(I started writing this yesterday)
You don’t know the grief I’m going through trying to post this. I’ve been trying to get Openreach to do an internet install since early January. The latest news is that they’re going to do it on Thursday. After it constantly being put back, I’m not holding my breath and the best I can say is that I’m hopeful it might actually happen this time. Certainly they’re leaving it late if they want to cancel again.
Basically posting involves retry after retry and it’s frankly tedious. Still, it’s proper footy time again and I really feel I should make the effort.
I think the title pretty much says everything I feel. We’re in this season’s quarters and we face the only championship club left in the tournament. The other seven sides are all Premier league teams.
We’re apparently second favourites to win the cup, after Man City, assumedly because of this particular tie which means we’re strong favourites to get to the semis, but I’m not sure our second place is really justified. Forest and Bournemouth are bigger threats than City to my mind, but no doubt it’s more about the Mancs recent history.
Whatever, the way I see it is this is our best chance to actually win the FA cup for 10 years, since that disastrously bad gane that was the Arsenal final; the awful anti climax of the 2000 Chelsea final and okay, I have to say it. Our last win in 1957.
I’ve commented previously about how I find it almost impossibly difficult to understand why our record, for a club of our size is so bad and nothing has changed.
The point is, if we don’t win it this season, given our current position, you have to wonder how long it will be before we get another equally good chance. We have (on paper) the easiest draw and we have a cup grand master in Unai Emery at the helm. It’s hard to see how things could be better.
Moving on to today, I see that Forest have beaten Brighton on penalties and Palace tonked Fulham on their own patch. Today’s other game is Man City and Bournemouth, where I suspect the cherries will win.
Our interest is of course the Villa though and squad news is that we’re in very good shape. Ross Barkley is our only player who’s not fit and even he is close to returning. Disasi is cup-tied, which is a loss, as I think he’s been excellent. Still, a conversation yesterday about what the starting line-up might be led us to conclude that when we have all the players fit, we actually have a very good pool of players to pick from. The issue we have is the lack of depth in the squad. Unai and Monchi are doing good work to improve this though, as we’ve seen since they’ve been at the club. Thinking about it, the way they’ve improved us has been nothing short of superb when you consider the way they’ve had to wheel and deal because of PSR.
As for Preston, Milutin Osmajic (hip), Alistair McCann (leg), Brad Potts (hamstring), and Jack Whatmough (calf) are all out and Sam Greenwood is suspended after picking up a yellow last time out.
The only thing I know about Preston is that they’ve got a very good record at Deepdale, having gone unbeaten for a mid teens amount of games. Having said that, Swansea managed to get a point there very recently, so they’re by no means invincible. History is on our side if you consider it matters and Preston have only beaten us once in our last 15 meetings. We’ve also won our last four quarter finals. Not that figures like that do much for me. The here and now is all that matters.
What to think then and I expect Preston to play a canny game where we have to take it to them, something that we’re not great at, in my opinion, as we struggle to break teams down. An early first goal in our favour would see us have too much for the Lilywhites and if they then had to attack us, I’d expect to beat them soundly. So knowing me, I’ve got it totally wrong and we scrape it to penalties.
Frankly, I don’t care how we do it, but I cannot see past a Villa win, which would see us face City, Forest or Bournemouth in a semi at Wembley. All tough games, but all very winnable, particularly with the cup grandmaster in charge.
I’ll go for 1-0, which will leave me itching for the draw later this evening.
UTV!
Comments
145 responses to “Preston – Villa: FA cup quarter final. It’s almost now or never.”
BFR – I’m routing for your birthday present on Saturday.
👍 🙂
If your feed had that woman with the flat voice on it – like mine, wow she is annoying. Blows in the wind. Brighton the better side – was that the zero their attack mustered or the 3 their defence conceded? I like the response to 10 minutes OT for time wasting – thanks, enough time for us to score one more!
Anyone see Tonali’s goal for the barcodes last night? As I keep saying, just shoot! Elite footballers should be able to shoot from pretty much anywhere in the final third. Stop trying to walk the ball into the net.
I had that feed OLL – sadly I’ve had to listen to her before – the constant being bias in favour of our opposition. Last time I turned off the sound it was so grating but couldn’t do that this time with the family watching.
Happy birthday hitch
Thanks Little – it was extra special with Villa winning and most of the family watching it together with me – a few snifter’s imbibed.
BFR’s turn on Saturday.
UTMV
Terrific away win against a good team. Three goals, all from January signings, gave us the three points. We’re on a roll and I think we can not only beat Forest on Saturday but get something against PSG away. We’re in April and we’ve still got two cups and a place in Europe to fight for.
Great time to be a Villan!
Absolutely top drawer performance yesterday and absolutely the correct call to play Rashford, what a run and finish?
Had to chuckle at the defender and keeper putting their arms up for offside when he (Rashford) was in his own half when the ball was played, numpties.
I chuckled when I realised Unai had used the same tactics that had been used against our high press several times this season. Just learn the lessons against Palace – a little deeper, please!!!
Great to see him being pragmatic and less dogmatic with regards to our style of play.
And what a finish by Asensio? Like a exocet missile into the bottom corner, what a player.
Malen’s was arguably better, RSS. ‘Unerring’ is one of many adjective I learned in my youth when commentators were good.
Last night was a first for me – I managed to get good wifi flying between Philly and Orlando and watched the game from the sky. Great result, and what an impact the January signings are having. I really hope we see Ollie find his mojo again soon, too – but I worry that he may be past that and be sold in the summer for cut price.
On the same page as you Tex.
I reckon he’ll be off to them Gooonners for around £50m given his age.
(IMO He has a look of a player that already knows he has one foot out the door)
He peaked last season. 50 million? No brainer.
A mental picture of you looking at your laptop/tablet and telling the passenger in the next seat. I am not flying to Orlando on business – I’m just up here for the wifi signal.
Watkins has always been wasteful, but now the contrast between his finishing and Asensio’s is side by side, and Ollie needs to change his work in the penalty box – if he can.
Come on Hotnum Totspurs!!!
Chelsea win but if someone had told me this was a bottom of the league cash I would have believed them. Two poor teams.
But Chelsea on course for top 4
Who on here thinks Ollie will beat Gabby’s goalscoring record?
He needs 3 goals I think and the way things are going with a possible summer exit, it’s looking less likely than what we thought at the start of this season.
https://www.goal.com/en/lists/european-golden-shoe-2024-25/blt3520b9a1255f6e3b#cs044ab3f95ad4ba98
Look at this list. Who could potentially replace Ollie? Mbuemo and Wissa both on the list, as is Cunha. More risky is the chap from Atalanta, with impressive numbers…
Forest could be without Wood and Hudson-Odoi. Have to go for it!
Also, apparently Forest concede a lot of corners due to defending deep – I hope Austin has taken note and the boys have a couple of routines ready…
Finally, as they defend deep, we will need to be very careful against the quick counter, especially with the likes of Elanga about!
It should be a great match; I hope we get to half-time at 0-0 like Wednesday, then turn the screw…just don’t get caught on the break!!!