Will we qualify for the CL?

[Sexual Ealing]

Or maybe it’s an opportunity to step up. Reality is we don’t have to be anywhere near as good as we were in the first half of the season. We just need to be decent, which we are more than capable of. Every midfielder being fit gave us a small chance of the title - but the squad now can deliver enough for top 5.

Yes.

[andyh]

We are this years Nottingham Forest.

[pauliewalnuts]

We are this years Nottingham Forest.

I caught myself thinking that earlier.

[PaulWinch again]

Perhaps - but Forest came up from nowhere. We’ve been in and around here the last few years and have one of the best managers around.

[tomd2103]

Or maybe it’s an opportunity to step up. Reality is we don’t have to be anywhere near as good as we were in the first half of the season. We just need to be decent, which we are more than capable of. Every midfielder being fit gave us a small chance of the title - but the squad now can deliver enough for top 5.

We've got a bit of a gap as it stands, but we're likely going to have to be better than one out of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool over the home stretch. 

[PaulWinch again]

Yup, like I said we need to be decent. If we fall off a cliff we won’t do it, but that hasn’t happened under Emery. We’re in a challenging run, with a couple of rough home displays, but we’ve still got a couple of good away results. We have more than enough to do enough.

Or to put it another way all three of those sides being consistently better than us? Maybe, odds against it. Especially Man Utd - a good start under Carrick, but I’m far from sold all problems are solved.

[Skipper_The_Eyechild]

It absolutely wasn't delusional to think we were at one point in the title race not so long ago, I'm not sure why that has now been said. Did most of us think we were really going to do it? Nah, doubt it, but we were in it. If our 3 starting midfielders hadn't all been cursed we most likely would have still had a fighting chance. I know some hate Opta but that had us at about a 10% chance a couple of weeks ago and that felt about right. Obviously that's fucked now but I'd rather have the points on the board and we just need 1 of 3 teams to not have title winning form, which is highly likely. BLUUE MOOOOON!

[caster troy]

I’m still so angry we played Bouba in that cup game. What a sliding doors moment. Four points from four games without him, and no sign it’s going to get better any time soon.

[eamonn]

Perhaps - but Forest came up from nowhere. We’ve been in and around here the last few years and have one of the best managers around.

Exactly. They were a 6-month wonder and can fuck off!

[Skipper_The_Eyechild]

People say how much we want to win the FA Cup and we had Premier League opposition to defeat, not some lower league minnows. I don't have issue with the decision at all.

[tomd2103]

People say how much we want to win the FA Cup and we had Premier League opposition to defeat, not some lower league minnows. I don't have issue with the decision at all.

I'd dearly love us to win the FA Cup and the Europa League, but in the situation we are in finishing in the Champions League spots is the number one priority.  I hate that that's the case, but it is the reality unfortunately.

[ChicagoLion]

People say how much we want to win the FA Cup and we had Premier League opposition to defeat, not some lower league minnows. I don't have issue with the decision at all.

I'd dearly love us to win the FA Cup and the Europa League, but in the situation we are in finishing in the Champions League spots is the number one priority.  I hate that that's the case, but it is the reality unfortunately.

Agree.

[Skipper_The_Eyechild]

How many years do we field weakened teams for then in the FA Cup? Will we just be saying the same in 5 years time because we still need Champions League football to compete? I'm not being pissy, I'm just wondering what people think. Villa haven't been cup challengers for most of my life. In the back of my mind I'm thinking this period of "success" could be fleeting and we should be taking these opportunities, who knows? It's just been shit luck that we lost so many midfielders with Kamara the first to go. We couldn't have known that lady luck was about to take a massive dump on us.

[ROBBO]

Winning the cup won't keep Rogers at Villa qualifying for Europe probably will.

[tomd2103]

How many years do we field weakened teams for then in the FA Cup? Will we just be saying the same in 5 years time because we still need Champions League football to compete? I'm not being pissy, I'm just wondering what people think. Villa haven't been cup challengers for most of my life. In the back of my mind I'm thinking this period of "success" could be fleeting and we should be taking these opportunities, who knows? It's just been shit luck that we lost so many midfielders with Kamara the first to go. We couldn't have known that lady luck was about to take a massive dump on us.

I was born.in 1980, so can accept that we won the league and European Cup in my lifetime.  I would dearly love to see us win the FA Cup and the Europa League would be next (though preferred it when it was the UEFA Cup).  The reality of our situation is that we need Champions League football just to stay where we are, let alone properly compete.