Aston Villa v Blackpool Post-Match Thread

[Legion]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...................................

[silhillvilla]

Attendance announced as circa 21500?
Looked more like 14000 to me

That's because that is what you predicted.

Really didn't look that many. As posted by others on other threads .

[Witton Warrior]

I didn't hear Lambert out. May be only heard by people who wanted to hear that😳

Went on after the goal as well

"We still want Lambert out"...

[dave.woodhall]

I don't think Villa would pay tax, VAT and Blackpool's share of 7,000 tickets they didn't really sell just to make an attendance look marginally less appalling.

[PeterWithesShin]

For there to be an attendance like 14K, the Holte and Lower North would be at least half empty. Like they were for Parma. And which they weren't today.

[PeterWithesShin]

I didn't hear Lambert out. May be only heard by people who wanted to hear that😳

Went on after the goal as well

"We still want Lambert out"...

That was quiet then as I didn't hear that after the goal.

[silhillvilla]

For there to be an attendance like 14K, the Holte and Lower North would be at least half empty. Like they were for Parma. And which they weren't today.

Fair point. I was probably focusing more on the Witton and trinity .
What was the Parma attendance ?

[Ads]

Poor stuff today. The balance still wasn't right. Cleverley and Westwood don't need to be in the same side, while we had no pace at all. Grealish looked poor and we huffed and puffed our way to what was looking like an unwelcome replay.

I hate cup games like this. None of he season ticket holders ever turn up and you get a load of weirdos turning up. You get the one gamers during normal league games, but they're normal. These early cup round types though are an unusual species.

[olaftab]

Parma didn't play today.

[Fin Feds Dad]

I didn't hear Lambert out. May be only heard by people who wanted to hear that😳

Went on after the goal as well

"We still want Lambert out"...

That was quiet then as I didn't hear that after the goal.

I heard it in the upper holte.

[PeterWithesShin]

For there to be an attendance like 14K, the Holte and Lower North would be at least half empty. Like they were for Parma. And which they weren't today.

Fair point. I was probably focusing more on the Witton and trinity .
What was the Parma attendance ?

Never announced as far as I know, if I had to guess i'd say 11-12K.

[London Villan]

Have there been any post match comments from Chuckles?

[olaftab]

I never ever hear anything from the Holte End.

[PeterWithesShin]

Paul Lambert said Villa were deserving winners in their FA Cup third round clash with Blackpool.

Villa saw off the Tangerines 1-0 courtesy of a classy goal from talismanic striker Christian Benteke late on.

Lambert was happy with the dominance Villa enjoyed throughout the 90 minutes - and the boss said he was confident the winner was coming.

He said: "We deserved to win the game.

"You have 90 minutes to win a match of football. It wasn't relief. We had so much of the ball again and the team sitting in against us.

"It's testament to ourselves that teams are falling right back against us.

"Credit to the players, it's never easy to unlock a team.

"We had Joe Cole, Christian Benteke and Jack Grealish in there - lots of talented players to make things happen.

"You just have to be patient with it. And the goal was great.

"We had chances before that and never managed to take them. But credit to the team for keeping with it.

"Hopefully that winning goal will kick us on.

"We had a lot of the ball. You've just got to keep knocking at the door.

"We never looked in trouble as such. You've just got to keep patient and build up to get the goal.

"All credit to the team for doing it.

"The lads are adapting brilliantly to the new style of play. You ask any of them how they feel. They are playing with the ball and having a lot of domination.

"You have to remember that the last few games, teams have sat in against us really, really deep.

"But the lads looked really comfortable with the ball. The last few games we've had so much of it.

"I am more at ease with looking at it. That's not to say you're not on knife's edge at times. You always have that feeling.

"But they look really good with the way they're playing and knocking it around and being patient with the ball.

"I am at ease with watching them playing.

"It was a brilliant goal that won it. The last few games, Christian has had big chances to score.

"But he's just come back from an injury so it could take him several games to get up to full speed. But it was a great goal."

Lambert also revealed Ron Vlaar's knee injury will be further assessed this next week.

[PeterWithesShin]

OS match report

Christian Benteke scored his first FA Cup goal to send Villa into the fourth round.

Just when a replay was looming, the Belgium international chested down a Carlos Sanchez pass and thundered home a powerful drive to break Blackpool's resolve.

The Championship strugglers had defended in depth for long periods, constantly frustrating Paul Lambert's men and prompting fears of a repeat of last year's third-round exit at the hands of Sheffield United.

But Benteke's stunning strike ensured that Villa's name will be in the fourth round draw.

Despite enjoying territorial supremacy, Villa continually found themselves thwarted by the visitors' well-organised defence in the opening half hour, with clear-cut chances at a premium.

Jores Okore met Ashley Westwood's left wing corner with a far-post volley that was much too high, while Alan Hutton felt he should have had a penalty when he was brought down as he surged into the area.

Referee Chris Foy ignored his appeal, however, and the Scotland international's frustration was summed up when he was booked for a tackle from behind on Charles Dunne.

Blackpool barely threatened during that opening 30 minutes, other than a Steve Davies shot on the turn which deflected for a corner and long-range efforts by Andrea Orlandi and former Villa striker Nathan Delfouneso.

But in the 37th minute there was a real scare when Orlandi's low angled drive forced Shay Given into his first serious save, the keeper diving to his left to tip the ball away for a corner after it took a deflection off Ciaran Clark.

After Tom Cleverley had fired over from 25 yards, Hutton's drive was blocked before it could do any danger, enabling keeper Joe Lewis to make a comfortable save.

On the stroke of half-time, though Villa produced the best move so far, Cleverley and Jack Grealish combining well to set up Benteke for a right-foot drive which crashed into the side netting.

Delfouneso was close to breaking the deadlock just after half-time, the striker controlling Jamie O'Hara's lofted pass before sending a low shot beyond the far post as Given narrowed the angle.

It was a let-off which seemed to spur Lambert's men into a more urgent approach.

Benteke's shot on the turn was charged down by a defender before Sanchez forced Lewis into an excellent save.

And the keeper did even better to tip the ball on to a post and behind for a corner when Benteke found space to unleash a powerful right-foot volley.

Villa continued to dominate, although Given had to be at his best to tip over a rising left-foot drive from Ismael Miller after the former Albion striker, on as a sub for Davies, had cut in from left.

But Villa's dominance was finally rewarded when Benteke controlled Sanchez's pass on the edge of the penalty area and sent a tremendous drive past Lewis.