John Gregory interview in The Guardian

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Villa's "what might have been" is a massive thread in itself.

[Toronto Villa]

Villa's "what might have been" is a massive thread in itself.

it would require a team of head doctors to moderate it otherwise there will be grown men crying uncontrollably and others threatening to jump off bridges throughout the thread.

[Pat McMahon]

It's one of those sliding doors moments, isn't it?

What if we had actually gone for it in the second half at Wembley.

What if we hadn't bulldozed the Trinity for an extra 4000 seats (that we've rarely filled).

Can't blame Gregory for the latter, but those events that occurred within a few weeks of each other in 2000 damaged the club in different ways.

in some ways similar to "what if Sir Graham hadn't taken the England job". That still kills me to think what might have been?

My sliding doors moment was always Andy Lochhead's tame shot at Wembley in 1971.

[el león Benidorm]

It's one of those sliding doors moments, isn't it?

What if we had actually gone for it in the second half at Wembley.


What if we hadn't bulldozed the Trinity for an extra 4000 seats (that we've rarely filled).

Can't blame Gregory for the latter, but those events that occurred within a few weeks of each other in 2000 damaged the club in different ways.

in some ways similar to "what if Sir Graham hadn't taken the England job". That still kills me to think what might have been?

My sliding doors moment was always Andy Lochhead's tame shot at Wembley in 1971.

Mine will always be the 0-0 against Coventry... Things could have been oh so different now!

[Pat McMahon]

The 2000 final was a tragedy seeing that Chelsea were bloody awful too and a bit more adventurousness would have got them on the back foot.

I thought they were just better than us all round. And if you look at the likes of Deschamps, Weah, Desailly, Zola you can see why. They cranked it up in the second half and we were unable to do much about it. We were definitely too timid but they had some class players. An awful day.

[Toronto Villa]

The 2000 final was a tragedy seeing that Chelsea were bloody awful too and a bit more adventurousness would have got them on the back foot.

I thought they were just better than us all round. And if you look at the likes of Deschamps, Weah, Desailly, Zola you can see why. They cranked it up in the second half and we were unable to do much about it. We were definitely too timid but they had some class players. An awful day.

You're right about some of the talent on their side but it was much more than that. We had very good players too, but we set up all week in training to stop them playing and not look at ways to take advantage of our strengths. It was all so negative, from the manager down and once the game was being played it was too late. The players didn't believe and it showed. That is what Gregory probably regrets the most. Is that he created a situation that didn't need to exist. In essence it's what Lambert became and couldn't break himself of.

I can take us losing this weekend. I just hate it when we set up not to win and play for a jammy goal, or something on the break and park the bus tactics. Arsenal are a really good side so we will need to both adventurous yet disciplined. Give them too much room and they will carve us up. But they are not unbeatable and their defence and goalkeeper aren't the best. And their manager's own insecurity can transmit to the team so we need to get into them and frustrate them. It should be a tremendous contest if we get our plans and importantly heads right this week.

[bob]

His biggest error was changing a winning team & brining his old favourites in for the cup final team.  I loved him like Tim now for his almost maverick style, but that day - for whatever reason - he chose to play safe.

Fear of failure. He's quote said it all - the sight of 40,000 Villa fans and that they've got to come past these so make sure you don't lose. That fear probably came through to the players on the day. You imagine Sherwood would see it the other way, commenting on the crowd and then saying 'go win it for them'. Don't lose becomes go and win it - it sets the right mental attitude and instead of looking really nervous, they're then playing with freedom.

wat

You’ve got to come back past this lot and back into the dressing room. Make sure you win.

[ADVILLAFAN]

It's one of those sliding doors moments, isn't it?

What if we had actually gone for it in the second half at Wembley.


What if we hadn't bulldozed the Trinity for an extra 4000 seats (that we've rarely filled).

Can't blame Gregory for the latter, but those events that occurred within a few weeks of each other in 2000 damaged the club in different ways.

in some ways similar to "what if Sir Graham hadn't taken the England job". That still kills me to think what might have been?

My sliding doors moment was always Andy Lochhead's tame shot at Wembley in 1971.

Mine will always be the 0-0 against Coventry... Things could have been oh so different now!

If sodding Phil sodding Dowd had sent off Vidic I'm near certain we'd have won the League Cup in 2010.

[el león Benidorm]

It's one of those sliding doors moments, isn't it?

What if we had actually gone for it in the second half at Wembley.


