[Archived] Villa Semi Final Match Preview

[beerwins]

They sit next to each other whenever Sam is in the stands.

Very interesting that nobody spotted the shot of Sam in the second minute though.

I spotted JW laughing as if sharing a joke with Sam apart from Sam didnt seem to find it funny (maybe JW sneaked one out)

[Roverall]

They sit next to each other whenever Sam is in the stands.

Very interesting that nobody spotted the shot of Sam in the second minute though.

What did you spot, Philip?

[Dan]

Sam did seem to be over cutious in the 1st half. Really should have started with 2 up front, Emerton on the right instead of Salgado and Dunny in the middle. I thought Kalinic was outstanding tonight.

Sam won't go. We can't afford to sack him. We've not got any money, remember ?

Accyrover

It's a cup tie, we are useless away from home, we needed a lead. We will go down only playing one half a match, infact today was about as good as it has got recently, most of the time we only turn up for 15 minutes if we are lucky.

We have no money now? Wait till next season or the season after when we are in the championship, then we'll have no money. You can be as positive as you like and want him to stay, but we are ###### as long as he is here and if we don't go down this season it will be next, because we won't be able to afford to sack him in the summer either. Sure as hell no one is going to take him off our hands like when we got lucky with Souness!! Our only 2 convincing performances this season have come when he was having his operation. I'd rather have no money in January for new players than keep this clown in charge.

EDIT: Sorry after re reading your post, it sounds as if you aren't saying you want Sam to stay....

[Muddboy]

i have a little hunch that Salgado will be a very good player for us. You dont lose talent overnight and for me he shows passion and a bloody good workrate...once he finds his feet in this league he will come good.

Never in a month of Sundays.

Too old, too slow and rubbish hair.

[PAFELL]

They sit next to each other whenever Sam is in the stands.

Very interesting that nobody spotted the shot of Sam in the second minute though.

I take it you mean when he got up to let somebody pass. Maybe he got told, lose and your out.

[philipl]

The somebody was from the Trust.

[Roverall]

I think I know. Was that a fairly cold handshake with one of the directors as they passed?

[PAFELL]

The somebody was from the Trust.

Ok, so what is your view of that situation? Who was it from the trust?

[jonv]

For large periods of the second half we were exciting and attacking. How we failed to put the ball in the back of the net I have no idea - A cup tie you'd think that energy would be there for a full 90. My Villa supporting mate couldn't believe we almost handed them a Wembley ticket in the opening 45. Formation was ###### and non-adventurous, we looked so nervous.

It's hard to see where we go from here, Fulham will be a very interesting game. I really can't see Sam being rid off so soon. Last season he was a savior but this season at times the football has been such a headache

[G Somerset Rover]

They sit next to each other whenever Sam is in the stands.

Very interesting that nobody spotted the shot of Sam in the second minute though.

I think your referring to when Sam let someone pass but had a face of thunder as he did so.

I saw that too.

[des]

can anyone tell me why we can not play two forwards up front, when we do we play a lot better

[jonv]

He seemed more enthused about what was going on at pitch level - and also seemed mid instruction on his little head set. I'm sure love ins and jokes with whoever can wait till after the game? Looking too much into a simple handshake and recognition

[Amo]

can anyone tell me why we can not play two forwards up front, when we do we play a lot better

Di Santo & Kalinic are the same person.

[RibbleValleyRover]

One word to sum up Rovers’s play? Suicidal

It was ‘suicidal’ play when we put so many men forward against a Villa side that’s renowned for its counter attacking ability. Stupid tactical mistake by Rovers and we paid the price for it. Salgado deserves special mention for letting Milner a free run into the box to let him put the ball back into the net. Thanks for that Michel!

First half we had the Dunny chance, great link up play by Niko and Dunny. We didn’t look that bad for the first 15 mins, pressing the ball well and closing players down but after 15 mins Villa dominated the first half.

Second half we started better and had some chances. Niko was one of the players to come out with some serious credit tonight, worked hard and was all over the pitch. He hit the post twice with the header and the excellent curling shot, very unlucky not to score tonight.

We the saw the usual Rovers again tonight, a lack of creative ability to generate some clear cut chances for our strikers plus a very unsolid defensive performance full of mistakes.

Robbo and Niko were the only player’s imo to come out with any credit. We could have conceded more if it wasn’t for some good saves by Robbo. Niko looked a threat and when we did give him the ball in decent shooting positions he was unlucky.

People keep going on about us having a decent side on paper, I think its time they realised that’s now bullshit. We have 3 or 4 players who are good enough, the rest are garbage and some peaked a long, long time ago.

I thought before the game we would need a 2 goal lead going into the second leg to stand a chance, now with the away goal and the fact we will have to attack (leading us open to Villa counter attacks) to progress I think this tie is pretty much over.

