Aston Villa v Man City, a referee and two linesmen Post Match Thread

[Villa Lew]

Was thinking before we scored, that this could be another 6 goal hammering, but thankfully thanks to a much improved 2nd half that didn't happened. despite Jack not being at his best, still came inches away from taking it to extra time.

Delighted for Ally scoring on his Wembley debut, think he could be a good signing for us, if you give him the service, he knows where the net is.

[Richard E]

The two highlights yesterday were our goal, which was a cracker, and meeting so many of you good people.

[wozwebs]

Saw five different fights, only one of them involving a City fan.

Real mixed thoughts about one of them, some absolutely bladdered fat bloke in his 60s was bumbling around our block making a right nuisance of himself, I moved him out of my seat and he went behind me, fell over the chair and onto my ten year old over making her cry. We had words and he went off and fell again, down the stairs and whacking his head. Against my judgement I went to his aid and helped him up and to summon first aid whilst a lad I didn't know who was next to me comforted my daughter, he was great with her, a real gent. Then a few minutes later he and his mates were on the verge of a punch up with the row in front of them which upset her again. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Then we scored and big love broke out with all forgotton and hugs all round.

Pissed bloke ended up asleep a few seats away, he didn't stir through the whole second half.

Takes all sorts…...

Block 549? Sounded like by us.

[SoccerHQ]

I thought we played ok.  City overloaded the wide areas in the first half really well and we ask AEG and Elmo to tuck in rather than mark their wider players, thus making it look like Freddie and Targett were struggling.  Just good play from City imo.  Robbed for the second goal but defended it poorly.  It's absolutely no good whatsoever playing like we did today if we shit it against Leicester City next week or every other game we go into.  We have some talent but need the consistency to go with it.   Much improved from Nakamba.  Jack was kept quiet unfortunately.  Not sure why we didn't go two up top for the last 15 though.  We gave it a go.

I can't agree with giving it a go. People said the same about spurs. We created very little except the corner in the second half. We have them all the possession, defended poorly and gifted goals, barely won a header in midfield. Really disappointed about the performance.

Man. City aren't really the sort of team you can really push under sustained pressure in a major final.

I can only go over their last appearences with Guardiola as manager but in the cup final last season Watford had only two shots on target and got smashed.

In last season's league cup final Chelsea had zero shots on target but defended their way to penalties. In 2018 Arsenal had two shots on target and five off.

Even when Wolves beat them earlier this season they scored from their only two shots on target and their goal didn't come until 80th minute. Same for Norwich when they beat them 3-2.

Please show me all these teams that have 5-6 shots on target and 10 corners against them, it simply dosen't happen. Even in the week Real Madrid had just 1 corner and 3 shots on target v them and they played a stronger team v us!

To beat them you have to defend very well for an hour and then they'll get frustrated and leave spaces at the back. Helps if you have lots of pace in the final third aswell.

Yesterday was similar to 2010 final with the obligatory awful ref decision. I wasn't too disappointed after that game about how we played although in hindsight it was the beginning of the end as us as a major force at the top end of the league.

[KKAVFC]

https://mobile.twitter.com/AVFCTransTweet/status/1234234774790852609?cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjc18y&refsrc=email

I also witnessed these scenes from high up in block 547, was pointing it out to a few people in & around me who were unaware. Hard to believe this happens in a day & age where CCTV is everywhere and the images of the perpetrators are pretty clear so let's hope they are identified and given lifetime bans. I feel for the innocents who get unwittingly caught up up in any of this as it's often "pot luck" where you are seated if it kicks off. Love those on the fringes calling out the idiots and telling them to "f**k off out of our club". Let's hope the stewards who eventually intervened have made the Met aware. So much for Christian Purslow asking everyone to behave after the issues at other games, we really shouldn't need reminding but obviously a few scumbags will never learn. As has been said before I met some proper nice supporters yesterday who despite the result had a great day out and the team did us proud as did the majority of our fans. UTV

[wozwebs]

Was thinking before we scored, that this could be another 6 goal hammering, but thankfully thanks to a much improved 2nd half that didn't happened. despite Jack not being at his best, still came inches away from taking it to extra time.

Delighted for Ally scoring on his Wembley debut, think he could be a good signing for us, if you give him the service, he knows where the net is.

Yes, one great ball in from El Ghazi and we score off it. One true bit of quality we showed in fairness. Really need to play with wingers just delivering balls into Ally as I'm sure he'll net us a fair few if the supply is right.

