Lille vs Aston Villa post-match thread

[Gareth]

Ditching the League Cup isn't a terrible idea. Although it doesn't usually add that many games for us, but I suppose there's weeks where league  games have to be caught up on, so it congests things even if you're not in it.

Taking the Prem sides out of it and leaving it for Championship and below is an idea though. Winner gets into qualifying rounds of Europa or Conference maybe.

Wouldn’t want that….these top managers have to earn their salaries by juggling the squad they have….if they choose to play kids in League Cup that’s fine (& shouldn’t be slaughtered for it) but likes of Fulham / Wolves (& us most years) should be going all out to win it.

[Ads]

We are in a semi final of a European competition. That hasn't sunk in.

[paul_e]

Why is Martinez shushing the home supporters a yellow card but it’s unremarkable that a home player gees those fans up to make more noise? Both should obviously be allowed.

Yep, I made the same point last night, it's not the refs job to protect the fans that have bene booing someone all night from having him give a bit back when he makes a big contribution to us winning the game.

[nick harper]

Just a few thoughts…

It was a quirky coincidence, even down to the timing of the goals, the way the two ties played out.

Apart from their theatrics, Lille are a very good side. If they qualify for the Champions League, I think that will become more apparent next season.

Any run to win a competition will have a tie that is extremely tight and fine margins. The width of a post at Villa Park would have sent us out of the European Cup against a very good Dynamo Berlin side in 1981 so hopefully Lille is our equivalent.

[Villa Lew]

If Emi is gonna be suspended, at least it would be the home leg, we're gonna need him more in away leg.

Just a word about the French TV, at end, why weren't the cameras showing the Villa fans celebrating, instead they chose to show the young Lille fans in tears, that's pathetic.

[Richard E]

Why is Martinez shushing the home supporters a yellow card but it’s unremarkable that a home player gees those fans up to make more noise? Both should obviously be allowed.

Yep, I made the same point last night, it's not the refs job to protect the fans that have bene booing someone all night from having him give a bit back when he makes a big contribution to us winning the game.

Quite. If he’d made an obscene gesture then obviously that would be a different matter.

[AV84]

Apart from their theatrics, Lille are a very good side. If they qualify for the Champions League, I think that will become more apparent next season.

Interesting that the Conference League is/was viewed as a lesser European competition, but there we have a QF between two teams possibly qualifying for CL next season. I don't know if its what it was created for (seems unlikely) but it seems like a really good way of building up to the bigger competitions, and learning how to balance midweek games, travel, etc.

West Ham have managed a better run in the league this season than they did last year when playing in Europe. Compare that to Newcastle, who went from nothing to CL, and have struggled a bit this season.

I know the likes of Man Utd would still turn their noses up at a trip to Bosnia in December, but I think it's a fantastic competition and one any of the mid table teams should be aiming for as a stepping stone.

[The Edge]

I dont want to be a killjoy but now that the dust has settled I'm hoping Unai Emery will sit down with the coaches and address the issue of our achilles heel. Set pieces. But for the heroics of Emi and a late deflected goal we would have gone out to a header by a 5ft 6 player from a corner. We conceded similar at Villa Park. We must of lost at least 60/70 % of aerial duals in both boxes. And our corners and set pieces? What was that about? Several were hit to the far post and all our players ran to the front post. We have a specialist set piece coach and it looked as though the coded signals were being completely misunderstood by all.

[LeeS]

Apart from their theatrics, Lille are a very good side. If they qualify for the Champions League, I think that will become more apparent next season.

Interesting that the Conference League is/was viewed as a lesser European competition, but there we have a QF between two teams possibly qualifying for CL next season. I don't know if its what it was created for (seems unlikely) but it seems like a really good way of building up to the bigger competitions, and learning how to balance midweek games, travel, etc.

West Ham have managed a better run in the league this season than they did last year when playing in Europe. Compare that to Newcastle, who went from nothing to CL, and have struggled a bit this season.

I know the likes of Man Utd would still turn their noses up at a trip to Bosnia in December, but I think it's a fantastic competition and one any of the mid table teams should be aiming for as a stepping stone.

United should be so lucky. They might get nothing next December

[Bully2345]

Just a word about the French TV, at end, why weren't the cameras showing the Villa fans celebrating, instead they chose to show the young Lille fans in tears, that's pathetic.

I think that's partly a logistics thing. Villa fans were in the top tier so hard to show that. They also were making the most of the fancy cameras for the close up crowd and player shots

Also, I laughed at the crying fans

[Smithy]

Why is Martinez shushing the home supporters a yellow card but it’s unremarkable that a home player gees those fans up to make more noise? Both should obviously be allowed.

My guess is the second yellow was because the ref THOUGHT he was gesturing to the crowd when he was actually gesturing to try and get a ball for Ollie's penalty.  He was warned with the finger, then the ref thought he was doing it again.  The second yellow wasn't for the shushing.

All a bit of a farce really, and we still don't know if he'll be suspended for the semi for getting two yellows by the end of the quarter finals, or whether the yellow during penalties is deemed 'after' the quarter finals have finished as extra time is over?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I noticed the ref speaking to the two captains before the penalties and neither appeared to understand a word he was saying.

[Smithy]

Why is Martinez shushing the home supporters a yellow card but it’s unremarkable that a home player gees those fans up to make more noise? Both should obviously be allowed.

Yep, I made the same point last night, it's not the refs job to protect the fans that have bene booing someone all night from having him give a bit back when he makes a big contribution to us winning the game.

Quite. If he’d made an obscene gesture then obviously that would be a different matter.

Technically, according to the IFAB laws of the game, "gesturing or acting in a provocative or inflammatory manner" is a yellow card offence.

EDIT: I guess "technically" we could be looking at 7-a-side games most weekends if they booked all players for any "provocative" actions towards the crowd.

[PeterWithe]

Also, I laughed at the crying fans

To our eternal shame, I was watching with about 10 blokes, all around 50, to a man to room was filled with a massive jeered 'Arghhhhh' when they showed the tearful young Lille fans. I will give myself a severe talking to.

[Villan82]

We are in a semi final of a European competition. That hasn't sunk in.

And, with 5 league games to go, we are pretty much guaranteed our best league finish since 1996-97.

What a season. And to do it while decimated with injuries...we actually genuinely could have won the league this year if we'd had more luck.