John

Nail, its not looking good for Martin but he has been written off before due to injury and came back to be our best defender and skipper so I'm hoping he can do the same again with the right medical treatment. But, I agree we need to sign a defender to challenge Curtis & Carlos for the central defensive roles and in view of the fact we cannot rely on Martin's fitness week in and week out. As far as the middle is concerned I back them to get it right again although they seemed to play better as a 5 and it may be worth giving Reo a game there against his old club next week if Gabby is not fully fit. Up front I don't think the Hare fits into Martin's plans and I think we do need to sign a real threat up front for next season to complement Gabby, Emile and Big John, as well as to provide suitable cover and a threat to their starting place.

The point from this game will not guarantee fourth or fifth place but it allows us to still dream of an increasingly unlikely fourth spot and makes Everton’s job of pipping us for fifth less likely and unlike the rest of the top 6 we have all of our eggs in one Easter basket and so can give our undivided attention to our season defining 6 game run-in! This was a battle between two closely matched sides that have this season delighted television audiences with their high scoring close encounters. We are the two closest challengers to the top 4 and are that step above the rest of the division. This season we may finish fifth and they may wind up sixth, which would be a reversal of last season’s placings and would represent progress for us. We have now proved ourselves over the course of two seasons, the best of the rest and the two teams most likely to take advantage of any slips from the usual suspects who now again fill the top 4 places. Everton may see the penalty that cost them the game to be debatable but I think by then and given the weight of reasonable penalty appeals referee Webb had turned down before then he had little choice but to give one. I would also suggest that Everton should not feel hard done by as many a challenge on Ashley Young went unpunished by the referee as did the latest of Fellaini’s elbow to head incidents. So this was the perfect result for Arsenal, who now hold the 8 point gap that a win rather than a draw from our home game against Stoke just six weeks ago would have given us over them. Our draw keeps the slender one point gap between us and Everton in place and should see us favourites to finish fifth. It did not add to the mere handful of home wins we have achieved at Villa Park this season. But I consider that our comeback performance yesterday and our unlucky late defeat at Old Trafford does suggest that we can put the recent miserable run of results behind us and produce a strong run-in. Whether that can now give us Champions League football rather than Europa Cup football next season is I would suggest dependant on Arsenal at the very least losing the 3 games they face against the teams that occupy the first three places in the league and on us winning all of our remaining games. But, if Arsenal do not slip up in these and other games and our finish is good but not quite good enough to compensate for the ground we have lost in recent weeks it will see us qualifying for Europe through the front door and with the experience gained from the many rounds we played to qualify and then reach the last 32 in the UEFA Cup behind us. It will also see us starting next season in August rather than in July and possibly with a stronger bigger squad that can face the prospect of doing battle on more than one front. My player ratings from a game that has left us needing a strong finish to the season to end it in the top 5 are: Brad Freidel - 7 – Tipped over a rasping shot on 16 minutes and did well to block a dangerous cross on 41 minutes that could have put us 2 goals down at half time. Luke Young – 7 – Solid and again made some crucial challenges. Curtis Davies – 6 – Continues to struggle to produce the level of performances that he gave us earlier this season but his performance improved as the game wore on albeit from a low starting point. How he and we miss the confidence that Martin Laursen brings to the centre of our defence and I just can’t help but feeling that Fellaini might not have been left unmarked for their opener and Cahill would not have got to his own header when it cannoned off the bar so easily had Martin have been marshalling and steadying our defence. Zat Knight – 5 – Did not look comfortable on his return to the starting line up in Carlos’ absence but he did get a vital touch to the ball on 84 minutes that denied Everton what looked like a great opportunity for a fourth. Nicky Shorey - 7 – Nicky is now providing the balance that we have lacked for much of the season at the back. James Milner – 8 – Hit a terrific free kick past Howard to produce the early response to their third goal that we so needed on 55 minutes and gave his usual hard running display. Gareth Barry – 7 – Hit the penalty that secured us a point with conviction, confidence and “straight down the middle” as Bing Crosby once crooned. Stiliyan Petrov – 7 – A quiet start but he alongside our captain and James then stood solid and stopped Everton running through us as had been happening during the first quarter of the game. Earned our penalty on 67 minutes when Lescott’s foot connected with his head inside the box and hit a splendid cross which Milner was unable to head down in the last moments of injury time. Ashley Young – 7 – Moyes saw to it that Ashley faced two defenders on most occasions he made a forward run but he still proved more than a handful for Hibbert who might have conceded a penalty or have left the field earlier than on 65 minutes upon the production of a red card rather than through the choice of his manager following a succession of fouls on our fleet footed winger. But, what has happened to his free kicks? The once deady dead ball crosses are too often over hit and from the edge of the box goal scoring opportunities too often do not trouble the keeper as was demonstrated when his free kick on 51 minutes sailed over the wall but also well over the bar with Howard nothing but a spectator. These are vital aspects of his game that he needs to work on in or after training. John Carew– 8 – MOTM - Scoring goals for fun on his return to the first team isn’t he? John’s fourth in six appearances came on 33 minutes and brought us back into a game that we had up until then looked odds on losing having gone two goals down on the 23rd minute. Milner’s cross was pushed back into the danger area by Barry and John did well to apply the necessary finish. Demonstrated the physical presence, eye for goal and skill on the ball that may yet produce a strong finish to this season. Gabby Agbonlahor – 5 – Took a step back from the level of display he had produced at Old Trafford and once again struggled to make an impression on the game but I think his being below par fitness wise may well explain this outcome. Substitutes: Nathan Delfounesco - 6 – Replaced the injured Gabby on 53 minutes. Worked himself into a good position to pull the trigger in injury time but his strike lacked the clinical precision of a Macheda and was pushed away by Howard. Up the Villa! John Lewis

