[Archived] Villa Semi Final 2Nd Leg

[jny]

You would have to say the player's did do all they could though, two of their goals were arguable (Milner's shot Agbonlahor's elbow, Nelsen being pushed over for Warnock's), Kalinic scoring twice and cruely hitting the post twice in the first leg, plus Dunny and Samba being sidelined.

There were positives to take away, we didn't defend awfully Villa were just excellent in attack and we scored four goals away from home all by fair play

[gaz1979]

begining to think big sam don't like players who stick a foot in, almost same team that was labeled bully boys under Hughes minus a few exceptions, now were a bunch of p***ys!

[RovertheHill]

There really are no excuses now for Allardyce going forward. So far this season we have proved that we are INCAPABLE of playing a tight defensive game and nick one at the other end (i.e. the first leg plus numerous other games), but we have proved that when we do go at people we are far, far better. It has to be attacking, all out, high tempo football from here on in. No excuses.

[ABBEY]

Abbey - if any thread has proved that you are more bothered about being anti-Allardyce than actually being constructive or realistic with your comments then this is it.

another 6 goals away from home ,to go along with all the others is fact .not constructive its frigging destructive ..our defence must be the worst away defence in the league.10 men or not 10 men,villa spanked us end of..thats the realistic of it....

[Tango]

Well it was fun while it lasted, game hung on a decision by the referee for Villa's first goal. Rightly or wrongly it resulted in spurring Villa on, the game was over as a contest when Samba was sent off.

I, personally, thought Sam's tactics looked good before then (though we did sit too deep when we were 2-0 up) and were a darn sight better than the "proper" 4-5-1 we played at home, which is essentially where we lost this tie.

[Mike Graham]

VERY proud of the lads, tactics were spot on, one dodgy decision and a silly tackle ended our hopes but lots to look forward to.

agreed: proud of the effort (except silly Samba)

[ebenrocks]

Yno what, to go away to villa and score 4 goals is an achievement in itself. It all fell apart with Samba's challenge and its quite frankly his fault we lost.

We were doing really really well in our 4-4-2, Samba gets sent off, we have to move to a 4-4-1 and we cant get anymore opportunities, Villa take advantage and destroy us. By the time we move back to having 2 up front, its too late, and although we manage to grab 2 goals back, its not enough. I know that if Samba left Agbonlahor then he would have probably scored anyway, but the way he decided to do it, we lose a man, and they get a goal. Game fell apart from there.

Thought that was a real shame coz Olsson was absolutly brilliant on the wing today, and Sambas sending off meant he had to return to defence where in my opinion he is half the player he is when hes in midfield. Hope Sam has learnt from his mistakes and we can play in the league the same way we played until Samba bollocksed it up for us

[RibbleValleyRover]

Mixed game for me, had both positives and negatives.

Positives to take were Nelsen (who i thought played pretty well) Olsson and Kalinic (both fantastic and must stay in the team). We showed the most heart and determination in the first half that we have seen from this side for a long time. Why don't we show that every week?

Negatives? Well there's no question we gave Villa a helping hand through to the final. The players backed off and defended poorly after the we were 2-0 up. I'm a big Samba fan but he has been shocking lately, the three game ban hopefully will give him a kick up the arse and he will have to fight to get back into this team. He really let us down tonight. I will add the ref as a negative, he wasn't the main reason why we lost tonight but he played a part in the end result. Wasn't just the stupid decision for the first goal, he made other poor decisions during the game.

If we play with the level of passion and heart as seen during parts of the game then i can't see us going down, but we also need to cut out the stupid mistakes and the self destruction that happens on too frequent a basis. We really make it hard work for ourselves sometimes, play well and throw it all away is happening far too often.

On this evidence Villa aren't all that and i can't see them getting near the champions league places. For all the money they have spent they aren't getting value. Never been a fan of Agbonlawhore and Young, this game just further reinforces that viewpoint. I'll be cheering on whoever they face in the final.

I don't think Sam should take too much blame for tonight, his formation and selection worked for most of the game and he gave it a good go on the night. The players have to take a huge part of the blame, i've thought for some time that the players are playing a bigger part in our current plight than some believe, tonight just reinforces that.

Gutted to be knocked out but it lets us concentrate on the league, lets take these positives from tonight into the Wigan game.

[Exiled in Toronto]

I don't feel proud, but I don't feel embarrassed either.

Robbo did well across both ties and masked what could have been a hideous embarrassment. Great to see Olssen and Nico come good but, yet again, there were too many changes and too many out of position. An unfit Dunn and powderpuff MGP in the middle were glaring errors.

We didn't have the rub of the green but we let in 6 again. We used to go years if not decades inbetween such defensive disasters, now they happen all the time.

[des]

this game show that we needed to go at teams.

played well, but two mistakes costs us one from the ref, it was a foul and goal should not have countered and samba mistimed tackle. if you are the last person them yes put the forward under pressure but stay on your feet, if you go to ground, you have to make sure that you get the ball, he do not and off he went.

lets take this in to the rest of the season

[gaz1979]

You would have to say the player's did do all they could though, two of their goals were arguable (Milner's shot Agbonlahor's elbow, Nelsen being pushed over for Warnock's), Kalinic scoring twice and cruely hitting the post twice in the first leg, plus Dunny and Samba being sidelined.

There were positives to take away, we didn't defend awfully Villa were just excellent in attack and we scored four goals away from home all by fair play

villa's attack wasnt that good a couple of flukes an own goal a penalty heskeys goal and youngs goal were the only good piece of attacking

[G Somerset Rover]

By the way just seen the Milner/Agbonlahor again and it doesn't come off the latter's arms or hands - it comes off his side.

