????????????? Suicide sub!
30 seconds and he’s knackered.
Unreal VAR
Double VAR fuckover!
Annoying as hell
Plenty of talking points, but I’m left shaking my head at how Rogers is back to his early season woes. Really hurts for him to produce nothing.
It’s just a complete head scratcher. He’s like Bailey-standard, an overall negative for the team like this. You just wonder what on earth is happening
A fair result I think. There are just so many times when you can’t believe what some of our players are doing.
Like I said. It seems that we are determined to take this until the last day of the season.
Watkins and McGinn looked like the only ones who were fully concentrating all game.
Again it shows how low the overall quality of the squad is, and how remarkable Unai has done to have them in 3rd for most of the season
We actually managed to turn the game around and get the lead. It lasted 2 minutes. My main gripe is the lack of urgency. We don’t do energy. And Mings ain’t fit. He was on his haunches at the end.
That’s what irks…I’m actually fuming. Get the lead, they’re done, and gift it right back being headless.
You look at nearly all of them and think “they can’t be fully fit”
I do think there’s that, running on fumes and carrying a lot of aches.
You can add Cash and Rogers to the list of underperformers along with SJM and Maatsen. That is 2 huge points dropped and they could cost us £32m.
Cash has decided his MO is to play backwards when under pressure and fall over. Seen it so many times. He makes me rage.
Well that was less than gratifying. At least that point means that Bournemouth and/or Brighton have to win both of their games and Villa have to lose both for them to overtake Villa.
Villa will lose to red scouse (pre-emptive slag) leaving half a chance of a point against a hopefully demoralised shitty. No comment on the Eurocrap final. Could be squeaky bum time.
That’s not true 656. Bournemouth can win one and draw one. They must have a better goal difference if we lose both games.
My bum becomes even more squeaky!
Burnley hadn’t scored in their 3 previous home games. But they managed to score 2 in 60 minutes against us. FFS. And I don’t like the way we hold on to the ball at the back until a marker is on us. We keep getting clattered and that’s how injuries occur. Pass the ball first time.
Slight straw grabbing desparate hope of consolation – Bournemouth have to play a desparate shitty.
Need something from the red scouse on Friday now and hope Bournemouth don’t roll over Citeh on the night before we play Freiburg.
Just watching the last knockings of West ‘Aaamm v the Arse. Equalizer ruled out for a foul on Raya. You just know that would never have been ruled out if it was against Villa. All credibility of the EPL has long been in the gutter.
Stronger side today than I expected. This is probably the lineup for Wednesday.
Think they have to. My message is two games left, two wins required. Forget everything else.
Also occurs to me that 1) Liverpool are better than Freiburg, so winning would be an excellent confidence boost 2) for same reason, good preparation match, 3) secure CL, takes pressure off Thursday.
Oh, Emi…what a let-off.
Yes it was offside but WN1 did have another fumble.
Chopper Cash!
Get in Morgan. Oh, perfect.
Just in time. They were outweighing us.
God we’ve missed that.
There I was thinking that this ref hadn’t annoyed me at all then he books Ollie for finishing off a move just in case he wasn’t offside.
After Jones doesn’t get a yellow for kicking the ball into the crowd.
YEAH! That effing ref is a pregnant fish and a useless woman’s part. SPRATT!
Whew. I’ll take that.
Cash also didn’t hit the player’s leg. The follow-through caught him.
Have to own up. I said rest Rogers for the cup final and take whatever comes. May I stay completely wrong.
Ha…could be a big moment for him. Finally was calm on the ball. He needed that.
Could blue scouse Ross be an inspired sub?
And blue scouse Ross gives away the free kick that gives them a goal. OOPS.
Thank god, Ollie.
Wonderful cock up by liverpool. First time (ie no thinking) shot by Ollie to score
What a fragile bunch they are. Big strong lad like Konate flopping.
Ref is bottling it.
omg…so unlucky
Shameless from McAllister
Yes, Ollie.
Ollie scoring a ping pong goal after red scouse throw a pointless tizz trying to get Konsa sent off.