Nice one BOF. It would have been a pity to let the day go without a bit of much needed humour.

Shorey can't even get a start at left back for the stiffs now and gets the lowest rating of the night when playing as a midfield player. Things look very bleak for him at Villa Park at the moment, which is a pity as if Bouma has not reached full fitness by the game at Old Trafford I would have started with him so that the entire defence was playing in their regular positions for this one. It looks like rushing Bouma back may be the only way this will happen.

Agreed Sled. :winkold: Thanks for the kind words fantram. Ciaran, I agree with going back to one up front. Gabby did it well in Big John's absence and I think that either Big John or Emile could do a job for us in that formation albeit a different one with these two holding the ball up for the likes of James & Ashley rather than running at the defence as Gabby did. I also share both your own and Jon's thoughts on Petrov's contribution yesterday. He has had a great season and it was just Reo's all action display on his return as Jon mentioned along with his will to get us back into the game that swung it for me. As far as the Curtis or Zat question is concerned I felt Curtis would have been the best bet on grounds of Bent's pace. As for Ashavin that goal showed you get what you pay for I just hope he does not do that too often in the last 9 games.

So is this season going to end in disappointment or can we start playing the football that got us into fourth spot again in the make or break run in to this season! Harry will be happy to have silenced his tormentors yet again and you have to say he proves everywhere that he goes that he can improve things at football clubs, but we now need to focus on our last 9 games to avoid this season becoming another that promised so much but that ultimately ends in disappointment due to a weak finish. This was always going to be a tough game and Harry was always going to make sure that his new team were well aware that beating us for him was more important than upsetting their neighbour’s hopes of another top 4 finish. Could that explain why at the start of each half Spurs looked so much better than they did for the bulk of this game? I said after the Stoke game that Arsenal would not continue to drop points and we would not continue to win away games to compensate for not winning our home games. They are now above us on goal difference with nine games to go after both teams have proved me right and we have again dropped points at home. So Arsenal and Villa are left with a nine game run-in that will decide who takes that fourth place. Anything other than defeat at Anfield or Old Trafford would be an unexpected yet a very welcome bonus. But, I’m sure Arsenal would not feel too confident of gathering maximum points when they face these same two teams and in their case Chelsea in their own 9 game run in. So for me this season will stand or fall on the last 7 games. These start with a tough home game against Everton and are followed by games against West Ham (h), Bolton (a), Hull (h), Fulham (a), Boro (a) and Newcastle (h). I think 17 points from these last 7 games would be enough for fourth and if we end the season on 69 points or better and finish outside the top 4 then the team that finishes above us will deserve the reward of Champions League qualification. But that reward is too near our reach to not grab it and to make it easy for Arsenal by falling away as the season nears its conclusion. Now is the time to draw a line in the sand, to stop treading water and to play like we had been doing up until a month ago. If we do, all is not lost, if we do not it will be! My player ratings from a game that has left us relying on Arsenal to again start dropping points are: Brad Freidel - 5 – Beaten twice at the