Middlesbrough v Aston Villa pre-match thread

[Smirker]

I have a mate who was at 4 of our five League Cup wins, at Highbury in '81 and Rotterdam the following year. If only for him, I'd like us to win the FA Cup and if there was only one final ticket between us, he'd have it.

Cheers, mate. Hopefully we'll both get tickets but thanks for the heads up.

😂🎟️

[Jon Crofts]

January 26 1957 Villa were away to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup and we all know what happened next. It’s an omen I tell ya.

[LeeB]

January 26 1957 Villa were away to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup and we all know what happened next. It’s an omen I tell ya.

Can look forward to Jhon Duran innocently smashing Andre Onana's jaw Iin May then.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

We haven't won anything since 1996 so winning any 1 of the 3 would be marvellous.
Win 2 out of the 3 would be unbelievable.
Get all 3 and would be beyond our wildest dreams.

[Mister E]

Last won the year before my birth (I like to claim that I was conceived as a result of the celebrations following our win, but neither of my folks had any interest in Football or the Villa), so - for me - it's a quest we need to fufill, and soon!

[VillaTim]

We haven't won anything since 1996 so winning any 1 of the 3 would be marvellous.
Win 2 out of the 3 would be unbelievable.
Get all 3 and would be beyond our wildest dreams.

yes we have (2001)

[itmustbe_it is!]

Just watched the MOTD extended highlights of Liverpool v Villa FA Cup Quarter Final 1991/92 here:

Some observations:

- Two well-matched sides. As shown in the final league standings that season. Home advantage probably the marginal difference helping Liverpool win through. Seems that they missed important players like John Barnes and Ronnie Whelan for most of that season through injury. Both played in this game and in the post-match interview Souness said that it was the first time all season he had been able to play something like his strongest XI.

- I was surprised to see back-passes still allowed. I was sure they had been outlawed the previous year.

 - McGrath helped instigate two of our best opportunities to score. Grobbelar was the busier of the goalkeepers. Thomas, before his goal, and Atkinson later, had the two best chances outside of the winning goal. Froggatt, young and eager to impress as a sub, over-hit the cross to Dalian. A little less pace on the ball and he would (probably) have buried it.

- Grobbelaar gave the Villa fans behind his goal applause at the end, fair play.

- Barnes looked a class above anyone else, his pass made the winning goal.

Was there, living in Liverpool as a student. The walk home was a bit scary

[maidstonevillain]

Last won the year before my birth (I like to claim that I was conceived as a result of the celebrations following our win, but neither of my folks had any interest in Football or the Villa), so - for me - it's a quest we need to fufill, and soon!

I like to think I was conceived on the night of the '57 FA Cup win. But I was born about 5/6 weeks prematurely (which was serious in those days), and the arithmetic doesn't quite stack up.

As an aside, my parents, who were married in Aston Church, always told me, and siblings, they were married in November 1956. It was only after they both died, when I had the paperwork, that we discovered why the "do" we laid on for their 25th was a bit uncomfortable. They were married, it seems rather hastily, in November 1957, well after the FA Cup, and my conception (which was also rather serious in those days).

[steamer]

i was born 1 year before, my dad always said that he showed me the picture of the villa displaying the cup in the Argus, so I can say, "mine eyes have seen the glory -------"
But I would like to see and appreciate it.
Chelsea was a real downer, I never got to the Arsenal game so as a fickle bugger I could walk away from the TV when the predictable started becoming reality,

[Percy McCarthy]

We can't play Dougie in this one, we're going to have to rest him at some point, he's playing way too much.

Same with McGinn and Watkins .

Agreed. And Ezri.

[PaulTheVillan]

i was born 1 year before, my dad always said that he showed me the picture of the villa displaying the cup in the Argus, so I can say, "mine eyes have seen the glory -------"
But I would like to see and appreciate it.
Chelsea was a real downer, I never got to the Arsenal game so as a fickle bugger I could walk away from the TV when the predictable started becoming reality,

I went to the Chelsea game and it was awful.

I watched the Arsenal game in a pub which was obviously full of noses giving it the bigun'

[frank black]

We should win, turn in a performance like Alkmar away. In the hat, simple as.

Unfortunately I’m in a negative frame right now, we are getting knocked out with a whimper.

[Dr Butler]

going to watch the game in the local village pub with my best mate who is from Stockton and a Boro fan, we always have the same bet of a takeaway curry on the result...

UTV
The Doc

[VillaTim]

I think we win this, we have some fringe players with points to prove and players coming back from injury. 0-3 away win

[pauliewalnuts]

Middlesbrough are, their fans think, going to play their kids, they have a semi final a few days later.

Piece of piss.