John

Let Rafa throw his toys out of the pram then. I suspect he won't be their manager by the start of the new season anyway. If we do get a call we should tell them we want Gerrard as a make weight in the deal or they can forget it!

Too near to one for me BOF. :winkold: I think 2 wins from our next 2 games would be enough to stay above these two clubs (although I seem to recall the game at Fulham being another one we expected to win). Thanks for making things so clear.

I thought I would let him off just this once as it has been a while since he had one to cellebrate. :winkold:

I think playing further forward in the midfield which is what he had told Martin he wanted to do Jon, I agree 100% with your other observations.

I might have given him a 9 if he had scored a hat-trick shortshadyuk :winkold: Reo started well but did fade a little and needs to cut out the silly bookings as we can't afford to have our best players sitting in the stand in the run-in.

We came into March playing like lions and came out of it having spent the rest of the month playing like lambs. The new month and this win it brought could not have come soon enough! This convincing win has pushed us back above Blackburn and back into the driving seat for Intertoto qualification. It has also done our neighbours a very big favour as they limp towards safety on the backs of the performances of others. But, enough of them, we may have helped them yesterday but they cannot expect any help from us when they arrive at Villa Park a fortnight from today. Before yesterday’s game a lot of us had felt that this might be a difficult one after our last couple of inept home performances. The first goal was crucial as was the second which followed a rare decent period from our relegation haunted opponents. So we got the goals when we needed them and the points that came with them that should allow us to put last month behind us and move towards and past our 60 point barrier. This was also another good attendance. Had a lot of fans bought tickets in advance or are we not so fickle after all and why were there spaces where Bolton fans should have been (have they given up on their team already)? I think Martin can take a fair bit of credit for this one. He might not have made wholesale changes (our squad size does not allow for that) but he changed a couple of things and we looked a much different team yesterday to the one that turned in none performances in our last two home games following that. My player ratings from a game that brought an end to thoughts of a premature end to our season are: Scott Carson - 6 – A welcome clean sheet at long last. But, Scott still had a shaky 50th minute during some rare Bolton pressure when he diverted a cross just wide that looked until then as if he had put it in and he then missed the resultant corner. Olof Mellberg – 6 – An early mistake on 6 minutes could have gifted Bolton the lead and put a much different complexion on this game but although his header back towards goal went straight to an opponent he did not pay the penalty and went on to have a solid enough game. Zat Knight – 6 – One obvious moment of hesitation inside our box on 35 minutes but was otherwise pretty solid when called upon. Martin Laursen – 7 – A solid enough display but he has still not found the exemplary form he had demonstrated so consistently this season before his contract was signed. Martin hit the post on 37 minutes from a tight angle (particularly for a central defender) after their keeper had pushed the ball into his path. Wilfred Bouma – 7 – Our best defender yesterday and at times he looked outstanding. Is it not time we got his contract sorted so this can become a position we will have resolved before the window opens? As Olof has shown players with this sort of pedigree do tend to attract the attention of foreign clubs when they enter the last year of their contracts. Stiliyan Petrov – 8 – On any other day this would have been a man of the match performance but our captain’s display led to Stiliyan coming a close second this time although he did look good throughout and pinged some lovely passes around. He clearly enjoyed the extra time that this deeper position provided him with and gave the sort of performance that shows why Martin had been so keen to get him on board from Celtic. It was very nice to see him get such a good reception on being substituted and he now needs to maintain that level of performance in what is left of the season and to get a run in this role. Nigel Reo Coker – 6 – Seemed to enjoy the more forward role that he had made it clear he wanted recently and Martin was not slow to offer him this chance to show he can fill this position. Forced a save from their keeper before we scored our third after Gabby had found him having himself been found by a super pass from Petrov. But, then earned a silly booking that could prove costly with the game already decided. Gareth Barry – 8 – MOTM – Two goals and two assists, a fantasy football manager’s dream! Young’s pin point cross found him on 9 minutes and his header found the net off Al Habsi’s leg. His second was a shot on demand from the Holte End that was deflected past the keeper on the hour mark. His was a strong performance and the fact that he was so involved in all 4 of our goals shows how important his contribution was. Ashley Young – 8 – Back to something very near his best and he was far too hot for Bolton to hold. Good runs and silky skills. When Ashley ticks then so do we. John Carew – 6 – Did some good work but this was another quiet game from the big man. However, his fitness for this one had been in more than a little doubt during the week and this might explain why his contribution was less than he would have wanted. We might just need those Norwegian Villains to make plans to get over for our next home game to ensure that John will be back to his very best as he was when they last made their presence felt at the Newcastle game. Gabriel Agbonlahor – 7 – Much better than of late particularly after he got a much needed goal which should help his confidence level in the coming games. Made a couple of good speedy runs and applied the finish to Barry’s fine cross for our second on 56 minutes after an excellent move that had began near our own penalty area and that was so well worked and smooth in the build-up. Substitutes: Marlon Harewood – 7 – Replaced Carew on 78 minutes after he had taken a knock and The Hare was fed by Barry and scored our fourth on 85 minutes when left unmarked, leaving their keeper leaden footed with a header that nestled into the corner of the net. Patrik Berger - Made no impression on this rare run out when he replaced Ashley Young on 83 minutes and looked like he needed longer than 10 minutes to get up to speed given that he has seen so little first team action this season. Wayne Routledge – Replaced Petrov on 86 minutes. Not on long enough to rate but he did look lively on his introduction and I expect he will have opportunities to show us more in what remains of this season. Up the Villa and good luck to Peter Enckelman later today! John Lewis

