I am actually back home now, but not for long. I’m off to a training course tomorrow in Middlesboro, of all places. So I doubt if I’ll be able to see much of the game, as I’ll no doubt be stuck in tons of traffic.
Whatever, I’m hotfooting it back to Spain on Saturday to get away from this weather and back to my original holiday plan.
I heard a statistic on Sky sports news earlier and it shocked me.
We have only won one FA cup third round game in the last eight. That is frankly disgraceful for a team that has been mostly in the Premier league. But yet, so typical of Aston Villa.
Just like we’re going to be up against a new manager bounce after West Ham sacked Lopetegui and appointed Harry, oops, sorry, Graham Potter today. It’s a hard life for managers sometimes, isn’t it? Potter walked away with a rumoured £10 million or more payoff, had a nice 20 month break and then walks into the West Ham job, where I have a feeling he might do a decent job for them. Hopefully that turnaround won’t come too quickly though.
And to cap it all, it looks like we might have to face a new manager bounce when we face Everton too.
Anyway, can we change that shocking third round record? And does Unai actually care about the FA cup?
The main news for us is that John McGinn definitely won’t be available. Pau is out for weeks, but those two apart, we seem to be all good.
I’ve searched for West ham team news, but everywhere is dominated by Potter’s appointment and I don’t really care much anyway. I do know they have a couple of top players out, but that’s it.
Emery made out that he wants to win the game and I wouldn’t expect him to say anything otherwise. He also points out that winning the cup is a route to the Europa cup, which worried me slightly. Is that an admission that we won’t qualify for the Champion’s league? I prefer to think not and he just vies that as a worst case back up.
He also talks about how we’re trying to build a team and that sort of comment makes me think he might want to give some players a rest and some young players a game. I can see Maatsen coming in, but we don’t have a lot of room for many changes, I’d have thought.
Certainly Philogene won’t feature as his £20 mill plus signing by Ipswich will probably go through tomorrow. Does Kosta Nedeljković replace Cash at right back? Maybe, but apart from giving the lad game time, I can’t see why. Cash, as much as I don’t rate him, has hardly burnt himself out this season, I wouldn’t have thought. Duran is still suspended, so “Whack it wide” Watkins (thanks, whoever posted that one) is assured a start. McGinn being out leaves few options in the middle and the hope would be that quite a few of our players play themselves into some sort of form, which isn’t an ideal way of looking at games.
Thoughts then and the biggest plus for us is that West ham leak practically two goals a game and I don’t see Potter changing that by tomorrow night.
The problem is that we’re not taking our chances and our defence is nearly as abysmal as West Ham’s.
Will Potter change much at all? It’s difficult to see after just one day, so this is basically going to be all about the new manager bounce. And after what I’ve just read about Lopetegui and his relationship with the West Ham squad, their players are going to be at least in a more positive mood and will be all out to impress the new manager.
Which means things might prove probematic for us.
Everything about this game is a total guess for a fan, but surely we’re due an FA cup win, aren’t we?
Add in our home advantage and I’m going for a 2-1 win and a happy 150th Anniversary.
Heh, I remember the 100th Anniversary like it was yesterday. And that makes me feel really old 🙁
2-1 it is then and UTV!
Paqueta is an outright cheat.
Yeeeeeaaaaassss we woke up wooooo
😀
You don’t have to play well, just winning is ok.
Chestyyyyyyyyy!
Oh my oh my…Good Lord!!!!!!
This game has turned on its head!!!
Whoooooo!!!¡ Job done lads!!! Whatever that twat Lee Dixon or Tough Roy says!
Well, that was some turnaround. How can we have periods when we’re so bad and then suddenly play way better?
It’s horrible to watch.
But we’re into the fourth round for once.
Could this be our year?
I’ve deleted some recent political posts because they’re ruining the thread.
Now I know why I’ve not previously allowed them. No more now lads please.
Exclusive – what Unai said to turn it around.
“Mr Heck says ‘the cost of all the Black kits we can’t sell if you lose will be taken from your wages!’
Well that’s a turn up for the books. Even Olsens terrible passing out from the back and flapping at crosses wasn’t punished by West Ham.
So our customary 3rd round exit has been transferred to the 4th round this year.
Glad to be through but it was a terrible performance for the most part. Luckily the opposition were even worse.
No suprise Ian Wright is moaning…Swings and Roundabouts, Ian.
A killer 25 minutes did it for us. At least ITV can admit that.
