VillaAndLoyal

Absolute bollocks. As others have said, they cannot change which way round the legs are played as it has been drawn that way. For evidence of this, see the other Semi-Final. And if you think they are that under-hand and desperate for this game to be called off, then why the **** have they contracted in two JCB diggers since the weekend to clear the ground and the surrounding areas? Not to mention all the staff who have been clearing snow with shovels. Stop talking rubbish.

It will certainly be interesting to see how they deal with a potential fixture pile-up, what with the World Cup already making it a shorter season anyway.

MANCHESTER SEMI IS OFF

Temperatures are well below freezing for most of the next five days, and a light snow shower forecast for Friday night. So it should be on, but knowing this country and how it over-reacts to bad weather, who knows?

A bit of snow and the whole **** country comes to a standstill, again. :evil:

Sidwell? And no Gabby, Cuellar, Milner or Downing? :? Thank god you arn't picking the team

Looking at the forecast, the bad weather is expected tonight up untill mid-morning. Then, apparently, sunny spells should hit the area and (hopefully) improve the conditions. Therefore, it doesn't sound as if it's going to be snowing right up untill kick-off and they should be able to make a decision by early afternoon I would have thought. Let's just pray they don't call it off.

Despite heavy snow predicted over night tonight, it is thought to be clearing by mid-morning with chances of sunny spells after. Therefore, if that forecast is right, they grit the surrounding area sufficiently, and the sunny spells help to melt away even some of the snow then I can't see why this game can't go ahead. I'd be absolutely livid if it got called off, as would every other fan travelling up, particularly as the pitch will definitely be playable. Health & Safety bollocks!

In the last three league games Downing has attempted six crosses (all unsuccessful) with only one of them (in the Arsenal game) landing in the six yard box. So the stats don't really back-up what you're saying. There were at least 2 crosses that landed in the 6 yard box against Liverpool! They are classed as unsuccessful as no one got on the end of them. Match of the day highlighted the crosses from Downing. And i can't believe there are stats on where the ball landed! Have a gander if you don't believe me: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/create His only two crosses against Liverpool were definitely not in the six yard box.

In the last three league games Downing has attempted six crosses (all unsuccessful) with only one of them (in the Arsenal game) landing in the six yard box. So the stats don't really back-up what you're saying.

Should think at the moment Downing needs as much pitch time as possibe to get him conditioned ro playing at the competitive level he needs to. He obviously needed a run of regular games, yes, but having watched him in every game since he's come back it is clear to me that he is still some way off playing his best football and as part of that comeback, he needs to be dropped for a game or two. He is a winger and yet I cannot remember the last time he even attempted to beat a man down the line. His passing is good but like i've already said, his tackling is woeful and he seems visibly concerned about getting injured again. After such an injury he should have been brought back more gradually to get the best out of him, not play him in every bloody game, even when other first teamers are being rested. It's stupid in my opinion.

Blackburn are a big, physical side and whilst we do need to score an away goal (or four, preferably) the priority must be to take them back to Villa Park with the score at least level. Unlike our last Semi-Final versus Bolton. So taking that into consideration, I would play the following 4-5-1 formation: ------------------------Guzan--------------------- ---L.Young---King Carlos---Dunne---Warnock ------------------------Petrov-------------------- ----Delph----Milner----Reo-Coker----A.Young ------------------------Gabby-------------------- That team would destroy Blackburn 8)

MON almost got the line-up spot on, but, for one decision. Why, oh why, when the opportunity to rest our first team is there, did he not rest the guy out of that first team who needs a rest the MOST. I am, of course, talking about Stewart Downing. He looked class at Portsmouth away in the Cup but since then, with a few exceptions, his performances IMO seem to be getting worse and worse. He looks terrified of injuring himself in 50-50 situations, which leads to him looking rather lightweight, he seems incapable of beating a man, and he is just in desperate need of a rest. I am sure what we're seeing at the moment isn't anything like the best he can play, but after such a big injury, to ask him to play all these games is bordering on crazy quite frankly. Albrighton was the obvious player to take his place today and if I were Marc I'd be feeling pretty damn upset that he didn't start today, let alone come on. Personally, I'd like to see Petrov & Milner in the centre and Ash and Delph, yes Delph on the wing on Tuesday night. Delph looked brilliant in the first half today and with his pace and vision, I have no doubt he could deputise on the wing ahead of Downing who looks dead on his feet to be honest. Apart from that, a pretty decent performance. NRC was brilliant (again) and should be pushing Petrov for his place in the team if he keeps on playing like that, he deserves another chance. If we'd have been clinical it could well have ended up as a cricket score. Oh and Howard Webb is one of the worst referee's I have ever seen, and he reaffirms that view-point every time he takes charge of a game involving the Villa. The 'penalty' was, well, never a penalty in a million years for obvious reasons. Their goal was firstly a foul on Guzan and secondly, I thought he had two hands on the ball. He missed a stone-wall handball in the box even though he was in close proximity. And he only seemed inclined to give Diouf the red-card (for one of the worst challenges i've seen in a long time) after the outcry from the Villa Park faithful. Job done anyway. Now for the big game....

Reo-Coker- 24% of the MOTM vote. And he didn't even finish the game. Speaks volumes.

------------------Guzan------------------- ---Beye---Collins---Davies/Clark---Lowry -----------------Reo-Coker--------------- ---Albrighton---Sidwell---Delph---A.Young -------------------Fonz-------------------

That is quite possibly the single BEST post I have ever read on Villa Talk. Brilliant! We played against 12 men tonight. Disgraceful refereeing performance and an all-too-common occurance when playing one of the "sky 4".

Yeah, because it was a massive step forward for Everton wasn't it... Where are they now again?

