John

"The team under Sir Brian Little were slight under dogs under the time" - Not quite Demitri. We ended the season 4th they were 13th and we had beaten them by the same score at Villa Park the month before the final. We went into it expected to win it although not as easily as it turned out. "They were not the most gifted group of indivduals" - Bosnich, Southgate, McGrath, Ehiogu, Taylor, Townsend & Yorke? Other than that I agree with your well made point and thanks for the reminder of what was a proud day from our history at a time when our future looks anything but bright.

"Also you forgot to mention Bennett's fabulous cross for the first goal". Yes it was a great ball into Benteke which I mentioned alongside the scorer's rating keefa3011: "Gave us our opener on 24 minutes when he connected with an inviting Bennett cross to hit the ball into the back of Duke’s net". I agree 100% with your observations on the impact that Lambo's substitutions had on the game. "whats the plan with this lot?" - It seems to me that the plan is to stay up if at all possible in the hope we will come straight back up if we do not. But the primary objective seems to be to cut costs cbr600rr.

Things had looked so promising during a first half that we had dominated but we just cannot stop conceding goals from set pieces and that along with our inability to play as well for a full 90 minutes as we can sometimes do for 45 did for us again last night. What more could we have asked for? We faced a semi-final over two legs against a team that are currently 3 divisions below us. That was all that had stood between us and what might have been a Wembley Cup Final against one of the few teams that have not beaten us to date this season. But it was the Bantams who were celebrating in the away dressing room after last night’s game and their fans who were celebrating in the stands as Villa fans and players alike squirmed after what I suggest must rate as our worst ever cup exit. We fans did our bit last night and the players gave a splendid first half response. But we surrendered the initiative in the second half, lost our shape and at times the game looked like a re-run of the first leg as they took a good proportion of what few chances they had and we were denied by their keeper Duke and were less clinical with our finishing than we should have been. So it seems the run of unexpected results in this cup competition that took us to the semi final was repeated in the semi final but this time it was our opponents who emerged still in the cup against the odds as we were in the previous rounds at Manchester City and Norwich. A cup final appearance that might have spurred us on for the rest of the season has been replaced by a shocking cup exit that will further shatter the already fragile confidence of our football team. The first goal was always going to be crucial last night and we did get it but I think we needed a minimum of one or two more before they scored because we have a worrying tendency to fall apart when our opponents score and this weakness is no secret to those teams we face from whatever division they may be in. On the bright side we can now concentrate on the league and after Friday night that may prove doubly so. Surely after this indignity Randy must appreciate that the manager needs to be given some backing in this transfer window and he now needs to put our standing as a football club above any cost cutting exercise he may have been looking to undertake at what is a clear and present risk to the future of our football club. My player ratings from a game that our absent owner Randy might want to consider would have generated a not inconsiderable income had we won it by the required margin are: Shay Given – 6 – Rarely tested and had no chance with their crucial goal but his route one kick led to our late second. Matthew Lowton – 6 – Got forward well enough without doing as much as Bennett when he did so. Ron Vlaar - 6 – Allowed Hanson to elude him on 55 minutes and he connected with a ball from a corner that went over Benteke’s head getting the goal that turned the tie but he was otherwise the experienced figure at the back we had been missing. But our defensive frailty was never going to be fixed by his return alone. Ciaran Clark – 6 – Looked solid enough alongside Ron’s experience. Joe Bennett - 6 – We missed the good balls he had been putting in when he was replaced. Went on a good run on 27 minutes leaving defenders in his wake before reaching the edge of the box and threading the ball to Ireland who finished well but from an offside position. Hit a well struck cross that no Villa player tried to get on the end of on 59 minutes. But less impressive at the back. Stephen Ireland – 5 – This game should have been made for him but he did not make quite the impression hoped for given the quality and ability he has shown against stiffer opposition than this in the past. Hit a shot from the edge of the box on 38 minutes that Duke did well to tip just over the bar and turned the ball just wide after Bent had hit the ball to him on 67 minutes. Barry Bannan – 4 – Show boated on 37 minutes hitting a ball back to Given at pace that he did well to chest down. Made way for Bent on 62 minutes and needed to show more. Fabian Delph – 6 – Had a good first half but his impact on the game faded somewhat in the second. Picked up the ball on the half way line on 17 minutes and ended his run with a good shot that flashed just over the bar. Charles N’Zogbia - 7 – MOTM - We missed the threat he posed to them and the width he gave us when he was replaced on 70 minutes. Hit a goal bound shot on 32 minutes that Duke kept out with a one handed save and created a number of opportunities particularly for Benteke. Gabriel Agbonlahor – 5 – It was clear he wanted this one but his performance did not do quite enough to make it happen. Just beaten by a defender to a nice cross from N’Zogbia on 9 minutes and turned inside the box on 20 minutes hitting a decent shot that Duke gathered. Christian Benteke – 6 – Gave us our opener on 24 minutes when he connected with an inviting Bennett cross to hit the ball into the back of Duke’s net having earlier headed wide of the post from an N’Zogbia cross on 3 minutes, been off target again 3 minutes later after getting his head to a cross from the same player and got up well to another N’Zogbia cross on 16 minutes but his header was straight at the keeper. Another cross from N’Zogbia went just wide of the post on 44 minutes off his chest and on 47 minutes his header from a Lowton cross was well wide. Substitutes: Darren Bent – 5 - Replaced Bannan on 62 minutes but was not given the opportunities he needed to win it. Andreas Weimann – 7 – Replaced Bennett on 70 minutes and scored the late 89th minute winner that proved not quite enough on the night when he rounded Duke and slotted the ball home after Benteke had headed on a Given route one ball. I really think he needed to start this one alongside Benteke as they are a lethal pairing Stay up the Villa and Stay Strong Captain! John Lewis

