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

[PaulWinch again]

Our problem is that we are pretty much incapable of playing a match which does not include a spell - usually of thirty minutes or more - in which we are utterly, utterly terrible.

Sometimes it is the first half (Wolves), other times it is the second half (today), and at times it is the entire match (Liverpool, Spurs), but that spell is pretty much always there.

Outside these awful spells, we sometimes play some decent stuff, but that's never, ever going to be enough when you can put together a spell of such ineptitude, it just undoes all the hard work you do at other points, and you're always up against it at some point.

What scares me is that we cant do anything to get new faces in to freshen up this cack defence - there's no money, so we're stuck with them.

In fact, with the club being set up for mediocrity, which is the inevitable consequence of being self-sustaining (which has become the club's buzz phrase just as convincingly as Proud History, Bright Future did), we're going to have to get used to a decent spell of just making up the numbers at the very best, and flirting with relegation at the worst.

There's a lot wrong with the club at the moment. Days like today when you get a bit of false hope are really just distractions from the general trend of the way things are going.

Yep pretty much bang on Paulie, we are going absolutely nowhere without a change in philosophy at the club and I can't see it happening. We have talented players in our squad but they fight for scraps, like Ireland barely seeing the ball. We are dragged down by the sheer inability of the poor players. It was an insipid second half display and we were pretty fortunate in the first.

[Legion]

Today's action

[PeterWithesShin]

Having a go for 30 minutes in the first half isn't good enough. Admittedly it's better than Manure, Spurs, Racist FC where we had a go for 0 minutes but still not good enough.

And Arsenal started the second half in the same way they started the second, only in the second half we stayed in the dressing room until the 3rd had gone in.

[pauliewalnuts]

What the hell were ESPN doing with the sound - Anyone else notice?

All I could hear through my surround speakers was some posh Arsenal twat pretending to be 'one of the boys', and on the odd occasion some French guys would start having a conversation in the other speaker. Sounded like they'd placed the mics under their seats?!

I wondered what the fuck that was, too.

For a while I assumed it was some people stood outside our house, chatting. Then I remembered how few of those French types we get around these parts.

[PeterWithesShin]

And how do Arsenal keep managing to announce near capacity attendances when nearly every game there are thousands of empty seats?

[pauliewalnuts]

And how do Arsenal keep managing to announce near capacity attendances when nearly every game there are thousands of empty seats?

Their season tickets include cup games, I believe.

[curiousorange]

The worst feeling in the world for me has always been waking up to a radio news bulletin on a Monday morning, which tells me Villa got beat in the Sunday game. And then I remember I have a week of work about to start.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was raining biblically too tomorrow.

[ez]

Shaun Teale's opinion of McLeish on fb... he doesn't hold back!

[hawkeye]

Our problem is that we are pretty much incapable of playing a match which does not include a spell - usually of thirty minutes or more - in which we are utterly, utterly terrible.

Sometimes it is the first half (Wolves), other times it is the second half (today), and at times it is the entire match (Liverpool, Spurs), but that spell is pretty much always there.

Outside these awful spells, we sometimes play some decent stuff, but that's never, ever going to be enough when you can put together a spell of such ineptitude, it just undoes all the hard work you do at other points, and you're always up against it at some point.

What scares me is that we cant do anything to get new faces in to freshen up this cack defence - there's no money, so we're stuck with them.

In fact, with the club being set up for mediocrity, which is the inevitable consequence of being self-sustaining (which has become the club's buzz phrase just as convincingly as Proud History, Bright Future did), we're going to have to get used to a decent spell of just making up the numbers at the very best, and flirting with relegation at the worst.

There's a lot wrong with the club at the moment. Days like today when you get a bit of false hope are really just distractions from the general trend of the way things are going.

Exactly, the club is all over the place, it seems that we have this mind set "plucky Villa" we gave all the nuetrals a bit of entertainment today, and then found our rightfull place as second best to a "top team" i like many others are just fed up with it.

[Legion]

Just listened to mcliesh what fucking planet does he live on he thinks second goal hand ball and third goal not a pen he talked about chances to equalise should he noT at 2-0 be looking to stop them playing while looking for 3rd goal, he's fucking deluded Scottish ******

[PeterWithesShin]

And how do Arsenal keep managing to announce near capacity attendances when nearly every game there are thousands of empty seats?

Their season tickets include cup games, I believe.

Thing is it's league games as well. I can't believe they have 1000s of ST holders who miss most league games as the empty seats are always in the same areas. Something is afoot at the New Library!

[PaulWinch again]

What does he say? The current approach at the club is an insult to the history of Aston Villa, there is pretty much no light at the end of the tunnel.

[PeterWithesShin]

Shaun Teale's opinion of McLeish on fb... he doesn't hold back!

pray tell more to us non Twitterers (did I just invent a word?)

[Legion]

See my previous post.

[ez]

Shaun Teale's opinion of McLeish on fb... he doesn't hold back!

pray tell more to us non Twitterers (did I just invent a word?)

Legion just quoted it