It’s been a busy couple of weeks, with me going from Birmingham to liverpool, to Cardiff and now to Ireland. Fortunately, it’s helped to keep my mind off football in general and the internationals in particular.
Still, I did watch both the England games and fair play, we look extremely confident and play good football. But I strongly think that any decent team will bring us quickly down to earth.
Whatever, I don’t really care much unless we get to the quarters of an event.
Onto the important stuff and it’s Blackburn at home, which surely has to be a win, doesn’t it?
The big news for us is that Tammy Abraham is fit; as are Axel Tuanzebe and Henri Lansbury, although I don’t see those two starting.
The break has also been beneficial to Rover’s squad and they have Amari’i Bell, Charlie Mulgrew, Darragh Lenihan and Jack Rodwell all available.
So we’re going for our fifth win in five and I really can’t see us not getting it.
Blackburn are in the bottom four of the Championship form table for the last 10 games, home and away. In other words, they really aren’t very good.
Of course, our biggest worry has to be complacency and Dean Smith has done the right thing in talking Blackburn up, although we all know it’s not really convincing.
I don’t believe Smith will change anything up.
The lads that have done so well for us recently, surely have to play until they show they need to be swapped out.
Prediction time then and I’d guess it’s just a matter of us getting the first goal. Once we do that, it could be a decent score, if it’s early.
I really don’t think I’d be massively worried if Blackburn score first.
We have the weapons and ammo to see them off, it’s as simple as that.
I’m going for a 3-1 win.
Oh, here’s an interesting stat, that I’ve nicked from Sky;
“In 26 Championship matches under Dean Smith, Aston Villa have won 69% of their matches when Jack Grealish has featured (W9 D2 L2) compared with just 15% when he hasn’t (W2 D7 L4).”
As for FFP, the scum have my sympathies.
I’m a firm believer that the league table should be decided by results on the pitch and nothing else. The running of the club and what happens on the pitch are two different things, generally, to my mind.
Yes, our owners could go and spend £300 million on players to get us out of this league, but that’s not what’s happened, has it?
I guess you could say we’ve spent (wasted?) big money, but ultimately we’re not in danger of going bust, which is surely what FFP is all about.
Or at least should be.
Christian Purslow has said we’re not at risk and given that he was on the committee that made the rules, you have to take his words at face value.
But it’ll be interesting to see how we actually get round it.
Bill, sounds like we should have had the game won in the first half. When they got one back, always likely to create a nervous last 20 minutes.
Notwithstanding, great result and birthday present for Miffed 🙂
Only downside is Bristol City’s result but they do have to play Middlesbrough on Tuesday – think a draw would be best for us?
Hitch we are 5th now let’s celebrate the win.
No problems with that Bill and I didn’t mean my post to sound like I was being critical – just seeking your views having watched the game.
we continue the march to the playoffs. we should have made this game far easier than it ended up. blackburn look like they are shit from the table lol and current form. but they are not half bad. once they scored they didnt half finish the game bad.
this game could have ended up 3 or 4 nil but also this game could have ended 2 a piece like those earlier this season, such is the fine margin. shocker bristrol city winning at sheff utd killed my coupon and also puts the pressure on us
It’s definitely “squeeky bum time” now. No margin for error, with Bristol, Boro, and Derby able to overtake with games in hand. Looks like Bristol and Derby are back in form so it’s going to be ‘a photo finish.’ Must beat Bristol at home to put them away and next week is a monster of a match. Can’t afford to lose it. Playing Leeds and Norwich on the home straight is not really the run in we’re after. Having said that, if Norwich are already over the line by then, it could work out…well done on the win though!
I hope Weimann doesn’t come back to VP to piss on our fire. Saying that, would like to think Mings will have him in his pocket…
The BBC would do well to get the rights for Championship games back; it’s a brilliant league and far more entertaining than the PL!
totally agree. teams always have a good go in most games i seen. blackburn had nothing really to play for today. they were outplayed first half, but second half they gave it everything.
that said i still want us to get out of this league
We’re still the outsiders in the run in but all you can do is put points on the board and to do that we need to keep winning.
Nothing to lose so have to go for it.
I agree with BFR and with Nath – hell of a exciting league but we need to (should) be in the Prem.
Like a lot of others on this blog I’d written off our season not too long ago. To have any interest at all in promotion with seven games to go is amazing.
The games against Bristol and Leeds will be seismic. Playing against Norwich last game might be to our benefit as I’m hoping that the Canaries will have their heads on their holidays after winning the league.
There will be further twists and turns I’m sure but it’s just great to be in with a chance.
Middlesbrough lose to Norwich – that helps. Never say never but Middlesbrough seem to be on the slide at the moment and their fans are concerned.
I watched the match and wasn’t impressed by either side. Norwich had a bit more of a cutting edge up front and that won them the game. Boro attacked a lot but hardly tested Krul in goal.
I’d be surprised if they make the top six.