Source: Player Match Ratings – A humiliating and embarrassing exit!

Quite right Denis. At the time it was called an "initial" 2 year deal which they are now leaving at that rather than extending as had at first been suggested they might. I guess they got what they wanted from us and could not afford to or did not want to extend above that first 2 year deal.

Like choffer I am sure this was said and I think it came from the General and I also felt going with Genting was a big turn around. I am looking to hunt down the source.

I think that when we went for Acorns it was considered the club did not want to be associated with a company that makes its money from internet gambling for what was not a significant return. It seems the return offered by our present deal was enough to put those high ideals to one side but if the returns are again to be low then I suggest the question is do we need to do similar or tie the club to a small time outfit for what would be a much reduced return? I also wonder why there was an escape route for Genting so soon...

If we could afford not to have one before I do not see why we could not now particularly if the money we would get would be a lot lower than what we now get. After all it is not as if we need it to pay high wages and transfer fees is it? I just do not want us looking small time with this as we have done in the past for peanuts.

Agreed they will not be missed but their money will be. Surely Randy can twist someone's arm back home to put their name on our shirts? If not I would rather we go Acorns again rather than sell out for next to nothing to some small time outfit.

Dave Mackay would fit the bill indeed. I cannot think of anyone like that today who could come in and do the same on the sort of wages and for the sort of fee we would be prepared to pay currently (if any). By the way we were in for Mackay when he was still at Hearts (I read this in Danny Blanchflower's book I think) but we were not prepared to pay the fee they had asked for and he ended up at Spurs instead.

Q1. Has the season so far gone as you expected? No. I had expected to be around 12th - 14th Q2. The transfer window is currently open, where do Aston Villa need to strengthen most? Centre defence and midfield and a wide player would be nice. Q3. The game at Villa Park finished 1-1. What were your opinions on that game? Fair result? Yes. Q4. You've had some pretty poor results recently, do you have any doubts over whether Paul Lambert is the right man for you? No my doubts are elsewhere. Q5. You're in a relegation battle, do you reckon you shall survive and which three clubs shall be relegated? I hope so. Reading, QPR & Southampton. Q6. Which players should we be wary of in your side, and who do you fear the most in ours? Benteke and Weimann. Olsson (from corners), Lukaku and Long. Q7. Score predictions. 3-1 to us.

Thanks VillaCas. I agree we need a large slice of luck and I am sure that if backed Lambo may yet save our season.