In both the General & Randy I trust! Sufficient funds will be made available for the right players. We will not become challengers to Manchester United by next season but Martin will be given the funds to improve us by bringing in the players he wants and his task will be to hook them in the summer. Those players along with the bulk of what we have will see us improve again next season and future windows and the development of players we have will bring the current big 4 nearer to us as is the 5-year plan.

Yes, 110% and I find it amazing that some of us do not. We are very lucky to have him and 99% of the other clubs would swap him for their boss in a heart beat!

Yes Blandy Old Trafford is and always has been a tough nut to crack and I can appreciate how you felt after this latest defeat. Since the early 80s when we last won there thanks to goals from Withe we have seldom got any joy there even when we started games on a par with them or with the slight edge on them in the league. One game stands out for me under Big Ron when Stan hit a screamer and they were lucky to get a point as we both went for the title that year but generally our results up there have been too predictable. At least we tried to take the game to them again having recognised that by putting 11 men behind the ball up there damage limitation is mainly all that is achieved. One day under Martin we will crack this nut but for now anything other than a hiding is a bit of a result for us up there and at the start of the season if someone had told me we would only lose 1 game away against the big 4 this season, I would have been more than happy and would have guessed this would be the one we lost.

The three hard earned points we gained at Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal were lost yesterday when we allowed relegation threatened Sunderland their first away win of the season! A capacity attendance witnessed a second consecutive none performance at Villa Park yesterday and how many of them will be enthused enough to buy tickets for another dose of the same unpleasant medicine against Bolton in a fortnight (I wonder what the odds will be on Gary Cahill scoring their winner)? A point against Boro was bad enough but to follow that up with this 90 minutes was far from acceptable. One point from nine over our past three games has put paid to any hopes of a top five finish and on a day when we could have gone back to sixth with a win due to Portsmouth’s defeat this tame performance was hard to accept. It seems to me that the season has gone pear shaped since the threat of Intertoto football was first mentioned a few days ago. But, where once this would have led to an early start to pre-season it is now just two pre-season competitive games replacing what would otherwise be two friendly games, so why would this be something the players might not want? Is it that our small squad of “good honest lads” is understandably tiring as we reach the finishing straight of what has up until now been an encouraging season where we have been punching above our weight? Conspiracy theorists might also suggest that a win for Sunderland and three points for Bolton and Wigan at Villa Park in our remaining home games might send our near neighbours down. But, whilst these teams will now travel to us with hope rather than fear so will our neighbours and can we guarantee keeping up our end of the deal by beating Small Heath and so completing the favour for those other relegation haunted sides? My player ratings from a game that gave Sunderland a more comfortable 90 minutes than they could reasonably have hoped for are: Scott Carson - 4 – Missed a punch on 38 minutes having earlier fumbled the ball and handled it outside his box on 22 minutes, so he was lucky to stay unpunished until Chopra beat him all to easily for their winner. The FA paid compensation following the physical injury Owen sustained when playing for England but the shell shock Carson has suffered from since his England debut has left similar deep scars and although he has at times seemed capable of putting these behind him these still clearly threaten his future along with his status in the game. This was a game that he would have waltzed through before his England nightmare but it is now one which one that again brings into question whether he like David James before him can overcome early errors in what will be a long career to avoid the “calamity” tag sticking. I think the break from the spotlight of England duty may be just what he needs in that it will provide him with time to take stock of his current situation and to try once and for all to put that awful England debut that hangs around his neck like a millstone behind him. Craig Gardner – 4 – Despite what Martin has suggested this is not a position in which Craig looks at all comfortable. His fitness may also have been in doubt yesterday but Olof’s suspension and our lack of a natural full back this season left us with no options. Another difficult game for a player who is much more effective in the middle. Zat Knight – 3 – Left for dead when Chopra raced passed him to get on the end of Richardson’s clever through ball and looks a shadow of the player he appeared early in the season and of the player whose untimely injury gave him back a starting role. Martin Laursen – 6 – Solid enough, although not at his commanding and dominating best. Wilfred Bouma – 6 – His usual solid performance. How about getting his contract sorted now before we go into the last year option Martin? Shaun Maloney – 5 – A couple of nice early touches, put in some good early work but faded later and failed to create anything as did others, so he might have reasonably felt a touch unlucky to have had to make way for Osbourne. Nigel Reo Coker – 5 – Another who like Bouma in the past may have reasonably felt unfortunate to be the one hauled off when a tactical change was necessary. Gareth Barry – 6 – Worked hard and looked a fair bit brighter than of late, without taking the game by the scruff of the neck. Ashley Young – 5 – When Ashley does not play nor do we. Enough said on a day when he could not get past his man, lacked his usual threatening runs and had little opportunity to work his magic from anywhere near the edge of the box. Had his omission from the England squad been leaked to him or was this just a day when nothing would go right? John Carew – 5 – Things could have been much different if his overhead kick had have gone in rather than gone just wide on 8 minutes. Now 5 games without a goal since that hat-trick brought his goal tally to 9 and did not really look likely to get into double figures for the season after that early effort. Gabriel Agbonlahor – 4 – Had a shot saved by Gordon’s legs on 83 minutes but this was far from the sort of performance that will see him retain a place in any England squad and on current form may have been surprised to have got into the provisional selection. Substitutes: Marlon Harewood – 6 – MOTM - Replaced Reo on 56 minutes and within a minute put a great opportunity just wide when he really needed to have been on target. But, he still had a positive enough effect on what was otherwise a very negative day to make him our most effective performer and our only serious threat in the time he was given. Isaiah Osbourne – 4 - Replaced Shaun on 73 minutes and in 20 minutes made no really significant or noticeable impact. Up the Villa! John Lewis