start of each half having first pushed a Lennon cross and later a shot out but not having quelled the threat on both those occasions in doing so. Might have held onto the shot rather than parried it out to Keane and then stopped Keane’s effort getting to Bent for the second goal on 50 minutes that effectively clinched their win. He sets high standards and will not have been happy to have been beaten twice in these circumstances, particularly with the second. Nigel Reo-Coker – 7 – MOTM - A very good return to the action today. He for one looked fully up for the challenge yesterday and demonstrated this with a whole hearted performance. Carlos Cuellar – 6 – Steady enough back in his more familiar central role. Zat Knight – 5 – Replaced by Carew on the hour having struggled to cope with Bent’s pace up until then having perhaps surprisingly gotten the nod in front of Curtis Davies. Luke Young - 5 – Beaten inside and then outside in the build up to both goals, playing out of position as he has been for most of the season but he found Lennon too hot to handle this time. James Milner – 5 – James was pretty much marked out of the game and if you stop our wide boys you stop us. They failed to stop him on 85 minutes but the goal came too late to make a difference. Gareth Barry – 6 – Looked like he might take this game by the scruff of the neck more than once but never quite did and we expect more from him as does he. Stiliyan Petrov –7 – Our most effective midfield player yet again, some sublime passes and he was particularly effective in the first half. Ashley Young – 7 – Had looked back to his best until Harry replaced Zokora who had been unable to cope with his pace with Corluka who could on 35 minutes. The substitution seriously reduced his impact on the game and our hopes of getting back into it. Still having more problems than he did earlier this season with his final ball but he remains our main threat to opposition defences. Emile Heskey – 6 – Not at his commanding best in the air yesterday in a forward line that rarely looked like turning our plentiful possession into goals. Emile hit the bar with a good header on 45 minutes and so the woodwork had denied him and us on a second successive home game, perhaps we need to take a coat of paint off? Gabby Agbonlahor – 4 – Sad to see the reaction to his substitution but for too long he has failed to produce and his confidence is at such a low ebb that a rest may be the best option for both Gabby and the team. He shows no signs of playing himself out of this rut and although at his best he is so important to us he cannot expect on current form to keep Big John sitting on the bench. Substitutes: John Carew - 7 – Our best forward by a distance today. Came on for the last half hour and did well to give us some late hope with a good header from a good Milner cross on 85 minutes. Nathan Delfouneso – Replaced Gabby on 79 minutes. Not on long enough to make a difference or to get a rating. Craig Gardner – Replaced Emile on 82 minutes looked lively enough but like Nathan was not on long enough to gain a rating. Up the Villa! John Lewis

I think he did a hell of a lot to get local football onto the radio in the 70s & 80s and his prayer mat of that era is a thing of legend. He winds people up to get fans ringing into the show and he is the one from whom the likes of George Gavin, Tom Ross and Daz Hale learned their trade. He can also in his more reflective moments make it clear that he has a depth of knowledge of the game that goes back to the early 50s and I have really enjoyed his telephone interviews with past players such as Tom Finney to name only one. There will never be another!

With hindsight "carelessly" does seem the wrong word as I'm sure the players will feel this as much as we do. I think we took the foot off the pedal and paid the price.

