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F.A Cup 5th Round Review

It was a very busy day in the F.A Cup with eight games played with one League 2 side left in Shrewsbury Town (away to West Brom), on League 1 side left in Portsmouth (Home to Aston Villa) and an all Championship game in Bristol City against Brentford.

We will go through each game individually starting with the most boring and ending with the most exciting.

Running Order:
Chelsea vs Brighton
Crystal Palace vs Stoke
Fulham vs Manchester United
Blackburn vs Tottenham
West Brom vs Shrewsbury
Leicester vs Swansea
Bristol City vs Brentford
Portsmouth vs Aston Villa

Match 1
Chelsea vs Brighton

Brighton's flambouyant manager Paolo Di Canio just could not believe his luck when his side pulled off an amazing result by stopping the league leaders from scoring to book a replay at the American Express Community Stadium. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was very complimentary about Brighton's play and conceded his side was lucky not to lose. They were very good and I told my team that they need to raise there game in the replay.

Score: 0-0

Match 2

Crystal Palace vs Stoke

In Crystal Palace and Stoke this match would have been a welcome distraction for two sides struggling against relegation in the Premier League. This match though allowed Crystal Palace to put aside there dodgy Premier League displays to take the win 1-0. Stoke were never in the game and Palace progress.

Score: Palace 1-0 Stoke (Novothny)

Match 3

Fulham vs Manchester United

Fulham are another side who have been fighting relegation as they came into the F.A Cup match against Manchester United, who have been riding high all season. This match did not show that though with Fulham threatening the goal of David De Gea but they held on and got one of there own to win the game but undeservedly so.

Score: Fulham 0-1 Manchester United (Falcao)

Match 4

Blackburn vs Tottenham

Blackburn went into the match hopeful of getting something out of the match but Tottenham were just too good, even though they got an equaliser early on in the second half Spurs were always much stronger. It will be interesting to see if they could win the whole thing as the final will now be played at there home stadium.

Score: Blackburn 1 (Mahoney) - 3 Tottenham (Walker, Lennon & Cuomo)

Match 5

West Brom vs Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury Town do not get this far very often and they will be the side that comes out of this with the most credit and can count themselves unfortunate not to be taking the Premier League side into a replay as West Brom scored a late goal to knock out the lowest ranked remaining team but nonetheless they will come out with a lot of credit.

Score: West Brom 2 (Malumbu x2) - 1 Shrewsbury (Rowlands)

Match 6

Leicester vs Swansea

This was the most entertaining 1-0 victory you would ever see, which came with 3 offside goals! Leicester have been woeful in the Premier League this season but seem to turn it on in the F.A Cup and that they did again with the goal of the tournament through Jeoffrey Schupp.

Score: Leicester 1 (Schupp) - 0 Swansea

Match 7

Bristol City vs Brentford

With Bristol City 19th and Brentford flying high in 3rd place in the Championship but in this game you would never have thought the gap in the league was so big. Brentford went into the interval 1-0 up and deservedly so as they battered City in the first half but as you often find with Championship sides, they never give up. Bristol City came back fighting and equalised. Brentford then came fighting back and took the lead again, then against all odds Bristol City forced the match into a replay with a late, late goal.

Score: Bristol City 2 (Calvet o.g & Simpson) - 2 Brentford (Calvet & Boga)

Match 8

Portsmouth vs Aston Villa

Portsmouth took a shock lead against the Villans but that was there only plus point of the day as Villa smashed SIX goals past the South Coast side. Villa were always in control and the change of formation meant that the chances flowed for Villa and they finished them off this time.

Score: Portsmouth 2 (Fejzuilahu & McClean) - 6 Aston Villa (Rondon x2, Stones x2 pens, Rotariu & Delph)

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McGrath: We MUST Improve!

February has been one of the most frustrating months possible for Aston Villa and there fans. There was seven games over the month and several very poor results. Chelsea, who had already domolished Villa 8-1 on aggregate in the Capital One Cup Semi-Final were up against a more stubborn Villa side but still one powerless to resist the pressure that Chelsea put on Villa, and came away with a 4-2 victory.



Villa then turned it around against Liverpool, which co-incided with return of influential striker Salomon Rondon, who scored within three minutes of his return to the side. Tat was followed by goals from Ivan Rakitic and Jordan Rhodes but left Villa fans asking why manager Paul McGrath had not dropped keeper Sirigu in favour of Serbian Pedrag Rajkovic.

This was emphasised at Wembley, when Villa dominated the match but could not score and Sirigu made his 4th mstake in as many matches to gift Spurs a victory that they did not deserve but still nonetheless came away with a victory to dent Villa's hopes of a top four finish.

This again was not helped when Q.P.R visited Villa Park. Rondon was on sparkling form but Sirigu........AGAIN fucked up to gift Q.P.R a late, late equaliser after Rondon looked to have gave Villa a vital victory but it was not to be.