Let them enjoy it while they can. I think our lads have a far better chance of playing in front of the Holte in a first team game for us than they do of playing in a Chelsea first team shirt in front of The Shed. I wonder whether we should make a cheeky bid for the likes of Kakuta now or wait until they face being loaned out because they have two £15m players ahead of them in the race for their first team shirt? :winkold: Home grown talent has a big obstacle to clear to get first team action down there and I know which team is likely to have more players make the grade with the club they are now with.

We started the game needing three points, looked likely for a long time to get none and in the end should be grateful with one from what was an abject performance! This result has made the dream of automatic European qualification look increasingly remote. We needed to close the gap on Everton and Liverpool and to stretch the gap between us and the likes of Blackburn and Manchester City. But, a point from a team who were humiliated at home by surprise FA Cup semi-finalists Cardiff last weekend leaves us trailing both of the Liverpool teams by 7 points and only 3 and 4 points clear of Blackburn and Manchester City respectively in the race for European qualification via the Intertoto Cup. This draw will have provided new hope to Sven and Mark Hughes where a win might have left them feeling a 5 & 6 point gap may just prove too much to overhaul in the 9 remaining games, in much the same way that many of us may now feel that closing a 7-point gap will be likely to prove beyond us. But, a win for Portsmouth this weekend would see them having gone above us within a week by taking 5 points more than us over 2 games. So its not all over yet (either way) and conversely a win for us at Fratton Park would make up for last night’s dropped points and put us back on course for Europe one way or the other. Let’s hope that not for the first time this season our away form can compensate for dropped points at Villa Park. Boro enjoy playing at Villa Park almost as much as we enjoy going up there and if they had not missed two great opportunities they could have been three up before our captain equalised from the spot. Gareth Southgate must have given them the hair dryer treatment after their cup exit because they worked very hard last night and for most of the game held the upper hand. They often seemed to have more players on the field but I suspect that as a unit they just worked harder and wanted it more. My player ratings from a game that may ultimately provide the players with a longer summer break than they might currently be looking at are: Scott Carson - 6 – Quickly off his line twice during this game to save what would have been likely goal scoring opportunities, on 62 minutes when first to the ball with a strong challenge on the edge of his box and earlier on 10 minutes when he did well to get down to block a shot from Tuncay before Mido somehow placed the rebound wide. Craig Gardner – 4 – Missed a couple of early challenges and then allowed Downing to ease past him for their goal. Very dissappointing . Zat Knight – 4 – Gift wrapped the ball for Downing to open the scoring on 23 minutes and looked far from the assured player that had kept Curtis on the bench for much of this season. This needs to be just a blip as he has a vital role to play in the run-in and we can’t play Olof at centre half and at right back! Martin Laursen – 7 – Not quite at his immaculate best but Martin was still easily our best defender and provided some much needed solidity to our central defence. Wilfred Bouma – 6 – A solid enough performance and unlike some of our players last night looked comfortable enough on the ball when moving forward and found other Villa shirts with his passes. Shaun Maloney – 4 – Made very little impression on the game before his half time substitution. Nigel Reo Coker – 7 – MOTM – Held our midfield together and it would have been overrun without his whole hearted and fully committed contribution. Gareth Barry – 5 – Did not exert anything approaching his usual commanding influence on the game particularly in the first half. Had two moments of note, being unlucky to see his chip beat the keeper on 63 minutes but go just over and he did well to convert his 74th minute penalty and so put his previous penalty miss behind him. Ashley Young – 6 – Kept working although not at his best either last night, did provide a regular if muted threat and his effort did lead to our penalty. John Carew – 5 – Got very little change out of one time Villa target Huth and failed to get anywhere approaching the hat trick form he produced during his last Villa Park outing. Gabriel Agbonlahor – 4 – So, so quiet, posed no goal threat last night and must have been hoping that Fabio was not watching this one. Substitutes: Olof Mellberg – 5 – Looked ring rusty on his return to first team action but was still an improvement on Craig who he replaced for the second half and he did pretty much plug up that flank. Marlon Harewood – 6 – Replaced Shaun at half time and once again offered something from the bench that had been missing up front before his appearance. Marlon’s confidence is high and he troubles defenders, I think the time has come when he should start a game. Up the Villa! John Lewis

