I’m sure you already know, but I’ll say it anyway. It’s nothing like a prediction from me, but the simple facts are that if we beat Brighton and Liverpool beat Spurs, we will qualify for the champion’s league and finally hit the big time that we’ve longed for, for so many years.
Assuming Salah’s petulant discussion with Klopp was a one off and not a demonstrator of a manager that’s lost his dressing room, you would think the Reds would want to give a good showing as a send off for an excellent manager of the club. Whatever, I expect that particular game to be a really good one and fortunately it’s after our match meaning we can watch it with even more interest than usual.
First things first then and the squad news is that whereas I thought Martinez, Tielemens and Moreno would all be fine for this game, they were being assessed just before travelling. Mings, Buendia, Kamara and Ramsey remain out.
As for Brighton, they’re in pretty rough nick too, with Adam Lallana, James Milner, Jan Paul van Hecke, Tariq Lamptey, Pervis Estupinan, Jack Hinshelwood, Kaoru Mitoma, Solly March and Evan Ferguson all out.
The usual “who cares about them?” applies, but we do like to put it up there just for clarity.
There are some very interesting facts about the two teams and while I don’t normally go a bundle on past events, I want to mention them;
We have only lost one of our last seven Prem away games.
Albion’s most recent top-flight home victory against Villa was 1-0 in December 1980.
The Seagulls are winless in their last six matches in the Premier League and have won one of their previous nine, which was against Forest in March.
So things seem to bode well then.
Except there’s one big fly in the ointment.
Got a terrible record of late and need something to help get over it?
Easy. Play Aston Villa and they’ll soon sort that out for you.
Or at least that’s how it’s been for a very long time.
We’re a different and better team now, of course, but there’s always that nagging doubt that it will just go wrong, isn’t there?
Even though we’ve done superbly this season, it’s still not easy being a Villa fan. Well, for me, at least.
We could just be a few hours away from achieving what seemed to be totally unachievable when the scouse clown was in charge and how things have changed in such a short time.
To be honest, I’m not even sure if I’m ready to believe it if it does happen and I think I’ll need some time to fully get my head round it.
If I had to predict this game, I don’t think I could, because while I feel more confident than I did against Olympiacos, a win just feels like it would be too easy and straightforward and it never goes like that for us, does it? It was just typical that we lost to Arsenal on the day we won the league, for example. (Slight aside, but just think: we took 25,000 fans to that game. That’s nuts compared to today’s levels).
I’m extremely hopeful, let’s put it that way.
UTV!
Come on lads!!! Running on empty and fighting on still!!!!!
Moreno coming on!!!!
Utter shite
That’s a pen, I’m sad to say 🙁
Never a pen, Badger. Utter bollocks.
It’s a pen, simple.
If it was on the other foot, we’d want it.
Not convinced.
Awful refereeing this weekend!!!!
Corrupt and incompetent w###ers.
Never a penalty. Why bother playing. Obviously fixed.
Fuck this.
Olsen stops, but it’s an easy header for the rebound.
Olsen MOTM and praise where it’s due etc.
We hadn’t given away a penalty all season until three games ago and then we give away three in three.
We have been absolutely crap today – except for Olsen who’s been brilliant.
We could still blow both 4th and the Conference.
I’m really not confident about our remaining games.
Why three in three, Hitch? Funny, that…
Great save. B£#%rd follow up!!!
Game over. We’ve been shite. Only Olsen can take credit which is something I didn’t expect.
Should’ve gone with the reserves. More energy and we’ve lost energy for Thursday. I genuinely thought he’d play Duran and Zaniolo at least. Oh well.
If Spurs beat Liverpool, I would take the kids to Greece and rest as many first team players as possible. At the moment I can’t see us winning another game.
We said that before Arsenal, Holte. But I know what you mean.
I had a bad feeling about this game. Looking forward to the Liverpool game now. Olsen MOTM.
They stopped us playing and we’re knackered and nobody on the bench. I can’t believe how some on this site are throwing the towel in and slating Villa. Appalling really…It’s frustrating but support the bloody team!!!!
We’ll get 4th. Come on you Scousers!!! Is this Klopps last game at Anfield today????
Why do we play defensive? McGinn helping out the halfback line we don’t have a midfielder when he’s moved . we lose our created man , We don’t deserve to be 4th do we, we’re to lightweight in the middle and our defence hasn’t a clue under pressure Uni in my mind played the wrong player in Diarby we needed a strong forward like Duran , again throwing games away when we play from the back it’s time to go through the middle and wings .
It looked like Emery’s plan was to expend as little energy as possible. Konsa was awful at RB today and again looks like he can’t pass a forward ball, which must make Cash wonder what’s going to happen with him in the summer. Brighton grew in confidence thanks to our inability to create any chances.
There’s been too much talk of us qualifying for Champions League. Spurs have Sheffield United and Burnley which should be 6 points in the bag for them. If they surprise Liverpool today who can’t win the league anymore, then suddenly they are favourites!
We have been playing on fumes for a while now and now we have Rogers injured. I don’t think we are ready to compete in the Champions League. We would need 5-6 top players based on our current squad size.
It would take a miracle for Emery to turnaround the 2 goal deficit on Thursday. Most likely we will lose, pick up more injuries and have even more knackered players for Liverpool game next Sunday, who will have had a weeks rest.
I’ve got that typical Villa have blown it feeling again!
Spot on Holte, Konsa simply cannot play the ball forward, every pass goes backwards.
Great centre half, shite right back.
What is the point of having Iroegbunam if Emery not play him? Since Kamara was injured in February our defence has become porous. The only game I can recall our midfield being totally at the races was against Arsenal. Tilesman / McGinn modules started to work but the former is injured. A Luiz / McGinn does not work. The space for defenders to play into them free in the middle is rare. Too often McGinn / Luiz come near the penalty area to collect a ball and a mistake occurs.
Why is Iroegbunam not playing in defensive midfield role allowing Luiz and McGinn to play further up field? His selection means one of Bailer or Diaby play, we are too light weight when they both start a match.
As soon as Cash came on to take up a midfield role the result was inevitable. On three occasions he went to tackle where he had the advantage and lost out in the tackle. Too light weight.
Common Unai let’s not let this slip away.
Totally agree. If Tim wasn’t ready, Dendonker should not have gone.
We didn’t play well. But there’s no doubt whatsoever the ref was against us. Constant fouling unpunished. McGinn was on for his goal. They took forever to disallow Brighton goal, even though it was obvious. And for me, it was never a pen. At this stage, we can’t expect scintillating football. But the officials are biased at best, corrupt at worst.
Did we get the lines for McGinn disallowed goal BFR? I don’t remember seeing them.
Of course not. With the freeze frame, he was on.
I don’t get why Iroegbunam isn’t playing. If he can’t get minutes in a decimated team with players knackered, then he might as well be shipped on in the summer because he needs to be playing regularly.
He will be, I’m sure.
Utter shite don’t think i could forgive us if we blow champions league after years of fuckin misery
Wether we are ready for champions league or not it would be so lovely just to be involved for now
I’m starting to hate watching us play, it’s tedious.
Ball across the back four, back to the keeper, passing for the sake of passing, total shite.
I reckon Unai’s been bubbled, stop Luiz and MCGinn carrying the ball and it’s curtains for the game plan.
Shite, shite and utter shite.