The fantastic news is that the transfer window, as enjoyable as it’s been up to now, takes a back seat tomorrow, as we get down to the nitty-gritty, which is the actual playing of the game.
I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking, quite frankly, it can’t come soon enough.
This is a great fixture to be played at this time of year and especially as the opening game of the season, as I really like Bournemouth and would have loved a weekend down there, particularly with the weather looking pretty good.
Work meant there was no hope of that though and given that the capacity of Dean Court is sub-12,000, it meant there were only 1,500 tickets available anyway, which quite rightly get offered to the usual travellers first.
You just know the atmosphere is going to be superb and I’m jealous of anyone who will be going.
So onto the game then and the latest injury news that I see on the Beeb, is that we have Jack Grealish, Carles Gil and Carlos Sanchez as possible doubts, while Jores Okore is definitely out with a knee injury.
For Bournemouth, Harry Arter will miss the game and loanee Christian Atsu is a doubt.
They might start new signings Max Gradel, Lee Tomlin and Sylvain Distin.
Whereas I don’t have a clue who will start for the Villa.
Of the new signings, you can bet Micah Richards, Jordan Amavi and Idrissa Gueye will get a game, but then it’s all up in the air.
I also don’t have many clues as to how we’ll approach this one, save to say that I think Bournemouth will come at us, which means I think we’ll respond in kind. It’s Sherwood’s instinctive way of playing, it seems and I have to hold my hands up and say I haven’t been at all convinced by our defence in the pre-season friendlies, even though my head tells me those games mean nothing.
Bournemouth will be going all out to get off on the right foot and you know they’re going to work their guts out.
We have to be equal to that and if we aren’t, I see this as a really big possible banana skin.
Previous form in opening games doesn’t give many clues for us either, as although we lost to Stoke at home last season, didn’t we beat Arsenal away 3-0, the season before?
In short, I see nothing other than more than four goals.
So seeing as it isn’t going to be two each, I have to choose, although it’s pure guesswork, based on nothing whatsoever.
Sadly, I’m going for a 3-2 loss, but I’ve been thinking all week it’ll actually be a 4-3 loss, because we’ll have been caught cold very early in the game.
Of course, I hope I’m wrong, but it’s just the way I see it.
Then again, to make you all feel better, we might give them a shoeing; I really don’t know.
My heart says it’ll be one each, which would do me, but I have my doubts.
As I said, I haven’t got a clue how this game will go.
I’ve added a poll, as I think the results will be interesting.
[polldaddy poll=9016205]
Clarke MON………nice one
Were Going to win the league and now you’re gonna believe us were gonna win the league again 🙂
Oohah it was Bournemouth away. Hardly wankfest material. 😉
Hey il have a fest whenever I feel like it lol. Still a good result I never thought we’d keep a clean sheet thought if we win it would be 3.2 4.3. Not many teams will go there and keep a clean sheet imo.
Clark and Amavi were immense. GESTEDE THE NEW HOLTE END HERO!!
We’re ahead of Cheksea pool, arse and city and level with Utd this is our year 🙂
Now that’s an excuse for a wank fest 🙂
Il Wank when I want I wank when I want I’m Oohaghpaulmcgrath and I’l wank when I want 🙂
get the results against teams like this & we’ll be fine. this will be our last ‘transition’ season. there’s nothing like an opening win. VTID
Think the big thing was bar a couple from Richards in the first half, school boy mistakes were at a minimum in defense, and while Bournemouth attacked a bit, we didn’t really look like conceding in the 2nd half.
That’s what we need to cut out these errors esp in last 10 mins. Any errors on Friday will be punished by Utd.
Not if United play like they did today, god they were awful. But agreed, definitely need to keep those errors to a minimum.
Utd are very solid now they will be more like Cheksea getting a goal and defending it out they won’t concede many. Can see them doing to us what we did to Bournemouty
Hardly solid, Spurs opened them up pretty easily until Walker scored an own goal. They probably will though.
