Arsenal v Aston Villa F.A. Cup 4th Round Post-Match Thread

[D.boy]

Oh well, at least we're a bit more entertaining now we're scoring quite regularly (away anyway).

Luke: We've all known a Mrs Robinson haven't we? Mine was a quite presentable 43 year-old I 'met' when I was 19. Now she is an embarrassing 70-odd and still toddling round the manor with a bald patch. The moral? Have fun, but make sure she lives far away.

And where exactly is said "bald patch" Perc?

[FatSam]

I thought the defence played well in the first half, the left side (Warnock and Dunne) in particular. I said at half time though that we'd be lucky for them to play as well, and for Arsenal to play as badly (especially going forward) in the second half. I couldn't see much of the goal mouth incidents in the second half as I was towards the front of the stand, and so wasn't sure how culpable Dunne and Bent were in conceding their penalties. It was only watching the highlights last night that I realised how self-inflicted that seven-minute reversal had been. The issue for the second seemed to be Dunne not coming out to meet Walcott. Unfortunately these two errors undid all the good work that he did before and after.

I thought taking off Gabby removed our greatest threat at that stage, although I accept that there was a need for a change. I do not understand why Bannan floated those last couple of dead balls into the far post rather than whipping them in lower and with more pace - this has been a general flaw in our play for a long time. Also, its disappointingly predictable watching us desperately try to hang onto possession only to pass it back to Given under pressure to launch it upfield.

[Duncan Shaw]

I think I can post now......
I was so utterly convinced we'd win this and that it was our year (I don't know why, I just was!) that the half-time scoreline was merely a justification of that confidence.  I thought we'd come out and play the same and see it through, maybe with another one.
That is why it feels so bad today, like they've robbed me of my cup dream.  38 years I've been going down there and this felt like the most likely year (even with MON in the next round).
Bastards.

[philthebar]

What really got to me in the first half was when we had a throw halfway into the Arsenal half.  Threw it backwards, passed it around the halfway line a couple of times than back to Given who had no option other than hoof it upfield.

Totally devoid of ideas.

[pauliewalnuts]

That is why it feels so bad today, like they've robbed me of my cup dream.  38 years I've been going down there and this felt like the most likely year (even with MON in the next round).
Bastards.

The one positive from losing yesterday (and it's not much of a positive) is that we won't have to listen to the predictable media slavering over O'Neill, and "Villa fans didn't know how well off they were" nonsense (as if we'd driven him out) in the run up to the game.

[Duncan Shaw]

That is why it feels so bad today, like they've robbed me of my cup dream.  38 years I've been going down there and this felt like the most likely year (even with MON in the next round).
Bastards.

The one positive from losing yesterday (and it's not much of a positive) is that we won't have to listen to the predictable media slavering over O'Neill, and "Villa fans didn't know how well off they were" nonsense (as if we'd driven him out) in the run up to the game.

True, I bet Oliver Holt et al were slaverishly sharpening their pens at half time, but good old Villa, managed to fuck it up against the elite!  Watch MON go and get Sunderland to the final now, so they can continue to fete his messiah-like ways!

[Greg N'Ash]

I kind of feel sorry for Sunderland really.  That hoofball glass ceiling is approaching at a fair rate of knots currently and already MON must be looking for an exit strategy. I give him till the end of next season when he'll get them to 6th on the back of a load of extravagent spending and then hopefully he'll be able to walk into a bigger club before the inevitable stall in progress and before he starts getting asked about why they've got 20 players in the squad that can't get a game.

[olaftab]

Day after and I am feeling even worse. FFS this was FA Cup and we were 2-0 up...are we ever going to win this Cup again?

[Chris Smith]

I thought the defence played well in the first half, the left side (Warnock and Dunne) in particular. I said at half time though that we'd be lucky for them to play as well, and for Arsenal to play as badly (especially going forward) in the second half. I couldn't see much of the goal mouth incidents in the second half as I was towards the front of the stand, and so wasn't sure how culpable Dunne and Bent were in conceding their penalties. It was only watching the highlights last night that I realised how self-inflicted that seven-minute reversal had been. The issue for the second seemed to be Dunne not coming out to meet Walcott. Unfortunately these two errors undid all the good work that he did before and after.

I thought taking off Gabby removed our greatest threat at that stage, although I accept that there was a need for a change. I do not understand why Bannan floated those last couple of dead balls into the far post rather than whipping them in lower and with more pace - this has been a general flaw in our play for a long time. Also, its disappointingly predictable watching us desperately try to hang onto possession only to pass it back to Given under pressure to launch it upfield.

According to the commentators on TV  Keane was due to come off but Gabby indicated something was wrong so I'm guessing he had a knock.

[JUAN PABLO]

Im feeling worse too

my dad went in 1957 and saw us win  .

I have seen us win the league with my Dad , I went to the European Cup with my Dad .

I have seen us win 4 league Cup finals with my Dad . 

The only thing I havent got in common with my Dad seeing us win a FA Cup together.

Hes getting on abit , Please Villa , win it in my lifetime.

[timeoutbigbar]

I got absolutely smashed after the game yesterday to try and block it out.  Didn't really work and now I feel as shaky as the defence was yesterday.  Same old shite, different day.

[Vanilla]

What really got to me in the first half was when we had a throw halfway into the Arsenal half.  Threw it backwards, passed it around the halfway line a couple of times than back to Given who had no option other than hoof it upfield.

Totally devoid of ideas.

I think we have imported that footballing philosophy from that mystical place called St Andrew's. I'm not sure how it got here though.

[Legion]

Im feeling worse too

my dad went in 1957 and saw us win  .

I have seen us win the league with my Dad , I went to the European Cup with my Dad .

I have seen us win 4 league Cup finals with my Dad . 

The only thing I havent got in common with my Dad seeing us win a FA Cup together.

Hes getting on abit , Please Villa , win it in my lifetime.

Please Villa, win it in his Dad's lifetime.

[Clampy]

I felt for McLeish yesterday. At half time with us being 2-0 up, i can guess that his half time team talk went along the lines of 'Arsenal are going to come at us from the off in the second half, let's keep it as tight as we can and try not to make any uneccassry fouls in or around the box'.

Unfortunatley one of the most experienced players on the pitch threw himself into a stupid challenge that he did'nt need to make and we were then on the backfoot for the rest of the game. I hope he apologised to the rest of the players afterwards.

I'm sure we would have conceded at some point but we seemed to hand the game to them on a plate in that second period. It was such a waste.

[Somniloquism]

I thought the defence played well in the first half, the left side (Warnock and Dunne) in particular. I said at half time though that we'd be lucky for them to play as well, and for Arsenal to play as badly (especially going forward) in the second half. I couldn't see much of the goal mouth incidents in the second half as I was towards the front of the stand, and so wasn't sure how culpable Dunne and Bent were in conceding their penalties. It was only watching the highlights last night that I realised how self-inflicted that seven-minute reversal had been. The issue for the second seemed to be Dunne not coming out to meet Walcott. Unfortunately these two errors undid all the good work that he did before and after.

I thought taking off Gabby removed our greatest threat at that stage, although I accept that there was a need for a change. I do not understand why Bannan floated those last couple of dead balls into the far post rather than whipping them in lower and with more pace - this has been a general flaw in our play for a long time. Also, its disappointingly predictable watching us desperately try to hang onto possession only to pass it back to Given under pressure to launch it upfield.

According to the commentators on TV  Keane was due to come off but Gabby indicated something was wrong so I'm guessing he had a knock.

I didn't hear that. But I did think that Gabby was anonymous second half (along with Ireland, Keane and Bent apart from the Pen.)