[ROVERS]

thats 1 out of 2 games gone............. if the rumours are true........... sam have half of his body outside of edwood already. 1 more game......

Having mixed feelings

[Miker]

What I saw today on TV was a complete and utter disgrace. A half-empty stadium and a dead crowd is just embarassing and disgusting, and a complete insult to the game and to the club. To be in the semi final, with a chance at Wembley and show such a distinct lack of support is inexcusable. What a contrast it was to see the shirtless Villa fans in the winter weather celebrating and cheering the team on before the game even started, while the Blackburn fans sat there looking bored from the get go.

We have a team completely lacking in confidence and instead of being shown support, they were shown the opposite. It's a disgrace. I'm sorry, but I can't handle it anymore.

People will undoubtedly say we played better in the second half. Well, wake up people... the formation and the tactics did not change one bit in the second half. The difference was that the players kicked in and started creating chances. I just can't believe it took Kalinic to hit the post for the crowd to finally get up off their feet.

Our formation WAS 4-4-2, despite Dunn playing with Kalinic, he was almost in line with him in this formation.

People want us to be less cautious, well how did we concede our goal? On the counter. You can't say we should be more attacking against a Villa side who punished us on the counter and were lucky not to punish us with more goals after that.

The team is completely devoid of confidence and Sam needs to put that right, but playing in front of a half empty stadium in a cup semi final with fans looking like they don't really care will not have a positive effect in any way.

I am completely depressed by this and am likely going to resort to trolling this messageboard in true Abbey style, only instead of taking the ###### out of Sam and the team, I will be taking the ###### out of the fans who have been on their periods for the past few weeks. Awesome? K, thanks.

[broadsword]

I think your referring to when Sam let someone pass but had a face of thunder as he did so.

I saw that too.

I missed the face of thunder, but John Williams seemed happy to see him in a slightly nervous way.

[Miker]

For the record, we didn't win, so you don't have to suck Sam's balls. But you can still suck mine

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Why one striker at home? WHY???.

We are dying on our arses because of Allardyce's negative tactics,sick and tired of this.

[Stonesrick]

can anyone tell me why we can not play two forwards up front, when we do we play a lot better

This is stating the bleeding obvious but why can't our manager see this.

In fairness Niko had a really good game tonight and is so unlucky - he must have done something terrible in a previous life.

But it shows how bad things are when the sponsors MOM is a striker that has not scored. Usually a MOM performance from a forward is scoring a couple and leading the opposition defence a merry dance.

Tough times ahead folks!

[Miker]

It was ‘suicidal’ play when we put so many men forward against a Villa side that’s renowned for its counter attacking ability. Stupid tactical mistake by Rovers and we paid the price for it. Salgado deserves special mention for letting Milner a free run into the box to let him put the ball back into the net. Thanks for that Michel!

Salgado was definitely to blame for the goal... it was comical to watch him push Milner towards goal and then run away from him leaving him unmarked. Hahhahaha what the hell??

[broadsword]

What I saw today on TV was a complete and utter disgrace. A half-empty stadium and a dead crowd is just embarassing and disgusting, and a complete insult to the game and to the club. To be in the semi final, with a chance at Wembley and show such a distinct lack of support is inexcusable.

Oi oi oi oi oi oi OI!

OI!

You come out with some rare old manure on this forum, but you've just slagged off fans who've been going, but decided to miss this one, and you WATCHED IT ON THE TELLY?!

Enough irony in that to make your own sodding aircraft carrier.

I'd pipe down if I were you, matelot.

Bloody cheek.

[G Somerset Rover]

What I saw today on TV was a complete and utter disgrace. A half-empty stadium and a dead crowd is just embarassing and disgusting, and a complete insult to the game and to the club. To be in the semi final, with a chance at Wembley and show such a distinct lack of support is inexcusable. What a contrast it was to see the shirtless Villa fans in the winter weather celebrating and cheering the team on before the game even started, while the Blackburn fans sat there looking bored from the get go.

Miker you are right that our fans were mute but what have the team given them to cheer of late?! You need to point the finger at the management and the team. Yet again they do not turn up for the kick off and only decide to earn their money in the second half.

For the record, we didn't win, so you don't have to suck Sam's balls. But you can still suck mine

Any takers?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Miker,DONT blame the crowd for that inept first half performance!

[Dan]

Indeed. I had a similar uncomfortable feeling - The two of them sitting up there chuckling away like it was a "Class of 68" school reunion.

Sack Williams too then. He is the idiot who brought Ince in, which is why we ended up getting BFS in. Get a new chairman that has some balls to demand money from the trust. It's quite obvious under Sam we will go down, if not this season, next season. The money spent sacking BFS will save us potentially millions in the future. If we go down it is likely there is no going back.

The misses by Villa made the scoreline look not too bad, not all teams will be that wastefull b