Finishing above Blues wouldn't even be a legitimate poll question. It will happen whether we vote for it in a poll or not :winkold:

Same.

This. Reading both this thread and a similar thread on a kopshite forum, and i have to say their fans seem to be WAY more up for it than ours. This match is massive, and I'd hope our starting 11 would put in 110% to get the three points. We know we can do it, but the odds do seem stacked against us taking current factors into consideration. Hope to god we win this, but I can't see it.

So, once we get the lead you want to take off our holding midfielder and bring on another attacking one, and an untested one at that. Then you want us to take off our main threat for the counter attack, allowing them to push further up the pitch, whilst we revert to hoofball... And then move our most influencial midfielder to the wing, and take off our other influencial winger for an off-form and non-influential central midfielder. And you think that'll hold onto a lead? In terms of the starting line up.. I'd like to see Albrighton for Ash, straight swap. Milner might have had a bad game against Arsenal but he's still our most threatening central midfielder and we've looked a much better team since moving him into the middle. I'm pretty sure MON will go with moving Milner to the right and bringing Delph or Reo Coker into midfielder though. I'm not sure if Albrighton has even been on our bench recently has he? So he's not likely to be brought straight into a crucial starting line up. No, Reo-Coker is the holding midfielder. I said replace Petrov (who is already showing visible signs of fatigue in the second half of games) with a young energetic player with a point top prove (Delph). And i'd only make that change once/if we were winning, more specifically with a 2-goal cushion. Your point about taking Gabby off towards the end is also rubbish. We play "hoofball" for a large part of the time anyway, with or without Agbonlahor in the team, so that makes absolutely no difference like you are trying to claim. Carew has a proven ability to score off the bench and Heskey has been playing well recently so his ability to hold the ball up would be key if we were winning towards the end. We HAVE to try and rest Gabby at every available opportunity if we are to prevent a scenario similar to that of last season when we collapsed mentally and physically as a team. If we were winning late on, then yes, I would take off Downing for a much needed rest and bring on Sidwell (who I don't rate at all it must be said). I would then leave the pacy Albrighton up with either Heskey or Carew to hit them on the counter-attack. Push Delph to left midfield and a fresh pair of legs (Sidwell) for the centre of the park to help out NRC. Milner would then be put to right-wing as he is good at keeping the ball late on and beating a player through sheer determination, thus wasting time at the corner flag or creating a chance. I have not said that's what I think MON will do, nor that the line-up I posted will be the one that plays, because I don't. But that is what I would do. I have already said that substitutions would be dependant on the situation we find ourselves in. But personally I think, wherever possible, it is CRUCIAL to try and use our squad without depodising this particular match, which itself is a massive game, but very winnable in my opinion.

-------------------------Friedel ------L. Young---Cuellar---Dunne---Warnock------ ----------------------Reo-Coker ---Albrighton----Petrov----Milner----Downing -------------------------Gabby -Replace Petrov with Delph once we are winning. -Bring Carew/Heskey on for Gabby towards the end. -Revert to 4-4-2 pushing Milner out wide and replacing Downing with Sidwell late on. (Substitutions are dependant on circumstances, obviously) That would be my team and philosophy to bounce back with a win, whilst also resting our key players as much as possible ahead of a busy and important January.

Jean-Christophe Novelli not on the list?

I hope we can keep this level of intensity up for the second half of the season and I am predicting that we will finish on 69 points. I think a number of key factors will help us to avoid the spectacular slump we experienced last season. 1. Experience. The majority of the players have seen how a brilliant position in February can so quickly dissappear with a few poor results and a loss of momentum. Therefore I think we will have learnt a great deal from last season and, yes we could well have a poor run, but I am confident it won't be anywhere near as bad as last season- which should keep us up there. 2. Squad depth. We now have a bigger squad with added quality on that all important substitutes bench. 'Burnout' was a major factor in the second half of last season so hopefully, with more competition for places, there is less chance of that happening in this campaign. 3. The World Cup. Funnily enough, I think with having so many England hopefulls, that sheer drive and determination to reach the plane for South Africa might also help us 'numb' the effects of 'burnout' as the season wears on. Players will be so focused on impressing, and with that added incentive it should help prevent our league form from dropping so spectacularly as last. 4. The Carling Cup/Confidence. Whatever happens in the semi-final with Blackburn (and we all sincerely hope the lads can reach Wembley) I think this season's cup run can be considered a success. Cup runs breed confidence in the team as it has transpired so far this season. We have now proved that we can compete on a very high standard on TWO fronts, and whether we win the Carling Cup or not, we have to continue to take huge confidence from that fact. 5. Transfer Market. There was a lot of controversy last season when MON decided not to bring in enforcements in January when we were in a similar position. I was one of those who was critical, and as it so proved, our squad at that time just couldn't sustain that level of intensity and we duely faltered. Now we find ourselves here again, albeit in a slightly different position because we now DO have much more strength in depth. HOWEVER, although O'Neill has hinted that he won't be in the market this January, I actually agree with Petrov's comments that additions could only make us stronger and I don't think O'Neill would be wise to rule it out, which I don't believe he has. For example, one player who we haven't got like-for-like cover for, and who suffered very badly last season from fatigue is Agbonlahor. Surely a cheeky bid for someone like Robbie Keane would address this issue and probably fire Gabby up to maintain his fine form thus far. So I certainly don't think we should "splash the cash" nor do I think we will, but I do think O'Neill could enhance our top 4 credentials by addressing the above issue in terms of attacking options.

Who's that running down the centre? Who's that scoring all the goals? Is it Stevie **** G or that greedy word removed Barry? No it's Milner, and he pisses over Scholes! (work in progress)