Stoke secured their fourth away point from fourteen away games yesterday and this was the ninth home game in fourteen that we have failed to win. This was a game we so needed to win and that before travesty struck late on it had looked like we had. But, this is another poor home result to add to several past ones that threaten our place in the top four! We were 2 goals up and 8 points clear of Arsenal with just 4 minutes to go against Stoke today. But, at the end of the game and in 6 minutes (including 2 minutes of injury time) it was 2-2 and we stood only 6 points ahead of Arsenal. Villa fans were left in a state of shock after Stoke’s injury time equaliser gave them their fourth point from six against us this season and their second injury time goal against us. They had looked unlikely to get 1 let alone 2 during the preceding 85 minutes and scored from both of the efforts that they had on target. Fortune did not favour us yesterday and 99 times out of 100 we would have won this one. But, you need to see games like this through to their conclusion and we left the door open for them to walk straight through and to leave us all feeling so very deflated. It was hard to take the derisory chants from the Stoke fans after the game. “Two up and you still can’t win” along with “Champions League? Your having a laugh”, were as bitter pills to swallow for us as was our own “Going down with the Baggies” for them. But, we really should not have been in a position like this after dominating the game for all but the final few minutes. They sat back in the first half as we had expected they would. They showed no forward ambition and allowed us to come forward at will. We could have gone in at half time well clear and the game should have been beyond their reach before they began to pose a threat to our up until then seldom tested defence. But, the lions share of the possession we enjoyed in the first half came to nothing until a minute before the break. In the second half we knew they would need to come out of their shell but they had posed no serious threat during up until we went two in front, although by pushing up and not playing so deep our midfield suddenly found themselves in a contest and the introduction of Fuller gave our up until then under worked central defenders occasional problems. But, all had seemed settled when Big John hit his splendid goal on 79 minutes and we felt sure there was no way back for Stoke after that. But, it seems the team may have felt the same and it seemed to switch off afterwards feeling the job had already been done. We failed to respond to the wake up calls that both of their scorers gave us in the period between our second and their first. First Shawcross rose between two defenders to head over from a corner and then Whelan hit the post from outside the box on 84 minutes, before we went on to concede two late goals to the same players in very similar circumstances. We really need to close players down better on the edge of our box than we did today and that unchallenged headed goal once again raises the question of whether zone or man-to-man marking is best to employ from set pieces. Let’s face it, Arsenal won't continue to drop points and we won't continue to win away games to compensate for not winning our home games. But, let's hope the run of that happening can continue on Tuesday when Arsenal face WBA at The Hawthorns and then the following night when we are away at Manchester City. The worse case scenario would see us losing and Arsenal winning to reduce the gap between us to 3 points. The opposite set of results would bring the gap up to 9 (which would be nice, if as unlikely as it seemed we would drop 2 points to Stoke with 86 minutes of the game gone)! Oh and there is also Everton but they still have the FA Cup to act as a distraction, as do Arsenal have the Champions League. So, can we bounce back from this one or are the wheels beginning to wobble? When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Now is the time to make sure we get the reward that we deserve for this season performances to date. We must not slip up now and let this season peter out as others have in the past. The reward of Champions League qualification is too near our reach to not clinch it. My player ratings from a game that has left us all hoping that WBA can get a sixth home win of the season in midweek (yes, one more than we have so far) are: Brad Freidel - 6 – Beaten twice from outside the box and once from an unchallenged header in the last 17 minutes and this produced two late goals. But, Brad had little chance with these as they were all placed in the corner and in the first case the post came to his rescue. Carlos Cuellar – 5 – Carlos is a solid defender but he continues to look like what he is when coming forward, as he needed to do a fair bit in this game and that is a central defender who is playing as a full back. There was also some wayward distribution yesterday, particularly in the first half. I think Shorey may have proven the better bet against this opposition as he is more comfortable going forward and I also think he gave a decent defensive display in Moscow. Had he played on the left Young could have filled in on the right with Carlos possibly given a starting position in central defence. Curtis Davies – 6 – A first half error almost presented Sidibe with an opportunity but he recovered well with a good block. Zat Knight – 6 – Headed a Milner cross inches over on 31 minutes but might have looked to have run on to attempt to block their equaliser rather than stop and turn his back on the incoming shot. Luke Young - 7 – Good going forward and hit a good cross on 8 minutes that Gabby was unable to force home. Made a great tackle on the hour to deny Fuller a shooting opportunity after he had got ahead of Davies. James Milner – 7 – Worked very hard and did much to ensure our first half domination. Gareth Barry – 6 – Not quite at effective and influential as usual. Stiliyan Petrov – 8 – MOTM – Stood out above everyone else today. Sprayed the ball around at will and pinged one good ball after another to a claret & blue shirt. Played a one two with Milner that started near the half way line and finished on the edge of their box to give us a half time lead on 44 minutes, hitting a firm shot into the corner of the net past the despairing reach of former Villain Sorensen. He also found Carew for our second. Ashley Young – 6 – Another who was not quite at his best yesterday. Emile Heskey – 7 – Replaced by Big John on 75 minutes due to injury. Had held the ball up well up until then and we could have done with that ball retention in the final 17 minutes. Looked every inch an England striker today, just needs to add goals to the mix but you can’t teach an old dog new tricks or can you Martin? Gabby Agbonlahor – 4 – The midweek break did not look to have helped. Gabby really should have added to his goal tally today. He failed to make a decent connection at the near post on Carew’s 82nd minute cross which would have put us three clear. Sorensen did well to block his effort on 8 minutes when he met a fine cross from Like Young. Gabby is clearly lacking in confidence and having gained England recognition is making it difficult for the manager to pick him on current club form. Substitutes: John Carew - 7 – Made an immediate impact on his introduction scoring a peach of a goal on 77 minutes with a superbly timed side foot volley that used the pace of Petrov’s ball to him to hit what then appeared to be the decisive goal over Simonsen. Up the Villa! John Lewis

