Yes, of course it’s important, but not as important as it seems to be for the blues fans.
Mind you, I suppose with a history like they have, beating the Villa is about as good as it gets for them isn’t it?
You have to pity the supporters, as my opinion says the club are not comparable to us in any way whatsoever.
Trophies, crowds, ground, whatever you care to mention.
But still they try to make out they are and for me, the banter with blues fans I know is great.
It’s what makes the game so extra special.
I call them scum, but it’s only in retaliation for what they call us, I assure you.
It’s all part of the game and I’m on record as saying it wouldn’t be good to see them go down, for Midlands footy in general.
That said, it’s always a great feeling when we beat them and while I know I really ought to know better, as you never know, so I think we’re going to whup them.
What do we know then?
Grealish, Jedinak and Lansbury are all ready for selection.
Gabby is apparently still doubtful with his calf injury, although it wouldn’t surprise me if he makes the bench, just to wind the noses up when he’s jogging up and down.
Would Bruce do such a thing? Maybe not, out of respect to the blues. But then again, anything that might give us an edge etc.
I’d expect Grealish to maybe make the bench. Jedinak too, but I’ll be surprised if Jedinak gets in ahead of Whelan.
There’s no point risking both defensive mids in the same game and it would be too negative anyway.
I don’t see changes for the sake of it, just yet, unless Bruce decides he wants to beef us up in the middle.
blues have Carl Jenkinson, David Stockdale and Nsue, all out, injured. Steve Cotterill can decide between Lukas Jutkiewicz or Isaac Vassell as the central striker and it’s expected that Jota will return to the starting eleven.
Not that I care a toss about them.
So how do I see it going?
Well, we probably know what we’re going to get and it won’t be pretty. It never is.
Both managers should have the teams wound right up for this and it’s more about our players keeping their heads and not doing anything stupid.
In fact it might be a good tactic to see if we can get one of their players sent off. Dirty I know and not my normal type of thinking, but it’s the blues, isn’t it?, where it’s no holds barred.
Let’s face it, on paper we make whatever team blues put out, a joke in comparison.
And apart from their pacey attackers, they have very little to offer against us. Okay, they have home advantage, but that really ought to be the only thing in their favour.
I’ve seen it said that they were awful against Millwall too.
But this is a derby, where anything can happen. It’s a great leveller and all that…
And let’s not forget they beat Cardiff too, so won’t necessarily let us “duff them up”, with the likes of Whelan and Hutton handing out a bit of rough stuff.
So I’m certainly not counting my chickens.
Hence while I’m fairly confident, so I don’t think it’s going to be a whupping at all and certainly don’t expect the scoreline in the picture.
I’d like to think we can do a lot better, but I’m going to go for a cagey 1-0 to us.
The bad news on my part is that I’ve committed to going back to work tomorrow and I totally forgot it’s a 12 o’clock kick off.
There’s no way I’m going to be able to skank another day off already, so how the hell am I going to watch this?
If I buy a Sky pass, will I be able to record it and watch later I wonder?
I have AVTV. How soon will they show the game on there?
If anyone knows, please tell me.
UTV
Really looking forward to this, but very nervous too.
We just don’t want to lose it, do we?
We never want to lose to them but games against them are usually 50/50 at the sty it will be a very tough game for us. I’d take a draw now as can’t see us winning there they have a bit too much for us at their ground.
Would love to see them go under and their ground used for landfill. Horrible, horrible club. Hope it happens sooner rather than later. UTV
Ooh, that’s harsh.
But part of me can’t help but agree, lol 🙂
Don’t you mean the ground returned to lamdfill
As long as we get a draw – it’s a lose lose for villa this game – if we win it’s expected – if we lose they will go on about it for years – they have beaten us once in the last 12 – not beaten us in the league for 12 years, yet they still go on about that one cup win in 2010 – and they went mental and invaded the pitch – even McLeish said Blues fans shouldn’t equate beating villa with winning the world cup in the aftermath – a draw at least and then beat Preston and Wednesday and keep the pressure on the top 2. Job done.
I think a draw is best we can hope for win lose or draw it’s always a tough game for us at the sty they will be in our faces from the word go we’ve never had an easy game there even if you go back in time to the 70s onwards. If they take the lead they will win like they did v Cardiff so we have to get first goal to get a draw.
You have to love Simon Jordan. At it again on twitter.
