I really don’t know what to think about this one.
If you’d have asked me before the Palace game, I’d have immediately said we don’t have a hope in hell of getting anything today.
But it’s amazing how even a solitary win can change your thinking isn’t it?
Not that I’m suggesting we’ll get the win against Leicester, but Bournemouth managed to hold them to a goalless draw at the King Power last week, so that sort of result is certainly not impossible, which is more my point.
Certainly I got the Palace prediction completely wrong, but even then I added the caveat, where it’s a funny old game, where anything can happen.
Onto squad news then and we have Grealish, Sanchez and Gabby all available.
I can’t see Gabby getting in the side unless he’s wound his neck in and something’s changed, although you never know. Garde might well give a shot at putting himself in the window, perhaps.
More realistic is one or possibly both of the other two coming in, just to give other players a rest.
Hutton’s still out with a hamstring problem.
As for Leicester, Jeff Schlupp is definitely out and Matty James is close, but it’s too soon.
I thought Vardy was injured, but it seems he’s ok and that has to be a concern for us.
I suppose the talking point is probably the link with Marc Albrighton, who came out yesterday saying how bad it was watching our demise (good lad).
It’s probably a bit much to hope he has a shocker today, with the aim of doing us a favour, but it would be nice wouldn’t it?
Ex players playing against us always worries me, as they often do well, but I’m happier that we have Cissokho to counter him, as I think Albrighton would run rings around Richardson, for example.
So while I think an actual win is doubtful, a draw definitely isn’t in the realms of dreamland.
Which would be a pretty decent result, in my opinion and one I’d take.
Of course, a win would probably have us dreaming of Europe again.
Or maybe just survival would be more realistic.
More important is that I want to see the fight and desire we demonstrated midweek, continue.
I’ll go for a 1-1 draw, which is maybe ambitious these days.
i’m not bothered with other teams now. I have spent the last 5 years looking at other teams results.
win half our games on the run in and we stay up if not we go down simple.
I can’t stand gabby cos of his lack of effort but he does turn up for 3 or 4 games a season. now would be a good time wba coming up. he is supposed to be a villa fan.
and if grealish pulls his finger out it could be like having 2 good signings.
we will see.