I agree Ciaran, but I do not think that Martin will risk resting him after our cup exit and I trust Gabby will be up for it on Sunday after a week off.

I agree on that AVFCinSpain and that was just what I was thinking after the game, although looking at the clubs who are now left in this cup and with Manchester City now favourites with the bookmakers I'm not sure we might have not won this had we gone for it 110%. But, had we done so, we would have run the risk of drifting out of the top 4 and there was never a guarantee that we would have won this cup or even the game in Moscow with our best available team. Martin is paid to make these decisions and although this is not one I would have made I back his judgement and he has through what he has done with this club put himself in a position where such decisions need to be made.

Like fans they have differing opinions on players performances PeteStan, I'm happy we agreed on this one. Thanks for that and you may be right on at least one of the above.

Thanks LatestConfirmedIn. I doubt if Gabby would take too well to missing a league game Ciaran, but I would like to see us go to Moscow with as near to a full strength team as we can muster so that if we did go out we would have least given it our all. Agreed Lancs. Although I might be tempted to go 5 in the middle and not rest Stan & Gareth for the reason mentioned above and as I think a full strength team could pull it off in Moscow were an under strength one will be highly unlikely to. Heskey was vey near to a 7 if that helps. :winkold:

This was a 6-pointer that we lost to drop behind Chelsea but Arsenal’s failure to take full advantage of our slip somewhat eased the unfamiliar pain of a second defeat in a week! Well runs are there to be broken. This was our first defeat in 14 league games and Chelsea’s first win at Villa Park for 10 years. The timing of this game was all wrong for us. We faced a team wanting to impress a new manager, one who had not had a game in midweek and one who this season appear to his peak form when they face us. The first goal was always going to be a crucial one and it was they who claimed it after some Lampard magic which left two of our defenders in his wake before he pushed the ball through to Anelka who scored for the sixth time in successive matches against us (sadly one record that was left unblemished yesterday). They ran out clear winners of the first half but only the woodwork stopped us going in all square. They then soaked up everything that we threw at them in the second half but for all our hard work quality chances were few and far between and the openings they carved out were better than our own. We can perhaps measure how far we have come by the fact that Chelsea used time wasting so much to deny us the time to get back into the game and celebrated so hard after claiming the spoils afterwards. So the all important run of three matches that had been expected to determine our season has come to an end. It leaves us out of the FA Cup, needing to win or draw by scoring at least one away goal to stay in Europe and fourth rather than third in the league table. Next weekend’s home game with Stoke is now crucial as we just must win that one to prevent this blip looking like something that might really threaten what we have achieved to date in this season. Arsenal’s result yesterday represented a get out of jail free card for us yesterday. I think most of us would have been happy with a point from yesterday’s game, particularly after Chelsea had gone ahead. That would have seen Arsenal close the gap from 7 to 5 points. So, their being 6 points behind us now with an inferior goal difference is a real positive for us to take out of this weekend and the more games we can go with this gap staying a chasm between us the less confident will Arsenal become of closing it as their opportunities to do so reduce. We have now had two home league wins from our last eight and we need a third win next Sunday to give us what would be just our sixth home win in the league this season. Nothing else will do. We cannot rely on our away run continuing to make up for slips at home and we cannot rely on Arsenal continuing to drop points for the rest of the season. The buck stops at Villa Park next Sunday when a Stoke side who have yet to win away this season