Date:
Venue: Wembley
Stadium,
Competition: League Cup Final.
Score: Aston
Villa 3
Scorers: Aston
Villa: Milosevic, Taylor, Yorke.
Attendance: 77,056.
Teams:
Aston Villa: Bosnich; Charles,
Referee: Mr R. Hart (
After his players had gone Howard Wilkinson sat
alone in the losers’ dressing-room at Wembley, a
disconsolate figure. Here was a man who had suffered a vicious verbal assault
from Leeds United fans at the home of football. It was difficult not to feel
sympathy for him. It was he that had restored the big-time to
It was an harrowing
experience for the United boss and disenchanted fans let him have it with both barrels.
They booed him long and loud as he walked around the perimeter of the pitch to
the dressing room where he found little consolation. The volley of abuse he
received which included chants of ‘Wilko out’ was
something unprecedented at a Wembley final.
“Of course it hurt” he said, “It seemed very
personal to me and I don’t think that anybody was left in any doubt about what
they wanted. I’m the one who has to take the responsibilities when we win and
when we lose but the biggest disappointment of the day was a massive one, we
just didn’t take enough responsibility out on the field” he argued. “They say
that your first time at Wembley passes very quickly,
but it didn’t for me. I don’t think I will ever be able to look back and say I
enjoyed it” he added.
Wilko explained that he had not been able to select the same side from game to
game and that he had hoped the Wembley occasion would
act as some sort of adhesive to gel people together. “But Villa got the important
early goals, and goals turn games” he said.
Wilkinson had shocked fans with his team selection, agonising over who should be Tony Yeboah’s
strike partner. After dismissing the claims of Swedish international Tomas Brolin, Brian Deane and South African Phil Mesinga, he shocked most by going for the relatively
untried Andy Gray. In fairness it had to be said that the eighteen-year-old son
of Frankie Gray looked cool, composed and experienced beyond his years and his
display earned him United’s ‘Man-of-the-Match’
rating.
Tony Dorigo missed out
with an hamstring injury and he was forced to play
Gary Speed at left back, but it was the omission of Tomas Brolin
that rankled with the supporters. “Why is Brolin on
the bench” sang the fans as the match slipped beyond United. But Wilkinson who
had already brought on Brian Deane for Mark Ford at half-time had already signalled for Tomas Brolin to
replace Lucas Radebe. United’s
£4.5 million record signing had only twenty-five minutes to drag United out of
the mire, but they were already trailing by two goals and as United pushed men
forward Villa grabbed a match-clinching third goal.
The inquests into such a heavy defeat in a showpiece
fixture began immediately and unrest in the United
camp surfaced, with Brolin quick to say he wanted
away. “If you cannot play in a big game like this one then I have to think
about my future. I think I will have to try and find another team” he said. Yeboah was not a happy chappy
either, and as Brolin flew back to
Carlton Palmer also rallied to the support of his
manager. “I was very disappointed at the treatment the manager received,
because he does not deserve it” he insisted. “I can understand the fans’ point
of view but the defeat was nothing to do with the manager. It was down to a
group of players, quite a few of whom did not perform on the big occasion”.
It was the beginning of the end for Wilkinson, for Yeboah and for Brolin.
Match Action:
United’s defenders are dejected. John Lukic, Gary
Kelly, David Wetherall and John Pemberton
Mark Ford beats Andy Townsend watched by Gary
Speed and Paul McGrath Mark
Ford evades Paul McGrath
Gary Kelly beats Gareth Southgate and Andy
Townsend
United Fans show their colours
Teams:
Aston Villa 1995-96:
Back Row: Trevor Berry, Scott Murray, Phil
King, Paul Browne, Michael Oakes Mark Bosnich,
Nigel Spink, Riccardo
Scimeca, Shaun Teale, Lee Hendrie, Stephen Cowe.
Middle Row: Paul Barron (Coach), Bryan Small,
Neil Davis, Paul McGrath, Gareth
Ian Taylor, Ugo Ehiogu, Gareth Farrelly, Gary
Charles, David Farrell, Tommy Johnson,
Jim Walker (Coach).
Front Row: Graham Fenton, Steve Staunton, Franz
Carr, Mark Draper,
Allan Evans (Assistant Manager), Brian Little
(Manager), John Gregory (Coach), Savo Milosevic,
Dwight Yorke, Andy
Townsend, Alan Wright.
Back Row: David White, Brian Deane,
Mark Beeney, Philemon
Masinga, Lucas Radebe, Paul
Beesley.
Middle Row: Mike Hennigan
(Assistant Manager), Matthew Smithard, Mark Ford,
Noel Whelan,
Robert Bowman, Mark Tinkler,
Andy Couzens, Kevin Sharp, Tony Dorigo,
Nigel Worthington,
David O’Leary, David Williams (Coach), Geoff Ladley (Physio).
Front Row: Rod Wallace, Anthony Yeboah, Gary McAllister, Howard Wilkinson (Manager),
John Pemberton, Gary Speed, Gary Kelly.
Players:
Mark Bosnich was in
goal
Gary Charles and Alan Wright were the full-backs
Ugo Ehiogu, Paul McGrath and
Gareth
Ian Taylor, Andy Townsend and Mark Draper were
in midfield
Savo Milosevic and Dwight Yorke
were the Villa strikers
John Lukic was in
goal
Gary Kelly and Lucas Radebe were the full-backs
Carlton Palmer, John Pemberton and David Wetherall were in central defence
Mark Ford, Andy Gray, Gary McAllister and Gary Speed were in midfield
Tony Yeboah was the
lone striker
Brian Deane and Tomas Brolin were the
substitutes used