Bristol Rovers v Aston Villa (F.A. Cup 3rd round): Match Thread

[TheStinger]

A satisfactory if not dominant performance so far.  A few more goals early in the second to make it safe would be nice.

[PeterWithesShin]

Was that someone's back garden the ball was stuck in?

[pauliewalnuts]

How we been playing lads? Just turned on to watch Marco embarrass himself with an effort. Looking at that pitch it's like I was transported back to the 1970's.

well we probably deserve to be in front..... but it's been pretty bloody woeful!

Cheers. How much is us and how much is the pitch?

The ptich doesn't help, but there's been some awfully sloppy passing.

[PaulWinch again]

Get Heskey off and we might play better, our players seem lured into hoofing it every time he plays.

[Bad English]

Was that someone's back garden the ball was stuck in?

My garden shed...

[villa `cross the mersey]

Has Bent ever won a header whilst playing for the Villa?

Aside from that cracking goal at West Ham you mean?

Memory lapse due to one too many sherberts !!! How`s the weather over there?

[CJ]

Not good.

Think we need to get N'Zogbia on for Heskey. We're getting loads of space down the left - N'Zogbia can exploit that better than Warnock and we can stretch their defence to get crosses for Bent from both sides.

[Toronto Villa]

How we been playing lads? Just turned on to watch Marco embarrass himself with an effort. Looking at that pitch it's like I was transported back to the 1970's.

well we probably deserve to be in front..... but it's been pretty bloody woeful!

We've been transported to the 70s all season, anyway.

Hopefully that means we'll win two League Cups and not a Third Division title.

[villan1975]

Heskey to score next 7/1?Surely to christ they mean 70/1?

[TheStinger]

Was that someone's back garden the ball was stuck in?

What a waste of time going to find the ball and then have another one thrown on just as you find the original one and then have to wait for the extra one to get off again and then as soon as it is thrown in you blow up for halftime.  Surely common sense should come into play and just blow it up when you realise this is going to take a while.

But this is Howard Webb we are talking about...

[Irish villain]

Ireland is turning into one of our best assets. Here's hoping we continue to see this Stephen Ireland.

[Toronto Villa]

Has Bent ever won a header whilst playing for the Villa?

Aside from that cracking goal at West Ham you mean?

Memory lapse due to one too many sherberts !!! How`s the weather over there?

Bloody wonderful. Normally in January I'm shoveling snow every day. It's 6c and barely any snow at all. Somehow i think we're going to get it in Feb and March to make up for January. Mother Nature is undefeated for a reason.

[paul_e]

I wish we could make m ore than 3 subs, there's about 5 players who don't deserve to be on the pitch.

Both fullbacks have been terrible, Collins is a hoof waiting to happen, Bent is getting nothing to work with and appears to have given up even making the runs.

Heskey is a lump who encourages all the worst things in our game.

Ireland and petrov have looked tidy without really taking a grip on the game.  Clark has been anonymous but has done the job he's there to do pretty well.

Dunne looks ok but as always has the potential to do something stupid at any point.

Guzan has done well with everything (little as it is) he has had to do.

Albrighton has looked a class above the rest of the players on the pitch and is the difference between the teams.  Their left back won't want to leave the changing room.

[Summers]

How long can people continue to blame the rest of the team for Bent's failings?

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

Ireland has to play centrally and Heskey has to go off, we're always shit when he plays.