Having needed a lack of use of the Video Assistant Referee technology (sic) to finally gain control over League One side Bolton Wanderers and break their spirit in the second round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday evening, rather predictably, Aston Villa now find themselves drawn again, against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the third round of the competition.
Aston Villa will travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in Round Three of the #CarabaoCup. 🏆
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 24, 2022
VAR will be back in play (even if it’s not), so of course, we already know as Villans exactly what will happen here. We could take a 4-0 lead (we won’t for the record).
I’m not a betting man but I don’t have to think too long or too hard to imagine we’ll have a disallowed goal that was fine, they’ll get dodgy decisions and at some point, just like Christmas arrives every year and Boris Johnson lies, there will be…to phrase this politely…a slightly debateable penalty decision in their favour, just when they need it to break an unexpected period of control from ourselves or give them the advantage.
We’ve all been here before haven’t we. Given the investment by our owners, they don’t deserve it anymore than we do, but they are the ones who make appointments and make decisions. Mr Purslow, is your mate actually working – other than commercially which has been a great success. Quick lesson, in the shirt on the pitch – do you watch that?
I wonder if we’ll have tactics and a game plan that suits the squad we have by November? One way or another, they’ll be fireworks and we probably won’t be celebrating or cheering them.
More likely to have tic tacs and players shooting into a bonfire and missing given our PL goal difference so far…only West Ham, Arsenal and Manchester City in our immediate future.
“I showed our fans the respect rather than Bolton,” Gerrard told the BBC.
“My focus was Aston Villa coming into this tie. We were drawn against Bolton, the cameras decided to come here so I think you have got to always respect your opponent and the environment. I wanted to respect the supporters because they have travelled in their thousands. They were extremely motivated and behind the team tonight so I wanted to show that with the team I put out and how serious we are taking this competition.”
The only thing I’ll say is I’m glad his focus was the club he’s mismanaging, God forbid he basically played his strongest side against League One opposition, given we have a totally pointless style of play – to the level of saying we don’t have one – because he was worried he’d lose another game and he’s trying to PR the fans. Although being a bit naughty, if he was respecting the fans over Bolton, how can he be respecting Bolton and what’s the environment got to do with it? An almost Premier League level stadium that was 8000 empty. Ohhhh terrifying for professional players used to greater crowds.
Crack on Stevie, I’m not religious, but I’ll pray for you.
Paging Lambert, Garde and Sherwood…any hints? Big Eck, any advice on playing four forwards when they aren’t upfront?
I’m turning into Roger Murtaugh – I’m too old for this ****.
Is this man utd v villa cup tie now a regular feature at both the fa and football league headquarters!!
Maybe im going a bit senile but for goodness sake how often to this fixture have to occur not to be a complete coincidence.!!!!!
The moment the Bolton game finished I turned round to my mates in the pub and said Manchester United next then. Scott, it ain’t a coincidence, I should know because I’m a coincidence theorist.