Andy Townsend: It's a nerve-racking experience being behind to a minnow, but that's where you see real character
I know exactly how those Aston Villa boys will be feeling as they line up in the tunnel before tonight’s game.
Nervous, excited... it might have been almost two decades ago but the situation I faced in 1994 was uncannily similar. And the feelings of the players won’t have changed.
I was playing for Villa when we had battled to the semi-finals of the then Coca-Cola Cup, but had been stunned by Tranmere Rovers, losing 3-1 in a poor first-leg display at Prenton Park to a side from a division below us.
Support act: Villa fans mob Saunders after the penalty shootout win
We're Ron our way to Wembley: Big Ron Atkinson celebrates Villa's semi-final win
Just like Paul Lambert’s side, we had not turned up in that first leg and our boss, Ron Atkinson, was absolutely furious.
At the time, I was teaching Dean Saunders to play the guitar and he had taken it with him to the team hotel so he could practise there.
After the match, Ron decreed: ‘Everyone back to Bodymoor Heath.’ (Villa’s training ground)Deano and Macca (Paul McGrath) both lived 30 minutes away from Tranmere, on the Wirral.
Double trouble: Shaun Teale and Neil Cox try to stop John Aldridge as Pat Nevin looks onRoverjoyed: Aldridge celebrates scoring past Mark Bosnich
Net loss: Bosnich is beaten by Mark Hughes in the first leg as Tony Daley (right) looks on
Saunders, now manager of Wolves, voiced his anger at this — saying it was silly having to drive past his house to get to Bodymoor.
Bear in mind it was close to 11pm by this time.
‘Not my problem you live near Manchester,’ said Ron, whereupon Deano, sitting at the back, slung his kitbag over one shoulder and picked up his guitar, before marching off the bus in protest.
He was in a filthy mood and smashed his instrument off the back of every player’s head.
Keep going: The tension mounts in the shootout as Tranmere's Eric Nixon (left) swaps places with Mark Bosnich
It was about the best noise Deano ever got from that guitar... but Ron was still furious and warned him that he would be fined two weeks’ wages if he got off.
Deano did get off the coach — though I don’t know if he was ever hit in the pocket — but he was back in the good books when he grabbed the first goal in the second leg with a near-post finish.
Shaun Teale’s second put us back on level terms, but John Aldridge then showed he still had a goal in him when he raced clear of our defence and keeper Mark Bosnich brought him down. He slotted home the penalty and we were back behind.
It stayed that way until the last few moments when Dalian Atkinson scored. But then Liam O’Brien, who was a bit like Darron Gibson of Everton in that he had a thumping shot on him, curled a great free-kick which hit the inside of a post in injury time.
If that had gone in, we would never have had the chance to win the semi-final on penalties — and then go on to enjoy that wonderful final victory over Manchester United a few weeks later.
Show stopper: Bosnich saves a kick in the shootoutAnd I think there are a few pointers from that evening which may help. The atmosphere will go up by about three levels from what Villa’s players have seen before. It will be totally different to what the majority of Bradford’s team are used to as well.
You can harness that. Villa’s players will need to start strong and get the crowd behind them. The fans will need to be shown that they can turn it around, even if the early goal isn’t forthcoming.
However, while this Villa team have raw enthusiasm, they don’t have the game-management skills that we had. It was an experienced team with the likes of McGrath, Ray Houghton and Kevin Richardson.
But I can’t stress how important, at the current stage of Villa’s development, winning this tie would be. It would be crucial for survival and could give a stamp of acceptability to their season. It certainly did for us back in ’94.
So, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed. I’m still the last person to lift a trophy for Villa — in the same competition in ’96 — and that’s too long a time to go without winning something. And, as both my lads are Villa fans, I’m hoping they can experience a day out at Wembley of their own.
Stronger at the back: Villa will have to defend better against crosses to have any chance in the second leg Cup of joy: Captain Andy Townsend celebrates Villa's 1994 Wembley win against Manchester United with Tony Daley (right)More... Bradford co-chariman Lawn ready to be 'put through wringer' ahead of Villa clash Under-fire Lambert calls on Villa to take their chances to overcome giant killers Bradford For the latest Aston Villa news, featues and opinion