Two wrongs don’t make a Wright, but they do even out. In quick succession the ref gives a goal kick to the Hammers when it should have been a corner (off Soucek last), then gives us a corner when no Hammer touched it. No VAR – anyone sorry?
No – I agree with you OLL – these things tend to even themselves out.
2-1. Mystic Badger calls it again!!!
Got the lottery numbers dude???
Lol.
More like septic Peg 🙂
🙂
Still hard to believe that we won that match. For once I will be interested in the 4th round draw.
Did anyone else think Onanas reaction after scoring was telling? He just stared at the crowd. He’s taken a lot of stick from fans recently and it seemed like a defiant pose as if he had read some of the criticism. Certainly different to his previous celebrations.
Onana has an attitude. He has deserved the stick he got when coming on as a sub. It is difficult for anyone, but he looked so far off the pace and intensity of the match he was joining that it stood out. I hope he gets a few starts, because I think he looks better when starting though I am not sure he was worth the money spent.
Olsen is a problem. The truth is he would not get a start at any Championship club in place of their current keeper, which means he should not be Villa’s #13. Zyech looks better, and is good at catching the ball.
I agree with the Onana comments.
The fact is, he has looked terrible after coming back and deserved stick. By the same token, I’m sure many of us think he’s a decent player when on form and want to see him doing well.
On another note, here’s exactly why I’m not keen on Cash. He is not great with ball recoveries and that’s massively important for a FB who is charged with getting high up the pitch. His assist rate is poor too;
https://www.footballfancast.com/aston-villa-now-willing-to-pay-oscar-mingueza-release-clause/
Still don’t how Onana and £60m go in the same sentence?
Cash seems to get a lot of criticism on here.
He might have weaknesses – which players don’t – but he always gives everything in a game. First half yesterday only Cash and Kamara deserved to be on the pitch.
Just saying.
I’m probably Cash’s biggest critic on here, but if you read around Hitch, I’m far from alone and he is seen as a weakness by many Villa fans.
I wouldn’t suggest for one minute that he doesn’t give his all, but that’s not enough.
I can assure I’d give my all if I played for the Villa.
I’ll bet you wouldn’t think that was good enough though and we shouldn’t think it about Cash, imo.
I like Cash too.
Cash and Kamara were our best players in the first half. I think we need an upgrade on Cash to get to the next level though. There’s no doubt that he’s a better RB than Konsa. I hope Emery plays Konsa and Mings together for a while so that they can rediscover the form they had before Mings injury. I would like to see Maatsen get a run of games too because he’s the future whereas Digne isn’t. I’m certain that a back 4 which isn’t rotated all the time will begin to improve our goals conceded problems.
Watching Sevilla v Valencia and the camera picked out Monchi in the stands. No idea who he might be checking out apart from Barenechea who has been getting a lot of playing time for Valencia.
The co-com, a former Barca defender, is waxing lyrical about Valencia’s two young CBs, Tarrega 22 and Mosquera 20. Both look useful and BTW Barrenechea is playing well.
Seems more of a business than ever. Look at the £6m or so we made on Philogene. Buy ’em young and sell them on if it doesn’t work out.
Probably works out more than that as we have sold him twice and bought him back once. Around £14m profit all told I think.
You right hitch what’s paquetta doing clothing his face for should be charged and as for the corner that shouldn’t of been Onana gets pulled back as he shoots so should of been a penalty
Looking forward to the draw blues at home I hope
Clutching
Home to Spurs fourth round – not the easiest tie but when did the balls fall in our favour?
Half a chance.
If Tamworth can give Spuds a good run then we can batter them.
COYL
Only the crumbliest, flakiest Tottenham.
They stuffed us home, praying on Torres’ lack of pace and slowness to react, then played like chumps next time out. Not a bad draw but please – leave Olsen out of it!
Villa agree deal for Malen at just over £20m – suggest this will now enable the Philogene transfer to go ahead.
It does look like it’s happening! Might be here in time for the Toffees game…I know showreels are to be taken with a pinch of salt, but he looks like a cross between Leroy and Chesty. Strong and quick with the feet…
TBR (who have been pretty accurate with their rumour reports – so far) are saying that West Spam made a bid for Duran last week that fell ‘miles short’ of Villa’s valuation.
The Watkins / Duran debate – rather than Duran, would you offer Watkins to West Spam for Bowen and cash (Not that Cash!) and make Duran our number 1 CF.
I’ll nail my colours to the mast – rather do that than sell Duran.