Malachite

OBE: Thats the question ? what would your gut reaction tell you, at this point in the season with so much importance on this fixture for Chelsea, being that if they drop points to Villa right now, that could be the end of the premiership title for them ( was this the bridge to far for Chelsea), if we are 2-1 up with 10 mins to go are players like Malouda going to start getting bitchy and and frustrated making silly tackles that put players out, for me all this plays its part. Can we beat Chelsea in this game at this point, I would rest any key player that looks jaded that looks a doubt injury wise, thats coming back from injury. Thing is MON is more a one trick pony ( I say that with 100% respect to the Man) he goes 100% for every game and looks for the result regardless of the next fixture( except for the Europa cup last year that is) . Its a really difficult question that singles out the great tacticians from the also rans IMO, Mourinho was a class act in this way, out thinking the opposition manager IMO.

Great analysis - makes a lot of sense. Gabby is improtant to us - but he's not our Rooney. He has the legs on anyone else in the league and if he could curb his offsides then he'd get more goals - seeing Gabby offside angers me - he could give most defenders a 15yrd head start and he'd still out pace them to the ball no problem. We're lacking a touch of class up front, a finisher, a punisher. None of our strikers have the greed or natural ability to finish compared to those of Torres, Defoe, Bent, Tevez or even Doyle. But he offers us something that you cannot learn to defend against...blistering pace. Gabby has imporved each season and now his overall play is very good - he can take a ball down and lay it off, hold of defendrs, create opening sthrough passes - all which he could not do previously. Another excellent post coming through, this must be down to the morning after effect allowing posters to give full consideration to events this much after the game rather than the knee jerk reaction that you sometimes see. ( born out of disappointment and frustration of course) Gabby..spot on, he will never in a million billion years have the right place right time instinct that Defoe does, Torres does, Tevez does, he will never have the utter determination to bulldoze through an opposition arms and legs all over the place ( and fist if required) that Rooney has. So what does Gabby do, he sits high, worries the F*** out of defenders, how embarrassing can it be for a defender when some bloke pushes a ball past you giving 15yds head start, leaves you eating his dust, make you look like a complete pensioner with wooden legs with nowhere to hide in front of thousands, becuase he hasn't required a tricky little dribble full of skill to beat you, just playground stuff i'm faster than you.

Can we get this ?, could we play the canny card and rest players, thus not showing our hand before the Semi ?, if we loss this how much damage will this do to us finishing top 6 ?, how bad do Cheslea want this ?, do we really go all out for this and look for the shock result at the risk of falling short, losing, and then have to play the same side v Chelsea in the Semi, just days away with it fresh in the players mind that this or better Chelsea side can beat our best. What to do. I know what i would do.

Part A, Top notch post, and allthough i agree with with what part B implies i wouldn't go as far as to suggest that in part B the manager is blinkered or possibly lacking in options, simply because you could throw that at almost every manager. Say it again as mentioned in other posts, we have to now target games we can get, rather than blanket cover all fixtures, if Arsene Wenger believes that's a strategy that he now has to employ for Arsenal as said yesterday then that certainly applies to the Villa squad. Said it before and without banging on about it, what we have to realise is, like it or not, you take Gabby out of the Villa side and you remove not just our main attacking powerhouse you remove the threat up front that allows the opposition back 4 to move up 15 or so yds, in turn pressing there midfield forward, putting pressure on our midfield and the opposition sitting that much further in our half, knocking on the door of our back 4, hence why Doyle was so effective for Wolves and the Sunderland midfield cut through us like a knife through butter, Any body that watched the game watched that happen. When Gabby is up front no back 4 can risk that, simply because he can run the legs of pretty much all, so they sit deeper. Thats how crucial i believe he is. That would be my version of limiting MON's options tactically, because we are on the back foot from the kick of.