Yes but Spurs never looked like scoring tbf and both teams looked rusty. Il be amazed if we beat them but just can’t see it. Could be another 100 years before we beat them again home or away
cant help feeling roony will tear richards a new aresole with some of his postioning play, think hes drawn out of position far to easily, westy was playing more forward than i like,think hes much better anchoring the midfield,
Yep going to be very hard think it will be a comfortable 2.0 to them but think we will play well. 20 years since we last beat them at home I know they are a good team but that’s a ridiculous stat
Possibly but I think Sherwood will have them more compacted then they were today, as there’s a big difference between Bournemouth and United. Can see Sanchez starting.
Very impressed with Amavi, Gueye and Veretout, all look they will be very good players for us. I lost count of how many intereceptions/tackles that those three made.
Richards was excellent second half, lets hope he plays like that on Friday.
The front three were very poor first half. We really a more creative player like Grealish or Gil in there and once Gestede is ready to start, we will be a lot stronger up there.
Some things dont change though…Gabby cant shoot/pass, Guzan cant kick and Sinclair likes to run down blind alleys!!
Gabby should play off the bench only he will never get any better now
gabby should stay on his settee
Fantastic result! Everyone had written us off! I had a feeling it may go against everyone’s high scoring predictions, but I was close with my 2-0!
What was Veretout like? Hoping I can stream MOTD later! 🙂
Great win, can’t see many getting a clean sheet down there like Oohah said. Amavi was dreadful in the first half, full of mistakes like Richards, but both settled and looked much better in the second half. Thought Vertout looked good, class passing and Gueye good also. I will get slated for this, but I’m going to defend Gabby, the delivery to him in the first half was by and large dreadful, when he can get on the ball his speed and direct running terrifies defenders and wins free kicks in dangerous positions. I’d like to see him played up front in a 2 with Gestede, but of course nobody plays 2 up these days as it’s not trendy. Ayew was awful, [did he touch the ball!] Stick with him though, once this team gels over several games I think we can only improve. UTV!
Might be worth having an extra defensive midfielder on Friday is be ecstatic with a draw v Utd
Thought amavi was great all game between him and Clark for motm for me, agree about ayew but I think with patience he will come good, vertout I think will need patience too, he was solid enough today but think he isn’t up to speed with the prem yet to be as creative as he can be, think with gil and/or grealish playing we will be far more creative. Optimism still pretty high for the season we can only get better I think
Birmingham Mail reckon amavi was poor in first half better in second and Ayew played well! Just shows how people see things differently
Wasn’t our best in the first but that’s largely because we allowed Bournemouth the ball and he had no cover. Taking on Ritchie who really impressed me, their Rb and often Wilson is a hell of an order for Amavi to deal with alone, he did get covered by Clark a bit but Clark had his own problems to deal with, with how bad Richards was.
Clarke was clearly our best player followed by Amavi Guzan frightens the shit out of me whenever the ball is played back to him Richards was a bit headless in the first half improved in the second have to say though lads our midfield was all over the place today they were all out of position the Cherries split us open a few times today with balls through the middle. A total lack of communication and understanding hopefully that will improve though. Utd could over run us next week through the middle of the park could take a while for the team to gel ONWARDS AND UPWARDS UTV
Utd are incredibly strong in midfield we need an extra midfielder to help us or they will swamp us
Exactly right Oohaah, the mouse on talksport said he thought he had an awful first half yet when speaking to 2 ex pros at half time they both said he was the best player on the pitch!
Not seen the game as I’m on holiday at the moment but from what I’ve heard about him previously I’m confident Amavi will be a big player for us once he settles. UTV
very harsh on Amavi . in the first half he was about our best player and got better and better as the game went on.
I really don’t think there was much between Gabby and Ayew today at all, but at least Ayew has the excuse of a lack of pre-season with a new team and adjusting to the premier league, what’s Gabby’s excuse?
All we ever hear is how he terrorises defences, pitty he can’t terrorise the keeper too, his finishing is so poor, not sure how he is still being picked, Gestede and Kozak should be automatic starters over him.