SOS! Save Our Season, our bright future and your investment in the club by backing the manager in this transfer window now Randy because to do otherwise is a risk too great to be taken! So another home game, another defeat and a second consecutive 6-pointer lost. We were unlucky to have come out of this game with nothing to show for it and we created a number of opportunities without putting one of them away. They had the better of the first half. We started it reasonably well without threatening to score but after their goal it took us too long to apply some sustained pressure on them. Their penalty showed that cheats do prosper. Lambert again converted a penalty, rubbed salt into our wounds by holding his finger up to his mouth as he celebrated in front of a sparsely occupied Holte End and then claimed the penalty should have stood although no contact had been made on the diving Rodriguez post match. Games can be won or lost on decisions like that and teams can stay up or go down due to an ill gotten penalty. It is claimed that bad decisions even themselves out over the course of a season. I am waiting to be convinced! We are fast running out of games to win and have now fallen like a lead balloon into the bottom three. Relegation now stares us in the face and we have a mountain to climb if we are to reach 38 points by the end of the season which is likely to be the minimum requirement to achieve survival. Teams around us are taking unexpected points (many of them from us) and we now seem to be drifting inevitably into the league below us without seemingly trying to do much about it. Yes we have been very unlucky with injuries but Lambo has been tasked with working a miracle at this football club. Randy was stung by the money that MON used to make us an established top 6 team. He made some poor signings but he also made some good ones. But the money dried up he left and our next three managers were then expected to pick up the tab. Lambo was at the start of this season expected to trim the wage bill, sell high earners that nobody wants and to build a squad of players to take us from relegation battlers to mid-table security with limited funds given that our crown jewels had been sacrificed in order to balance the books without being suitably replaced. There is talk of the risk that Lambo is taking by using youngsters to do a man’s job. But what alternative did he really have? Given the numbers he needed to bring in during the summer to make up the squad who other than youngsters who were prepared to sign for wages below those paid to the players they were being asked to replace could he really afford to buy? My player ratings from a game that has left us inside the bottom 3 are: Brad Guzan – 6 – Sent the wrong way for their winner (didn’t he once save more than the odd one?). Got down to a Rodriguez shot from the edge of the box on 61 minutes but had the post to thank 8 minutes later when Puncheon’s shot from the edge of the box beat his dive. Matthew Lowton – 6 – Beaten all too easily by Shaw’s pace on 44 minutes but his blushes were spared by Guzan who kept out his shot after he had run into the box with his left leg. Nathan Baker - 5 – Rodriguez was able to get in front of him to get on the end of a ball player through the middle by Lambert on 64 minutes. His pace got him to the line ahead of Nathan and he pulled the ball across goal and past Guzan but Stevens did well to clear the danger with Puncheon in attendance. Headed the ball onto the crossbar on 89 minutes from a Bannan corner with Boruc a spectator. Ciaran Clark – 7 –A captain’s performance and a solid display within an inexperienced defence that is too often at sixes and sevens. Stood in the way of Delph’s attempted clearance in the build up to their penalty award. Enda Stevens - 5 – Likes to get forward but left gaping holes behind him when we lost possession and we were too often exposed on his side. Unlucky to have been wrongly adjudged to have felled Rodriguez after the ball had run to him off Guzan and he had tried to take a touch rather than to hoof it clear on 34 minutes. Hit a sweet shot from outside the box on 52 minutes that Boruc did very well to get a hand to but Benteke was unable to keep the ball down and hit the rebound over the bar. Brett Holman – 4 – Left the field on half time and I wonder if he was actually match fit to start with? Had a shot deflected wide on 36 minutes but he was some way off his best yesterday. Ashley Westwood – 6 – Not quite at his very best on his return but our young players are put under so much pressure to perform each week and this one has been the most consistent midfield performer for us. Fabian Delph – 7 – MOTM - Kept working and was our most effective midfield performer by some distance yesterday. Charles N’Zogbia - 5 – Had an effort from the edge of the box blocked by Shaw on 33 minutes and the move that produced their goal started from his poor resultant corner that failed to get past the first man. Hit a decent on target shot from the edge of the box on 61 minutes that forced a save from the keeper before being replaced. Christian Benteke – 5 – His finishing was way out of kilter yesterday as it had been at Bradford and he really should have put away a minimum of one of the opportunities he had. He had space to place a shot on goal on 79 minutes but it flashed inches over when it needed to have been on target. Had an 88th minute header from a Stevens cross kept out at the foot of the near post by Boruc. Headed the ball on for Gabby whose touch bounced off the keeper into his path but he sliced the ball wide to spurn a splendid opportunity. Andreas Weimann - 7 – Hit a shot from the edge of the box that Boruc was unable to hold but Yoshida was able to get to the loose ball before Westwood. Worked tirelessly throughout and is becoming some player. Substitutes: Barry Bannan – 5 – Replaced Holman for the second half and hit a couple of decent balls in. Gabriel Agbonlahor – 6 - Replaced N’Zogbia on 62 minutes and played a part in the pressure we exerted on them towards the end. Jordan Bowery - Replaced Westwood on 78 minutes. Not on long enough to earn a rating but got another feel for the fist team and did win the ball well inside the box on 91 minutes only for his effort to be deflected wide of the post for a corner. Stay up the Villa and Stay Strong Captain! John Lewis