What if we hadn't bulldozed the Trinity for an extra 4000 seats (that we've rarely filled).

Can't blame Gregory for the latter, but those events that occurred within a few weeks of each other in 2000 damaged the club in different ways.

in some ways similar to "what if Sir Graham hadn't taken the England job". That still kills me to think what might have been?

My sliding doors moment was always Andy Lochhead's tame shot at Wembley in 1971.

Mine will always be the 0-0 against Coventry... Things could have been oh so different now!

If sodding Phil sodding Dowd had sent off Vidic I'm near certain we'd have won the League Cup in 2010.

Yes but we would still have pube head as a manager. Just papering over the cracks with mostly bullshit signings.

In 93 we had a chance to really launchpad the club, but we missed out... big time.

[Nelly]

It's one of those sliding doors moments, isn't it?

What if we had actually gone for it in the second half at Wembley.


What if we hadn't bulldozed the Trinity for an extra 4000 seats (that we've rarely filled).

Can't blame Gregory for the latter, but those events that occurred within a few weeks of each other in 2000 damaged the club in different ways.

in some ways similar to "what if Sir Graham hadn't taken the England job". That still kills me to think what might have been?

My sliding doors moment was always Andy Lochhead's tame shot at Wembley in 1971.

Mine will always be the 0-0 against Coventry... Things could have been oh so different now!

A recent one is probably that Stoke game where we were miles ahead of Arsenal in the race for fourth and we blew it. Never got back in our stride and the season(s) subsequently petered out.

[Grande Pablo]

It's one of those sliding doors moments, isn't it?

What if we had actually gone for it in the second half at Wembley.


What if we hadn't bulldozed the Trinity for an extra 4000 seats (that we've rarely filled).

Can't blame Gregory for the latter, but those events that occurred within a few weeks of each other in 2000 damaged the club in different ways.

in some ways similar to "what if Sir Graham hadn't taken the England job". That still kills me to think what might have been?

My sliding doors moment was always Andy Lochhead's tame shot at Wembley in 1971.

Mine will always be the 0-0 against Coventry... Things could have been oh so different now!

I'm with you on that one.  I remember Leigh Jenkinson twatting about wasting time before taking a throw in before the end & getting as livid as I've ever got at any Villa match.  Piss poor pro & instantly forgettable, but if I ever bumped into him...

[West Derby Villan]

John G did his best but couldn't take the next step. Still love the bloke he's one of us. Always was always will be, hope he has a full recovery. Real football personality and as far as I'm concerned a proper Villan

[The Laughing Policeman]

JG is live on Midlands Today this evening.

[el león Benidorm]

It's one of those sliding doors moments, isn't it?

What if we had actually gone for it in the second half at Wembley.


What if we hadn't bulldozed the Trinity for an extra 4000 seats (that we've rarely filled).

Can't blame Gregory for the latter, but those events that occurred within a few weeks of each other in 2000 damaged the club in different ways.

in some ways similar to "what if Sir Graham hadn't taken the England job". That still kills me to think what might have been?

My sliding doors moment was always Andy Lochhead's tame shot at Wembley in 1971.

Mine will always be the 0-0 against Coventry... Things could have been oh so different now!

I'm with you on that one.  I remember Leigh Jenkinson twatting about wasting time before taking a throw in before the end & getting as livid as I've ever got at any Villa match.  Piss poor pro & instantly forgettable, but if I ever bumped into him...

Nothing smarts more than them Cov twats celebrating like they'd won the league when the Manure/Sheff Wednesday score came in. Horrible w@nkers

[Richard E]

It's one of those sliding doors moments, isn't it?

What if we had actually gone for it in the second half at Wembley.


What if we hadn't bulldozed the Trinity for an extra 4000 seats (that we've rarely filled).

Can't blame Gregory for the latter, but those events that occurred within a few weeks of each other in 2000 damaged the club in different ways.

in some ways similar to "what if Sir Graham hadn't taken the England job". That still kills me to think what might have been?

My sliding doors moment was always Andy Lochhead's tame shot at Wembley in 1971.

Mine will always be the 0-0 against Coventry... Things could have been oh so different now!

I'm with you on that one.  I remember Leigh Jenkinson twatting about wasting time before taking a throw in before the end & getting as livid as I've ever got at any Villa match.  Piss poor pro & instantly forgettable, but if I ever bumped into him...

You've reassured me that there was actually once a player called Leigh Jenkinson and I'm not going senile. I was beginning to think I'd imagined him.