Looking forward to getting Grealish and Gil back, i really think we have the best squad we’ve had in years.
Thought Amavi was excellent today, Gueye and Veretout look class too, things are definitely on the up.
Anyone know why Westwood and Sinclair were playing
Sinclair is a decent player, granted he didn’t have his best game today but neither wingers did, Westwood wasn’t bad today either, i can’t decide who i prefer out of him and Sanchez, as i don’t think Sanchez is good for anything other than breaking up play, he can’t pass for toffee.
Both Westwood and Sanchez arnt good enough imo I would never make either first choice unless it’s a cup game of course
@Oohah. Maybe because Sherwood picked them would be my guess. 🙂
Why did he pick them though. I still can’t get over Gabby starting esp when he didn’t do much yet again
Ah here is, silly little prick.
How did your predictions of Benteke and Delph staying work out for you then?
not sure where amavi’s buffer was they were tripling up on him at times with nobody tracking back felt he coped quite well
In Cornwall at minute and ears to the radio. What did I say fitness won the game, skill will come Mark my words, tv, media all will be back singing our club name, I’m a Villa fan and love it.
exactly they targeted our left side and i thought amavi played well with hardly any help on that side because sinclair never tracked back all game. one of the reasons sinclair was taken off and richardson brought on.
Does anyone know why Kozak wasn’t in squad
A great day out in the sunshine and 3 points. “My Garden Shed” has rarely been sung in a more appropriate ground. It could be a long hard season for Bournemouth – though they started only one of their new signings and sorely missed Arter from the engine room.
Oh dear those goal-fest predictions! Right from the off Villa had only Gabby up – and 9 behind the ball, The first shot came after 20 minutes from the home side and Sinclair fired over 2 mins later. In what was the least physical game I’ve seen in the Premiership Clattenburg still managed to book 5 or 6 for minor infringements. Hope they don’t give him any derbies.
The good news for Villans is the defence looked very solid at last. Guzan only once punched when he should have caught the ball, and when Wilson got away one on one for the Cherries best chance, Guzan blocked with his legs.
Further forward it wasn’t so good, the midfield lacked creativity and as a consequence the attack lacked ammo. Supposedly we do have players to return from injury who will in improve this aspect of play.
The Mail must reporter must have bunked off and guessed it. Amavi was our most dangerous player; Ayew was anonymous in the first half. better in the second just defore being subbed. Gabby may have tweaked something because he hobbled off at the end.
Gestede? A proper header of the ball who can like Crouch make his height count. In sum a good prep for Manure next week, we might just catch them before they have sorted their team.
What was vertout and gueye like OOL
Neither stood out, but Gueye was busy in midfield, dominating Bournemouth and trying to get things going. You can imagine that neither Gabby nor Ayew made this task any easier with a well timed run into space, can’t you? There wasn’t anything Vertout did that was memorable.
Disappointing had high hopes for vertoute though very early days
I think Gabby may’ve tweaked his hamstring when he made that surging run, before passing the ball out to the right to Gestede. Hope he’s ok for Friday as I’d like him paired up top with Gestede and really get at that Manc defence.
On Amavi, I thought he was really poor for the first half hour but I wasn’t worried because of the adjustment from French to English football must be difficult, he showed in the second half his potential, he reminds me of a young Ashley Cole.
Vertout really impressed me, he must’ve impressed in training for Sherwood to play him from the start so soon after signing.
Gueye was good and I’m sure Ayew will improve. Hope that Sherwood doesn’t bin Kozak just so he can bring in Adebayor, the squad could use 1 or 2 experienced heads before the close of the window, but not him!
I was disappointed to see us play with Gabby up front on his own from the start. I see this as a problem. He is on a long contract and we couldn’t shift him if Sherwood wanted to. I guess this was a tricky fixture so Sherwood started cautiously, and the result maybe proves him right.
A good win and I hope the new players get the chance to bed in without us getting off to a poor start in the first half dozen games. i would love to see us take the game to Utd. I can’t decide if this game has come too early for us or it’s the right time!
Thrilled with 3 points today though.