Source: Player Match Ratings – We are in a spot of bother!

Thanks for those net spending figures duke. As I read them our net spend over the last 3 seasons is £5.9m. That is far from being enough in this league.

It has come to a sorry state when this question is something that divides us fans. Randy was never on the Small Heath board, he has put money into the club rather than taken money out of it and he has yet to refer to us fans as being merely the men of the terraces. Deadly took the European Cup winners down in 5 seasons and did all he could to make that and the league title we had gained the season before unmentionable at Villa Park because he was not then at the helm. Randy has been happy to promote our proud history and had offered us a bright future but he now seems to have put profit and loss ahead of what happens on the field as did Deadly. He does not now seem quite the man he was when he took over the club but for me it took us long enough to get the club away from Deadly to even think of having him back.

Good point. Leaving him up front would leave them needing to keep players back to cover him (including the odd defender who might otherwise score from a set piece)and it would stop those in our box thinking he may have a player covered when the evidence suggests he rarely does.

If we had taken more than one of our many chances and their keeper had not had the best game he will ever have and our defending had not been so sloppy we would have won this one and if one or two of these things had gone the other way we would not be left with such a mountain to climb. Tranmere revisited? It could happen but I have doubts that our defence can keep the clean sheet that we may need to win this one. At best I can see 3-1 after extra time and another shoot out win but I do fear for us if we manage to reach the final and getting there without winning it is not too much fun. After this surely Randy has no reasonable choice other than to back his manager in this window?

George Best for me.

He should get a 3 game ban for that. For me that looked hand to ball beyond reasonable doubt and he then went on to follow it up by kicking it into the net. He has a history of doing this and for it to happen so often suggests he is more than accident prone.

