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]