Aston Villa (H) | PL | Post Match Thread

1 league title for Villa since the Titanic sank. And they only won that because Ipswich had a fixture pile-up due to reaching the FA Cup semi-final and the UEFA Cup Final.
Correct. And Ipswich played consistently stylish football,villa just ran and ran.sgt major Ron Saunders in charge.
 
Hmm...?
I'm saying he meant it. A bit untidy maybe but the intention to go past the fullback with his first touch was there. Rope a dope..
That makes The Goat go up a notch in my estimation. His second touch was always a header, but if he meant it...
 
tbh, much of the time wasting was quite legal. We are seeing it more and more nowadays, with the centreback taking the goal kick and passing it straight to the keeper who then just stands there with it until someone presses him, which hopefully then opens up a space for him to pass through the midfield. Last night we made the choice to let him keep it rather than squeezing him. It's very frustrating to watch but I think Pep didn't want to fall into the trap of getting sucked in and leaving big gaps in midfield. Overall I think Pep got that right. They often ended up resorting to trying the long ball, which we won back almost every time.
I think the ref should be able to book the captain when they start sharing out the time wasting. No way is goalkeeper ever going to get two bookings for time wasting.
 
Had to smile when Pep said pre match he saw Josko as a midfielder. The side he put out against Villa had 9 midfielders then and if Eddy & Stones had played it would have been 11!
Pep's previously said he'd like to play just midfielders. Now if he can teach Haaland to be a midfielder - so he can pass to himself when he makes his runs....
 
Anyone noticed the partnership between Dias & Gvardiol is solid .
Playing Gvardiol in his proper position has us seeing the player what we bought .
I would go for fullbacks Hakimi Psg & Kerkez to compliment them & that defence would be awesome .
Just saying lol!
Solid I don't know, our best partnership though absolutely. Villa got behind them a few times and Palace did countless times. I think half decent opposition will trouble them but happy with the progress being made
 
Pep's previously said he'd like to play just midfielders. Now if he can teach Haaland to be a midfielder - so he can pass to himself when he makes his runs....
That was a few years agowhen he said that.
Since then he started collecting centre halves ha!ha!
 
Dont these times fill your eyes...

Tuesday night was a special night. There is nothing like a late winner. Especially a late, late winner in such a tense, crucial match. I was far from alone in being ecstatic. The young Chinese man next to me was punching the air too. He fist pumped me. I fist pumped him, his face was a picture. I gave him a big hug. There we were, Blue brothers in arms. Football does this to you. City does this to you. Even a FOC like me. You find yourself hugging a complete stranger. A memorable goal and I was actually so happy at that goal that I had tears in my eyes. He looked a little surprised at the tears but he clearly quickly realised what it meant.

Don't these times fill your eyes...
 
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And if my Auntie had balls…

Games turn on a deflection, a dropped ball, a seconds late challenge…it’s why we play on grass and not paper.

It’s why people LOVE the game! A single once-in-a-lifetime mistake by the best player in the world can completely change the history of the game…as can a piece of unbridled magnificence.

The game can drop you to your lowest lows and raise you to your highest highs, and even those can be determined by your expectations, after watching the game (and your team) for your entire life!

I mean, it was definitely not Agueroooooooo, or even Gundo popping up at the back post, or Yaya putting it between Van De Saar’s legs, or, or, or…but when that Doku cross/pass slid all the way across, past everyone except Nunes, and he slotted it in for his first League goal for City in the 94th minute, did it feel any less than ANY of those occasions in the moment???

Was it “just” a 7 on the excitement scale for you? It wasn’t for me and it wasn’t for Pep or Matheus himself!!

The game turns on moments and the moment Doku miscontrols the ball is one. The moment Desasi gets sucked in is one. The moment Doku realizes Desasi’s mistake and pokes it down the line is one. The moment he cuts in front of Desasi so he can’t get to the ball is one. The moment Nunes chooses to raise his arm for the ball from way beyond the back post is one. The same second when Doku looks us and sees no-one really free but chooses to slide it across the goal with the outside of his right foot, right across the 6 yard line, is one. The moment the Villa defenders decide not to lunge towards their own goal for the ball is one. The moment Nunes sees the ball get through to him and hits it is one. The moment it hits the back of the net is one.

ALL of those individual moments, that happened within about 5 seconds of our lives, created a moment that created the same kind of rush of ecstasy that those other massive moments created in their day, and it will live long in the memory if it really does give us the extra 2 points we needed to get into the Champions League!

But, then life is a long series of “Sliding Doors” moments that helps make it the experience it is, with something new, exciting, and fun…or life-changingly devastating… just a second away.

Carpe diem and enjoy the ride, because when the Carnie pulls the lever and it’s time to get off, you won’t find another sixpence in your pocket to have another go!

It’s certainly been a waltzer ride watching City for the past half century and more, but this last decade has felt like he shouted “The louder you scream, the faster you’ll go!” and we all screamed together!

Let’s enjoy each moment, enjoy the ride, and scream as loud as we can when we want to go faster, because we only get one ride on The Waltzer of Life and these Fair doesn’t come around too often, and for some, it will never come around!

I, for one, am loving the ride! I’m glad I saved my sixpences for 44 years, because it has been made all the sweeter by waiting so long for the Fair to come to town!
Great post. I was hugging total strangers on Tuesday night as I’d gone for a piss on 80 minutes so grabbed the nearest empty seat when I came back into 326, can’t believe how many people had gone tbh but that’s another argument, was bedlam when it went in just like any other match winning goal is.
 

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