FA Cup 14-15

[TimeyWimey]

BBC and other media missing the general feeling amongst most football fans for the sake of a story.

Although those who mocked Boaz Myhill... You went too far!

 

[Madejski]

Article is poor and most of the coverage since has been blown out of proportion, but certainly wasn't a good action by the Villa fans.

Twice they came onto the pitch during play, the second time could easily have been 100 fans on the field which stopped the game for a couple of minutes. You never want to see that at a football game. OTT perhaps but the referee could easily have abandoned the game on safety grounds and West Brom could have been handed a win.. I wonder what would have happened had the decisive second goal been scored earlier. Thankfully as it was so late it limited the amount of times that fans could run onto the pitch.

After the game is a little small time, considering it's not even for a place in the final. But I can't really complain as no doubt if Reading win the replay there will be fans invading the pitch after the game too.

 

[The Southbank]

Could see from the off that Reading were playing for a replay.

This was pretty frustrating.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Imagine the '66 World Cup final commentated by today's pansies at the BBC.

Pitch invasions have been around since the birth of football. The vast majority do not end in supporter death matches. Dark ages my arse.

 

[Dazza]

Gutted that we didn't make our slight second half dominance pay by making more chances really. First half was very even, second half we should have created more and that's why I came away feeling like it was a defeat. Can't see us getting anything out of the replay either, but I guess you never know.

Our recent home form has been crap.Can see the game going all the way to penalty's.What does not help is the game being played on a Monday night a couple of days after we both have away games although ours is not far away at Watford.Apparently FA cup games can't be played on the same evening as Champions League and Europa League games.

 

[Laker]

Oh god we're premier league so that must mean we're evil. Bore off.

Give it a rest, I didn't say that. But I'm fed up of hearing the Premiership moaning about lower league pitches - Van Gaal did it against us. It's boring, disrespectful, arrogant and simply making excuses for poor performance.

 

[TomPNE94]

Blackpool's is worse than Bradford's anyway

 

[Dolph Ziggler]

They beat us on a perfect pitch at Stamford Bridge....and deserved it too.

There's no excuse for having a pitch that bad other than to put your opposition at a disadvantage . Parkinson has never lost a home game in the cup at Bradford...I'm not surprised with a pitch like that.

But surely that puts us at a disadvantage and means that when we go to ANYWHERE else in the league we should be the poorer team as we are used to hoof football? Our pitch has been fine up until this season. We beat you on a pitch that was perfect, we beat Millwall and Halifax away also... probably more but my brain is fried by how stupid your comments are.

Parkinson has moaned about the pitch himself, he doesn't see it as an advantage at all.

This was pretty frustrating.

Do you disagree or is it frustrating because it's correct?

 

[TomPNE94]

But surely that puts us at a disadvantage and means that when we go to ANYWHERE else in the league we should be the poorer team as we are used to hoof football? Our pitch has been fine up until this season. We beat you on a pitch that was perfect, we beat Millwall and Halifax away also... probably more but my brain is fried by how stupid your comments are.

Parkinson has moaned about the pitch himself, he doesn't see it as an advantage at all.

Beat us at Deepdale too before out pitch went a bit shit

 

[Dolph Ziggler]

Beat us at Deepdale too before out pitch went a bit shit

Exactly, we've beat teams all over the place, our pitch is shit, we know that and it's as much of a hindrance to us as it is to anyone else, more infact as we play on it more often.

 

[Madejski]

It's not as much as an advantage as made out. As the cliche goes that both teams have to play on the same pitch.

But at the same time, Bradford players have experience playing on the pitch, know exactly what does/doesn't work, are better suited to tailouring their tactics around it. Rather than Millwall/Sunderland/Reading who are only there for a one off game without any prior time on it.

I did think the pitch effected our style a lot, our midfield were virtual spectators when our central midfield in particular is the strongest part of the team. None of them were able to do their normal roles. Basically, it'll be a far different game at the Madejski - both teams will play less hoofball. That is more likely to do with the pitch than each teams technical limitations.

 

[BlueBee]

I think I read that Reading at halftime had less than 50% pass completion. Don't try and tell me that the pitch has played no part in a poor Reading performance.

 

[Dolph Ziggler]

I think I read that Reading at halftime had less than 50% pass completion. Don't try and tell me that the pitch has played no part in a poor Reading performance.

I'm not saying that at all, I'm saying that the pitch isn't really an advantage to us. We outplayed you at yours, our game is playing on the ground, the pitch has been as much of a problem for us as anyone.

 

[Modernist]

Surely the dullest FA cup weekend ever.

 

[BlueBee]

If you say so.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Villa providing the entertainment in the FA Cup this weekend, oh how the tables have turned...

 

[Dolph Ziggler]

If you say so.