Had a great day regardless of the result. Was my lad's 11th birthday so took his friend and they were still all smiles even at FT.

[AsTallAsLions]

Was thinking before we scored, that this could be another 6 goal hammering, but thankfully thanks to a much improved 2nd half that didn't happened. despite Jack not being at his best, still came inches away from taking it to extra time.

Delighted for Ally scoring on his Wembley debut, think he could be a good signing for us, if you give him the service, he knows where the net is.

Yes, one great ball in from El Ghazi and we score off it. One true bit of quality we showed in fairness. Really need to play with wingers just delivering balls into Ally as I'm sure he'll net us a fair few if the supply is right.

Had a great day regardless of the result. Was my lad's 11th birthday so took his friend and they were still all smiles even at FT.

Great to hear that

[john e]

honestly don’t think there’s another club that has so much in fighting going on between its own fans

we weren’t near any yesterday but could see it going off behind the goal at HT

[SoccerHQ]

Good write up here.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/mar/01/aston-villa-take-seat-at-top-table-but-leave-with-worry-theyll-never-belong

Good piece. I grew up with us as a major club. And, to be fair, we have been in four major finals since 2000. Still, it is sickening to see how the game has evolved since 1996 and how we have been passed out by clubs that were way below us.

We simply need to sign better players. Within three years of being taken over Man. City had signed Robinho, Aguero, Yaya Toure, Tevez, Adebayor, Gareth Barry, Milner, Shay Given and many more that I've forgotten.

Some were flops but one is still there scoring in cup finals and generally those signings made worldwide headlines and Man. City a very attractive team to sign for.

When you look at our 11 yesterday who had experienced of winning a major cup final? Can only think of Reina who didn't play.

It's disappointing when I see Purslow admitting even this summer we couldn't spend to sign players on the wages of what Brighton are signing. That's a team who could get relegated with us.

Different times but in the 90s our team was stacked with top international players like Bozzy, Townsend, Southgate, Savo, Yorke etc. Even more in the 94 class and again the team that made the 2000 final was also of that ilk, the tactics were just too negative on the day as we know.

Hopefully we'll learn our lesson. Next time we spend 100m + get in two-three major players for about 70m to get people to sit up and take notice and then you plug the gap with experienced frees and loans to beef up the squad.

[kippaxvilla2]

But it is possible to put together a very competitive squad with less than the money we spent.  Some of these lads we have signed with a few seasoned tough premier league professionals would’ve seen us comfortably mid table in my view.  Cahill instead of Konsa for example. 

[Villafirst]

Good write up here.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/mar/01/aston-villa-take-seat-at-top-table-but-leave-with-worry-theyll-never-belong

Good piece. I grew up with us as a major club. And, to be fair, we have been in four major finals since 2000. Still, it is sickening to see how the game has evolved since 1996 and how we have been passed out by clubs that were way below us.

We simply need to sign better players. Within three years of being taken over Man. City had signed Robinho, Aguero, Yaya Toure, Tevez, Adebayor, Gareth Barry, Milner, Shay Given and many more that I've forgotten.

Some were flops but one is still there scoring in cup finals and generally those signings made worldwide headlines and Man. City a very attractive team to sign for.

When you look at our 11 yesterday who had experienced of winning a major cup final? Can only think of Reina who didn't play.

It's disappointing when I see Purslow admitting even this summer we couldn't spend to sign players on the wages of what Brighton are signing. That's a team who could get relegated with us.

Different times but in the 90s our team was stacked with top international players like Bozzy, Townsend, Southgate, Savo, Yorke etc. Even more in the 94 class and again the team that made the 2000 final was also of that ilk, the tactics were just too negative on the day as we know.

Hopefully we'll learn our lesson. Next time we spend 100m + get in two-three major players for about 70m to get people to sit up and take notice and then you plug the gap with experienced frees and loans to beef up the squad.

Yes, but Man Citeh spent ridiculous amounts of money in the early days without the restrictions of FFP. We could've done the same, but we're hampered by FFP; ironically created first by Chelsea and then Citeh. Pity our owners didn’t takeover in 2010....

[PeterWithe]

Good write up here.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/mar/01/aston-villa-take-seat-at-top-table-but-leave-with-worry-theyll-never-belong

Very well written piece that, bleak but well written all the same.

