Aston Villa v Middlesbrough League Cup Exit Thread

[tomd2103]

When we went down to ten I thought great - after all Bruce said only last week how hard it was to play against ten men so we now must surely go on to win. And how, in Bruce's mind, do you achieve that - you take a striker off and put a midfielder on to protect the 0-1. Having said that he started with a midfielder up front so it's no surprise really. The only plus tonight was there was no traffic after the game and got home in record time in spite of Park Circus being closed. I don't even get angry any more.

I didn't.  As soon as they scored that penalty it was game over. 

[olaftab]

Bruce reckons it was onside. Then again we know how accurate he is.

It was well offside and Middlesbrough scored again near the end. The ball hit the bar and was clearly over the line before being cleared. Goal line technology would have proved it.

Middlesbrough treated the game more seriously putting out a stronger side so the result was inevitable. Very few of that team will play on Saturday. McCormack and Elphick should never play in a Villa shirt again.

Agreed that Boro 3rd was over the line and should have stood however Elphick was NOT offside and as that would have been the opening goal  can  not be balanced out by Boro over/not over the line effort.

[olaftab]

It's just pathetic now. I'm sure he's got his excuses all fucking lined up. We're going to concentrate on the league, we don't have the squad depth, injuries, the fans don't understand.

Steve, you are a useless fucking wanker. You are just not qualified for this job. Fuck off to some poxy little club where you belong. Aston Villa and all that comes with it is way too big for you.

I wish you wouldn't fanny about with your words and come out and say what you mean.

[ciggiesnbeer]

When we went down to ten I thought great - after all Bruce said only last week how hard it was to play against ten men so we now must surely go on to win. And how, in Bruce's mind, do you achieve that - you take a striker off and put a midfielder on to protect the 0-1. Having said that he started with a midfielder up front so it's no surprise really. The only plus tonight was there was no traffic after the game and got home in record time in spite of Park Circus being closed. I don't even get angry any more.

Good point.

[Toronto Villa]

It's just pathetic now. I'm sure he's got his excuses all fucking lined up. We're going to concentrate on the league, we don't have the squad depth, injuries, the fans don't understand.

Steve, you are a useless fucking wanker. You are just not qualified for this job. Fuck off to some poxy little club where you belong. Aston Villa and all that comes with it is way too big for you.

I wish you wouldn't fanny about with your words and come out and say what you mean.

Exhausted by it all Olly. I'm tired as a fan of being taken for a fucking mug by this plonker. The football is utterly shit and so are his reasons game after game justifying why we should keep putting up with it. He's won the fucking lottery landing at Aston Villa. At least McLeish accepted that and throughout his tenure, as poor as it was never insulted our intelligence. This fucker acts like we owe him gratitude for having him. Like fuck we do.

You're a lucky bastard Steve Aston Villa still pays you.

[olaftab]

Yes I know what you mean. He counts his 2 club promotions when it suits him but doesn't mention relegations. He doesn't care much about us just concentrating on building his pension nest eggs

[OzVilla]

To be honest, this is all just collateral damage for where we find ourselves - a mid table Championship side that desperately needs to have a good run in the league to kick start the season. 

The LC was always going to be an under strength side largely full of the rabble that we've amassed over the last few seasons - with the likes of Richards and McCormack not even able to get in the second string starting line up. They really should be ashamed of that! But they wont be.

I hate to admit it but it IS all about the league at the moment and with the extra games you get in the Championship these are games we can do without. Like is say, the LC early rounds are just the inevitable collateral damage imo.
 

[mr underhill]

we never looked interested and that is unpardonable

[Clampy]

Disappointing not to have gone a bit further in the cup as it keeps the season ticking along. Fair play to everyone who went along, it didn't sound great at all.

[Mister E]

I applauded the idea of playing the kids. I liked the opportunity to give de Laet, Hogan and McGate a run-out. I hoped Onomah would be a driving force.
However: the whole set-up and 100% changes from Saturday seemed to be counterproductive and unnecessary.
Last evening proved that we may have a big squad but it is imbalanced (c.f. The CB situation) and contains too much dead weight (Richards, McGate, Flabby). After 11 months, one can argue convincingly that this is down to the manager and to Round.

[chrisw1]

When we went down to ten I thought great - after all Bruce said only last week how hard it was to play against ten men so we now must surely go on to win. And how, in Bruce's mind, do you achieve that - you take a striker off and put a midfielder on to protect the 0-1. Having said that he started with a midfielder up front so it's no surprise really. The only plus tonight was there was no traffic after the game and got home in record time in spite of Park Circus being closed. I don't even get angry any more.

There's a difference between playing against 10 men who are on level terms and just shutting up shop and being in a 10 men team who need a goal to get back into the game.  Can't you see that?

[Clampy]

I applauded the idea of playing the kids. I liked the opportunity to give de Laet, Hogan and McGate a run-out. I hoped Onomah would be a driving force.
However: the whole set-up and 100% changes from Saturday seemed to be counterproductive and unnecessary.
Last evening proved that we may have a big squad but it is imbalanced (c.f. The CB situation) and contains too much dead weight (Richards, McGate, Flabby). After 11 months, one can argue convincingly that this is down to the manager and to Round.

I kind of understood why he did it. We have got 3 league games in 8 days starting Saturday so that may have been in his thinking but yes, 100% changes was probably too much.

[Matt Collins]

Bjarnasson looks like a competition winner.

I can't believe he's actually paid to play football.

In the early stages Onomah was the only one who looked like he could create something up front.

So Bruce moved him thirty yards deeper and removed any chance of him creating anything.

From that point we were clearly not going to score.

I don't understand him, he's just such a fucking negative manager.

Bruce brings on a striker for an injured midfielder and it's "fucking negative"

[The Edge]

When we went down to ten I thought great - after all Bruce said only last week how hard it was to play against ten men so we now must surely go on to win. And how, in Bruce's mind, do you achieve that - you take a striker off and put a midfielder on to protect the 0-1. Having said that he started with a midfielder up front so it's no surprise really. The only plus tonight was there was no traffic after the game and got home in record time in spite of Park Circus being closed. I don't even get angry any more.

I didn't.  As soon as they scored that penalty it was game over.

Tom was being tongue in cheek. He was referring to Bruce's lame excuses after Middlesbrough went down to 10 men after 4 minutes in the league game.

[The Edge]

I applauded the idea of playing the kids. I liked the opportunity to give de Laet, Hogan and McGate a run-out. I hoped Onomah would be a driving force.
However: the whole set-up and 100% changes from Saturday seemed to be counterproductive and unnecessary.
Last evening proved that we may have a big squad but it is imbalanced (c.f. The CB situation) and contains too much dead weight (Richards, McGate, Flabby). After 11 months, one can argue convincingly that this is down to the manager and to Round.

I kind of understood why he did it. We have got 3 league games in 8 days starting Saturday so that may have been in his thinking but yes, 100% changes was probably too much.

If that's the case then the club should be charging a fiver for adults and free for kids. It does nobody any favours playing to an empty stadium.