So it's just the one, but crucially the first goal that the ref well and truly cocked up on.

One refereeing error, Samba and poor defending cost us a place at Wembley based on the 2nd leg only.

[ABBEY]

MON ARROGENT BIG HEADED SCROTE

[MarkBRFC71]

lets take this in to the rest of the season

But please not the defending!!

[RibbleValleyRover]

I don't feel proud, but I don't feel embarrassed either.

Robbo did well across both ties and masked what could have been a hideous embarrassment. Great to see Olssen and Nico come good but, yet again, there were too many changes and too many out of position. An unfit Dunn and powderpuff MGP in the middle were glaring errors.

We didn't have the rub of the green but we let in 6 again. We used to go years if not decades inbetween such defensive disasters, now they happen all the time.

For a long time we have had this self destruction about us, where we play well but then throw it all away. Teams will always make errors and switch off so you can't completely stop them, but we make them far too often (seems like every week at the moment).

[imy9]

I think some people are forgetting that we played 45 minutes with 10 men against the quickest counter attacking side in the country away from home!

Olsson, Nico, MGP, Emerton... so many positives, tactics spot on, players with pace going forward, I am genuinely looking forward to the second half to the season.

[Amo]

I think some people are forgetting that we played 45 minutes with 10 men against the quickest counter attacking side in the country away from home!

And we conceded 6 goals. What's your point?

Olsson, Nico, MGP, Emerton... so many positives, tactics spot on, players with pace going forward, I am genuinely looking forward to the second half to the season.

I'm not. We have nothing to left to play for, and Sam won't be taking these cup-style tactics into the league.

[Grabbi Graeme]

The sending off was the turning point, if we had kept 11 on the pitch and gone in 2-2 on the night at half time then I certainly think that the approach would have been different in the second half.

3 goals in a short time and the game was gone, but we did at least fight till the end when we could have completely folded.

Funny how the ref gave free kicks when Nelsen jumped up with Guzman but didn't see the foul on Nelsen on the build up to Villa's first goal, also Sidwell falling over his own foot and getting a free kick.

Can't see Villa beating which ever of the Manchester sides gets to the final.

[Bennisfromheaven]

So Sick!! Blackburn Rovers NEVER get any credit for what they do & this game will be remembered for how many Villa scored!! After 15 minutes i looked forward to having a bit of gloating to do but that was not to be!!

At the endof the day the referee changed the game, the first goal was a fowl & lost us the game no matter what you think of the sending off!!

Absolutely gutted!!!

[Guest Kamy100]

Very proud of the team tonight, we dominated for 30 minutes. Then got "done over" by a poor decision, but even at 5-2, the players showed fight and some pride. At the end of the day a poor decision from the referee and Samba making an equally shocking tackle has cost us. Sam got things right tonight, second half it looked to me that we were 4-3-2, we have all been asking for Sam to be positive, he did that tonight but still gets criticism. I have had a go at him plenty of times over the last few months, but tonight he didn't do much wrong.

Plenty of positives to take from tonight and lets hope we can now use this to move up in the league.

[Bobby G]

Givet at center back is a different player really.

Magnificent effort after he moved inside.

[joey_big_nose]

this game show that we needed to go at teams.

played well, but two mistakes costs us one from the ref, it was a foul and goal should not have countered and samba mistimed tackle. if you are the last person them yes put the forward under pressure but stay on your feet, if you go to ground, you have to make sure that you get the ball, he do not and off he went.

lets take this in to the rest of the season

Completely agree. We have consistently looked better being aggressive so lets just do that until may. Kalinic looks like he will get a hatfull,Olsson is looking excellent, and if we get in a good central midfielder I am sure we can climb the table.We could even become an entertaining team....

[rebelmswar]

Just put away the brown paper bag and my jar of lithium.

I honestly had a panic attack, thought I was about to die.

I have been one of the people that doubt Sam, but he, in all honestly, cannot be blamed for that. A simple mistake by Samba and some diabolical refereeing.

Massive praise must be lavished on those 10 men who ended the match, and more for Niko.

Heads cannot be allowed, and should not, be dropped from that defeat.

Go out blazing, and we did. People will remember that game, and know that if it wasnt for a red card it would be all different. Even though: we tried damn hard.

Gamst in the middle is more effective than on the wing in my opinion (I know theno my opinion is worth goose feces as I was not there) and our young winger, where did he come from? Reid is great, we have been crying out for that sort of thing in midfield.

On to better things. We can see this as negative or the defining moment when Rovers got their fight back.

[Bobby G]

Kamy, the question is will this be a turning point for Sam in his approach to matches or will we be back to square one.

Secondly, I hope the players recover from this quickly psychologically.

[1864roverite]

You have to congratulate Villa on getting to Wembley, they really do have some good English talent onboard. The Villa fans that visit us on here must have been cacking themselves as little old Rovers rattled their cages so much that their home fans didnt sing until they were 4-2 up and then went silent as Rovers came back to 5-4. Only as they scored their 6th did Villa light up the volume ! So much for being a big club eh ?

Anyhow Rovers, you put the pride back into the club.

Sam, you have shown you have a team that can play football, why cant we have that every week instead of the dross served up ?

Niko, you are going to be a star, we have said it all along you will come good.

MGP, your getting some form with your crossing.

Samba and Nelsen, a couple of basic errors have cost us dearly and they are emphasised by a poor referee.

Chimbonda, gone off the boil.

Andrews, stay on the bench laughing its clearly what your good at.

Goodbye benni, I believe we have seen the last of him in a Rovers shirt.

Rovers have shown they can fight with heart and spirit, play football and trouble a good team away from home. Lets hope the momentum we gained from tonight serves us well next Wednesday versus Wigon.

Well done Rovers.