It's never safe with just the one goal lead Des even against a dispirited Newcastle outfit so the third was crucial. But, I felt reasonably safe at 2-1 this time as I felt we had deflated their fragile belief in their ability to get the points by then.

So having finished yesterday’s game on the bench it looks like Joey Barton might find himself in front of one again, this time for felling Shaun Maloney inside the box. Barton must hope that he will have yesterday’s referee Lee Mason (or was it Lee Marvin as it seems he was born with a wandering eye!) on any panel that might sit to look at the incident that led to Shaun Maloney winding up on the deck on 14 minutes as he could do no wrong in his eyes yesterday. He must have borrowed Wenger’s spectacles when he missed that incident within the box and then when Barton’s hand make contact with Barry’s shot to prevent what seemed a likely equaliser for us, with Shaun still on the floor in front of him. He also missed him connect with Ashley Young’s leg rather than the ball when he jinked inside the box later in the same half and waved away our penalty claims. This was also not the only time that Ashley was denied any reasonable protection by this inept official. But, to the game itself and what a game it was. Yes, this was without doubt a game of two halves. In the first we gave a more than passable impersonation of the dreadful performance at Fulham that had led to our second away defeat of the season. But, in the second we swept aside Keegan’s Newcastle with some splendid attacking football against what is admittedly a fragile Newcastle defence. Half time boos were replaced by full time cheers and Newcastle half time smiles became Newcastle grimaces by full time. What brought about this transformation? Well Martin replaced our two most ineffective players in the first half with two players who gave bright impressive second half performances. Whether Martin had decided to make that change for tactical reasons, because they had an open argument with each other during the second half or because things got heated in the dressing room I do not know. But, what I do know is that these changes and what Martin must have said to the team in that dressing room in I suspect no uncertain terms had the desired affect. The donkeys that had played in the first half in Villa shirts were transformed into lions by the second half and within 6 minutes we were in front instead of behind. My player ratings from a game that ensured that we maintained our top 6 standing rather than lose ground for a second weekend against another team that just can’t win are: Scott Carson - 7 – A very solid display and a good save near the end. Olof Mellberg – 4 – A 45 minute performance that was so far away from the ones we have come to expect from him that some fans are now beginning to question whether it is his commitment to the team that is suddenly lacking and it is this that led to such a blip rather than the distraction that his dispute with the even less effective Petrov caused. I think it was all brought to a point with a dreadful attempted back heal near their penalty area that if it had come off would have been around 15 yards from any team mate. Curtis Davies – 7 – Possibly shaded Laursen yesterday as our best defender and that is saying a lot. Martin Laursen – 7 – A couple of uncharacteristic lapses but generally a good performance if not one that quite reached his usual exceptional level, but his less effective performances are better than most central defenders best. Wilfred Bouma – 7 – Got that all important equaliser on 48 minutes. Found by Maloney on the edge of the box and hit a speculative shot that was deflected to leave Given flat footed and a spectator as the ball went in at the near post. Nice…I also loved that moment in the second half when he stood his ground and Butt bounced off him looking for a free-kick! Shaun Maloney – 7 – 100 % better than his Craven Cottage outing. Worked hard and produced Young like crosses in the second half after he changed sides with our new England player. Looks well worth another start at Reading next week. Nigel Reo Coker - 7 – Held things together very, very well in our midfield. It was a pity to see him booked again for a reaction to a challenge that went unpunished and we will miss him badly when he is suspended again. Did very well to claim the ball back after a Mellberg slip on 19 minutes threatened to give Newcastle a chance for a second. Stiliyan Petrov – 4 – Just could not find a way into this game and his only contributions to it in the 45 minutes he was on the field was the part he played in unsettling team spirit due to his dispute with Juve bound Olaf and by making way for Big Marlon at half time. Had been performing better up until the last copuple of games but performances like these must make it hard for Martin to continue to back him to come good in the long term. Gareth Barry – 7 – A good solid performance by Gareth particularly in the second half and was unlucky to see Barton‘s hand divert his goal bound shot on 14 minutes. Ashley Young – 7 – A welcome return and caused the Newcastle defence headaches before they realised the referee was not adverse to them stopping him by illegal methods eventually substituted on 90 minutes with the job done bruised but a winner. John Carew – 9 – MOTM – For a player who was supposed not to way in with his fare share of goals and to have itchy feet. This hat-trick that brought his goal tally to 9 this season and his reaction to the fans adulation put any such claims to bed once and for all for me. Big John nearly broke the back of the net with well hit penalty on 90 minutes after Carr had handled inside the box. Had a flicked header saved easily enough by Given on 41 minutes but had him well beaten on 51 minutes with a nice back header that went in past a statuesque Duff (whatever happened to the player he once was?) and into the net at the far post. He was then unlucky to see a glancing header sail just wide of the far post on 54 minutes but his second followed a scramble inside the box on 72 minutes when he was Johnny on the spot with an instinctive header to secure our win with his second and our third of the day. Substitutes: Marlon Harewood – 8 – A fully committed, whole hearted, enthusiastic, hard running second half performance. Replaced Petrov at half time, worked well in combination with Big John and his appearance along with that of Gardner played a big part in the reversal of our fortunes in the last 45 minutes. Craig Gardner – 7 – Did everything that could have been asked of him defensively after replacing Olof at half time and was so unlucky not to get himself among our scorers on 70 minutes when Harper denied him twice within a minute. His first was a nice voley that looked like it was going just inside the post until the keeper pushed it for a corner. Craig then hit a scorcher that Harper managed to get his face in the way of to deflect it for another corner that then led to our third goal. Martin might now be seriously thinking that Craig might be the one to fill in at right back during the season run in. Isaiah Osbourne - Replaced Ashley on 90 minutes not on long enough to rate. And so to Reading and the opportunity to do Small Heath a big favour? Up the Villa ! John Lewis