The F.A Cup report has already been released so Villa then flew out to Spain to face off against Athletic Bilboa, where thanks to Salomon Rondon scoring against the run of play gave Villa hope in the second leg after a 2-1 defeat but the all important away goal is going to help the Villans.

The last match of the month against West Ham, McGrath finally decided to ring the changes. Sirigu was finally dropped in favour of Rajkovic, who was going to make his first appearance in two seasons for The Villans and he would be joined by fellow Serbian Luka Jovic and this would be an inspired choice by former defender McGrath. Villa did not just win, they slaughtered West Ham with Luka Jovic scoring twice and Rotariu getting the other goal and Rajkovic finally providing Villa with a steady head in between the sticks.

All in all a bad month for Villa.

League Table

Villa find themselves in no mans land. Nine points behind the top 4 and 7 points ahead of Man City, who are in 6th place. Leicester looks absolutely doomed but Liverpool and Stoke will need to watch there backs this month.

Aston Villa Announce Summer Signing

Sandro comes in for The Villans

Paul McGrath said that Aston Villa were going to rebuild in the Summer and that has start very early this season with a end of season signing announced already. With the defence looking like it needs revamping, rumours are that Santon, Stones and Sule could well be on there way out.

Well with Lewis Kinsella getting more chances in the first team and Santon not putting in the right sort of performances this season, McGrath has today announced the signing of twenty-seven year old FC Porto Brazillian left back Alex Sandro. The Brazillian, who moved from Brazillian side Santos for £8,250,000 back in 2011 has put pen to paper on a £145,000 a week contract for a reported £32,000,000.


Could Santon be on the way out?

The Brazillian, who has 29 caps for his country, has won several awards in his career including two Portugese Supertacas and two Portugese Premier League titles and a Brazillian Cup and also named in the national team's best Eleven for the last four years. Manager Paul McGrath said that it was not a worry that Sandro might get injured before joining.

I am very happy to announce this signing so soon. I have been a fan of Alex's for quite some time and watched him 5 times in the last 2 seasons. He will bring an attacking threat to the club and will give us more options. When asked if players are going to leave the Villa manager was blunt to say the least. Yes he said, there are going to be a few departures and more people will come in. But now we are concentrating on getting to the top 4 for the Champions League.

Villa & Athletic in THRILLER

Atletico manager Frank Rijkaard was present to cast his eye over summer transfer target Kevin Volland as Aston Villa started with a 2-1 goal deficit in the Europa League but started like a train and James McCarthy, who ended up with the man of the match award.

The defensive midfielder showed his credentials as he opened the scoring by netting a good headed goal from just inside the six-yard box.


McCarthy had a stormer against Athletic

The midfielder put in a superb shift for his club and will be delighted that he was able to cap his performance off with a goal but it dd not mean the game was won as in the second half Iker Munain scored the equaliser and put Athletic into the lead on aggregate but cometh the hour, cometh the man as Daniel Sturridge, who has been completely woeful infron of goal this season put Villa ahead on the day and level on aggregate which effectively forced the game into extra time.

It was the most tentitive first half in extra time we have ever seen and the ball just stayed around the half way line, it was the second half of extra time that things kicked off as Rondon and Cleverley played a delightful 1-2 and Rondon, through on goal took a blatant dive and the referee GAVE the penalty! Stones stepped up to send Villa through but missed! so we went to a penalty shootout and McGrath looked very nervous.

Daniel Sturridge stepped up first and fired it hgh up into the net to make it 1-0. Fernando Llorente was first up for Athletic, and he fired wide to give Villa the upper hand.

The John Stones, who needs an awful lot of credit for going up to take one considering Arrizbalaga had saved not so long ago. There was no mistake this time though as he hit it high into the top left hand corner to make it 2-0.

Then Laporte scored for Athletic, Rondon slotted in for Villa and Itteraspe got another for the visitors to make it 3-2.

Volland then stepped up to put Villa on the brink, he steadied himself and slotted it home to make it 4-2 which meant that Sasueta needed to score to keep Athletic in the competition. He scored with no mistake and then The Villans were wondering who would take the penalty and shockingly Davide Santon, to the shock of all Villa fans started the walk up, it is a long walk up when you know the fans are wanting you out the club. Santon had half a chance to redeem himself.


Did Santon score to send Villa through

The keeper walked up to him to get into his head, Santon placed the ball on the spot and slowly walked back to start his run up and it seemed that the whole stadium went quiet. Santon started his laboured run up and struck the ball cleanly, to put the Villans in the next round...............

The Final Penalty

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He scores! Davide Santon scores the winner to send Villa through to the 2nd knockout round. The fans have gone wild as Villa, who were under the cosh for a lot of the game have emerged with a lot of credit to defeat the Spanish side who finished forth last season in La Liga but it was Aston Villa's grit and determination that saw them through.