Yeah, that was particularly satisfying. Really disliked a number of their players tonight.
How many does Szobo get?
Big night for Buendia, never stopped battling.
You beauty!!!!!
Trademark SJM curling crossshot passed into the far corner of the net. Difficult goal made to look easy.
Well done the lads. Worthy winners.
Great way to close out for the supporters, great way to secure CL football by convincingly beating Liverpool.
Who would have thought it? I was expecting at best a stale tense 0-0 or 1-1. Instead we got a chilled out routine decisive crushing of some other anonymous collection of spoilt sulky brats throwing tantrums.
Our team performance tonight took me back to 1980/81. A totally seminal performance. I pronounce myself moderately pleased.
Great result and good resilient performance to set us up for Wednesday. There have been low moments but this is a special Villa team for my time as a fan (born in the early 90s), so they need to be appreciated while we have them.
Have to say, this may “play the B-team” game, so it’s more proof that I’m better off just supporting, and leaving the team selections to the Elite manager.
Roll on Aston-bul on Wednesday!
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE VILLA. Shift out of the way ENIC, Boehly and the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund. We are taking next season’s UCL money. It’s needed for team development.
Well done the players. Well done the backroom staff. And a special well done to our owners Nassef and Wes for producing this. But most of all, well done Unai whose place in Villa folklore is assured.
Wins against red scouse are rarer than rocking horse shit. A rammed VP last night just gorged on it.
Thought we were 2nd best during the first half. Red scouse had the game under control. WN1 fumbled a shot straight at him and following up, an attacker tapped the rebound home. Saved by an offside. Towards the end of the half, we managed to get a left hand corner against the run of play. It was played short in one of the Wild Man of Borneo manoeuvres which left Rogers free as a bird just inside the box to smack it into the far corner. Oh yes, so undeserved, so delightful, so magnificent. Don’t know how we led at HT.
Red scouse came at us at the start of the second half and scored from a free kick lumped into the box. Then the young lad who had been giving Cash a torrid time all game cut inside and crash one against a post. The rebound was just far enough away from Gakpo to prevent a tap in.
Villa dug in. And our second goal was a gift when Slobsaliar slipped when in possession. Rogers cleared the wreckage and played it first time to Ollie who also hit it first time into the onion bag. VP exploded. Bedlam in the stands. In the blink of an eye, we were leading again.
Then something different happened. We never sat back into game management mode which I’ve seen so many times before. Instead, attack was the order of the day and how VP responded. Buendia had a shot that hit the woodwork. He then fired in a shot which the keeper parried (or was it Tielemans?). Following up was Pau and the keeper saved his effort too. But Ollie was also following up and he buried it.
Still we attacked. And SJM hit one of his trade mark efforts from right side of the goal into the top bins. VP was riotous. In added on time, red scouse pulled a consolation goal back but the job was already done.
Well pointed out about not going into game management mode. I’ve just realised why I was reminded about the 80/81 side. That side always played one way – that’s all they knew. Non of this sudden change of pace to conserve energy, they just kept going the same way.
I have to mention referee Kavanagh. He was sub standard. By a long way. So much so that I believed he was carrying a bias against Villa of some kind. Red scouse got all the 50/50 decisions. If a scouse player went down, free kick. If a Villa player went down, play on. The decisions only started levelling out after we went 3-1 up. It was so noticeable. As if he’d done all he could for the opposition and now needed to do things properly.
Thought the scouse players picked up on it very early on and played him a treat. Although MacAllister’s attempt to get Konsa sent off was embarrassing for him. And this is not his team’s MO.
A memorable finale at VP then. Guess they’ve started tearing down the North Stand this morning. On to Wednesday now. We need to handle Freiburg. Play like last night, like we did against Forest we’ll get some silverware. It will not be game for safety first. Must attack.
But it’s a 50/50 game that can go either way. We must bend it our way. Before then, I’ve got an entire weekend to enjoy what I witnessed last night. Happy days.
Was looking forward to your post-match, Plug. Very happy for everyone in attendance.
And a fresh page is finally up,