I liked the Grand National comparison Lancs. For me I think we got interfered with by a rider less horse (Harrods Al shall we say) and now just need to regain our stride to keep in touch with Rafa's Farewell, Gollum’s My Pretty Toffee and Sven's Latest Fling, of course keeping our heads in front of Harry's Cheque Book and Sparky’s Great Unwatched as well as watching out for a strong finish from Dodgy Bubble Blower. Of course we will have to side step the stricken faller Small Heath Porn Boy on the way who will be awaiting a visit from the vet to put him out of his misery and the division as we head for the line ridden by Martin and trained by Randy. :winkold:

A very interesting comparison Lancs. I'm not sure how long it took or what made you think of it but the links between the two teams are uncanny. We also had a small squad back then! :winkold: I had been thinking myself that the current situation is similar to what it was in the late 70s when we had an entertaining team that looked on the verge of winning something in the near future and that could often afford to give their opponents a goal start and still win. It made me wonder which team would win if they played each other next weekend. I think the 81 team would and I also had a thought about how many of today's team would get into the great side that you have compared them with. I came up with zero although Bouma, Carew and Young would run Williams/Gibson, Withe and Morley close and Laursen does not get in as he might upset the balance of the greatest Villa side in living history. Thanks again for this Lancs, it took my mind off the transfer window for a few minutes.

Agreed nm4733.

Indeed it is Demitri!

The big 4 do nm4733 and I think that Manchester City and Everton expect to win most of their home games. We like Portsmouth seem to be more effective away from home but these are the sort of games we need to win.

