Malachite

2 Rock solid penalties, the hand ball was probably the lesser of the shouts because it wasn't quite clear what happened just before the Blackburn player stuck his hand on the ball, the Gabby tackle, absolutely bang on and you'll see everyone of those given over the weekend, The Blackburn player was so late it was unbelievable, his leading leg went right across Gabby's path, his other leg brushing Gabby, Rock solid penalty and MON's right on that, but what a clumsy tackle and right in the box. IMO had we gone in at half time that far up, that would have sealed it for Blackburn. Good result, we can't be complacent about this and we must really go for them at home, should be a great game.

Milner would play if he'd only got one leg, frost bite in the other, was required to play naked, was required to score three goals and would do, was required to carry the team coach with all the lads in on his back all the way to Blackburn, across deep snow, treacherous ice packs and vicious polar bears, He will play. C'mon you Villa boys. Gabby lets see some high powered goals. Ash...........some nice twists and turns please, little dinks in and Gabby to drive home. Strong defence. up the Villa.

Surely this applies to us as well though as we had a changed side out, its clear that the semi is more important to both clubs, we had a stronger squad to change it around though. I'll try from another angle, A Typical full strength Blackburn side beat a Typical full strength Villa side at Blackburn earlier in the season 2-1 when both sides were committed. The point I'm making is we shouldn't look at Saturday's game, we should look at how we can be better than than the 2-1 defeat earlier in the season, that way we leave no box unticked. My other point would be that Blackburn will be more committed to getting a result at home in a first leg in a competition that they are just one step away from a final in and will look at how they beat us earlier in the season, not how they lost on Saturday. Yes Villa will be at full strength and should be improved on Saturday, its still going to be a difficult game IMO and not one were we can sit back and believe its in the bag.

Having been at the game it was obvious to me Blackburn have made a clear decision that the League Cup semi final is the one they have targeted, without any doubt i think we will see a completely different side and mentality on Tues. This is still not a done deal and if we are over confident or complacent after Sat we will pay the price.

Which isn't what I said. I said he is a world class striker, someone who has a very high percentage success rate when presented with a chance. The point you are making is, frankly, rollocks. I specifically said that what I said was an unfair comment on Gabby and a fair comment on the game (which would suggest that I was thinking more about the types of chances which came the way of our striker rather than directly comparing Torres and Gabby) and that it wasn't about Gabby's contribution, talent or potential. I'm not sure that you actually bothered to read what I wrote let alone tried to understand it and if you can't be arsed to do either then please don't bother in responding (especially to something which I didn't say). I agree, I would also put money on him thinking that. I'd also put money on him thinking, after watching the game, "**** me, how did Reina react like that and save it." snowychap: This is what you said. Gutted. I like Gabby and think he'll make up into a cracking player but swap Gabby for Torres and we'd have won 2-0 tonight. Ok, you have absolutely no evidence of that whatsoever only what your putting down to stats, and at the same time your comparing the fact that had Torres been in the Villa side we would have won 2-0. How do you know that, you simply don't Please show me the proof of that. So we will have to agree to disagree.

Hanky: I agree, we desperately need a creative midfielder of the highest order if possible, unless by some twist of fate we get a Maradona who has the ability to run with a ball form his own box to the opponent box and score, that's what we need, as for Gabby, the amount of times i watched him receive a ball tonight backing into his marker with back to goal was incredible, and then laying the pass of, lets remember what Gabby has is pace, he need to be facing onto his marker the way Lennon does to strip past him.

snowychap: Not misunderstanding what your saying, you simply can't compare what either player has to cope with and his role in there respective sides. You say Torres is a World class player, I thought Torres was crap tonight, that simple, if i was an alien landing on this planet in order to buy players for my new team on that showing i wouldn't give Torres a second look. And Torres has certainly not been a World class striker this season, My point was he stand in front of a world class midfield, that's the point, he stands in front of arguably one of the best midfielders in the world today, makes his jobs a lot easier, and we only have to look back to the Arsenal game to know what a quality midfielder can do. My point was I think Gabby is being played ever so slightly out of position because we don't have the depth in midfield, when MON plays Carew in the side rather than Gabby being direct he plays Carew right up front and Gabby all over the shop. I don't doubt for one second Torres is class, and I don't doubt for one second that he will develop into a true world class player but i wouldn't make a comparison for one second with a player like Agbonlahor, until i had seen Agbonlahor playing in front of world class midfielders, only then I would say if he wasn't up to it, if we had Torres in front rather then Gabby we would have been 2-0 up, simply because its a sweeping statement. Thats the only point i'm making. As for Downing' I'd put money on the fact he's sitting somewhere right now wondering how he missed that.

But wasn't it a case of the deflection into Torres's path was of ..........................none other than Agbonlahor, this is my point, what the hell is he doing having to play in a kind of defensive midfield position when Villa had the impetus. Torres was never back there helping his dfence even when we had them under pressure, think he was standing on the sidelines with a hot water bottle waiting for the ball to come his way. (joke)

No way of proving it obviously, but no way. You don't seriously believe a player like Torres would risk his rep playing front of a midfield like Villa's...then he would have to put a 90 minute shift in and rely utterly on his individual ability to make anything happen. Turn this around, How much a better player would Gabby be if he had midfielders like Gerrard, Benayoun, and link players like Kuyt. constantly feeding him, no mate. no way. To say if Torres had have been in Gabby's position tonight he would have scored, you only have to look at the amount of work Gabby had to do first to get into that position, now if you had said Downing's first half sitter, yes i would agree, because you had to do more to miss that than to score. Gabby's subsequent cross over to Carew who simply just did nothing just stand there, i would agree, then compare with the Torres goal who almost seem to stroll the ball into the box and side foot past Friedal completely relaxed, because the guy hasn't done anything until that moment.

