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

[Archie]

The game was exciting and we played with great desire, but if you have 2 clowns in the team you can't have any ambition. 
Arsenal had three goals gifted: one by Dunne, one by the referee and one by Hutton. But it was the Dunne's silly foul  that decided the game, as usual.
You don't need to be Leonardo da Vinci to realize that at the end of the 1st half they were overwhelmed by whistles of their own fans, and to comprehend that if we had resisted for 20 minutes they would give up. There was only one thing to avoid, to concede an easy gol, and Clownne did it, as usual. I only wonder if his huge wages are paid by AVFC or AFC. .

[kippaxvilla2]

For the record I would not have changed anything at half time as I was one of the few that thought we were very capable of nicking a 3rd on the break which would have ended it.  should have known better with the four weather girls at the back.

[Somniloquism]

Hutton is useless, terrrible one of 2 AM buys

Thats where we could put an untried youngster and not miss anything. Awful signing.

As I mentioned, a player in a Villa shirt who was being out passed by Cueller. Virtually every-time he had the ball he lost it.

[littlevillain]

the Bent bottled header was embarrassing and made me think of a packed holte end celebrating Andy Grays many brave headed goals.
He would have put the ball and the keeper in the back of the net on that cross today. we need some fckn passion.

[gervilla]

It needed us to go at them but we didn't or couldn't. That game was never in the bag at 2-0 and you would be fools for thinking it was.

Did anyone think it was in the bag? Is anyone suprised we collapsed?

No and No.

Every time we take a lead I fully expect up to throw it away. It comes with many years of being a Villa fan.
If we hold on to a lead it's a bonus.

[Chris Smith]

You'd think we'd just lost to Walsall judging by the tone of this thread. Arsenal played very well in the second half, they're a good side full of good good players with the best striker in the league playing for them. Yes, we made mistakes with the goals but we're a club in the process of downsizing and they're in the knockout stages of the Champions League. That's not to make excuses for how we conceded but to put some perspective into events, they're better than we are so we need for them to have an off day or us to have all the luck going.

[ozzjim]

I think Bent is the last of our problems. Especially as he is scoring goals regularly - 4 in 5 is it?


Hutton and Warnock would be shot if they were horses. They are so fucking turgid it is scary, and Dunney love him as we do, cannot cope with fast passing and movement.

Think Houllier said and was totally derided for saying that the defense could not be sorted till the summer. We are seeing, with a bloke who got Ridgewell and Carr looking infinitely better full backs than these two, that the whole back 4 needs a blank canvas. I for one would be happy to see Ridgewell at left back for a couple of million, with Cuellar at right till may, at least we would defend!

[olaftab]

I'm really not sure what he could have done at H/T to change what happened.

He should have recognised at ht that we were lucky to have a 2 goal lead and a change was required. A good tactical coach would have capitalised on the unexpected position by making changes either tactics or players to deal effectively with expected arsenal onslaught.

[Grande Pablo]

I had the gross misfortune to only be able to pick up the BBC 5Live commentary.

Even at half time there was no credit given to Villa - purely the Arsenal malaise show, so I think even they knew something was about to happen.  Pretty predictable, sadly.

Would the fact that Arsenal come out in the 2nd half all guns blazing have crossed Eck's mind in his half time talk?

[Somniloquism]

You'd think we'd just lost to Walsall judging by the tone of this thread. Arsenal played very well in the second half, they're a good side full of good good players with the best striker in the league playing for them. Yes, we made mistakes with the goals but we're a club in the process of downsizing and they're in the knockout stages of the Champions League. That's not to make excuses for how we conceded but to put some perspective into events, they're better than we are so we need for them to have an off day or us to have all the luck going.

Twice we have played well in most parts against Arse and 5 times we have gifted them goals. They might have Van Persie but if all he has to do is score a penalty against us to win a match there is something seriously wrong somewhere.

[Greg N'Ash]

Only way things are gonna get better long term irregardless of the manager, is if we get rid of the flids in defence. GH knew it and even AM must be starting to realise it. Just got to hope Lerner does as well or we've got this sort of thing to look forward to till their contracts run out.

[Toronto Villa]

I know I'm coming in to this discussion late on, and I haven't watched the game yet, but from the match thread and reports I've got a decent idea what went on. Seemingly we went in at HT a little lucky to be 2-0 up. But nonetheless we were 2-0 up. The manager, I would assume, having played the game and having managed for long enough would have have warned them of the oncoming onslaught, at least for the first 15 minutes of the second half. He wouldn't have told them to retreat into their shells and play like utter mindless idiots. He didn't make any changes, and had he done so and we'd lost he'd be getting slaughtered.

Our boys go out, confident one would think and instead of playing football like experienced top level pros should, decide to capitulate for all the world to see. Now, I get why the manager is taking pelters. He's partly responsible for sending them out prepared. But these are proven, professional, international football players we are talking about. They should know how to defend, how to tackle, not to dive in, to follow their man. All basic, fundamental aspects of the game. McLeish is going to take heat, but reserve some for the players who made mistakes that even if we had Guardiola in charge we couldn't and shouldn't have expected.

I'm going to defend the manager to a point, and I know one of the fuck ups was by Bent, but he has to clean house at the back. If the players cannot or will not do the basic things, and are capable of indiscipline that you'd have a go a a 10 year old for, then they don't need to be a the club. Houllier was fucked off by it, McLeish with no money to spend has to be. I'll repeat. He has a lot to answer for this season, but he cannot be held totally responsible for some of the most shocking "defending" if we are to call it that at Aston Villa for many a year.

[Hopadop]

I noticed all but one of the photographers who had their lenses trained on our goal in the first half changed ends in the second.

Like vultures they knew. They bloody knew.

[Somniloquism]

I'm really not sure what he could have done at H/T to change what happened.

He should have recognised at ht that we were lucky to have a 2 goal lead and a change was required. A good tactical coach would have capitalised on the unexpected position by making changes either tactics or players to deal effectively with expected arsenal onslaught.

Why Lucky? Two well worked goals and Bent also bottled a header. What we did in the first half (ride the first 10-15 mins of pressure) we didn't in the second. The only change needed was to bring the players in tight to keep the space limited in front of the box and hit them on the break. But instead we seemed to try to press for a third early on, hence Hutton being dispossessed on the half way line which started the attack for the killer first. (And that is for the players as well as the manager)

[ez]

You'd think we'd just lost to Walsall judging by the tone of this thread. Arsenal played very well in the second half, they're a good side full of good good players with the best striker in the league playing for them. Yes, we made mistakes with the goals but we're a club in the process of downsizing and they're in the knockout stages of the Champions League. That's not to make excuses for how we conceded but to put some perspective into events, they're better than we are so we need for them to have an off day or us to have all the luck going.

Its the FA Cup. The great domestic competition that we haven't won for yonks. Its always going to be disappointing.