For me certain players looked jaded, bound to happen, games running out, this is where the team (players and management) needs to take a realistic approach, look long and hard at whats achievable, we have to finish in that top 6 of premiership clubs, 5th and 6th is a world apart from top 4, that's a whole different league, we need to target the games we have to take 3 pts from as a must, and get the points, target those games and treat them as cup finals and give blood to get the result, IMO last night was one of those fixtures as was Wolves, 4 dropped points IMO that would have made 5th and 6th place more achievable taking pressure of any defeat in the coming Chelsea game if we loss. Lucky and a life saver that Carew comes good just at the right time, just as well really, Heskey?, defence looked tired, Fonz, said it before, he needs games, probably a spell out on loan at a good championship side may have paid dividends at an earlier stage, Young looks sharpish again, said it before, we need Agbonlahor back in side desperately, average side otherwise, its like boxing, with gabby we look like a boxer going forward attacking probing, punching but looking to cause damage, without we look like a boxer prepared to spar be patient and play the waiting game for the chance and at this time in the season with everybody desperate for points, that dodgy.

I can't agree with that, the difference between 4th and 7th is likely to be a gnats knacker, if we can achieve 6th we can achieve 4th. Lets look at it in a more pragmatic way then.... Do you think we will achieve 4th......not a cat in hells chance. Do you think we could achieve 6th....we have a realistic chance, matters nothing about splitting the difference of if we can get this then we can get that...........reality is the competition for 4th is massive and tails of slightly for 6th......................I say lets get into Europe as our main project in hand, look at the fixtures we have, we can get 6th. Reality is that the competition for 4th and 6th is the same. Can't agree with this, I would say the competition for 4th is the same, to assume that by missing 4th a team will naturally gravitate to 5th and then 6th and so on making the compatition the same!!!!can't agree, we have enough games to succeed and the same to fall well short, many teams over the seasons have thrown everything at getting top 4 at the cost of everything else and failed miserably, had a more deliberate game plan been used that was achievable, far more realistic. My point was we should look at what we can do and what we must do, Villa must be a top 6 side, I'm saying 6th and that's where the line is drawn, if we finish 5th or 4th all the better, but 6th must be it as a minimum, we are at a point in the season where any team can easily string together a run of no wins, we did last season at this time, complete burnout, we went for the impossible. At this time there is a 5pt difference between 4th and 6th that's a fair difference, at the end of last season there was a 10pt difference between 4th and 6th, that tells me that although the competition for 4th was the same, the reality at the final bell was a considerable gap in reality between 4th and 6th, in fact a huge gap. We'll have to agree to disagree. tinker: at least there's there is some awareness out there, fact is, and to me obvious as night following day, Villa without Gabby are average, with Gabby are a committed driven winning side, i actually believe Gabby will leave Villa for a Champions League side unfortunately for Villa, lets face it thats football its bound to happen eventually.

I can't agree with that, the difference between 4th and 7th is likely to be a gnats knacker, if we can achieve 6th we can achieve 4th. Lets look at it in a more pragmatic way then.... Do you think we will achieve 4th......not a cat in hells chance. Do you think we could achieve 6th....we have a realistic chance, matters nothing about splitting the difference of if we can get this then we can get that...........reality is the competition for 4th is massive and tails of slightly for 6th......................I say lets get into Europe as our main project in hand, look at the fixtures we have, we can get 6th.

We need to focus on what we can still achieve, as mentioned earlier this week, reality is 6th place, we must get 6th place and Europe, enjoy the FA Semi and our day at Wembley, MON must not allow the side to be down if we get chucked out, again as mentioned earlier this week Chelsea will want this at all costs.....6th is for us, fingers crossed. The sooner Gabby is back in the side the sooner we will look the real deal again.

