Lille vs Aston Villa post-match thread

[Small Rodent]

I don't think Martinez did much wrong, really. Nothing that warranted a yellow card. It's football, it's emotional, he's a character. He makes the game better. He's a lead guitarist amongst a peer group of bass players and drummers.

The yellow card in normal play was a fucking terrible decision as well, I'm utterly convinced the ref got confused by how many times Emi was stood in open play with the ball at his feet waiting to be closed down and had it in his head that he'd been time wasting so was looking for the first possible chance to book him. I don't think he'd taken any longer ofver that goal kick than any other in the game.

Thats exactly how I saw it.

He even told Martinez that he had already done it four times by holding up his fingers. I don't think we had even had four goal kicks by that point.

The referee got confused by a mixture of the crowd boo'ing due to their own bitterness & his own fucking stupidity to make one of the most ridiculous yellow card decisions in the history of the game.

And then followed it up with the rest of his games idiotic decisions, along with the second booking for having the audacity to celebrate his save & telling fans to stop throwing physical shit at him.

The baseless yellow card screwed up our style of play too. From then on Emi would have had it in the back of his mind each time the ball came to him.

[Bad English]

These French commentators are an excitable pair.
https://twitter.com/Sung_JiWoo_S/status/1781087782330347582?t=sAirQm4jRYL95ibCm2ky6Q&s=19

I have bad French, hope Bad English cam translate and that he's not public enemy number one in school today.

Basically it's this:

THE REF'S GIVING HIM A SECOND YELLOW!
MARTINEZ IS GETTING A SECOND YELLOW!
YEEEEES!
SECOND YELLOW!
SECOND YELLOW!
SECOND YELLOW!
IT'S A SECOND YELLOW!
THAT MAKES IT A RED
THAT'S IT REF! RED! DON'T FORGET IT'S HIS SECOND YELLOW!
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT IN ALL MY DAYS.
HE'S OFF! IT'S A RED
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.
WAIT! HANG ON! EH?
YOU'RE TAKING THE PISS REF! WHA?
TAKING THE PISS!
HE HASN'T SHOWN HIM A RED. THERE'S NO RED
HE GAVE HIM YELLOW. HAS HE FORGOTTEN OR WHAT?
THIS IS SURREAL.
WHAT IS GOING ON? THIS IS NUTS!
THIS IS SURREAL.
YOU'RE NOT TELLING ME HE'S CANCELLED THE YELLOW BECAUSE HE REALISES IT MEANS RED?
WHAT'S GOING ON!
HANG ON HE'S BEING TOLD!
EH? IT'S TWO.
THE LILLE BENCH ARE FURIOUS
WHAT'S GOING ON? YOU'RE TAKING THE PISS
THEY ARE FURIOUS ON THE BENCH.
WHA?
THIS IS THE MOST SURREAL...

[Somniloquism]

So slightly less biased then the guy on TNT Sports?

[Brazilian Villain]

Before the Ajax game (one of the other games must have gone to penalties?) I asked who you'd have take the penalties for us.

Don't think anyone had Cash, except Drummond, who clearly wasn't expecting any saves.

Before the shootout last night I thought it would be Luiz, Watkins, Bailey, Tielemans and one of Pau or Cash. Probably just as well it was Luiz who took the last one, as there was a lot of pressure on that kick after Bailey's was saved.

[PeterWithe]

I had Digne in my list of preferred pen takers.

[Brazilian Villain]

I had Digne in my list of preferred pen takers.

I'm not keen on left-footers taking penalties, despite being one myself.

[Luffbralion]

I don't have the stats to hand but it does appear that to win a European competition you are pretty likely to face a penalty shoot out. Having the World's number one goalkeeper, who excels against penalties, coupled with our historic record (Milan, Tranmere, Bolton. WBA and now Lille) seems to give us a significant psychological boost. How confident was everybody feeling last night?

[AV84]

Honestly with Martinez there it's hard not to feel confident. I feel like he at least gives his own players the opportunity to miss one, thus taking some pressure off them.

The fact Lille have never even been in a European QF meant the pressure was all on them too. Especially after not closing the game out in the 90.

Even when we thought he was sent off I was thinking well, he's already done his job.

[Gareth]

These French commentators are an excitable pair.
https://twitter.com/Sung_JiWoo_S/status/1781087782330347582?t=sAirQm4jRYL95ibCm2ky6Q&s=19

I have bad French, hope Bad English cam translate and that he's not public enemy number one in school today.

Basically it's this:

THE REF'S GIVING HIM A SECOND YELLOW!
MARTINEZ IS GETTING A SECOND YELLOW!
YEEEEES!
SECOND YELLOW!
SECOND YELLOW!
SECOND YELLOW!
IT'S A SECOND YELLOW!
THAT MAKES IT A RED
THAT'S IT REF! RED! DON'T FORGET IT'S HIS SECOND YELLOW!
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT IN ALL MY DAYS.
HE'S OFF! IT'S A RED
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT.
WAIT! HANG ON! EH?
YOU'RE TAKING THE PISS REF! WHA?
TAKING THE PISS!
HE HASN'T SHOWN HIM A RED. THERE'S NO RED
HE GAVE HIM YELLOW. HAS HE FORGOTTEN OR WHAT?
THIS IS SURREAL.
WHAT IS GOING ON? THIS IS NUTS!
THIS IS SURREAL.
YOU'RE NOT TELLING ME HE'S CANCELLED THE YELLOW BECAUSE HE REALISES IT MEANS RED?
WHAT'S GOING ON!
HANG ON HE'S BEING TOLD!
EH? IT'S TWO.
THE LILLE BENCH ARE FURIOUS
WHAT'S GOING ON? YOU'RE TAKING THE PISS
THEY ARE FURIOUS ON THE BENCH.
WHA?
THIS IS THE MOST SURREAL...

That sounds like it was in my house…with a few effs & jeffs for Emi thrown in :-)

[Somniloquism]

I was confident we would win as long as Martinez was there, but I also knew he could get the yellow for his antics, especially with this ref. So as soon as it turned out the yellow didn't matter, then I knew we were through.

[Toronto Villa]

If we win this competition we qualify automatically for the Europa League. If we finish 4th and qualify for the CL, who would then take that Europa spot?

[PeterWithesShin]

I think our record in competitive shootouts is now

Colchester (W)
Wimbledon (L)
Tranmere (W)
Inter (W)
West Ham (L) but match was replayed
Bolton (W)
Sunderland (W)
Albion (W)
Chelsea (L)
Lille (W)

[PeterWithesShin]

If we win this competition we qualify automatically for the Europa League. If we finish 4th and qualify for the CL, who would then take that Europa spot?

No one. As far as I know.

[VillaTim]

Anyone in London pls boycott the Dickens Tavern . Bar Stewards cut the game off in ET and put Liverpool and West Ham games on. Ended up watching the pens on Bet365 graphic .

[eamonn]

Nice stat PWS. That's a pretty decent record all in all.