It’s been a very strange season up to now and trying to predict results has proved immensely difficult to say the least.
Victories and losses which should have been fairly straightforward on paper, have often proven to be wrong.
That said, I’m looking at this game with as much conviction as any this season.
And quite simply, I think we’re going to get beaten. Soundly.
Squad news first.
Lets look at the injuries.
Matt Cash is back on grass running. That’s great, as he’s being missed.
Hause is due back on grass in the next week or so.
Wesley might get back to contact training in the next week or two. Does that mean he’s already on the grass?
I’d imagine so. But he hasn’t played in 14 months. I’ll stand by my prediction that he’ll be lucky to get much of a sniff this season.
And the big news is Grealish, who definitely will not be available for this game.
Dean Smith is being a little more coy this week, but he’s also gone on the defensive.
Let’s have a look at what he said in the press conference;
“He’s getting better. He won’t be ready for tomorrow but he’s getting better.
“As I said last week, there’s been an awful lot of speculation where Jack is involved. People speculated how long he’s going to be out for – I’m not sure how they can do that when I don’t know, the doctor doesn’t know and Jack doesn’t know.
“I was very vague last week because it’s a bit of a strange injury. Jack could be back to play against Sheffield United next Wednesday or Wolves next week. We’ll be led by Jack on that.”
Now, this annoys me.
It seems to me there has been a lot of talk amongst the fans that this is not going to be a brief injury and it’s going to last for several games.
Of course, it’s speculation on the fans’ part, but it seems to me that the speculation has been more accurate than Smith up to now.
Note that comment that the doctor doesn’t know.
If the doctor doesn’t know, how on earth could Smith say that Grealish would be back for this game?
My going on about this may seem petty, but I find it massively irritating.
Dean Smith should quite simply have told the truth and said he doesn’t know what the issue is, hence he can’t say.
My money says it is indeed shin splints and Jack could easily be back next week or out for the next six games.
Why not just say that? It avoids the disappointment that many of us are probably feeling about his not being available.
And for what it’s worth, I’d rather see Jack out for a few games if it means he comes back in tip top condition, as opposed to being rushed back and not being up to his best.
I’m sure most would agree with that too, so stop treating us as fools Dean!
As for Leeds, midfielder Mateusz Klich is an injury doubt while Rodrigo and Kalvin Phillips are out. It’s just precautionary with Phillips because of a calf issue. Whatever, it’s good news for us.
Robin Koch is not expected back to training until next week.
Back to the game.
I’m very confident that we’re not going to win this one, but it’s not as though Leeds are some sort of wonder team.
In fact they’re far from it and their form is just like my wallet lately (there’s nowt in it).
A look at the league table is quite a surprise.
Both teams have won six games away and won five at home.
We’ve drawn three games and Leeds have drawn two. Guess which result I definitely won’t be going for?
Even our current form over the last five games is pretty similar, which actually does give me some hope, considering how poor I think we’ve been for a fair few games now.
We also have to consider that Leeds are a point behind us, having played two games more.
That’ll probably change tomorrow, but Leeds are by no means as good as the media have painted them to be.
If we’d listened to them. Leeds would have romped this league.
I have nothing against Leeds but the fact that they’re as average as us pleases me immensely.
Yes, they play nice footy, but the way they’ve been hyped makes me puke, just as much as it does with the “big six”.
Anyway, why do I think we’ll lose?
It’s easy. Leeds worked us to death at home and we just couldn’t live with it.
That performance against us was the best I’ve seen this season.
And when you consider how horrendously poor our midfield has been over the last few games, well, it doesn’t bode well.
Then consider we won’t have Jack to hold the ball, or slow things down, or give us his vision and I can only see things going one way.
I’m saying it with fingers crossed, but I fully expect another 3-0 defeat.
Let’s hope I’m as wrong as I have been for most of this season, eh?
UTV!
Looking forward to MOTD for sure!