This was a very welcome home win. It retains our unbeaten record in 2013, moves us nearer to making more than one Wembley cup appearance for a second time in 4 seasons (with hopefully a cup or two to show for it this time) and it leaves Darren Bent cup-tied so likely to be a less attractive transfer proposition for any potential suitors who have serious cup ambitions! This was a potential banana skin that we managed to avoid despite having gone in a goal down at half time. Our second half performance was a marked improvement on our first half showing and brought us two goals that settled this cup tie without the need for what would have been a potentially draining replay. It was also nice to see the return of players from injury that we have missed in recent weeks. These players will give our manager some selection decisions to make at long last as well as give him some options on the bench that we have been without of late. Ipswich are not the side that they were in the early 80s and nor are we but once again we were the team to emerge successfully as we did back at the end of season 1980-81. During the course of that season we went out of the FA Cup in the Third Round at Portman Road and the Tractor Boys might claim that the extra cup games they played that season contributed to their end of season league downfall (although I see it as their failure to get more points than us that did for them). This season it is they who are left free to concentrate on the league whilst we face forthcoming cup commitments alongside a relegation scrap. But cup wins can build confidence to take into league games and players will want to play well enough in the league to win a starting place for big cup games that are to come. I for one would prefer to be fighting on three fronts now rather than facing a long relegation fight after two demoralising cup exits against teams from outside the top flight. It is also 56 long years since we last won the FA Cup for a then record seventh time and its return to Villa Park is too long overdue. My player ratings from a game that has left us just 3 games from a Wembley FA Cup semi-final appearance are: Shay Given – 7 – His distribution was not quite at its best but this was a solid enough performance and he made a couple of vital saves diving well at the feet of Murphy on 18 minutes and making a good one handed save on 79 minutes to push a goal bound effort over the bar. Eric Lichaj – 4 –Chopra’s shot was deflected off Given which put the ball into Eric’s path with a forward running closely behind him and he was unable to do anything other than to help the ball into the net on 31 minutes. His mistake on 36 minutes led to a cross but Given saved the resultant effort with his legs to keep us in the game when a second goal in 5 minutes had looked likely and we might not have come back from that. Nathan Baker - 6 – He was bullied off the ball and to the ground by Chopra as they both ran onto the ball in the lead up to their goal leaving the forward with a clear run on goal. Other than that this was a solid return to the centre of our defence. Ciaran Clark – 6 – Loach did well to keep out his solid header on 38 minutes. Worked well alongside Baker again and this in the continued absence of Vlaar looks our best central defensive pairing. Joe Bennett - 7 – MOTM - Let the ball run under his foot on 34 minutes but Given saved his blushes easily holding the shot of the player who had been left in space. Flashed a decent shot just wide of the post on the hour mark and looked particularly good when moving forward and getting some support when doing so. This was both an encouraging and promising overall display that shows just why Lambo signed him. Marc Albrighton – 4 – Left the field and was replaced on 43 minutes having picked up an injury. He had again looked below par prior to that. Barry Bannan – 6 – Worked very hard alongside Fabian to keep things going in the middle. Fabian Delph – 6 – This was nearer the performance level he produced shortly after he joined us although the proof of the pudding will be if he can begin to do the same consistently against Premier League midfields to show he can do it at this level. Charles N’Zogbia - 6 – A very encouraging start to the game and he also had a good second half spell. He offered us something that we had been missing this season and it looks like the coming semi-final is one he and others will want to be involved in. Jordan Bowery – 6 – He does not look like a winger but spent a lot of this game out wide before making way for Gabby on 62 minutes. Got an early header on target from a 2nd minute cross which the keeper gathered easily enough, stretched but could not quite get to a cross 16 minutes later and was then clear inside the box on the half hour but his shot was too close to the keeper who kept it out easily enough they then went straight down the other end to take the lead and on such things games can be won or lost. But this was a decent enough performance at this early stage in his career with us and he will get better with more games as he did as he began to find his feet as this game progressed. Darren Bent - 7 – A welcome return and given his appearance yesterday may have an impact on the price we might otherwise have got for him had he moved on during this month it seems we can now accept we are not looking to offload him which is a relief as our chances of survival and of further progress in cup competitions are better with him in our squad rather than out of it. Did what he was selected to do when he hit our equalizer in the first minute of the second half. Bannan played the ball through to N’Zogbia on 46 minutes who in turn threaded the ball nicely through to Bent who hit it first time past the keeper and into the corner of the net to give us a vital equalizer. He then had a decent shot pushed around the post for a corner by Loach on 63 minutes. Darren looked up for it yesterday and this outing will have done much to clear off the cobwebs as will it for others that had grown ring rusty. Substitutes: Andreas Weimann - 7 – Replaced Marc on 43 minutes and looked lively throughout scoring our winner on 83 minutes when Gabby played the ball back to Bennett who hit a nice cross into the box that Andreas headed sweetly over keeper Loach and into the corner of the net. He had earlier just failed to get his head to a good cross on 54 minutes. His introduction did much to turn the game in our direction for me. Gabriel Agbonlahor – 6 - Replaced Bowery on 62 minutes and looked very bright and eager to make a positive impact. He did manage to get his head to a Lichaj cross on 67 minutes but he was unable to quite get the header on target. Stephen Ireland – 5 – Replaced N’Zogbia on 71 minutes. Nice touches but needs to be able to and show the desire to dominate when appearing in games like these. Up the Villa and Stay Strong Captain! John Lewis

Source: Player Match Ratings – Up for the Cups!

We do struggle to hang on to a lead (I think it has been so long since we had one I'm not sure). Happy with a point I had not expected before the game or when we went a goal down although having got so near to all 3 it is a pity we could not have held onto the win. Nice to see the fight back rather than a tame surrender.

Yes we were on the way back up in the early 70s pacbuddies and there were more positive memories than in the previous years of almost total gloom. But back in the Division 3 days Division 1 had looked a very long way off and to have claimed we might win that league and the EC in a decade would have had the men in the white coats knocking on the door.

I would like to think we would be looking to make a couple of signings early in this window as we need players now and for me we cannot hang around as more points we need could be lost if we dither.