Man City 2 Villa 1, Sept 1990

[LeeB]

Just stumbled across this on Youtube, don't remember seeing it elsewhere, but this seemingly unremarkable defeat was anything but, in my head at least.

I was there that night, and it remains the go to "unjustified defeat" in my memory bank.

It was early in Venglos brief reign,  we played some cracking football and battered them, I often think had this been won, early doors, things may have worked out better for Venglos. We showed some promise.

Anyway, it's worth a watch.

[dave.woodhall]

We had a few of those "didn't deserve to lose" games that season. Spurs away was another.

[OzVilla]

Can't believe this is nearly 25 years ago. We played really well and had it not been for 'Dibblegate' we'd have won. 

One thing I recall was walking through Moss Side before the game and noticing that the old back to back Coronation Street style house all had 2 things, a satellite dish and a yellow alarm box.  Funny what you remember.

[OzVilla]

We had a few of those "didn't deserve to lose" games that season. Spurs away was another.

Which I think was the next away game. Platt was especially good that day. Lost to a late Paul Allen goal iirc.

[pav]

Remember it well,  plant  lane,  evening kick off,  bloody Unjust

[LeeB]

The last minute defeat to Liverpool was cruel too, I'm sure that either the game before or after this one.

[dave.woodhall]

The last minute defeat to Liverpool was cruel too, I'm sure that either the game before or after this one.

Before. I think it was our first away game.

[Des Little]

I was there too. Real shame about Paul Lake...that City team of 88/89 were really good to watch. And this result was a sickener

[Villa in Denmark]

This game was my only visit to Maine Road.

The highlights have refreshed some foggy memories.
Bench seats in the Platt Lane stand.
The water sprinklers still spraying the pitch 10 minutes before kick-off after a near monsoon halt an hour beforehand.
For some reason there were people selling the Rangers fanzine Follow Follow outside our end. Eye opening reading as I recall.
Feeling like I was on the set of Coronation Street outside the ground.

Agree with some of the other comments.  We seemed to spend the first 3 months of the season bemoaning bad luck as you could see what Venglos was trying to do without ever looking completely convincing, then it all started to fall apart.
He couldn't adapt to English football enough and it seemed that the players couldn't adapt to him enough, so they never met somewhere in the middle.

[dave.woodhall]

All the players from that time now say they laughed at what Dr Jo wanted them to do then, and all clubs do it now. I always got the impresison as well that he didn't bother telling them not to do things like drink during the week because he never expected them to, so they carried on. 

[ez]

I went to this one. I travelled up on the train which was a mistake as there were no return trains after about 9pm. I slept the night in the railway station and got the train home the next morning. We played really well that night. Even though we lost i left with a lot of hope for the season. I certainly didn't think it would turn out as badly as it did.

[LeeB]

I went to this one. I travelled up on the train which was a mistake as there were no return trains after about 9pm. I slept the night in the railway station and got the train home the next morning. We played really well that night. Even though we lost i left with a lot of hope for the season. I certainly didn't think it would turn out as badly as it did.

In hindsight, whilst the appointment was quite brave, and managed and supported properly could have seen take the lead in modernising English football (like Wenger did instead a few years later), it had the massive caveat of being carried out by Doug.

Which meant he'd saw it as great opportunity to rest back the power ceded to Taylor, run things on the cheap again.

[Damo70]

I remember driving a few others there in my old man's Sierra estate. We hung around for a bit after the game and had a quick word with McGrath and Venglos. We were hard done by that night. I had been to Maine Road a few weeks before to see Bowie on the Sound And Vision tour.

[LeeB]

I remember driving a few others there in my old man's Sierra estate. We hung around for a bit after the game and had a quick word with McGrath and Venglos. We were hard done by that night. I had been to Maine Road a few weeks before to see Bowie on the Sound And Vision tour.

Went the year before too, the Sunday game that was on local TV, and my brother had the quarter-bumpers nicked off his Ford Capri Laser.

[Damo70]

I remember driving a few others there in my old man's Sierra estate. We hung around for a bit after the game and had a quick word with McGrath and Venglos. We were hard done by that night. I had been to Maine Road a few weeks before to see Bowie on the Sound And Vision tour.

Went the year before too, the Sunday game that was on local TV, and my brother had the quarter-bumpers nicked off his Ford Capri Laser.

I think that Sunday game was the one where myself and two mates went and visited another mate who was living in student accomodation in Moss Side. We went into a rough pub deep in City territory and people were staring at me. I realised I had a sort of anorak on which was claret and grey with a small Villa lion on it. It was so 'subtle' I had completely forgotten it was a Villa anorak but the eagle eyed locals were very observant.