[SoccerHQ]

But it is possible to put together a very competitive squad with less than the money we spent.  Some of these lads we have signed with a few seasoned tough premier league professionals would’ve seen us comfortably mid table in my view.  Cahill instead of Konsa for example. 

I was calling for Gary Cahill for most of last summer in fairness. Agree with your point and only have to look 15 miles west to see how well a team can do when they sign players with 100 + caps for Portugal and many seasons as a regular in CL.

[SoccerHQ]

Good write up here.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/mar/01/aston-villa-take-seat-at-top-table-but-leave-with-worry-theyll-never-belong

Good piece. I grew up with us as a major club. And, to be fair, we have been in four major finals since 2000. Still, it is sickening to see how the game has evolved since 1996 and how we have been passed out by clubs that were way below us.

We simply need to sign better players. Within three years of being taken over Man. City had signed Robinho, Aguero, Yaya Toure, Tevez, Adebayor, Gareth Barry, Milner, Shay Given and many more that I've forgotten.

Some were flops but one is still there scoring in cup finals and generally those signings made worldwide headlines and Man. City a very attractive team to sign for.

When you look at our 11 yesterday who had experienced of winning a major cup final? Can only think of Reina who didn't play.

It's disappointing when I see Purslow admitting even this summer we couldn't spend to sign players on the wages of what Brighton are signing. That's a team who could get relegated with us.

Different times but in the 90s our team was stacked with top international players like Bozzy, Townsend, Southgate, Savo, Yorke etc. Even more in the 94 class and again the team that made the 2000 final was also of that ilk, the tactics were just too negative on the day as we know.

Hopefully we'll learn our lesson. Next time we spend 100m + get in two-three major players for about 70m to get people to sit up and take notice and then you plug the gap with experienced frees and loans to beef up the squad.

Yes, but Man Citeh spent ridiculous amounts of money in the early days without the restrictions of FFP. We could've done the same, but we're hampered by FFP; ironically created first by Chelsea and then Citeh. Pity our owners didn’t takeover in 2010....

We spent ridiculous amounts under Lerner. We had a pretty good team in fairness, certainly far more experience and quality than we do now but it still wasn't quite good enough for what we wanted then due to the then manager's refusal to sign foreign players.

We spent loads in 2015 although that was the most difficult task given how we lost that summer and the general mess of the club.

We spent huge amounts in the championship yet still had very few players capable of the step up when we eventually got promoted.

One day it will all come together. Joined up thinking between manager, DOF and owners on short term and long term thinking regarding squad building and we'll have good seasons and hopefully win something. Will be all the more sweeter given the last decade.

[SheffieldVillain]

Good write up here.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2020/mar/01/aston-villa-take-seat-at-top-table-but-leave-with-worry-theyll-never-belong

Good piece. I grew up with us as a major club. And, to be fair, we have been in four major finals since 2000. Still, it is sickening to see how the game has evolved since 1996 and how we have been passed out by clubs that were way below us.

We simply need to sign better players. Within three years of being taken over Man. City had signed Robinho, Aguero, Yaya Toure, Tevez, Adebayor, Gareth Barry, Milner, Shay Given and many more that I've forgotten.

Some were flops but one is still there scoring in cup finals and generally those signings made worldwide headlines and Man. City a very attractive team to sign for.

When you look at our 11 yesterday who had experienced of winning a major cup final? Can only think of Reina who didn't play.

It's disappointing when I see Purslow admitting even this summer we couldn't spend to sign players on the wages of what Brighton are signing. That's a team who could get relegated with us.

Different times but in the 90s our team was stacked with top international players like Bozzy, Townsend, Southgate, Savo, Yorke etc. Even more in the 94 class and again the team that made the 2000 final was also of that ilk, the tactics were just too negative on the day as we know.

Hopefully we'll learn our lesson. Next time we spend 100m + get in two-three major players for about 70m to get people to sit up and take notice and then you plug the gap with experienced frees and loans to beef up the squad.

The game has moved on. Harry Maguire now costs 80m, Wan-Bissaka 50m.

Man City got Aguero and Robinho for 30m each as I remember, Milner cost 20m?

These days, there is no earthly way we would get two or three of the kind of players you are talking about for 70m. Which is I suspect why Purslow et al decided to go down the route of growing our own as Leicester did with Kante, Mahrez, Maddison, Maguire and so on.