Well all the results went our way today so all we have to do is win tomorrow
england beat spain under 17. tears for espana but I bet they aren’t bothered. beaten by a long ball poor technical side, good job I don’t listen to yanks on soccer. they know fook all. before you get me banned for stalking you. wolves also lost. maybe you will win the world series at soft ballOCKS
If you knew anything at all about football, stalker, you’d know not every team wins every game. Pretty sure they’re happy sitting 2nd right now though.
i know enough, to know you know fook all. get yourself on the wolves appreciation blog and make room on here for real villa fans who know what they are talking about.
Who gives a toss about under 17s
England won the u-20 world cup as well and Kenny who started for England and is playing for Everton is awful. That own goal was great. Winning youth cups doesn’t mean they’ll come good.
They were also European Champions in 2010 and 2014… How’d that work out for them?
Let’s keep to the important stuff, chaps.
I see blues can’t sell out a 29,400 capacity and still have tickets on open sale, whereas we did nearly 41,000 at VP last time out.
On a par with us, my arse.
Having said that, I heard on WM that QPR won because they got in Wolves’ faces and stopped them playing.
Exactly what we should have done (a la Fulham).
And exactly what I and many others think we ought to do against every side we play.
If bloody QPR can beat them, I’m sure we should have too.
It was only Bruce who called it wrong, imo.
But while it’s typical of him, I’m ok with his style as long as we keep getting the results.
We need to get in their faces tomorrow or they will bully us off the park. Kodja needs to play from the bench he gets bullied too easily away from home and was bullied last year at the sty. Start with Davis’s he’s a lot more physical. I’m going for a hard earned draw tomorrow can’t see us winning especially if they get first goal. We never come back from a goal down away to win
I could live with that. Davis and Onomah?
With Kodjia to come on later?
Or Kodjia and Onomah, with Davis to come on later?
Or just one up front and bring the other two on later?
Nice options.
And to think, they’re not currently our biggest threats, goal-wise.
I think Davis is crucial today Badger we want him knocking their defenders today Kodja is a too much of a snowflake away from home and last year was bullied really easily. He hardly touched the ball. Same at Wolves he was pathetic. We need men in this game that can dish it out for the first hour or so then we can start playing football when we’ve earned the right to play
So we have 3 attackers, add Grealish in when he’s fit and 4. Not exactly the best of depth we have. Our depth looks decent because we don’t really rotate. And have been fortunate with injuries this season.
I’d still start Kodjia, despite Oohah not wanting us too. We need him scoring goals. We need him back to his best. Davis will become a very good player and will eventually add goals to his game, but he’s not there yet and while game time will help, we need wins and if we get an in form Kodjia going, we could really go on a run. Kodjia with Onomah behind him, Adomah and Snodgrass as per usual, Whelan and Hourihane as per usual. Same defense. Basically the same team from Fulham. I want us to have the ability to get subs in early, like Hogan, Bjarnason, maybe Grealish or O’Hare. Three games this week and we need a bit of rotation/allowing others to play in there.
I know it’s a derby, I know it’s a game like no other for us as they’ll step up like usual in an attempt for bragging rights. We have to win this. A draw will definitely not be good enough against them. They’re so bad. While Preston aren’t in good form, they’ve scored 10 in the last 5 and we need to get a run going to keep that confidence up to keep them out.
I have to disagree Andrew Kodja is too much of a wimp in these games he will get bullied like he did last year. Davis even though he hasn’t the experience etc will give as good as he gets that’s what we need. Then after an hour or so we can bring in Kodja. Remember How pathetic Kodja was v Wolves worse player on the pitch imo with Elmo. I’m glad we have players like Terry Whelen and Hutton today they should give us a bit of steel. We know they are a crap team but even if they were in the conference they would still give us a tough game it’s a hard ground for us to win at the best of times and when we have won there it’s only by the Skin of our teeth. Today will be no different. Also if they get first goal then we will more than likely lose if they defend like they did v Cardiff. Plus our away form is still suspect
Shite half for us we are never going to score even if we play till tomorrow morning. Bruce hoping for 0.0 Bruce out the whole team is shite
If we are going to consign our star studded multi million pound team to playing hoofball and hit and hope football then why leave Keinan davis on the bench??? Kodja is good with the ball at his feet he’s not a hoofball player and onomah isn’t a 2nd striker he is never in the right position! Well done Bruce you really know how to set up a team to look shit!