Looking at the game last night (this is not a negative post) i get the feeling the side or certain players have peaked for this season, Gabby was Ok, but no real spark or hunger, on the other hand Milner who is highly motivated by a world cup place is just that, highly motivated, whereas Gabby and Young will not get on the Plane IMO, great, great shame, for Villa and England, both look like players looking towards the end of a season. Chelsea have been dumped out of the Champions league and not in a pretty way, they will go all out for the FA Cup, and look for the Premiership as the more difficult goal, but still achievable, for Chelsea the FA Cup will be the easiest option for silverware, can't see Villa beyond the Semi. Best option for MON now and Villa is to make sure that 6th spot is ours and hopefully a place in Europe. Think there will be big changes at Villa in the summer, example MON will be on his 5 year strategy plan, is there anymore he can do, he's being linked with bigger clubs, would he take players with him who have been crucial to his time at Villa park. Food for thought.!!!

Enjoy everybody, its been a long time coming.

Ok People are polls apart on there opinion of Carew v Heskey Heskey needs something!!!!!! Carew needs something also!!!! Both player are getting past it and need to be playing for consistancy. Perhaps thats the reason for Carews inconsistancy. Whats the stats. Think Mon will turn his attention to the striker problem in the summer as he did last summer with the defence problem and sort it. Heskey will stay and Carew will go..........................IMO :winkold: Better.

Surely by the very fact that there seems to be points of view both for and against yet polls apart tells you this is a very contentious issue, I for one have always thought with the case of Carew you just don't know what your going to get until kick of, Heskey is a player that has always given me the impression he need to be loved and adored to get the best from him, in any case both these players are probably not what the club needs. In the case of Carew i feel sure that MON See's him some way down the pecking order, if Fonz were more prominent in the squad Carew would probably figure behind him it seems to me, that's in terms of preference not ability. It must be the case that both these players who are not getting any younger need games all the time to maintain any kind of consistency, a player over 30 or getting that way takes a greater time to recover and find form than a player 5-6 years younger once he has been left on the bench for a length of time, perhaps that's a reason for Carews inconsistency. Point is how long has he been with Villa, how many games has he played in that time and whats his return rate in terms of goals. Personally the way MON turned his attention to our defence last summer, will do the same to our attacking options this summer and i would imagine Carew will be gone and Heskey will stay, that is of course unless Heskey turns in an unbelievable performance at the world cup and gets sold for a crazy price........whatever. IMO.

Carew has to go, Heskey is good enough to bring of the bench, but there is 2 things to think about here, 1 will he settle for that, absolutely not, 2 when Heskey goes to the world cup and suddenly becomes the new Maradona not only making Villa fans frustrated in that he never plays like that for us and Liverpool will want to buy him for 50ml, Villa fans will appear fools to the football world for continually moaning about the bloke. IMO, There is definitely animosity between MON and Carew, I don't think that little jaunt by Carew has ever healed, Carew needs to find another berth, not sure if its possible but if someone could put up the clip when MON put Carew on v Palace, you will see MON go up to Carew waiting to go on with the 4th, MON gives him a nudge in the back as if to say, get in there lad have a go ( that kind of thing) MON then walks back to the side, Carew turns to look at MON, if that isn't an expression of pure apathy on Carew's face then i don't know. Carew needs to move on. The other point is, surely it must be time that we gave a bit of respect to Gabby, give the bloke a chance, stopped putting slackers out with him and gave him the opportunity to play of some real quality so he can get his 20+ a season and also so the geezer isn't perpetually running the line on his own and carrying that responsibility, we can now all see after the Palace game what Villa are without and we will see the difference when Gabby steps out again in the next match the difference with Gabby, don't know about anybody on here but i know I'm thinking Burnley next F**k me hope Gabby's fit. Can't be fair really. The other point about Carew and Heskey is, the hallmark of Villa fans as i know is there tolerance of any player providing they feel that player has worked his T*ts of for the club, i have never felt that about Carew.