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Rondon speaks after the match

A news reporter is with Salomon Rondon right now and also the decisive penalty goalscorer Davide Santon. Salomon, a great night for your team and your fans but did you think you was going to do it?

Yes ofcourse because we have an amazing team spirit here at the club. The fans were fantastic again tonight and they are making the club great again. But it is this man here (puts arm around Santon) who has won us the game and hopefully now he will finish the season off in style. The news reporter looks at Santon, Davide how did you feel walking up to take that penalty, especially when the stadium pretty much went silent?

Well, I new what I had to do and noticed the keeper was alternating which way he dived on each penalty and luckily I got it on target. I am very pleased and it keeps our chances up that we could win this competition.

Aston Villa have had a great run and there next opponents will be Ajax, with the first leg to take place at Villa Park. The other English sides left see Arsenal take on Dortmund, Tottenham against Valencia and Hull City against Dinamo Moscow.

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Interesting Month For Villa

March saw the emergence of 17 year old Pete Billings for the side in Claret & Blue. It was a month dominated by cup competitions, which included a trip to Holland and Wembley as Aston Villa were entertained by Tottenham again.



The Athletic match has already been reported on but again it was a great victory, which then followed by one of the most entertaining matches of the season so far. Newcastle went 3-0 up in the first 35 minutes of the game. Franco Di Santo hit the first two goals, the first in the 8th minute with a fantastic volley with his left foot after a great cross from Frenchman Allesdrini and then Di Santo scored a well placed free kick to make it 2-0. Newcastle then made it three in the 35th minute when Polish international Kamil Gilk rose highest to score a bullet header and Villa were in dire needs.

But the one thing that Aston Villa have is a guts, and they have them a plenty. Salomon Rondon, who has fast become one of the fans firm favourites since joining and was also captain for the match got one back just before the break when he breached the off-side trap to catch onto a through ball from Tom Cleverley and struck it into the top corner past the helpless Welsh keeper Karl Darlow.

Whatever was said by McGrath at half time seemed to work as Villa launched an astonishing 15 minute assault on the Magpies which saw Villa play some of there best football. Young striker Pete Billings came on for his first ever appearance and he had a hand in two of the 3 goals to follow as in the 51st minute he drifted wide to collect a 45 yard pass by the ever impressive Cleverley and he volleyed in a stunning cross for Hughes to head home and Villa were back in the hunt. It got even better for The Villans just three minutes later as Rondon played a stunning 1-2 pass with Sterling to then hit a low shot past Darlow and equalise, and now Newcastle were on the ropes. The youngster Billings terrorised the Newcastle and in the 59th minute he picked the ball up on the half way and showed maturity beyond his years. He skinned four players which included a lot of trickery and out the corner of his eye he could see Sterling screaming for the ball in space but the fans were screaming for him to shoot. But he instead played a pinpoint pass to the 23 year old £32m rated attacking midfielder Raheem Sterling, who beat Darlow to give Villa a 4-3 lead, which they managed to hold on to and record a great victory.

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Rondon Starred for Villa again this month

Then Villa went to Wembley to face off against Tottenham in the F.A Cup having not beat them away from home since McGrath took charge but it was not to be even though they went 2-0 up within 14 minutes through Rondon, against his former club and Volland. But Spurs hit back through Villa target Mouro Icardi to force a replay.

Villa then defeated Ajax 3-1 with goals from Cleverley, Sturridge and Rondon but this match will go down in history as Pete Billings became Aston Villa's youngest ever player to play in europe for The Midlanders.

Billings then made the headlines for the right reasons again as on the 14th minute he became Aston Villa's youngest ever goalscorer overtaking Alex Rowe's record and in Rowe and Billings, Villa have two bright young prospects for the future, but the most shocking point was that Villa kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory.

Villa then played the second leg of the Europa League in Amsterdam and when you have Salomon Rondon in a Villa shirt you know you are guaranteed to have a bad day ahead of you and he struck twice with Rotariu striking in between the brace by Rondon to safely send Villa through for a tie against Spor Toto Superleague Champions Galatasaray.

Villa finished the month with a 2-1 defeat to Southampton but it was there only defeat in a pretty strong month for Villa.

League Table

Chelsea are getting closer and closer to this title with a game in hand over Manchester United and Villa have two game sin hand over Everton, which could bring them to within four points of the Toffees in the competition for forth place and with Everton to play in the month coming up, it could prove pivital. Leicester and West Brom looked doomed at the bottom.

Villa Player Of The Month

Just when some sections of the media started questioning his performances the former Man Utd man, who is one of Paul McGraths favoured players at Villa came good again this month and claims the Villa player of the month.

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