Aston Villa vs Middlesbrough Post-Match Thread

[olaftab]

I was so nervous

In the first half it was unbearable. Though interestingly we were chatting to a Boro fan on the way back to Euston who said that he didn’t think they were going anywhere in that first half; which I think was true in hindsight. But pass thatvpoorly v Fulham and we'll have problems

Same here. First half was torture made worse by our reluctance to have a go at them but may be that was the plan. One incident to highlight that was when we had a free kick in their half about 5 minutes before HT  there wasn't a single Villa player in or near their box Hutton took it and played it sideways to one of the midfielders. lol...as the kids would say.

[Holte132]

Highlights

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Working for me.

[Brend'Watkins]

From the Boro forum:

"The atmosphere tonight was almost literally deafening, which anyone who goes away regularly will tell you is rare"

"At times the noise was hurting my ears. I've been going away a long time and that was loud"

"Agree with the OP. It was deafening"

Beautiful. Well done boys and girls. I hoped at half time everyone could shake the nerves and roar them over the line and we did. It sounds cheesy and cliche but attacking a packed Holte really does make a difference, it implores the players to attack and bays for a goal. Agree with Ads, you could tell second half the ground was on the verge of exploding if we'd scored.
Loved the rallying atmosphere last 15 minutes aswell. The claret and blue army chants all around the ground were superb.

Towards the end, where everybody was stood up [including us at the front of the upper Holte] and just constantly belting out the songs, it was loud as fuck. One of those occasions where it must have been incredibly intimidating to be in the away end and just be drowned out on a sea of noise. Sort of reminded me of the semi against Liverpool when with 5 minutes to go, there was this guttural roar from our end and we saw them home.

I didn't think we were quiet at all really, fantastic atmosphere, especially when it was a 0-0.

I got a sense of that too. This time it was from about 10 mins to go when there was a few full blooded block tackles. A sort of 'none shall pass' attitude. Over the years of supporting the club there is nothing more than our crowd like than full blooded effort from our players and we respond in kind.  It was great to see the place in such mood again.

[AV82EC]

I thought the noise last night was the best since that Blackburn semi, West Brom in the Cup was good but this was on another level.

[SoccerHQ]

I've already had an e-mail from Fulham about tickets as I always buy tickets for our game in the Neutral end and have been to the other odd game there.......my boss is a Fulham fan and doens't hink they'll sell out 38k.

I don't either despite it being ten minutes up the road. Fulham have hardcore support of about 15k. In the prem they got 25k due to increased away allocations and getting in tourists into that neutral section.

[Axl Rose]

Highlights

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Try www.goalsarena.org mate. It usually has all goals and highlights of Villa games from sky.

[chrisw1]

From the Boro forum:

"The atmosphere tonight was almost literally deafening, which anyone who goes away regularly will tell you is rare"

"At times the noise was hurting my ears. I've been going away a long time and that was loud"

"Agree with the OP. It was deafening"

Beautiful. Well done boys and girls. I hoped at half time everyone could shake the nerves and roar them over the line and we did. It sounds cheesy and cliche but attacking a packed Holte really does make a difference, it implores the players to attack and bays for a goal. Agree with Ads, you could tell second half the ground was on the verge of exploding if we'd scored.
Loved the rallying atmosphere last 15 minutes aswell. The claret and blue army chants all around the ground were superb.

What website is that from?

I thought it was the best atmosphere I'd ever heard at Vila Park.

I was walking to the ground via the estates and then down the side of the school and you could hear the noise a mile away pre-kick off. Singing going on in the queue to get in the Holte, good noise when we came out and generally through the first half.

Second half it just went up exponentially in volume. There was a point where nigh on the entire ground was stood up and belting it out and if Grabban's effort had gone in then ear drums would have been ruptured.

Towards the end, where everybody was stood up [including us at the front of the upper Holte] and just constantly belting out the songs, it was loud as fuck. One of those occasions where it must have been incredibly intimidating to be in the away end and just be drowned out on a sea of noise. Sort of reminded me of the semi against Liverpool when with 5 minutes to go, there was this guttural roar from our end and we saw them home.

I didn't think we were quiet at all really, fantastic atmosphere, especially when it was a 0-0.

Yeah, the atmosphere was electric, anyone suggesting it was quiet is either deaf or talking bollocks.

[saunders_heroes]

Nerve wracking night, but we were the better team and deserved it. One match away from the Premier League.

[Jon Crofts]

What was the banner hung from the roof of the Hole End? Was it unfurled, what did it say? Couldn't see it from upper Trinity.

I don't think that it was unfurled but I was sent this pic from earlier in the day



I was really concerned that it would come down after the game and say something tacky like "See you at Wembley"

However, I was hoping that it said "Feck You Downing"

E ARE VILL 

Thanks Sox.

[Jon Crofts]

May be a few more tickets available for the final.

[andyh]

May be a few more tickets available for the final.

Good.
I might be a miserable old bastard but anyone who they can identify as being on the pitch should not get a Wembley ticket, as a minimum.
The club pleaded with people not to break the law, but they still chose to.

I watched the end of the game when I got in and after the final whistle there were people strolling around the pitch like they were taking a Sunday afternoon stroll. Whole fucking families in some instances.

If they cant obey the law, or at least the request of the club the profess to love, then fuck ‘em all.

[olaftab]

Highlights

Is this not loading for anyone else?

Try www.goalsarena.org mate. It usually has all goals and highlights of Villa games from sky.

Cheers. I will bookmark this.

[Exeter 77]

A thoroughly professional performance by players and coaching staff.

I thought it was interesting that the pitch invasion appeared to be led from the Witton Lane stand (at least to me in the Upper Holte) by a girl who looked about 11.

[Jon Crofts]

May be a few more tickets available for the final.

Good.
I might be a miserable old bastard but anyone who they can identify as being on the pitch should not get a Wembley ticket, as a minimum.
The club pleaded with people not to break the law, but they still chose to.

I watched the end of the game when I got in and after the final whistle there were people strolling around the pitch like they were taking a Sunday afternoon stroll. Whole fucking families in some instances.

If they cant obey the law, or at least the request of the club the profess to love, then fuck ‘em all.

Can they also ban people who smoke those fucking electronic cigarettes whilst in their seats?

[Drummond]

May be a few more tickets available for the final.

Good.
I might be a miserable old bastard but anyone who they can identify as being on the pitch should not get a Wembley ticket, as a minimum.
The club pleaded with people not to break the law, but they still chose to.

I watched the end of the game when I got in and after the final whistle there were people strolling around the pitch like they were taking a Sunday afternoon stroll. Whole fucking families in some instances.

If they cant obey the law, or at least the request of the club the profess to love, then fuck ‘em all.

I can almost understand it if it's an immediate rush of blood to the head following a really tight match and an emotion of euphoria takes over. But, there were people queuing up to get on!