Manchester City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Brian Taylor]

It was like a corporate decision had made to keep us in PL and stuff the FA Cup; trying to be +ve...Balotelli's smirks were hardest to take. he knew we were done for so early.

[Dave Cooper please]

Ah nothing like a H&V over reaction. Give the bloke some time and lets judge him next season.

I'll give him time because of the improvement in the football and the results, but it will take a hell of a lot before I forgive him for tonight.

Strictly he is right, the players were all either full (most of them) or U21 international footballers, so rotation is something we have to get used to, and GH openly knew they are a better team with a much stronger squad. Think the over reaction is madness.

He ripped apart the whole of the team (okay so his hand was forced in defence a bit), a team that was just beginning to gel and play well. It's okay having loads of (mainly fringe) internationals on the pitch but if they are all in unfamiliar positions and none of them are sure what the game plan is then you may as well play the whole reserve team who at least play regularly together.

 

Just agame of football, 50 odd years and we have not won it, calm down.

Is it fuck, and it might be another few years before we have a better chance.

[Dave Summers]

I've just written to the General on this game and the farce of a team selection by our manager.  Copyright Tom Ross, but I do believe the manager has to have the right to pick the team that he wants.  However, at a time when we are possibly 3 wins from Europe, we don't necessarily even need to win the damn cup, why the hell do we change 8 from Saturday?.  We were in the middle of a heck of a run of games at Sheff Utd and he picked a stronger team against them !!!!!!.

I have defended him on many occasions this season, but after tonight I would prefer it if he left the club.  I never thought I would see the day when a manager of my club disresepcted the FA Cup.  It obviously doesn't mean as much to him as it does to me and as VCTM says in the other topic, my support is also hanging by a thread for next season.  If they can't be bothered, then I can find other ways to spend £500.

As I said to the General in closing "This must never ever be allowed to happen again"

UTV

[andyh]

a year to win it ?
FA Cup quarter-final draw:
Stoke v West Ham
Man City v Reading
Birmingham v Bolton
Man United v Arsenal

[sfx412]

No excuse for that team selection, how can you expect untried kids to excel in an untried formation is beyond sense and he knows it so his after match excuses are pathetic.
That said it did show certain aspects within the squad. Bannan, Heard, Bailey don't look the job. Petrov has blown it as has Heskey and need shifting, Dunne, Friedel can't be far behind.
Delph, Clarke, Walker looked superb and look to have huge potential and could if we sign Walker be the basis of a bright Villa future.
Oh nice to see the knives back out again from the Houllier out fan club, don't take much does it, typical H&V over reaction.

[ROBBO]

Havn't read all the posts but i would hazard a guess that survival in the prem is way and above more important than domestic cups. It's going to be a long road with lots of disappointments before we see consistancy.

[Lobsterboy]

a year to win it ?
FA Cup quarter-final draw:
Stoke v West Ham
Man City v Reading
Birmingham v Bolton
Man United v Arsenal

Clearly not in Monsieur Houllier's eyes sadly...

[villa_cads]

I was really looking forward to the game tonight. Only to tune in to hear the pundits slating the team selection, and as soon as we kicked off I could see why. This game was over before the whistle. We looked so lightweight today. Sure, the kids can play, but making that many changes from Saturday is either complete arrogance in thinking we can get a result against city with that side or disrespectful to the competition by making no real attempt to get a result. An absolute disgrace.

We are hardly hanging on for our lives in this league. This year we'll finish mid-table. Surely it was a great opportunity to throw everything at winning a trophy, when nobody expects a decent league position. I'm not saying GH out, because I can see what he is building. But MON got slated for Moscow, and so should GH for tonight.

On a positive, I thought the travelling fans were a credit tonight. The only thing in the game I smiled at.

[TonyD]

He clearly had Saturday on his mind with that selection. If the full team played 90 minutes (and most likely lost) then have them go to Bolton and lose and we get dragged back down and confidence starts ebbing away. However, go there and win we're suddenly looking up and thinking of the top 6.

Before any of the hysterics have a go at me let me make it clear that, as a fan, it's not what I want to see  but he's a manager and his priority HAS to be staying in the league. I said I would wait and see what happened before judging and the team just wasn't good enough but all that romantic guff about accepting relegation if we win the cup will be the opposite of what Randy expects of him.

On the pre match thread a few people reckoned we had absolutely no chance before they knew what the side was, given that surely you can have no objection to him resting a few of them.

That said, I don't think we were that bad (other than Petrov who had a nightmare), we were just out powered by a team of fucking giants and by conceding the type of goal we've been letting in all season after 4 minutes. We played some reasonable football but without ever looking like we might get back into it and Herd got punished for 2 mistakes.

That's right.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

The annoying part, for me, is because the reason for picking that team is he's concerned with relegation, but I don't see why. We're never going to go down, we're far too good, especially when you look at some of the other teams. If anything, I was looking to finish top half, maybe top 8 come the end of the season.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Credit should go to Man City, they're looking a good, strong side but it was Men vs Boys. We couldn't have made it easier for them.

[Lambert and Payne]

I think saturdays a bit more important, i know the cups important but i want to be in the prem next year..

[mikeb1982]

a year to win it ?
FA Cup quarter-final draw:
Stoke v West Ham
Man City v Reading
Birmingham v Bolton
Man United v Arsenal

Clearly not in Monsieur Houllier's eyes sadly...

just makes it all the more frustrating...

[Fin Feds Dad]

This season can't end quick enough - I have'nt said that since 1987.

[luke25]

Disgraceful! yesterday Houllier said how dissapointed he was with how we gave up at City last time we played there then he goes and gives up before a balls even been kicked, just as he was starting to win a few fans over, im fuming, credit to Chris Herd, our best performer, Petrov and Bradley were fucking awful