If we did not have bad luck - would we have any at all?

[Barfluer]

We have too many poor players, Delph not good enough, Bannen not good enough, Clark not good enough, Baker not good enough, Nzogbia not good enough and I could go on.

[Billy Walker]

I don't know.  This seems to be the exact opposite of the Liverpool match.  I was listening to a caller on Talksport this morning saying we should have been four down at Anfield in the first twenty minutes (and Norwich) and we were lucky to win.  When the shoe's on the other foot and the opposition holdout against us it seems they are not "lucky" but we are still shit because we weren't good enough to score.   We can't have it all ways.   

If supporters think we are shit regardless of whether we win or lose it must be very hard for the players to motivate themselves.  Do the team have character?  Of course they do or we wouldn't be in the semis. 

[pedro25]

But the likes of Swansea were unlucky not to score past us as they hit the woodwork 3 times or whatever, you cant get much closer to scoring, just an inch or so in it.  Compare that to the pathetic header of Benteke last night, way off target from four yards, or his pathetic left foot pass back when put clean through, Bent's pathetic header well over with the goal gaping etc etc.  We had about twenty efforts on goal, many from excellent positions, I dont think one was aimed in the corners of the goal forcing the keeper to extend himself to save them, they were either straight at him or wide/over.

[amfy]

I thought about how luck plays a part over a season yesterday when I heard that Adebayor has decided to go to the ACN & will miss Spurs game against QPR. This just after Chelsea rested their best players against QPR handing them a morale boosting win where we got a morale sapping massacre.
These are the little things that make me think this isn't going to end well.

[Greg N'Ash]

meh. You make you're own luck and we certainly had it in the 1st half against Swansea. In relation to the defence and organisation, Lambert and Co would be wise to remember the famous quote

"It's a funny thing, the more I practice the luckier I get"

[saunders_heroes]

You generate your own luck. When you sell your best players and replace them with inferior ones don't be surprised when your luck runs out.

[paul_e]

I do think there's an element of bad luck to us currently, their first, for example was a shocking shot that Given would've saved comfortably before the deflection took it straight to the feet of their striker.

The thing with football though, is that you have to put yourself in the position to benefit from a bit of luck.  Put villa in the same position, would the player 25 yards out have taken on the shot?  Would one of our attackers have hung aeround in the position Wells was to make it look so easy?  You make your own luck by putting yourself in the situations to benefit from a bit of luck, we're not doing that so we never seem to get the lucky breaks that other teams do.

[ktvillan]

I think there was an element of poor luck with the first goal, but you can overcome such things if you play, and especially defend, properly.  We didn't, and having conceded over 20 goals in our last 6 games, that's got nothing to do with luck.

[QBVILLA]

I do think there's an element of bad luck to us currently, their first, for example was a shocking shot that Given would've saved comfortably before the deflection took it straight to the feet of their striker.

The thing with football though, is that you have to put yourself in the position to benefit from a bit of luck.  Put villa in the same position, would the player 25 yards out have taken on the shot?  Would one of our attackers have hung aeround in the position Wells was to make it look so easy?  You make your own luck by putting yourself in the situations to benefit from a bit of luck, we're not doing that so we never seem to get the lucky breaks that other teams do.

The two defenders walking out rather than running out to leave the player onside wasn't anything to do with luck though.

[saunders_heroes]

Claiming its bad luck is just looking for excuses. We were lucky we weren't 3-0 down after 20 mins at Liverpool the other week before we scored. Same at Swansea. We should have lost by 7 when we played Everton first game of the season etc.
no excuses - we are a very poor team, full stop.

[paul_e]

I do think there's an element of bad luck to us currently, their first, for example was a shocking shot that Given would've saved comfortably before the deflection took it straight to the feet of their striker.

The thing with football though, is that you have to put yourself in the position to benefit from a bit of luck.  Put villa in the same position, would the player 25 yards out have taken on the shot?  Would one of our attackers have hung aeround in the position Wells was to make it look so easy?  You make your own luck by putting yourself in the situations to benefit from a bit of luck, we're not doing that so we never seem to get the lucky breaks that other teams do.

The two defenders walking out rather than running out to leave the player onside wasn't anything to do with luck though.

Still doesn't stop the ball falling right at the feet of the striker being a lucky break, the opportunity to benefit from luck is manageable, the better sides don't allow teams those opportunities as often and et themselves into position to benefit more often, there's still an element of luck to it though.

[exigo]

We were lucky to only ship 8 goals at Chelsea.

[QBVILLA]

I do think there's an element of bad luck to us currently, their first, for example was a shocking shot that Given would've saved comfortably before the deflection took it straight to the feet of their striker.

The thing with football though, is that you have to put yourself in the position to benefit from a bit of luck.  Put villa in the same position, would the player 25 yards out have taken on the shot?  Would one of our attackers have hung aeround in the position Wells was to make it look so easy?  You make your own luck by putting yourself in the situations to benefit from a bit of luck, we're not doing that so we never seem to get the lucky breaks that other teams do.

The two defenders walking out rather than running out to leave the player onside wasn't anything to do with luck though.

Still doesn't stop the ball falling right at the feet of the striker being a lucky break, the opportunity to benefit from luck is manageable, the better sides don't allow teams those opportunities as often and et themselves into position to benefit more often, there's still an element of luck to it though.

True, but the ball would have fell at the feet of an offside striker had the defenders done their job properly, then Bradford would have felt unlucky that their goal had been offside.

[Ozzjim]

Their keeper had a blinder and yes we didn't get the rub of the green in the box. However, Bradford fully deserved their victory. The desire shown by their centre half for the third goal epitomised what they were about. For all of the praise Benteke has received this season he deserves fcuking for that third goal. I can only see us getting to the final if we score 4 or 5 in the second leg because I can't see this Villa side keeping a clean sheet. On the whole the team embarrassed the club last night and the only way to put that right is to show us on the pitch that it hurts them as much as it does us fans.

Benteke should be the near post screen on a corner, not marking man to man.

The second was a realy cluster feck of a goal, with Baker aimlessly ambling out to close down a cross he never got near, then Bennett not getting tight to the man heading it it, and Given watching it go by.


Overall - the defending from the moment they scored the first became a calamity.

Not scoring before we did was not luck either, it was poor, poor finishing. Weimann needs to be down the middle every week from now on, he sniffs chances and takes them.

[paul_e]

Their keeper had a blinder and yes we didn't get the rub of the green in the box. However, Bradford fully deserved their victory. The desire shown by their centre half for the third goal epitomised what they were about. For all of the praise Benteke has received this season he deserves fcuking for that third goal. I can only see us getting to the final if we score 4 or 5 in the second leg because I can't see this Villa side keeping a clean sheet. On the whole the team embarrassed the club last night and the only way to put that right is to show us on the pitch that it hurts them as much as it does us fans.

Benteke should be the near post screen on a corner, not marking man to man.

The second was a realy cluster feck of a goal, with Baker aimlessly ambling out to close down a cross he never got near, then Bennett not getting tight to the man heading it it, and Given watching it go by.


Overall - the defending from the moment they scored the first became a calamity.

Not scoring before we did was not luck either, it was poor, poor finishing. Weimann needs to be down the middle every week from now on, he sniffs chances and takes them.

Except for when he tried to cross early on when he really should've taken the chance on.