This is why I can’t stand Bruce. Dire stuff. Not in the least surprised though
Just 1 word for that game like all games this season…boring!
Agreed we are so boring to watch it’s untrue.
Same old one dimensional hoofball tactics, its like every time we play a bigger or more high pressure game, Bruce reverts to instructing the team to “hit it long”.
I really am baffled as to why we dont play to our strengths, if we had a manager that did, we’d be challenging for the league title not 6th place as we have the squad and the depth required. Bruce and his outdated view on the game is holding us back badly and IMO will cost us promotion
He should of started with Davies like I said. Bruce is clueless he never drops his little blue eyed boy onamah who is shite
The truth is Bruce is an average managers who gets average, to be expected results. With a squad like ours that may be good enough to get top 6, but its not good enough for us in the future.
Agree if we go up Bruce has to go end Off
Could’ve won yesterday – Blues will always play their best against us- we did ok- after Jedinak came on we could’ve had 3. Jedinak and Whelan in a 4411 away from home from now on. One or the other in a 442 at home. We are very hard to beat. 16 points out of last 21- keep that up and we are going up.if Jedinak stays fit we will go up- he stops the opposition playing and gives the team confidence to attack. Now he is back it’s full steam ahead- onwards and upwards. Slowly but surely the away form is improving and home form has always been good under Bruce. Think he will get us up. Derby games are about not getting beat – we’ll job done and we,ll do them at VP any way,cheer up we are 6th and will climb higher!
Owen, it sounds like Jedinak and Whelan did indeed look strong.
But from what I’ve heard, this was needed as we were put under the cosh by the mighty blues.
For me, that’s not good enough.
And nor will it be, beefing up probably the best defence in the league with 2 defensive mids.
The only reason we need a six man defence is because Bruce won’t give them free reign, from what I’ve seen (I still haven’t seen yesterday’s game).
The point is, playing those two will limit our attacking options.
Although while I totally understand that “hard to beat” is good, so I think we need wins.
i agree to an extent – just think two mids away works – and we created a lot more when jedi and whelan were in the middle together- guess we willl see tomorrow night…..
Agree Badger we need to go a goal up then beef up defence. We are very unbalanced under Bruce and if we’re honest he’s not improved the team to where we were last year. Yes we gave more points but that’s more by luck than judgement
We need a new striker in January at this rate. Kodjia’s fitness problems is going to cause more problems and I know we’ve done well in getting points without him, but not having a goal scoring striker could be a problem. Hard to trust Hogan at this point and Davis while he’s performing well isn’t a goal threat that we need.
If the reports are true and we want Carrick, be another waste of money. Do we plan on having the oldest midfield around? Whelan’s proving experience only gets you so far, which isn’t very.
Hogan’s certainly a bit of a puzzle, as even if we don’t play to suit him, you’d have thought he’d have sneaked the odd goal here and there in the time he’s had.
(Please don’t let him be a flop. Him and RM failing would be quite embarrassing).
Davis was apparently dead unlucky yesterday, but yes, point taken, we do need another one in.
Bruce’s record re strikers for us hasn’t been good though, has it?
As for Carrick, I don’t believe that for one second.
Re Whelan; that’s another strange one.
Everywhere I read said he was total rubbish yesterday, yet he was given MOTM and it was apparently backed up by the stats.
Just as I’ve only noticed him have one bad game, so perhaps he’s just the type of player where every one of his mistakes seems to stand out? And his good stuff just goes un-noticed?
3 starts in 11 appearances and like 350 minutes isn’t a lot of time. Lets hope he steps up now Kodjia is again injured. And agreed, he was supposedly a top striker, he should be scoring.
You’re completely right, Bruce’s record for strikers is poor. You could also argue midfield is poor too. Hourihane arguably his only success in that area as well. Maybe it’s time to get in someone to find transfer targets and allow Bruce just to manages he does.
As for Carrick, while I don’t want to believe it, I’d put nothing past old man Bruce to bring in another waste of space old head. If we go up, we’d really have to buy an entire new team.
I dont think we need a striker with Kodjia Davis and Hogan, esp with only playing one main striker. I would like to see Davis starting up top, and Kodjia playing either left or right. Davis is better at linking up play and holding the ball up.
Plus I dont think Snodgrass has done enough to keep starting.