Aston Villa v WBA Post Match Thread

[Keeno]

Thought we were good value for the win on the second half's performance. From the off we moved the ball much more quickly and even with the eventual breakthrough being a strike from outside the box, looked far more dangerous than in the first when they were very happy and we were sluggish.

Gayle red card is as good as going 3-1 up in my view into the second leg - they reminded me of a Bruce team after going 1-0 up, playing 5-4-1 for the whole game - the spaces that they will leave in the second leg is perfect for us as they've been very dodgy at the back all year.

Grealish's movement in the second half and the introduction of Conor was the key - Jack stayed much higher up the pitch and didn't just stay in the inside left channel that he'd been in for most of the first half. The assist for Conor was a great example of that. Smith deserves credit for that slight tactical adjustment.

[GarTomas]

They came to dig in and hit us on the break and it worked to an extent.  Poor goal to give away.

Resting our big 4 didn’t seem to help as none of them seemed at it today!

[hilts_coolerking]

The problem Gayle had was that he had just got away with one, so the ref had no option.

And I forgot to mention his Rivaldo antics after a nothing tussle with [can't remember who].

[Flamingo Lane]

It was quite unbelievably stupid from Gayle in the second half.  Booked for time wasting, should have got a second yellow for a body check a few minutes later, and then with the final whistle looming he gets himself sent off for a pointless lunge at the goalkeeper, thereby significantly reducing his side's chances in the second leg.  Footballers never cease to amaze me at how brain dead they can be.

Hilarious!

Especially when he greeted his first yellow with an 'I don't care' smirk.

[OzVilla]

The Gayle 2nd booking was as much a totting up booking as anything else. And you can’t appeal yellows which technically that was.

The Eddie on WM you lot bang on about sounds a complete dipstick.

[saint13]

Eddie on WM now. Albion "favourites" penalty "iffy" etc.

He is a complete Twat!

[eamonn]

I thought Gayle's second was harsh, the ball is there to be won, goalies are ugly for a reason. If it had happened to Tammy we would have thought we were unfairly done. Abraham almost gave away a penalty for that bone-headed attempt to win a header in our box. Karma for the hand of Rod, I guess.

I only saw the second half but thought we were a little lucky, there seemed little fluidity in our play until Hitz II's howitzer and I'm not sure we would have got the winner from open play. If we manage the second leg OK, I just worry that we'll play like this against Leeds at Wembley and won't get away with it again. I wish Mings would stop heading clearances without looking, they keep going straight back to the opposition.

[paul_e]

I thought Gayle's second was harsh, the ball is there to be played, goalies are ugly for a reason. If it had happened to Tammy we would have thought we were unfairly done. Abraham almost gave away a penalty for that bone-headed attempt to win a header in our box. Karma for the hand of Rod, I guess.

I thought we were lucky, there seemed little fluidity in our play until Hitz II's howitzer and I'm not sure we would have got the winner from open play. If we manage the second leg OK, I just worry that we'll play like this against Leeds at Wembley and won't get away with it again.

I disagree, when you're on a yellow and have got away with one that's a pointless challenge to make, there was no chance of him getting the ball. There wasn't a great deal of contact but it was late and, as has been said, purely on totting up he was in trouble.

[Toronto Villa]

Radio WM will be incredulous. How dare we beat one of their teams

[aj2k77]

I did say that if we scored they'd shit themselves and so they did and went to pot. We were the better team, despite underperforming to our full capabilities. Very proud of the team and their heart and spirit and we have one foot in the final, Bitters have a hard second leg having to come at us without their best player.

Congratulations Villa boys.

[brontebilly]

We need to be positive and ram it down their necks in the 2nd LEg

I think we need a number of changes to be honest. A lot went in our favour today, Dawson and Johansen going off injured, Gayle's red card. Thought we looked very vulnerable at set pieces and they arguably should have had a penalty.

Fair play to Hourihane, has done little wrong to be dropped and changed the game when he came on. Brilliant strike and so important.

Both our centre halves were poor, Taylor tried hard but his limitations on the ball were painful. We need Hause to come back in and also give us more presence defending set pieces. AA was awful and Green will have to come in for him. Thought McGinn was anonymous aswell, playing about 10 yards too high up the pitch.

Jack came up with huge moments but our best three today were Elmo, Steer and El Ghazi.

[GarTomas]

Radio WM will be incredulous. How dare we beat one of their teams

They are talking through the Albion injury list.

[brontebilly]

That Tyrone Mears is utterly useless aswell.

[clash city rocker]

Just seen Tammy's after match interview. He said.....We are Aston Villa. I think he loves it here.

[b23]