I think players, management and fans had expected rather than hoped that playing a team we thrashed 4-0 on their own ground at home would produce the 3 points needed to put us into the top 4 but it was not to be! Expectation levels have been rising since we reached the 40 point safety target some 3 – 4 months earlier than we have in other recent seasons and those expectations were not doused by a fine point from Anfield on Monday. This was the day that Mark Hughes’ Blackburn would turn up like lambs to the slaughter and allow us to walk all over them and leap-frog Everton and Liverpool who were not playing this weekend to take our place among the top 4. But, although at times our players appeared to think that all they needed to do was to be there to make it happen Blackburn had other ideas. Blackburn are currently on a good run and Mark Hughes had done his homework after we had embarrassed them on their own patch. He stifled one of our main goal scoring threats by putting big Samba on Martin Laursen at set pieces and he also had Emerton employ strong arm tactics on Ashley Young that were only legal in the eyes of the inept officials who were in charge of yesterday’s proceedings. Ashley although to some extent shackled in outfield play still had a deadly weapon to employ from set pieces and it was that free kick wizardry that gave us the point to keep the gap between Blackburn and us in place which could prove so important when the EUFA Cup places are handed out in May. Oh and they also had Small Heath reject David Dunn giving a passable impression of the player he once was to the near 40,000 crowd at Villa Park who had turned up anticipating a win but left accepting that our point was probably as much as our performance deserved. But, on the positive side this kept our unbeaten run going, we again showed spirit to come back from a goal down and we now have a splendid opportunity to make up lost ground again next weekend at beleaguered Fulham. What this game showed is that we still have a small squad and an honest bunch of lads! The players we have available have done brilliantly to put us in a position where we could push on in our remaining games in the reasonable expectation of ending the season in a high enough league position to enter competitive European football again after what has been too long an absence from it. But, we need to ensure that opportunity is taken and that this season is not allowed to go out on a whimper as have others in the past under previous management. For that to happen we need to be bringing in some players in the dwindling days that remain of this transfer window that will create some competition for places where none now exists, to give the whole thing a shot in the arm and so Martin can rest players occasionally when necessary and not need to rush them back after injury as we did Barry today when he was less than 100%. We also need to stop talking about the prospect of letting Olof leave for a paltry £700,000 or so. Failure to qualify for Europe by weakening an already small squad would cost much more than that and we really can’t entertain the prospect of letting him go until a replacement is signed and that at present does not look too likely to happen does it? My player ratings from a game that took us above Liverpool but which failed to give us a 3-point cushion that they may have found less easy to bridge are: Scott Carson - 7 – Will have impressed Fabio when he pulled off a fine save on 24 minutes from one of the few England U21 players we have yet to sign or be linked with. Why not Martin? Will have impressed the England boss less with a fumble from an innocuous ball on 38 minutes that led to the ball escaping his grip, but this was a good all round display. Olof Mellberg – 6 – Was this his last game in a Villa shirt? I hope not but if it was he was solid as ever and he remains the best right back at our football club. For me he joins Southgate as our best central defender since Lord Paul and before anyone mentions it Laursen will be rated when his Villa days draw nearer to their conclusion, which I hope will be many years in the future. If it is to be arrivederci, then thanks for the memories, for your years of exemplary service and the best of luck at pastures new (other than when we face you and Juve in the Champions League sometime soon)! Curtis Davies – 6 – Will not have been happy that Dunn got past him to fire the shot that led to their goal on 68 minutes but otherwise dealt pretty well with what is a decent Blackburn forward line. Martin Laursen – 7 – A great third minute tackle to dispossess Dunn inside the box when he was about to pull the trigger set the tone for another fine defensive performance but on this occasion his attacking threat was largely nullified. Wilfred Bouma – 7 – Another very solid defensive performance. Stiliyan Petrov – 6 – Did reasonably well for me before his tactical substitution on 60 minutes, but for some supporters even his best (which this was not) would not be good enough. Nigel Reo Coker – 6 – Can usually get away with the sort of clumsy looking challenge that led to Bentley gaining a penalty on 68 minutes but not inside the box and not with this referee. Otherwise gave his usual committed performance in the holding role. Gareth Barry – 6 – A bright start and a welcome return, but his fitness was not really there for a 90 minute blood and thunder game and try as he did he was unable to maintain the usual grip he exerts on our games. Would have benefited from another week off, but our squad does not allow such luxuries. Ashley Young – 8 – MOTM – Given very little protection from the Blackburn defence and particularly from Emerton’s at times crude attempts to stop him in open play. Our main if not only threat yesterday. Hit a great dead ball that looked likely to produce a goal but a Blackburn leg got to it first on 31 minutes. Might have earned a penalty on 54 minutes when challenged by Dunn inside the box had he not leapt quite so high after it. Scored a fine equaliser on 73 minutes when he picked his spot from a free kick on the edge of the box to leave the ball in the corner of the net and Freidel well beaten. Might even have won it for us with a late free kick that went just wide with the keeper again beaten. John Carew – 7 – Started very brightly but became increasingly embroiled in his personal battle with Samba and although he worked very hard did not have his usual impact where it matters. Gabriel Agbonlahor – 5 – Had a couple of moments but will not have done much to impress the watching Fabio. Looks in need of a rest, provided no real threat and seems to go down too easily when challenged in what would be good positions if he stayed on his feet. Substitutes: Marlon Harewood – 7 – Replaced Petrov on the hour and looked lively on coming off the bench. Tested Friedel with what was our first real shot on target on 63 minutes but the keeper was able to get his body behind his powerful shot. Marlon was then unlucky to see his header from a Young free kick on 77 minutes hit the bar and did have the ball in the net on 88 minutes but offside had already been flagged for. Up the Villa! John Lewis

I hate to say it but I'm sure it will be Small Heath!

