FA Cup Final - Pre-Match Thread

[passitsideways]

I'm happy for Marc and how he's done recently at Leicester, but I think he would have been too slow for Sherwood's liking.

[ChicagoLion]

Or for Theo to come in on wing and Ramsey to be more central .

Looking at Villa's full backs, Wenger would be nuts not to play Theo

By my reckoning he can only play 4 from Ozil, Wilshire, Ramsey, Corzola, Sanchez and  Walcott.
Coq au vin and Corzola have been his starting deep lying midfielders, Sanchez is certain to start. That leaves 2 places up for grabs.
I hope he leaves Walcott on the bench and plays Ozil.

[Ron Manager]

****fa cup thread*******

George Ramsey manager won fa cup with Villa 6 times Wenger if he wins equals that record he must be stopped.
That's some achievement by Ramsey and must be highlighted in the run up to the match .
I don't care whatever era thats an amazing achievement it just shows the illustrious history of villa as a football club and in the fa cup history!!

I'd like to see the BBC have a programme on history of fa cup through the ages .
Including interesting stats like that .

Villa Kicks. George Ramsey was not a Villa manager!!!!  He was the club secretary.

[in exile]

Looks like Alan Hutton might get his wish to play anywhere with Given injured and Steer cup tied
 

[cdbearsfan]

****fa cup thread*******

George Ramsey manager won fa cup with Villa 6 times Wenger if he wins equals that record he must be stopped.
That's some achievement by Ramsey and must be highlighted in the run up to the match .
I don't care whatever era thats an amazing achievement it just shows the illustrious history of villa as a football club and in the fa cup history!!

I'd like to see the BBC have a programme on history of fa cup through the ages .
Including interesting stats like that .

Villa Kicks. George Ramsey was not a Villa manager!!!!  He was the club secretary.

Debatable. A recent document unearthed by resident ancestry-expert Paulie Walnuts suggests that Ramsay (rather than Ramsey) did indeed list his profession as "football manager".

[Karlos96]

[Toronto Villa]

Typical. They got the colours wrong. Are Palace playing?

[dave.woodhall]

****fa cup thread*******

George Ramsey manager won fa cup with Villa 6 times Wenger if he wins equals that record he must be stopped.
That's some achievement by Ramsey and must be highlighted in the run up to the match .
I don't care whatever era thats an amazing achievement it just shows the illustrious history of villa as a football club and in the fa cup history!!

I'd like to see the BBC have a programme on history of fa cup through the ages .
Including interesting stats like that .

Villa Kicks. George Ramsey was not a Villa manager!!!!  He was the club secretary.

Debatable. A recent document unearthed by resident ancestry-expert Paulie Walnuts suggests that Ramsay (rather than Ramsey) did indeed list his profession as "football manager".

He could have called himself Emperor of France, but he still wouldn't have been Napoleon.

[Chipsticks]

I'm supposed to be on exam leave but I literally start shaking with excitement whenever I see these sort of things.

[Dave]

Fair enough, I'll have to disagree for my part. I thought he was going nowhere under Lambert so it was a good move for him, but that that was Lambert's fault rather than his.

It was Lambert's fault that we chose not to match the £40,000 per week that Leicester offered and are now paying him?

There aren't many people who have played for us in the last few years to whom I would offer £40,000 per week and Mark Albrighton is not even close to that list.

[KRS]

I'm slowly awakening from my post-Southampton and Burnley depression...if you believe in fate and the concept that everything happens for a reason, then my faith and confidence is being restored by the simple fact that there must be a reason why we have reached the FA Cup Final despite our worst ever Premier League campaign. I pray to McGrath that the Football Gods haven't brought us all this way to witness a cruel, bitter and twisted public humiliation and to shine favourable on us on this special day.

Disclaimer: this illogical logic doesn't work if you're a non-believer or support the Arsenal...someone has to lose and you were the chosen ones.

[amfy]

I'm supposed to be on exam leave but I literally start shaking with excitement whenever I see these sort of things.

I don't know how I can get through another 4 and a half days at this level. It's getting ridiculous - its like a bubble from the pit of my stomach to the top of my ribs, that I keep thinking might actually burst through the middle of my chest.

Last Sunday before the Burnley game, some were saying how great the feeling is of just 'being in a cup final', and that they almost don't want it to happen. I can relate to that, because on Saturday night, whether we have won or lost, it'll have been and gone.

.......but - it absolutely has to happen soon because I am seriously starting to fear that the excitement is going to kill me!

[martin o`who??]

Looks like Alan Hutton might get his wish to play anywhere with Given injured and Steer cup tied

Its not funny, its not big, and its not clever!!!....(lets hope its not prophetic either!!)

[VillaAlways]

FA Cup final: How Aston Villa made it to Wembley
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/32680463

[brontebilly]

If Delph, Cleverley and Westwood play to their very best levels (and Westwood did yesterday) we have a fair chance of winning. If Tim Sherwood plays the successful combination of Benteke, N'Zogbia and Grealish up front we have a very good chance indeed

If,however, he plays Agbonlahor in any position we might as well stay in the Midlands and watch it on the box.

Carlos Sanchez will more than likely come on at some stage to add some power to the midfield

Tim may need to change it around once or twice if things are going against us. One bonus of our last two dreadful performances is that certain Arsenal players may think they have won it already. Arsene Wenger wouldn't think that way but their pampered so called stars could show a lack of fight if we can get an early goal.

Christian Benteke the time has come. Your club needs you performing like the world star you could be. Destroy their defence!

Id drop Nzogbia also, Arsenal's midfield is miles better than Liverpool's and we cant afford to carry both Grealish and Nzogbia imo. Id start Bacuna to give us legs in midfield plus he is our most likely chance for an assist. Agreed on Gabby, impact sub at best.

--------------Guzan
Hutton, Vlaar, Baker, Rico
------------Westwood----------
Bacuna----Cleverley------Delph
-------------Grealish----------
------------Benteke-----------