Clearly we can play football (Big balls, ask Jose), why on earth would we want to play hoofball?

 

[DarkSithLord]

Surely the dullest FA cup weekend ever.

The best game is yet to come!

 

[Cardsfan]

The best game is yet to come!

The Reading v Bradford replay isn't for 3 weeks though..

 

[The Southbank]

Do you disagree or is it frustrating because it's correct?

It's frustrating that we chose that particular tactic for an FA Cup QF.

 

[mistermagic]

Stupid time to play the game. Local derby. FA Cup quarter final. Saturday evening at 5:30....

Brilliant decision by the FA to allow the fans to get tanked up all afternoon before going to a derby game that is so emotionally overcharged...

In hindsight, it can come accross as obvious to switch the Bradford/Reading and Villa/WBA games' kick-off times but I honestly didn't think things were that "emotinnally overcharged" between yourselves and West Brom. I would expect a few scruffs but nowhere near the same level as Villa/Brum or West Brom/Woves.

 

[Madejski]

Reading have already started selling tickets for the replay. Match date/time not confirmed but expected to be next Monday (16th March).

Good to have it next week rather than a three week wait like the Blackburn/Liverpool fans have to endure.

 

[roversfan2001]

Good to have it next week rather than a three week wait like the Blackburn/Liverpool fans have to endure.

I wish it was three weeks. Four and a half weeks, replay set to be 7th/8th April.

 

[Dazza]

Reading have already started selling tickets for the replay. Match date/time not confirmed but expected to be next Monday (16th March).

Good to have it next week rather than a three week wait like the Blackburn/Liverpool fans have to endure.

Disagree.Playing it on a Monday night when both sides have league games on Saturday is taking the piss.Apparantly Bradford have tried to get their league game on the Saturday moved to the Friday night.I expect we will make some changes for the Watford game on the Saturday. What is the rush? The semi final dates are 18th and 19th April.

 

[Madejski]

Because of UEFA ruling and the international break the only available dates for the replay are Monday 16th, Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th. So with any option there was never going to be much of a turnaround between games.

I imagine Blackburn/Liverpool will be on the 8th, so too United/Arsenal if that gets a replay. So I guess that Reading and Bradford decided next week would give best chance of being on TV (£££££).

 

[Villaboy]

In hindsight, it can come accross as obvious to switch the Bradford/Reading and Villa/WBA games' kick-off times but I honestly didn't think things were that "emotinnally overcharged" between yourselves and West Brom. I would expect a few scruffs but nowhere near the same level as Villa/Brum or West Brom/Woves.

A lot of fans seem to think that, although Birmingham City are our closest rivals, West Brom is only 4 miles from Villa Park and a lot of their fans have a real hatred for Villa and vice versa.

Ever since I was a kid, games against WBA were always fierce encounters, due to the rivalry.

I have however seen a hell of a lot of pictures of Villa fans smiling, waving, taking selfies and celebrating on the net and none whatsoever of any fan being involved in any violence of any kind. (Although I saw a few of villa fans with bleeding heads from being hit by ripped up seats and thrown by the WBA fans)

Not an excuse for a pitch invasion, but it should be seen in a good light as in, 'look how much this means to the fans' not the Mark Lawrenson pitch of 'disgraceful scenes, like something out of the 80's'. This wasn't hooliganism, it was people celebrating a huge win and turn in fortunes for a club that has got itself into a mess...

 

[Dazza]

Because of UEFA ruling and the international break the only available dates for the replay are Monday 16th, Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th. So with any option there was never going to be much of a turnaround between games.

I imagine Blackburn/Liverpool will be on the 8th, so too United/Arsenal if that gets a replay. So I guess that Reading and Bradford decided next week would give best chance of being on TV (£££££).

If Man United v Arsenal is a draw then our game won't be on tv.I believe bbc show 1 replay and Bt also show 1.Could be wrong with that though.

Evidently Reading and Bradford asked Watford and Notts County to move the games to Friday and both refused. Can't blame them really.

The main issue here is UEFA's instance in splitting the last 16 round of the CL over 4 weeks rather than 2 meaning that the rest of March is pretty much out for midweek games of note.

I guess at the end of the day we have to take what money we can get and if the FA are offering a TV deal we have to take it.

The other 3 QFs had either 7 or 8 April set aside for replays.Maybe if Arsenal/Utd don't draw, we can take the 7th or 8th of April date as it will be "free"

 

[Dazza]

The good thing is that we don't have very far to travel on Saturday.

 

[Mustard]

Bradford/Reading vs Arsenal
Aston Villa vs Liverpool/Blackburn

I'd prefer Reading over Bradford to be honest after what happened last time (no Gervinho this time though...). Tough draw for Liverpool against a bogey side.

 

[Madejski]

So if we go through we play the only team of the 92 we've never beaten..

Well theres a time and a place?