Yesterday’s win took us into the top 6 and level on 39 points with 4th placed Liverpool who we next meet in what is now a 6-pointer! Steve Coppell has done very well to keep this team of Championship standard players riding so high in our division and deserves a medal or the Newcastle job as reward for this! He has a hard working bunch of lads who know their jobs and perform them to the best of their abilities. But, did anyone see a player in a hooped blue and white shirt that they would have chosen instead of one of the players who lined up against them yesterday? A couple of players who might make it onto our bench like Doyle and Hunt perhaps. They also have a player in Shorey who looks pretty decent to me, but would he keep Bouma out of his claret & blue number 3 shirt? So Coppell’s team came to face us yesterday and to be frank they were just the sort of team we would have chosen to face in front of another encouragingly large crowd at Villa Park, after what has come to be our annual disappointing FA Cup exit at the hands of Manchester United. We put on a thoroughly professional performance yesterday against admittedly the type of team we need to be beating at Villa Park to get any reward at the end of this season. This was an important win and one that has made us one of 4 clubs who are on 39 points and fill positions 4, 5, 6 & 7 in the league table. We also had a couple of players who were performing at their international best yesterday and very few defenders can come anywhere near to coping with either Laursen or Carew at their very hungriest, so what hope for Reading coping with both at the same time? Reading just could not manage our goal threat from corners and free kicks. We do score a lot of our goals from set pieces and it would be nice to see a little bit more come from open play. But let’s not be greedy as there was also a time not long ago when we posed no real threat from a dead ball and we have clearly moved on since then following some hard work on the training ground. We are scoring goals and that is what matters and we are also playing at a level that only the big 4 and the likes of Manchester City, Everton and Portsmouth, with whom we are competing for a place in Europe can live. That is real progress! My player ratings from a game that was won with some ease are: Scott Carson - 6 – Juggled an early ball but was seldom asked a question by the Reading attack and when he was, on 67 minutes he pulled off a splendid reflex save to deny Gunnarsson who had flicked on a header that would otherwise have found the net. Craig Gardner – 6 – Was Olof travel sick yesterday or suffering a reaction to a dodgy pasta or pizza? Craig was switched back at short notice to cover in Olof’s absence and did well. But, I would have hoped that a third of the way into this transfer window we would have a permanent right back in place by now and I’m sure Martin would be thinking much the same. Curtis Davies – 7 – Did not put a foot wrong and is beginning to show why “The Baggies” rate him so highly. A future England central defender who might not be left too long waiting for a call from Fabio. Martin Laursen – 8 – Left by Doyle on 22 minutes and was right to then resist the temptation to pull him back which would have surely led to a red card and that could have changed the course of this match. Made the game safe on 55 minutes with a fine header from Young’s inch perfect delivery that Martin made sure nobody else had any hope of getting before him! Forced a good stop by the keeper with another good header a couple of minutes later from another well placed corner Wilfred Bouma – 7 – Another of his usual solid defensive displays. Stiliyan Petrov – 7 – Hit a fierce shot on 12 minutes that the keeper pushed out for a corner and had another goal bound effort deflected for a corner that was not given on the half hour. Another very effective and encouraging midfield performance. Nigel Reo Coker – 7 – A couple of decent forward runs although nothing ultimately came of them but he was once again solid in his midfield holding position. Gareth Barry – 7 – Upped his performance in the second half and was unlucky to see a flicked header from Young’s corner go just over on 74 minutes. Immediately after that he was then twice in a minute in a goal scoring position and was almost found twice by Carew but could not quite reach each ball. Ashley Young – 8 – Back to his best yesterday a constant wide threat and his delivery from set pieces was outstanding. John Carew – 9 – MOTM – Nodded a Young free kick into the corner of the net for our opener on 22 minutes, stung the keeper’s hands with a rasping effort from close range on 80 minutes and then applied the appropriate finish to Gabby’s cross after Young had found him with a good pass on 88 minutes for our third. This performance had everything. Goals, a fine example of an old fashioned centre forward at his best and this outstanding display was far too hot for Reading’s defence to handle. Gabriel Agbonlahor – 6 – Showed his pace but there was no tangible end product. On another day and a different referee, Hahnemann might have been sent off not because he was the last man but because of his wild challenge. Substitutes: Shaun Maloney replaced Ashley Young, Marlon Harewood came on for Gabby and Moustapha Salifou made his first Villa appearance in place of Big John Carew on 90 minutes, in a treble substitution that appeared to be the equivalent of a curtain call for the exiting players. Sadly they grabbed their soft consolation goal shortly afterwards in the resulting confusion. None of these were on long enough to earn a rating or to provide a reason for such wholesale changes being made so late in the game. Up the Villa! John Lewis

Good points VillanTommy. We only have suspensions to worry about and even with our small squad (with a couple of additions) should be in a great position to build on the achievements of the first half of the season.

