Wigan Athletic v Aston Villa Pre-Match Thread

[robbo1874]

I've been debating for the last few days if I would have accepted a Villa FA Cup win if we'd be relegated alongside it. On the one hand, it's a no brainer, but I'm desperate for us to lift it again in my lifetime. I'm not 100% on either side to be honest.

it would be great to win the cup but it would be a bit hollow if you got relegated in the same season. You wouldn't enjoy the cup win half as much and the memories of it would be forever tainted by the memories of relegation I'd imagine - just ask a bluenose if they enjoyed winning the cup and going down a coupele of months later!!!

[Percy McCarthy]

I've been debating for the last few days if I would have accepted a Villa FA Cup win if we'd be relegated alongside it. On the one hand, it's a no brainer, but I'm desperate for us to lift it again in my lifetime. I'm not 100% on either side to be honest.

it would be great to win the cup but it would be a bit hollow if you got relegated in the same season. You wouldn't enjoy the cup win half as much and the memories of it would be forever tainted by the memories of relegation I'd imagine - just ask a bluenose if they enjoyed winning the cup and going down a coupele of months later!!!

It's different for b-losers though. They expect to be relegated every few years. Aren't they the most relegated and promoted club in history? It's between them and West Ham I think.

[supertom]

I've been debating for the last few days if I would have accepted a Villa FA Cup win if we'd be relegated alongside it. On the one hand, it's a no brainer, but I'm desperate for us to lift it again in my lifetime. I'm not 100% on either side to be honest.

it would be great to win the cup but it would be a bit hollow if you got relegated in the same season. You wouldn't enjoy the cup win half as much and the memories of it would be forever tainted by the memories of relegation I'd imagine - just ask a bluenose if they enjoyed winning the cup and going down a coupele of months later!!!

Relegation would hurt us a lot more than it would Wigan. They're ground isn't Premier League size for starters. They average about 19k a home game. Whelan has been very careful not to overspend, and always gets top dollar if his stars move on.
We're still in the red right now and a club our size and wage to income revenue would suffer. Then there's no gaurantee that we'd come straight back up.
So the F.A Cup can go chuff itself to be honest. The F.A cup in all honesty has completely lost its magic now. It started on a slippery slope when Fergie took Utd out of it that one year and it's never been the same. It's got to a point that it's getting close to the sort of indifference that the League cup has now. I'd still love any sort of trophy for us now, but nuetrals just don't care anymore.
Cup final day used to be an event. I'd watched everyone up until having to miss one a few years back. Since then I don't think I've bothered.
Even the FA don't give a toss anymore. Shoving the final in whenever they see fit. Having it on a penultimate weekend at 5.15 in the evening is a disgrace. And actually, that may have contributed (not that I'm complaining) some small part in Wigan going down. Having a final to play with two league games left was a distraction they could have done without. FA cup should always be last game of the domestic season.

[dave.woodhall]

I've been debating for the last few days if I would have accepted a Villa FA Cup win if we'd be relegated alongside it. On the one hand, it's a no brainer, but I'm desperate for us to lift it again in my lifetime. I'm not 100% on either side to be honest.

it would be great to win the cup but it would be a bit hollow if you got relegated in the same season. You wouldn't enjoy the cup win half as much and the memories of it would be forever tainted by the memories of relegation I'd imagine - just ask a bluenose if they enjoyed winning the cup and going down a coupele of months later!!!

It's different for b-losers though. They expect to be relegated every few years. Aren't they the most relegated and promoted club in history? It's between them and West Ham I think.

It was them and Manchester City a few years ago.

[Damo70]

Bluenoses say you can never take away their victory over Arsenal to win the cup and they are 100% right (for once). But, even though their ownership was a car crash waiting to happen, they would be so much better off now if they had lost and stayed up. Robbo's comments a few posts ago sum it up for me - "hollow and tainted". They will never be able to separate the memories of beating Arsenal at Wembley and losing at Spurs to go down. A result that could still prove fatal to the club. Offer me 17th place and the FA cup next season and I will take it. 18th and the cup? No!

[Meanwood Villa]

Bluenoses say you can never take away their victory over Arsenal to win the cup and they are 100% right (for once). But, even though their ownership was a car crash waiting to happen, they would be so much better off now if they had lost and stayed up. Robbo's comments a few posts ago sum it up for me - "hollow and tainted". They will never be able to separate the memories of beating Arsenal at Wembley and losing at Spurs to go down. A result that could still prove fatal to the club. Offer me 17th place and the FA cup next season and I will take it. 18th and the cup? No!

Even if they'd gone out in the semis or lost in the final then it would still have been a great season for them. They beat us in the quarters after all and that's all that matters.

[Jimbo]

Their finest hour has been so enriching for them. They shunned it for decades, but it has sparked a new interest in the subject of history.

[Lizz]

Callum McManaman not available on Sunday due to injury according to SSN.

[Simon Ward]

0-0 I don't know what all the fuss is about!

[Matt Collins]

Either we'll win very comfortably or the lack of pressure will relax us too much. But I'm pretty confident we can win against a tired and dejected Wigan. And we can bring McCarthy back on the coach with us.

[tom jennings III]

I think we'll win it but something is telling me it might be a bit of a damp squib 0-1 type affair. 3 points is 3 points is 3 points as they say. I'm now just keen to get this season out of the way and hope everyone involved at the club has a long hard look at themselves and works out how we're going to take this magnificent football club forward.

[not3bad]

2-0 to Villa

[silhillvilla]

Wigan 2-5 Aston Villa

[damon loves JT]

It will be like an exhibition game. 6-5 or something. Great atmosphere, applause from us for their cup triumph, applause from them for Stan, Villa and Wigan fans to part the best of friends.

[silhillvilla]

Shame they're gone. Always enjoyed the cheap day out and pies that is Wigan
Would have much preferred stoke Sunderland Newcastle or Norwich to go