Everyone’s favorite Leeds smacked in the ass by Villa shove that up yo ass Lawrenson haa
Great great show by us absolutely made up wooo hoooo
Another 1-0 away win. IF we can make Villa Park the proverbial ‘fortress’ next season, and maintain this away form, a tilt at the title is on the cards. I shit you not. Teams that win things have to win ugly a few times a season. We have that now. We didn’t last season. So that’s progress. Along with lots of other progress. Top 4 and a Champions League place is ON,if they fancy it, as I said a couple of weeks back. The goals have dried up since COVID so we will need a lot more clean sheets between now and the end of the season if we’re to secure a European spot.
I am somewhat shocked and very disappointed that people are having a pop at Dean Smith. Staggering. We’re on target for top 10, which would be a massive improvement on last season in our second season back; we’re in with a great shout for top 6, which is the best the likes of Gregory and O’Neill could do when we were ‘a force’ in this league. AND top four is possible. I’m not saying we’ll get it, but it’s very possible as things stand. Smith has done an absolutely magnificent job since joining us. I noticed a comment about being sacked for not dropping players – that’s a foolish comment if ever I saw one. It’s a good job we’re not allowed into VP or we’d probably be doing a great job of sabotaging our season with negative bitching when games become tight and we have to dig-in. All the best teams need to do this to win things! Get real, and be very careful what you wish for. I hope Smith is with us for the next decade at least, because if he is, the club’s trajectory since his arrival would suggest that we’ll be Champions before the end of the decade, assuming a mutant virus doesn’t wipe-out mankind, of course.
Onwards and upwards! And give your head a shake some people FFS!
UTV
Good point it took Saunders a few years to get the team playing as he wanted.
I think Smith doing a good job but maybe needs a plan b at times plus I hope he keeps nakamba in the team he does a lot of good work while not being flash bit like midfield enforcer Des Bremner with Saunders. Good to see we bit like the old 1nil to the arsenal more this season.
That’s an interesting comment BFR.
Was it my comment about fans wanting Smith sacked that you refer too?
If so, it was more a reference about the fact that fans can get managers sacked when sentiment turns.
I was willing to give Bruce more time, fwiw.
As for Smith, it’s hard not to love him. He’s Villa, after all.
But it does seem he has his weaknesses and intransigence seems to be one of them at the moment.
Of course, if he maintains that sort of view and goes on to win the league, he’ll be seen as a genius.
It’s a fine line, I guess.
What was that saying in that stupid game show?
“It’s good, but not good enough”.
I think Smith has plenty of kudos, so he’s safe for a good while.
We’re football fans. We’re never happy…
By the way, I had the strangest dream last night we stuffed Leeds on their own crappy Sunday League turf and walked away with 3 points!!!… Weird.
Good article BFR.
Under Smith:
* Record winning run
* Promotion at first time
* Runners up League Cup
* Stayed in premier in first asking
* Youngest premier squad / 1st team
* Regularly winning away from home
And yet some still question. Like you I hope he is around for many more years to come.
Not even mentioned:
* Improved scouting
* Targeting and acquisition of best young talent
* Exciting young talent pushing at the first team door
* Revamped and effective recruitment policy
* Enhanced back room staff
* Waiting list for season tickets (appreciate pre-Covid)
And the added bonus is our very rich owners have a track record of success in sport. He’s their man and with 2 years under his belt, he will go on to bigger and better things with Villa.
Congratulations to Dean and the team for exceeding all expectations. The criticism was not misplaced though, Dean stuck with an under-performing midfield against Leicester and the change to a higher energy, if less creative, midfield was one match late. So there is a plan B!
Other than that, Dean has done well. Villa’s problems stem from the inconsistent performers: Barkley, El Ghazi, Trezeguet, McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Traoré all seem to have going days and non-going days. It seems difficult to predict until they kick off what sort of performance they will give. I don’t recall a player having an anonymous first half barnstorming the second half so perhaps changes should be made sooner.