The difference between Gabby and Torres is that Torres can afford to saunter around the pitch waiting for his midfield to set him lose where as Gabby has to play half the time as the midfield, that's the difference. The problem for Gabby tonight is that he's far to involved outside the box with his back to goal acting as a receiver, holding the ball up and trying to play other players in, rather than doing what he should do first and foremost....concentrate on scoring.

Some terrible refereeing, Villa were definitely the better side, we got robbed at a time when we looked like we would clinch it, strangely enough Warnock had the same grip problem in the Arsenal game that nearly led to a goal, he really needs to look at that. You can't legislate for goals like Torres more than gifted it was just pure chancer stuff. I honestly thought we looked very solid in area's, we need to look at the midfield in the transfer window, we haven't got that right. Terrible loss when we should have had at least the point and deserved that point.

We are doing Ok, look more balanced across the centre and look in better shape than V Arsenal, NRC needs to get stuck in, take no prisoners in these conditions, Benayoun and Lucas are dirty B'stards, My only problem is were our goal is coming from. Gabby is showing Real class as is Dunne and Warnock again IMO.

Now, probably the most important game this season, this far in, the biggest game will be in a few days time v Blackburn over 2 leggs. This is a must win and i'm sure Liverpool will see it the same way. So here we go.

The minute Wenger put his plan B into effect bring on a very sensitive and unfit Fabregas and go for the 3 points MON should have countered it with his plan B by putting Gabby far right, Downing far left Ash Young of, NRC on in central midfield playing 5 across the centre, that would have broken up Arsenal's passing game, give us an extra man in the centre and MON could have had a word with NRC pointing out that if Arsenal made there move with Fabregas his job was to get in there and make life difficult for him even crunch him, IMO Wenger would have responded instantly to that kind of treatment of what was clearly an unfit player. We didn't respond and as a result Febregas was allowed all the time in the world.

The difference was our Midfield and fabregas, we just didn't get a hold of midfield, they introduced Fabregas...game over.

pete 165: Good points, I think we need to let them know we have power up front and we are not doing that so they feel they have the impetus Milner must take hold of the midfield and so must Petrov and Gabby and Ash must take the game to them.

Need to be really carefull in the first 10 to 15 mins, watch Arsenal, they will feel a bit cocky.

Thought Ash is working really hard but he needs to deliver some magic. For me the critical point is Milner in midfield, ever so slightly coming up short, he needs to take a hold of midfield, when Arsenal come forward they are playing tight passing through the middle. Gabby needs to be a bit more confident, have a friggin go, working hard but have a go at them. We can do this really think so but we have to shake Arsenal up, the longer this goes on like this the more confident they will feel they can nik it and they will, so we need to let fly at them.

Guy's-This is it, A massive game, Chelsea have screwed up v Blues, they will take that as a loss, Wenger will now look at this as a must win, so 2 powerhouses of the premiership will clash Arsenal v Aston Villa, for me. Aston Villa have arrived. James, we need a masterful midfield performance Gabby, oh Gabby, we need a world class performance, we need a performance that leaves Wenger thinking what the f***. C'mon you Villa boys, lets be havin ya. ( Pirates of the Caribbean and all that, cough!)

These 2 games are benchmark games for Villa, have we arrived, that's the question, the gap between the top 4 and the rest is a lot closer than ever before, the point is whilst everybody else has stepped up a gear to get closer to the top 4, IMO the top 4 haven't responded, hence they are feeling the pressure, getting injuries, not getting the predicted results. Now is the time for Villa, the fear factor has gone, there is nothing to fear with Liverpool, Arsenal are very capable but so are Villa, its going to come down to the best team on the day and who wants it more, Villa have to go and get this result v Arsenal and we have to grind Liverpool down.

I just get the hunch that Villa are now starting to pace themselves in accordance with who they are facing, granted it could look very much like fatigue, and may be just that, also being able to take your foot of the gas and still win is something that you would previously associate with top 4 sides, couldn't help notice that for example Gabby hardly figured v Sunderland and Stoke, and yet IMO he was immense v Man Utd, I would be delighted with 4 points, pleased with even 3, I honestly think we have both strength and dexterity across the whole side, think that Dunne is relishing his importance to Villa having been terribly dumped by City, Milner is strong as an Ox and i think Gabby now has learned to pace himself for the big games and across the season i hope. I think we are looking good IMO still on for the full 6 points.

TrentVilla & Tinker: I really think we go for this, the difference this season is not such a difference, Arsenal IMO were shown to be flawed and i thought Burnley looked the better side, got after them, didn't give them an inch, if Burnley can do that then Villa can do a lot more, this is the Villa have arrived media, get used to it period, personally I'm looking for 6 points and no less.

At friggin last

I really think the core of our attack just needs to press the game home, its like they're waiting for a bus. Gabby, Ash, Downing, Carew, all really need to show there superiority and bury the ball, I'm sure thats what Milner is about.

Ok, We need to step this up, Stoke have been very difficult and and have done well, but enough of the charity its time Villa got stuck in and put this game to bed. Gabby must get more involved, he needs a goal here, Ash needs to try a few tricks if not injured, Milner is ready and willing, I think the key here is Gabby he needs to do more, he's wondering about a bit.