and who have lost 10 of their 13 away games away from the Potteries to date need to have that unhappy run extended. My player ratings from a game that a win could have taken us 5 points ahead of our opponents but which left us trailing them by a point are: Brad Freidel - 8 – MOTM – His three very good saves kept us in the game and still threatening to earn the draw that I felt on balance we may just have deserved. Brad made a good stop from a Terry header on 33 minutes to deny Chelsea a second; he also made a good second half save to deny Boswinga and followed that up with a great save to deny Ballack on 90 minutes after Deco had displayed his skills to find him on the edge of the box Carlos Cuellar – 6 – Nearly presented them with an opportunity for another on 81 minutes with a less than convincing clearance but on a welcome return from injury he generally looked comfortable enough. Curtis Davies – 5 – Looked to me that he may still have been feeling the affects of that shoulder injury at Everton last weekend. Whatever the reason he was some way below par before his substitution on 70 minutes and I wonder if he may get a night off next Thursday? Zat Knight – 6 – Both Zat and Curtis found Chelsea’s twin strike threat a problem to cope with and he seemed to be a little rushed and lacking in assurance at times. Luke Young - 7 – Another solid display and presented a threat when he found the opportunity to get forward. James Milner – 7 – We missed his work up front when he retreated further back on Big John’s introduction for the last 20 minutes. Gareth Barry – 7 – A solid shot on 67 minutes forced a decent save from Cech and 8 minutes later Heskey steered the ball into his path but his shot was directed straight at the keeper. Stiliyan Petrov – 6 – Cleared one off the line on 49 minutes this time with his head. But, Stiliyan was not at his best yesterday and he along with others allowed Lampard in particular too much room early on, allowed the opposition to run at us without being closed down and their midfield to have the better of things, particularly in the first half. Ashley Young – 7 – So unlucky to see his free-kick from the edge of the box thud against the bar with Cech well beaten on 36 minutes. But, otherwise found Boswinga denying him the opportunity to make his usual impression on a game. Emile Heskey – 8 – Did all that could be expected of him. He is there to hold the ball up and to make the ball available to the likes of Gabby and Gareth, he was unable to offer the bonus of one of his rare goals that we so needed yesterday, but did everything else well. Gave Terry a tough time in the air but too few of his flicks were run onto by his team mates. Gabby Agbonlahor – 5 – Again took the wrong option after his own good work had left him with just the keeper to beat on 53 minutes by trying to squeeze the ball between Cech and the near post with a side footed effort. Looked to be going for the same balls as Heskey was early on, rather than to be looking to feed off him. We need his goal scoring form to return soon but this showed little sign of happening yesterday. Substitutes: John Carew - 6 – Replaced Curtis for the last 20 minutes and made a decent impression alongside Emile to show us a glimpse of a forward pairing that few of us think can work. Up the Villa! John Lewis

Interesting point VillaLi0n. I rather expected they would go for goals at home and be confident that they had already done the harder work by returning home level and with an away goal. I back us to score in Moscow and if they want to play a negative game then I'm not sure that would be their best option.

2-2 would see us through on away goals Hippo where 1-1 would lead to pens. But I would be more than happy with 1-0 and so doing it with a win. :winkold:

Yes I thought Petrov had a very good game too, but I thought that Barry just shaded it and its all about opinions folks, your opinions on MOTM & Zat's display have the same validity as my own and carry the same weight. As for what Martin said and how he said it we will most likely never know but it sure was effective. I have not written off our hopes as I trust what I have said about the forthcoming away leg shows. I think it will be difficult but it was always going to be. This is a good test and I think the tie is still in the balance.

