F.A Cup 4th Round - away meltdown at Arsenal

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Well I enjoyed the whole day out apart from the second half. They raise your hopes so much just for you to get kicked in the guts - but then thats the Villa for you. Half time I was feeling young again, Darren Bent scoring from that angle made me think of Brian Little.
Second visit to the Emirates and although it full of fickle cockney wankers, I'm getting to like the stadium. They at least try to celebrate their history with the stuff all round the outside walls, but someone really should throw a pot of paint on the O'Dreary picture.
Had a look at the old Highbury for the first time (oh, walking along that street in 1981), and again credit for how two stands have been retained and turned into apartments, you can still picture a football ground was there. I commented to my brother how it was so much better than if it had just been flattened and had a supermarket put on it. But he said it wouldn't have worked the same at Fellows Park.
I was born 23 days after Johnny Dixon lifted the cup for Villa. The first time I saw us knocked out was when my Dad took me to Liverpool for a 4th round tie in 1967, we lost 1-0.
I think 2013 will be our year, when is the draw for the 3rd round ?

[Rick_avfc]

I have mixed emotions about yesterday.  1) it was my first away game and loved every minute of it 2) The heart break from leading 0-2 at half time and to finish 3-2 was just a shock to the system.  The villa fans were amazing first half but for obvious reasons, not so much 2nd half.  We truly have 2 of the worst full backs in the prem and a lacklustre midfield which cannot control the game.  IMO, the 2 penalty decisions were spot on by the ref and Richard Dunne needs to count himself very lucky for not gettting sent off.  It was a needless challenege which Given would have easily collected and Darren Bent should never have gone to ground to give away the 2nd.  Carlos had the player covered.  RvP should have been sent off for a deliberate elbow but that wouldnt have made a difference as the damage was already done by then.

Regarding the emirates, what a fantatic stadium but the same cant be said about the fans.  I thought Villa park was quiet on match days but these cockneys take that prize.  As someone posted earlier, i like they way they celebrate their history around the ground - gives it a nice touch.  It also very good of them to keep the 2 old stands of highbury.

A very SMALL part of me, and I do mean very small, is happy we are out of the FA cup just so we can fully concentrate on the league and securing a place for next season.

[john e]

as others have already said, it is also my firm belief that if we had led by 3 or 4 at half time it would have made no difference,
 Arsenal smelt the fear in our team as soon as the second half began, they could have scored as many as they needed to win the game.

another thing i agree with so many posters on here is the Hope thing,
 yesterday in London i was asked many times how i thought we would do, every time i said we'd lose, this is what i expected,
 but when you go 2 nil up at HT you do start to hope and beleive this could be it, only yet again to have your dreams smashed to pieces,
 its beginning to get cruel supporting Villa,
 i know we will never give up but i'm getting pig sick of it happening like this so many times

[Rick_avfc]

We really lack a leader on the pitch to calm things down or take control of the situation.  I said to my brother and cousin after the game on the way back to Finsbury park that had we had MON in charge we would not have lost that game in the manner in which we did.  We had believe back then but the last 2 seasons, the confidence has all but gone from the players and even the support.

[WarszaVillan]

When you watch that match you can see so starkly the positives and negatives at Villa Park at the moment. We have some decent players, particularly some exciting attacking players and some good promising youngsters and we've got a top draw goalie. But the problems start from the back and we won't be able to progress until something is done there. We need to hope that we can hold a mid-table position this season and bring some of the kids along more. Then in the summer if there is any cash he has to rebuild almost completely from the back, including finding a real commanding centre half who can organise the defense. On top of that a centre midfielder is needed that can lead the team. If we can manage that then we will have a decent team that can challenge the top-6. Problem is do we have the cash, can we keep our current best players, Will Big Eck be able to spot the correct players?

[Rick_avfc]

Our defence is an absolute joke and no one has confidence in them.  Warnock and Hutton need to be banished to the reserves.  I've said it before and ill say it again, now we know why GH dropped Warnock all together.  Only problem is we have no cover in those 2 positions and Eck will continue to play Hutton no matter what.
I think Eck is capable of finding the right defenders I mean, look who he bought for the blouse.  Dann and Johnson were top singings for them, especially in their first season back in prem under eck.  We also need another winger or two to add some competition for Zoggy and Albrighton.

