Aston Villa vs Middlesbrough Post-Match Thread

[UK Redsox]

Summed Pulis up, must win game with over £100m at stake, and they manage 0 attempts on target. He really is an abomination of a manager.

And very animated for no apparent reason. Villa fans gave him an easy ride as well

i sit just behind the away dugout and Pulis was given anything but an easy ride from our section.

TP and his assistant repeatedly doing the ‘Y’ from YMCA was very amusing

[UK Redsox]

Highlights

Having seen the highlights, was Johnstone's arm definitely outside the area anyway? Even when the free kick hit the bar, he may have had it covered. Or am I just biased.

I wasn't sure how Steve Bruce would handle a 1-0 lead going into the home leg but can't complain, except for the persistence with only one striker which creates defensive problems of its own as one striker is no outlet when the pressure is on.

McCafu needs to be signed up for another year. A revelation on the left.

He should have been sent off

Jack could have been off as well if his tackle had connected

Ref was inconsistent (eg Hutton being booked just after Shotten was let off for basically the same offence).

[olaftab]

Well that was painful but right result. Well done Villa boys and Bruce. MotM for me was the Crowd.  It's a long time since I have heard so much noise at VP.

[Jon Crofts]

Just got home, not really what I was hoping for but to be expected I suppose, Bruce knows what he’s doing so we have to trust his approach. Only time in the whole game I was slightly worried was the Downing free kick apart from that the Smogmonsters deserved absolutely nothing and got it.

[Gareth]

The only reason I thought Dean might not have sent Johnstone off was if he thought the pace of the ball meant Terry had a chance to clear?

Wonder if Johnstone just got bored, barely had anything to do in either game, I’m amongst those that bored with Bruce tactics but imagine watching a Pulis team :-) because he joined mid season he had a free hit so played traore, he won’t be in his team going forward!

As for Downing, we’ll call it quits now for him pushing his way out when the going got tough - that and the 20m :-)

We go to Wembley as underdogs, I think that might suit us well

[Toronto Villa]

Highlights

Having seen the highlights, was Johnstone's arm definitely outside the area anyway? Even when the free kick hit the bar, he may have had it covered. Or am I just biased.

I wasn't sure how Steve Bruce would handle a 1-0 lead going into the home leg but can't complain, except for the persistence with only one striker which creates defensive problems of its own as one striker is no outlet when the pressure is on.

McCafu needs to be signed up for another year. A revelation on the left.

He should have been sent off

Jack could have been off as well if his tackle had connected

Ref was inconsistent (eg Hutton being booked just after Shotten was let off for basically the same offence).

Yep. Swings and roundabouts innit? He should have gone but these things tend to even out. And it was a big moment. Of course we could have had a few more things go our way tonight.

[Axl Rose]

Absolutely knackered, but oh well. The sun is shining, Villa are off to Wembley, and my aim is to somehow get a ticket and fly back from Tokyo for the weekend of May 26th.

I mentioned it this morning to my wife, and as we're supposed to be saving money for starting a family, I got a raised eyebrow and an 'oh, ok'. I highly doubt that it was a positive 'oh ok'.

Either way, fucking brilliant. Well done all involved.

[Axl Rose]

Hmm, direct 12 hour flights leaving Tokyo on the 24th, flying back on the 27th are just under £900.

Villa or prolonged marriage? That is the quandary.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Just got home, not really what I was hoping for but to be expected I suppose, Bruce knows what he’s doing so we have to trust his approach. Only time in the whole game I was slightly worried was the Downing free kick apart from that the Smogmonsters deserved absolutely nothing and got it.

It really was what we should have expected, except Bruce pretty much tied them up.  First and foremost, it was an really entertaining game. It was a great end to end game, the commitment was superb, the tackles were flying in, the wonderful dedication was there for all to see. It's just a shame the players with the bottle all got booked.

We were not great, we didn'tn't deserve to win or lose but it was still a top performance. It was a collective performance. We deserve to be in the final. Right now, I'll take that.

As for the final, we just need a Wolves type performance. Obviously, we don't do it every game but we just need to do it for one game.
We have little choice. I'm right now happy right now we didn't reach our heights. We're far better than tonight but hopefully we've kept a little in reserve. Fulham may have been the best footballing team but we are the best winning team.*





*Touches wood, head, etc.. We can do it. 

[Dr_Fegg]

Just got back but "here" is a hotel in Wakefield having driven down from Warrington this afternoon.

But my god it was worth it - crowd and atmosphere was excvellant. Not a game for the purist admittedly and it it'd been a league game id have asked what was wrong with Albert 1st half couldnt even seem to break into a fast walk but redeemed 2nd half.

And we do llok so good playing it to/from feetijust dont understand why we dont do more of it - that move where Grabban almost tapped it in was proper football. Maybe playng against better opposition will give us tie & space (please god just like the wolves when we're at Wembley)

Right few beers then bed,im working tomorrow !!

UTV
VTID

[Deano's Mullet]

Those Boro cams bit more honest this morning apart from the odd one or two that still reckon they were the better side and had better chances (!) There's one interrupted by a "VIlla fan" who tells them they were unlucky and deserved it on the night. Really?

[Matt C]

Not always easy on the eye but we adapted to the situation and found a way to get it done. There’s a resilience about this Villa side we’ve not seen in a long time.

Two down, one to go.

[Ads]

Thought we contained them well all night bar the Johnstone opportunity and the subsequent free kick. He's not save a shot again.

Pulis will never change. To bring Bamford on and then shunt him wide for Gestede is just cowardice.

Shame Grabban didn't score. The place was like a powder keg second half and would have gone off if we'd have scored. Second half in particular the whole ground was incredibly loud.

Final point about the pitch invaders- they absolutely ruined it
 Utter morons.

[Walmley_Villa]

Jedinak was utterly brilliant over the two legs. He held it together for us last night. Special praise to Snoddy and Hourihane for putting in great shifts. Glad Bree improved as the game went on, big game for him.
One more game to go.

[PaulWinch again]

Jedinak’s best two games in a Villa shirt.