Aston Villa - Bradford (Rumbelows Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg)

Nailz

Hilariously sensationalist commentary there by Martin Tyler, even more than usual!

kensutz

How green is your grass Mr Lambert? What a joyous result.

Paul Tergat

Nailz wrote: »

Hilariously sensationalist commentary there by Martin Tyler, even more than usual!

its not possible to be sensationalist. the magnitude of that is just, i cannot describe it.

over 2 legs a 4th division side beat a premiership team.

GEM_13

A big congratulations to Bradford.

It's great to see a story like this in football-it could do with more of them to be honest.

Enjoy the day out BCFC.

JPA

kensutz wrote: »

How green is your grass Mr Lambert? What a joyous result.

Bet ye on the way so not a great comment.

Francie Barrett

Neil3030 wrote: »

It's rare we get a match thread for a Villa game - could I ask non Villa supporters to give their opinion on the team tonight? Which, if any, of these players have shown they are Premiership quality?

(Oh, and rather naively, I was of course referring to Villa players )

Well, if you were to look at the bright side, Villa do have a few decent players. Benteke is definitely a very good player and even though he missed a decent chance tonight, he gets into the right positions and has the physical attributes to play in the Premier League. The lad Weimann who came on should have started. Thought he was one of the better players in the first leg and his goal tonight gave them hope. Vlaar, despite his bad mistake looks a decent defender.

Francie Barrett

Paul Tergat wrote: »

its not possible to be sensationalist. the magnitude of that is just, i cannot describe it.

over 2 legs a 4th division side beat a premiership team.

If this was the third round and Villa had fielded a weakened team not caring if they went out, then it would be sensationalist. However, this was a semi-final featuring a full strength Villa team who most definitely wanted to win this. Massive, massive achievement.

Nailz

Paul Tergat wrote: »

its not possible to be sensationalist. the magnitude of that is just, i cannot describe it.

over 2 legs a 4th division side beat a premiership team.

I get where you're coming from, but the way he went on about it there was definitely degree of exaggerated sensationalism about it, even for the magnitude of Bradford's achievement.

fullstop

kensutz wrote: »

How green is your grass Mr Lambert? What a joyous result.

Bitter much :rolleyes:

Paul Tergat

Nailz wrote: »

I get where you're coming from, but the way he went on about it there was definitely degree of exaggerated sensationalism about it, even for the magnitude of Bradford's achievement.

There may have been a certain soundbite element to it but I would be annoyed id he didnt go a bit mental after that shock

Ed Winchester

Paul Tergat wrote: »

There may have been a certain soundbite element to it but I would be annoyed id he didnt go a bit mental after that shock

Is it that much of a shock? They were 3-1 up against a team in appalling form, low on confidence. It's a great achievement, but not that great a shock on the night.

Mr.Nice Guy

Didn't think Bradford could do it in the second leg. Some accomplishment.

Makes me even more convinced that all the criticism thrown O'Neill's way was very harsh. They've gone from a team not quite capable of cracking into the top four to a team that might be capable of slipping through the cracks into the second tier.

Madworld

Tremendous result for proper football fans all over the world.

Moneymaker

Buhahaha

Barr

Some result for Bradford - fair play to them.

Ed Winchester

Madworld wrote: »

Tremendous result for proper football fans all over the world.

What?? Why?

Are the Villa fans who were singing their hearts out there tonight not proper football fans? What exactly constitutes a proper fan?

Ridiculous statement.

Paul Tergat

Ed Winchester wrote: »

Is it that much of a shock? They were 3-1 up against a team in appalling form, low on confidence. It's a great achievement, but not that great a shock on the night.

its 4th division against premiership. city shouldnt have had a hope of going through

CSF

Madworld wrote: »

Tremendous result for proper football fans all over the world.

Who do you support?

Corholio

Madworld wrote: »

Tremendous result for proper football fans all over the world.

Villa fans aren't proper football fans? Excitement does really bring out the hilarity in people.

Ed Winchester

Paul Tergat wrote: »

its 4th division against premiership. city shouldnt have had a hope of going through

Ah no, I know. Over two legs it shouldn't even have been close. But I'd imagine most Villa fans were apprehensive heading into tonight.
Hats off to Bradford. Arsenal last round (broke my heart!) and Villa this.