[Duncan Shaw]

I think Eck is capable of finding the right defenders I mean, look who he bought for the blouse.  Dann and Johnson were top singings for them, especially in their first season back in prem under eck.  We also need another winger or two to add some competition for Zoggy and Albrighton.

Really?  Wasn't it him who shelled out £4m for Hutton?

[JUAN PABLO]

Its a shame samba wants to go to a club with ambition , because that game ( If Lerner watched it ) , should havw made up his mind to go and get Samba in before the window closes.

[Rick_avfc]

I think Eck is capable of finding the right defenders I mean, look who he bought for the blouse.  Dann and Johnson were top singings for them, especially in their first season back in prem under eck.  We also need another winger or two to add some competition for Zoggy and Albrighton.

Really?  Wasn't it him who shelled out £4m for Hutton?

Yes it was but dont forget that he also bought 2 central defenders which were the rock at the back of the noses defence which ultimately made it difficult from teams to break them down.  Im not saying every signing of his is good as it clearly isnt but sometimes, you have to give credit where credit is due and he deserves it for the signings of Dann and Johnson.  as a combination they were good.

[Steve kirk]

I have got over yesterday pretty quick which is a bit of a worry, I am getting used to being let down and shrug it off fairly easily these days, if they give us 3 points against QPR I will forgive them yesterdays nightmare.
Hutton and Warnock are just so terrible but we are going to have to suffer them for the rest of this season and continue to suffer Hutton next season as well, what a sobering thought that is. UTV     

[john e]

was anyone else at half time yesterday disscussing who you wanted in the next round Boro or Sunderland,
 and how you were going to get there ?

all to no avail

[Dave Clark Five]

was anyone else at half time yesterday disscussing who you wanted in the next round Boro or Sunderland,
 and how you were going to get there ?

all to no avail

At one point it looked like it might be Millwall.

[olaftab]

was anyone else at half time yesterday disscussing who you wanted in the next round Boro or Sunderland,
 and how you were going to get there ?

all to no avail

At half time I asked someone next  to me at the Emirates who have we got in the next round. On being told I was deflated a little bit  and Dunne and Bent did the rest!

[villa `cross the mersey]

Well I enjoyed the whole day out apart from the second half. They raise your hopes so much just for you to get kicked in the guts - but then thats the Villa for you. Half time I was feeling young again, Darren Bent scoring from that angle made me think of Brian Little.
Second visit to the Emirates and although it full of fickle cockney wankers, I'm getting to like the stadium. They at least try to celebrate their history with the stuff all round the outside walls, but someone really should throw a pot of paint on the O'Dreary picture.
Had a look at the old Highbury for the first time (oh, walking along that street in 1981), and again credit for how two stands have been retained and turned into apartments, you can still picture a football ground was there. I commented to my brother how it was so much better than if it had just been flattened and had a supermarket put on it. But he said it wouldn't have worked the same at Fellows Park.
I was born 23 days after Johnny Dixon lifted the cup for Villa. The first time I saw us knocked out was when my Dad took me to Liverpool for a 4th round tie in 1967, we lost 1-0.
I think 2013 will be our year, when is the draw for the 3rd round ?

I was born a couple of months after our last win and I was also at the game in 1967 at Anfield - Ian St John scored if I recall and he was a mile off side at the Kop end - nothing changes

As for "Our year" - I`ve given up thinking about it since 2000

[luke25]

I think Eck is capable of finding the right defenders I mean, look who he bought for the blouse.  Dann and Johnson were top singings for them, especially in their first season back in prem under eck.  We also need another winger or two to add some competition for Zoggy and Albrighton.

Really?  Wasn't it him who shelled out £4m for Hutton?

Yes it was but dont forget that he also bought 2 central defenders which were the rock at the back of the noses defence which ultimately made it difficult from teams to break them down.  Im not saying every signing of his is good as it clearly isnt but sometimes, you have to give credit where credit is due and he deserves it for the signings of Dann and Johnson.  as a combination they were good.

The thing with Blues is they were very much 4-5-1 with the midfield protecting the defence, he did'nt have the attacking players that we have so he needs to find a balance between attack and defence.