Aston Villa in major Cup finals.

[Tugby Villain]

I've never seen us win a trophy.  I never will.

[Stu]

58 years and counting.

[Richard E]

We've only scored from open play on one of last five visits to Wembley by my reckoning.

[Stu]

To be honest, no complaints about the result.

What revs me is the fact that arsenal clearly wanted it so much more than our team.  That hurts. No fight, no ambition, and no ideas.

[pauliewalnuts]

I've said it so often I sound like a cracked record but every time we ever appear on the big stage we behave like day trippers happy to have a nice day out and never expecting it to last. The only time we've ever had the "This is where we belong" mentality was Leeds in 1996, reinforced by fifth the following year being a disappointment.

Two ex- managers sum it up:

"The hardest job at this club is persuading it that it can win trophies" - BFR.

"Why do people keep asking me when will it go wrong? Crack that mentality and I've cracked this club." - John Gregory.

Yes that was the point I was getting at. I knew you'd said that before on here so I apologise for stealing your lines Dave.

(Nice cameo on before kick off btw, Amfy, who else was on there Legion?)

I saw Cheltenhamlion, too. And Woodhall, obv.

[richtheholtender]

I think the coaching seriously needs to be looked at. I never understand when we have the ball in a wide position, 3 or 4 players head towards the corner flag rather than in to the box.

[Matt Collins]

1996 we were favourites

Were we? Leeds under Wilkinson had a decent side back then. It's possible my mind is playing tricks but I didn't think we were favourites back then. Leeds had won the league only 4 years prior.

Definitely. We were in the top four all season while Leeds were lower half. They were frankly shit. Any time with Brian Deane on the wing . .

[myf]

I think the coaching seriously needs to be looked at. I never understand when we have the ball in a wide position, 3 or 4 players head towards the corner flag rather than in to the box.

Many of these players have been coached by 2/3 different managerial teams. The common denominator is the shite players. There's about 6 I'd keep from the current squad. We're talking 50m of investment just to compete with stoke and swansea. It's bleak

[Damo70]

1996 we were favourites

Were we? Leeds under Wilkinson had a decent side back then. It's possible my mind is playing tricks but I didn't think we were favourites back then. Leeds had won the league only 4 years prior.

Very much so.

Leeds were a couple of years away from putting together their good turn-of-the-century team and we were expected to dick them.

Edit: this was their team that day:


GK   1   England John Lukic
RWB   2   Republic of Ireland Gary Kelly
CB   5   South Africa Lucas Radebe      Substituted off 65'
CB   6   England David Wetherall
CB   12   England John Pemberton
LWB   11   Wales Gary Speed
CM   4   England Carlton Palmer
CM   22   England Mark Ford      Substituted off 46'
CM   10   Scotland Gary McAllister (c)
CF   27   Scotland Andy Gray
CF   21   Ghana Tony Yeboah

Mark Ford? John Pemberton? Andy Gray, an 18 year old child making his debut and following it with a career in the lower leagues?

We were definitely expected to win.

I think Leeds were favourites until news came through Carlton Palmer had passed a fitness test and then the odds shifted.

[eamonn]

We were a top four team in '96. Leeds were midtable wasteland. Dicked them as we should, like Arsenal did yesterday.

[eamonn]

Of the last 5 haven't we won 3? I know it's over a long span of time but that's a decent return isn't it?

2 from 5. Leeds and Yanited 96 & 94. Defeats to Chelsea, ManUre and Arse this century.
3 from 6. Above plus Bayern.

Supercups, Intertwobobs and Hong Kong 7s omitted. Maybe time to enter that Midlands trophy thing that Cooper is always banging on about.

[Olof's Beard]

I just don't like the 'at least we got there' guff which I have seen from a lot of fans and even a player or two (Hutton I think), that reinforces the daytripper mentality.   Unfortunately, that is a view definitely pedalled by fans younger than I am, the ones in their 20s.  You can see it on social media, many of them will be very quick to compare us to our neighbours as well.

If we had put in a performance and lost then I would congratulate them on getting there.  However, to use all that energy to get to a final and then play with absolutely no energy on the day just undermines the whole Cup run for me.  I didn't see enough hurt from the players after the goals went in, some of whom may never play on a stage like that again and they seriously blew it. 

[myf]

I just don't like the 'at least we got their guff' which I have seen from a lot of fans and even a player or two (Hutton I think), that reinforces the daytripper mentality.   Unfortunately, that is a view definitely pedalled by fans younger than I am, the ones in their 20s.  You can see it on social media, many of them will be very quick to compare us to our neighbours as well.

If we had put in a performance and lost then I would congratulate them on getting there.  However, to use all that energy to get to a final and then play with absolutely no energy on the day just undermines the whole Cup run for me.  I didn't see enough hurt from the players after the goals went in, some of whom may never play on a stage like that again and they seriously blew it. 

Spot on. It's like the banner at the sty. Totally embarrassing and makes us look very small time,  particularly as they did it to us when they went to league cup final.

[Pat McMahon]

What does at least we got their guff mean? I genuinely have no idea.

[leylandalbion]

I've never seen us win a trophy.  I never will.

you will tugby, don't know when and what....but you will