Its Roy of the rovers stuff.

The_Kew_Tour

Well done Bradford. Happy for the club which has suffered a tragedy in the past.

Nice story.

SantryRed

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Didn't think Bradford could do it in the second leg. Some accomplishment.

Makes me even more convinced that all the criticism thrown O'Neill's way was very harsh. They've gone from a team not quite capable of cracking into the top four to a team that might be capable of slipping through the cracks into the second tier.

The state they're in now can be traced back to the ridiculous contracts he was giving out back then.

Esse85

It was Randy Lerner handing out the contracts not MON

RikkFlair

Not since 1962 has a 4th division side made the final. Some story.

Richard Hillman

Nailz wrote: »

Hilariously sensationalist commentary there by Martin Tyler, even more than usual!

Exactly, none of that excitement malarkey for us football fans. We like our lives nice and traditional and conservative.

Nailz

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Exactly, none of that excitement malarkey for us football fans. We like our lives nice and traditional and conservative.

Quit the bull****, you know that's not what I'm saying. It would've been fine if Tyler's commentary was sincere, but he didn't even sound like he meant a word he was saying in an exaggerated sensationalist tone. I fail to see how that has anything to do with excitement on the football fans part.

Jelle1880

Absolutely delighted for them.

Just read that their team was assembled at a cost of £7500, really puts things into perspective.

The_Kew_Tour

Jelle1880 wrote: »

Absolutely delighted for them.

Just read that their team was assembled at a cost of £7500, really puts things into perspective.

That is unreal.

Jelle1880

LuckyLloyd

Well, it's the most fantastic cup achievement in English football in my lifetime anyway. A fourth division team that drew Premiership opposition three times (including over two legs) and got there. The captain central midfielder, goalkeeper and the lad Wells were brilliant during the semi final and the quarter final. In all three games you would concede that they lived on set pieces and hard graft, but they showed an ability to string good moves together and were well organised and disciplined. Can only imagine how surreal it is for the players involved and staff - probably you get to your mid or late twenties as a footballer and you're at Bradford and are forced to give up on dreams of winning a national cup at Wembley or beating Premiership outfits, etc. They looked as shocked as anyone.

From a Villa perspective, the manner in which they chased the game the last half hour would have to be extremely concerning imo. Looked very disjointed, lots of hoofed diagonal balls or hopeful crosses. Showed no ability to take control of the game, pen Bradford back and gradually turn the screw. Needless to say, Villa have a young inexperienced squad this year but their better more highly paid players struggled to take control against fourth division opposition.

If Lambert was sacked he could have no complaints.

SantryRed

Esse85 wrote: »

It was Randy Lerner handing out the contracts not MON

So? The manager in charge would still be in the same situation.

partyguinness

I was at the game last night...a toasty -2 and snowing...:(

The team has no spine and I mean in the sense of experience. Since my last time at Villa Park the following players have gone (for various reasons):

Freidel,
Dunne (who by all accounts will not play for Villa again),
Collins,
Warnock,
Luke Young,
Luke Moore
Cuelluer,
Petrov,
Ashley Young,
Heskey,
Downing,
Milner,
Gareth Barry,
Reo-Coker,
Gardner.

That's 15 senior players that have not been replaced. There were players out there last night that should be in the Championship on loan gaining experience not subjected to that torture. Take Ciaran Clarke...not only has he been thrown in at the deep end..he has been captain for most of the last few months. I felt a little sorry for these guys but then I think about their contracts.

Bradford (not sure how it looked on TV) didnt even have to try very hard. I cannot recall a save their goalie made in the 2nd half. The Bradford goal was a real killer...just after the break..,really knocked the stuffing out of Villa.

It was unreal at time..Villa just did not know what to do. They should have slaughtered them...no one was prepared to take on the full backs. I found myself missing James Milner. They looked like the had never seen each other before. Stephen Ireland was their main (sorry..only) source of creativity but most time he had not choice but to pass sideways as the forward just stood around looking at the ball.

It was long ball stuff...high balls into the square and hope for a knock down. I was getting flashbacks of Niall Quinn in his pomp.

I am afraid Villa do not have the bottle or the players to stay up.

The best craic of the night was watching the snow fall off the roofs onto the subs warming up...:o

Paul Tergat

That is all