Sorry folks that should be Vagner with a V not Wagner with a W. :oops:

So we will need to score 2 goals in Moscow or win away from home to go through to the last 16. We scored 2 goals the last time we travelled to Moscow in this competition at Spartak. We have made a habit of winning away from home this season. So do you want to bet against us? CSKA failed to win their first UEFA Cup game of the season last night. This is a team who have already qualified for next season’s Champions League. This is the quality of opposition we can expect to face next season if we do finish this season in the top 4 to join them. This is also the sort of team that a Villa side that was missing Cuellar, Reo-Coker, Heskey, Milner and Laursen, through injury would have had to play at their very best to better. It was important that we did not go into the Chelsea game on the back of two successive cup defeats. Although we went a goal down we battled back after a pretty innocuous first half display to have the better of the second. Had CSKA tired due to their recent inactivity or had Martin’s half time message stung our team into action? Whatever the reason, we were much more effective in the second half and put some real pressure on their defence. Clinching the tie in Moscow will present a tough ask and CSKA look likely to put us under considerable pressure next week. But, we are suited to playing on the break and using the pace we have in our side. We also might have a couple of players back from injury by then. So, we will not be waving a white flag just yet instead of the commemorative one we were given at the game last night and let’s hope we can come away from Russia with a win if not with Love next week! My player ratings from a game that has left us with a mountain to climb in order to go through next Thursday are: Brad Guzan - 6 – Perhaps surprisingly given a game ahead of Brad Friedel last night in what was our one unforced change. Not given much opportunity to shine by CSKA, other than when he had the ball pushed past him by free scoring Wagner Love for what may prove to be a crucial as well as a terrific away goal. Luke Young – 6 – Another solid display, this time in his right position. Curtis Davies – 6 – Worked well alongside Zat. Zat Knight – 7 – A good solid confident display last night against more than capable opponents. Nicky Shorey - 7 – Given a rare first team outing. Nicky looked good coming forward although that is not where Martin has had his reservations with some of his past performances. But, on this occasion he looked steady enough at the back as well and would have some grounds to be disappointed if he does not keep his place at the weekend after this performance and with our limited current options. Craig Gardner – 7 – Hit the bar with a header from Ashley Young’s 52nd minute corner and had a penalty claim ignored 4 minutes later when another header was blocked with what appeared to be a defender’s arm. Did well last night and worked tirelessly. Gareth Barry – 8 – MOTM – Without him we are only half as effective as we are with him in the starting line up. He stood out in a solid enough midfield unit last night and the confidence and polish he has developed as an established international was there for all to see last night. Stiliyan Petrov – 7 – Gave another impressive all round midfield performance, the only negative was a silly booking due to kicking the ball away after a free kick had been given against him. Ashley Young – 7 – Not showing quite the same consistent accuracy and threat he did before his suspension from dead balls but he was as he invariably is the player who makes things happen up front or the player who creates opportunities that could have won matches had they been taken, as was the case last night. Hit a shot just wide on 80 minutes having been fed on the edge of the box by Gabby. John Carew – 7 – Not up to peak fitness yet after a long lay off but Big John is increasing his contribution to the overall team performance in each game he plays. He was inches over with a header from a Young cross on 32 minutes and then on 68 minutes hit our equalizer with a well hit shot that their keeper will have been disappointed not to have got in the way of. Gabby Agbonlahor – 6 – He is doing well to get into the positions to score but he is not putting those opportunities away often enough of late. Did a lot of good work and hard running outside of the box but was unable to get on the end of a great Shorey cross on 20 minutes and failed to get any significant connection on another good cross, this time from Ashley 9 minutes later. Substitutes: None. Up the Villa! John Lewis

Signs of a misspent youth at the disco Pete? I agree with the Forest/Clough link and look forward to the trophies rolling in at B6 as they did at Nottingham back then.

As Noel would say "deal or no deal?". :winkold: Here's to the treble!

A better option, but how about we get a point against Chelsea and stay in both cups?

I think to quote someone whose name escapes me, "Yes we can"! :winkold:

I think that going out of both cups would be far too high a price to pay for 3 points particularly as the effect of doing so on our confidence would be likely to also cost us points after the Chelsea win. We really need to go for it on all fronts - who dares wins after all folks and the odds of us ending the season outside the top 4 and without a trophy would be much higher if all we had left to play for was a top 4 place.

General, Could you kindly pass on our thanks and congratulations to the team, Randy, Martin and all at Villa Park after today's superb win at Blackburn? Today's win made history for our great football club. Never in our proud past have we won 7 games away from home in a row. Our bright future has now added to our proud past. My thanks to you and to all who have done so much so soon at Villa Park. You all have now added to the proud history of our great football club by what you have made possible in the present.