So it will need to be seventh time lucky next time (probably in next season’s Third Round!) as Manchester United knocked us out of the FA Cup yesterday for the sixth time since we beat the Busby Babes in the 1957 FA Cup Final. It’s now been 51 years of hurt since yesterday’s guests of honour Sims, Sewell and McParland, went up to collect their winners’ medals at Wembley. This game had looked increasingly likely to be a stalemate as the game wore on and as time ebbed away in the second half it looked like we would be all too content for my liking with a replay at Old Trafford. Let’s face it Manchester United were far from at their best yesterday. Teams like West Ham occasionally beat them on their off days but history tells us that we do not. There was not a lot between the two teams for most of this game. Neither side was at their best and it was a scrappy dour encounter that looked like one goal, if it came would be enough to settle it. As the home team, I think we needed to do a little more to try to make it us that opened the scoring, particularly when it became clear that the chasm that had existed between them and us when we met in mid October was not there last night. But, we have competed with them like this and better before only to succumb to late goals. I’m sure that I’m not the only one who feared this may be our fate again last night and that’s why I felt we really needed to do something whilst the likes of Hargreaves and Rooney remained on the bench. But, with them both on, the complexion of the game began to change. We started to come under pressure and in the last nine minutes the inevitable happened. That it happened twice rather than once produced a score that did not reflect the game itself but we have grown accustomed to that as well as to taking such cruel late blows. Reading and in particular Dave Kitson who said during the week that he could not “give two sh*ts” about the FA Cup have rightly taken a lot of flak for making it so clear that they see the league as being much more important than the FA Cup. But, last night’s attendance which was our second lowest of the season (only our earlier cup defeat at the hands of Leicester attracted less through the turnstiles). Is this a sign that we Villa fans have no interest in the FA Cup either? Or is it that we have had enough of early exits from the competition at the hands of The Red Devils? I think it is the later. The fact that it was available on the television set in everyone’s lounge did not help either nor did it that this is the second of three home games for us in less than a fortnight after Christmas when money is always tight but the crucial issue may be that this was the least likely of these games that we would win and the chances of us winning the FA Cup are considerably less than those of us qualifying for Europe through a place in the top 7. It may also be that like the players we have some difficulty in accepting a game against Manchester United as one we can win. We don’t look at games against Chelsea like that and the day will come that we treat games with Manchester United in the same way as we do games with The Blues. But, it took a couple of wins and good results against Chelsea to achieve that and the sooner these come against yesterday’s opponents the better! My player ratings from a game that all too predictably ended in another very hard to take FA Cup exit at the hands of Fergie’s Manchester United, that Fabio Capello will have found little evidence to support the England claims of most of our players or of most of those in white shirts come to think of it and that show that we do need to build on what still (to quote a former manager) remains a small squad (albeit a better one) during this window are: Scott Carson - 6 – Pushed a speculative Ronaldo effort into the path of Giggs who was too shocked to capitalise on this to hit an opener on 43 minutes. Scott was then left fumbling to keep the ball in play on 63 minutes before being relieved to push it out for a corner as an opponent sensed a possible opportunity to take the ball off him inside the box. Scott then made a good double save from Carrick a couple of minutes from the end when he blocked a first effort and then held his second shot after the ball had landed back in Carrick’s path. Did not seem as comfortable as of late and will be unhappy to have conceded two on a day when he was not over worked as will our defence. Olof Mellberg – 6 – Lost possession for their opener and you still can’t afford to do that with Giggs. Otherwise he gave his usual fully committed performance in his current role. Curtis Davies – 7 – Looking increasingly comfortable alongside Martin. Martin Laursen – 7 – Solid at the back and must be attracting a few envious suitors. We really do now need to get him to put pen to paper on a new contract. Wilfred Bouma – 6 – This would have been another good overall display but for one crucial defensive lapse. He was caught out of position when Ronaldo hit the decisive opener having come onto a cross near the goal line from behind him. He really did need to make that ball his with Carson not in a position to make any stop. Stiliyan Petrov – 7 – Another encouraging display and he hit a decent effort over the bar from 35 yards out on 12 minutes. Nigel Reo Coker – 7 – Got his tackles in, kept the midfield solid in his holding position and must have seemed more likely to be effective in an England midfield to the watching Fabio than did the largely ineffective and much higher priced Carrick. Gareth Barry – 6 – Not at his best last night and did not make his usual impression on a game that we needed all of our big hitters performing at their best to win. Ashley Young – 6 – He does so much to make us tick, but did not produce his usual bright display last night. Ashley did hit a shot just wide from the edge of the box on 71 minutes but we have become accustomed to more from him than that and he again found difficulty in beating his defender on a regular basis. John Carew – 6 – Clearly not near to full fitness but John was still our best forward last night. He took the ball inside the box on 34 minutes and hit the side netting with a decent shot. Worked himself into the ground against a more than good central defence. Gabriel Agbonlahor – 5 – Not at the races last night. This was an opportunity to impress the new England manager and to provide the sort of support and hard intelligent running that might make Big John’s efforts productive. Those opportunities were not taken. Substitutes: Luke Moore – 5 – Replaced Big John on 64 minutes and made no real impression on the game. Shaun Maloney - 6 - Replaced Petrov on 74 minutes. Did reasonably well during the very limited time he had available. Might have started has John not and for me was unlucky not to be the first to be called from the bench. Craig Gardner – Replaced Bouma on 82 minutes and was left unchallenged 4 minutes later but headed well over the bar when he really should have been on target and at least forced a save. Not on long enough to earn a rating. Up the Villa and let’s look forward to showing Reading that the league means just as much to us as it does them next weekend (or will they have their minds on their replay)! John Lewis

We have not beat them since the FA Cup Final in 1957 in this competition, having lost to them in the 1963 competition 0-1 at Old Trafford, in the 1976 one 1-2 again at their place, in 2002 2-3 at Villa Park, in 2004 1-2 again at home, and last year 1-2 back at their place. Surely it is high time to lift this curse and for it to be sixth time liucky or will we have to wait another year for it to be 7th time lucky?