0 4 ▁squad . ▁Thomas ▁S ør ensen ▁and ▁G av in ▁McC ann ▁both ▁had ▁excellent ▁seasons ▁after ▁moving ▁from ▁S under land , ▁while ▁N ol berto ▁Sol ano ▁quickly ▁became ▁a ▁fans ' ▁favour ite ▁after ▁his ▁mid - season ▁move ▁from ▁New castle . ▁Among ▁the ▁men ▁to ▁represent ▁Villa ▁for ▁the ▁last ▁time ▁during ▁ 2 0 0 3 - 0 4 ▁was ▁D ion ▁Dublin , ▁who ▁n ett ed ▁ 4 8 ▁goals ▁in ▁ 1 5 5 ▁league ▁games . ▁O ' Le ary ' s ▁side ▁reached ▁the ▁last ▁four ▁of ▁the ▁Football ▁League ▁Cup ▁by ▁knock ing ▁out ▁Wy com be ▁W ander ers , ▁Le ic ester ▁City , ▁Cry stal ▁Palace ▁and ▁Ch else a . ▁The ▁semi - final ▁first ▁leg , ▁at ▁Bol ton , ▁ended ▁in ▁a ▁disappoint ing ▁ 5 - 2 ▁defeat . ▁Villa ▁Park ▁goals ▁by ▁Thomas ▁H itz ls per ger ▁and ▁Samuel ▁were ▁not ▁quite ▁enough ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁T rot ters ▁from ▁cl inch ing ▁a ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁final . ▁Manchester ▁United ▁came ▁from ▁behind ▁to ▁knock ▁Villa ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁FA ▁Cup ▁in ▁a ▁third ▁round ▁tie ▁at ▁Villa ▁Park . ▁Despite ▁narrow ly ▁missing ▁out ▁on ▁qual ifying ▁for ▁Europe , ▁the ▁m ood ▁around ▁Villa ▁Park ▁was ▁extremely ▁positive ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁With ▁the ▁lik es ▁of ▁Li am ▁R idge well , ▁Steven ▁Davis , ▁Peter ▁Wh itting ham ▁and