Firstly how did Warnock see the ball bounce of Fonz's head from where he was sitting, now fair point he's right lets get that out the way regardless of what the Ref short changed us on, he's right, But, how did Warnock see that, at that speed and to be that sure to create such a din about it. I watched the replay having been told on TV by Warnock moaning and still struggled to see it. Secondly, IMO take Gabriel Agbonlahor out of the Villa side and we cease to function as a unit from midfield to our front men, the side becomes distinctly average, Ash Young I swear god got down to the touchline got his head up more than once expecting Gabby to be there and yet knowing he wasn't still fired the ball straight across the goal, that's not shouting Gabby's praises its shouting we should have got a credible striker in because as we all can see Heskey don't do it for Villa, Carew I'm not sure if its just the way the fella is as a human being but the words Urgency and Carew just don't fit. Fact is we have a replay and we have to make a decision as to what side we put out in this pressure game replay just a few days before we face Man Utd in a final at Wembley in a massive game, one things for sure Crystal Palace won't come to Villa park as just another replay from a team that over achieved, they are fighting for there lives as a club and they know the prize is Reading or West Brom which they will be slavering about and they will see a Semi Final and a dramatic easing of there financial problems, and of course do we want to risk again our better players to a club ready to make desperate tackles and commit everything.

Providing we don't get to complacent, obviously if Gabby, Petrov are injured then that can't be helped, if not and they are just being rested, IMO they should be on the bench to bring on if things start getting tricky, as a poster pointed out to many changes and we end up with the kind of thing we had v CSKA. Palace have money problems and the incentive to do well v Villa is massive, thats a very great incentive for them, so we need to be careful and go into this with the softly softly catch a monkey approach and put them away and no replay on this.

Dunno, but maybe a hot Porn mag at bedtime may nelp

**** go anyways, there are tons of villa fans overseas that would go rain or shine, deathbed or broke! i know cause im one of them! I'm predicting a **** VILLA win, there, i've said it. Villa 2 - Man Ure 1 So shall we just say your dead broke and leave it at that Anyway....I had a dream about this, a very strange dream, Rooney was playing for Villa!!!!alongside Gabby, and after the game they were having a shower and i heard Gabby say to Rooney ( I was the shower cleaner in the dream) I've got one and you've got one, so i'm reading between the lines that this must mean 2, so 2 goals, we will beat Man Utd 2-0, has to be what else could 2 men in a shower be on about..... Put your answers in writing and address them to..............

Poor game, difficult to believe that both these teams are fighting for a place in Europe, even more worrying is the fact that other than Rooney you could be looking at the cream of Englands World Cup strike force.

..................and marked Hope so, Just get the feeling we are coming good, i mean even better than before Christmas, Ash is looking more determined, Milner, well Milner is Milner, but i've got him down for a goal tomorrow. I'm going for a 3-1 win to Villa, sounds crazy but i just think we are due. That's it, so my section officer is just coming to tuck me up for the night and to make sure the straps on my jacket are straight and not to tight. Up the Villa, and Gabby, only 2 tomorrow please its not good to embarrass Arry, puts him of is Wii golf with Jamie.

Definitely think we should give Delph and Delf a run out.

briggaman: Give you time to contemplate an awesome moment, take your time mate. Up the Villa.

Fantastic Game, truly great cup football, one end to the other, loaded with goals and incidents, brilliant for Villa, that must be one of the all time best LC semi's, and fair play to Blackburn because they gave there all. Thought we really earned that Wembley place, we now go to the most important games in a very very long time for Villa. A League Cup Final at Wembley.

I hope the lads realise. Back four won't give up any ground, nothing will get through, midfield, will boss the field spraying balls all over the place, Attack...................Gabby, this is your stage, cometh the moment cometh the Gabby, the moment you get the ball tonight every Villa fan across the world heart will miss a beat with anticipation. This is it.

Poor, very poor, Ash is clearly running out of ideas, Gabby spent most of the game with back to goal, when he did have the chance towrads the end he'd forgotten what the friggin goal looked like. Problem is IMO Wet Spam would struggle to survive the Championship like that, they were there for the taking. Important thing is Blackburn, who will now really fancy there chances.

Don't see this game as that important, still expect a win, but lets not get any injuries or anything else, much bigger fish to fry in a couple of days and 1-0 up doesn't make that a done deal.