Aston Villa (0) vs Nottm Forest (1) - EL SF 2nd leg pre match

[The Edge]

Feeling very anxious about tonight.
Firstly everything is going for them at the moment. We're on a terrible run while they're absolutely flying. Even their reserves smashed Chelsea while ours put in a miserable half arsed display against Spurs.
Unai was caught out by Pereira who held his nerve against Chelsea as he unexpectedly rested his main players.
We are weak in midfield and we are really going to miss the physical presence of Onana and Kamara.
But.
We have Unai Emery. The past master of winning this trophy against the odds. I've been cheering myself by thinking it's all part of Emery's grand plan and we're going to be red hot tonight and they won't handle it.
For our part we must make Villa Park a cauldron. I really really hope that there's no drums tonight. I detest drums in football grounds. We don't need some prat to lead us we can make plenty of our own noise.
Let's get it done. COME ON YOU VILLA BOYS.

[mrfuse]

I’m a bit worried about the midfield without Onana. Bogarde doesn’t look comfortable enough on the ball, and although I like Dougie, he can get pushed off it too easily at times. I think I’d probably have to sacrifice McGinn playing further forward and drop him back alongside Tielemans. The downside is that it would mean having to start Sancho or Bailey.

[ADVILLAFAN]

May be alone in this, but Bogarde was oke of thd only vaguely competent players on Sunday for me. He and Martinez were our best players. Watkins decent off the bench too.

Tielemans clearly wasn't trying though and a lot were obviously holding back. Think even Unai wasn't bothered.

[Behind Bluenose Lines]

Just to steady the pre match nerves.

Are we going to start a seperate thread on who takes the penalties ? Don't forget the poll.

After match travel information
Last trains from Aston to Birmingham New St....23.42, 23.52
Last train Aston to Lichfield....23.14
Last train Aston to Four Oaks....23.45
Last train Witton to Rugeley...23.32

Just spotted this scrolling though the latest comments . Thanks for this & have taken a screenshot of the times.

Fingers crossed it won't come to that!

[cdbearsfan]

I'd take penalties right now. Though they have beaten us in our only previous penalty shootout, if you include glorified friendlies.

[PeterWithesShin]

I'd take penalties right now.

You'd miss.

[cdbearsfan]

I'd be aiming for the drum.

[PeterWithesShin]

I'd be aiming for the drum.

Which one as there will be lots of them.

[martin o`who??]

Kick anything that moves, use every trick in the book and show them we're a rung above - the trouble is I get the awful feeling it'll be the other way around. I hated forest before but I've got a sinking feeling I will hate them even more tomorrow morning.

[martin o`who??]

I'd be aiming for the drum.

preferably with an artillery barrage.

[boozey182]

On Sunday, I was done with the lot of them. I can’t ever remember feeling so let down by the club before. Yes, we’ve been just as shit, and even occasionally worse, than that over the years. But this felt like a whole new way to let me down. It was stupid and cowardly, and I think we’ll regret it for years to come.

So I was in the Graham Taylor frame of mind: “you got us into this mess, you get us out of it”. I’ve spent the week not thinking about tonight. Presumably trying to protect myself from feeling like that again, while I haven’t got over the last one.

But here we are. “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in”.

Dave’s article, Nev’s post. The fact that I’ve been reading the forum all week despite telling myself I wasn’t getting sucked in, not again. I’ve crumbled, and now I can’t focus on anything but this same fucking club that almost always lets me down when it counts.

Because, maybe they won’t this time. Maybe if I shout a little louder, get past that taste of blood in my mouth and feeling faint, maybe this time will be the one. Maybe that one crucial decision will go our way this time. Maybe the hit-and-hope effort from the edge of the box will fly into the top corner. Maybe it’s the opposition’s turn to spectacularly fuck it up.

So here I am. Categorically not doing work. Thinking back to those special nights, hoping and praying that I might get to witness one more tonight. No matter what I try to tell myself, I can’t stop the hairs on the back of my neck from tingling. I can’t stop feeling sick at the thought of it. I can’t stop dreaming. It's pathetic. But here we go.

[Villa Lew]

I'm dreading penaltes, apart from maybe Ollie, there's not one Villa player I would feel confident about taking one.

[Dave]

I'm dreading penaltes, apart from maybe Ollie, there's not one Villa player I would feel confident about taking one.

Blimey, if a career record of "taken twelve, missed six" is the one player we'd be confident about...

[FrankyH]

Feel sick , don't want my dinner. Feckin ell hurry up 8 o clock !

[ROBBO]

First time Martinez puts his foot on the ball the crowd should let him know that aint on tonight.