First, some good news. My fibre install looks like it might be happening on Tuesday. It’s amazing how the threat of the Ombudsman can give a company like Openreach a kick up the proverbial. An engineer turned up on spec and did the exterior work midweek. I’m not generally the sort to complain, but 3 months and delay after delay, to do an hour’s work?
Other good news was that brilliant win at Brighton. The strange part is that I’d previously predicted us to lose that, but just before the game I changed my mind and actually thought we’d win it. I think it was reading the pre-match mail from the club, where it pointed out that we’d won our previous six games that did it. You may well be thinking that it’s easy to say that after the game has happened, but I couldn’t exactly say it beforehand as it was another period where my signal was just non-existent. I’m sure it varies depending on the wind.
Anyway, a few of us got together and we predicted the rest of this season’s games. Following my usual way of thinking, in expecting the worst with anything else a bonus, I think I’ve predicted us to lose the lot, apart from one draw.
But I’ve now changed my mind for this game and whereas I thought this would be way too tough for us, the fact that we’ve won our last seven has demonstrated to me that we really are quite a good side, albeit I think some of our football is boring as sin. I read an article the other day, that talked about Real Madrid being the masters of winning ugly in Champion’s league games and it reminded me of us. You don’t have to play swashbuckling, pretty football to be a good side is my point and I might be doing myself a favour if I try and keep that in mind. I do try and do that already, but knocking it round at the back and trying to “draw them in” is something that tries my patience.
Not that I’m expecting a boring game today. Forest are particularly good in counter-attacking and do it with real pace. But we’re pretty good at that too and it should make for a pretty open game with some end to end type stuff, you would think.
Squad news and Leon Bailey is close to returning after his paper cut heavy knock. Hmm.
And Ross Barkley is back in full training with the squad. I wouldn’t think he’ll take part, apart from giving someone a bit of a rest, but given that it seems Unai really rates him, I think Bailey might get more minutes if he is indeed fit. Certainly his pace could come in handy. It’s also just come to my attention that Ollie is nursing a knee problem which explains his absences of late.
As for Forest, Ola Aina has a calf issue, Chris Wood will have a last minute assessment and Callum Hudson-Odoi is available. It seems they’re in pretty good nick otherwise, but their website isn’t very forthcoming.
I like Forest as a neutral and am honestly pleased that it looks like they’re certs for the champion’s league. I always like to see new faces in Euro competitions, as I’m sure most footy fans do. Indeed my car’s previous owner was a “Nottingham Forest in the community” worker.
Not that I want them to win today and unfortunately, it looks like they might be one of the clubs keeping us from qualification this season.
For those who like to use previous meetings as a guide, we’re unbeaten in our last eight home league games against them. We’ve also scored at least twice in each of the past seven, a stat which surprises me.
So we’re on a roll, but Forest are too, because they’re unbeaten in their last six. Couple this with our previous recent history and the way both teams play, I’d expect a few goals. What concerns me is that Forest have a very good defence that may prove tough to break down, whereas we can leave ourselves very open at the back when we attack.
I’m tempted to predict a victory here and it would be great if we could do it, as it would massively boost our chances of fifth place.
But I’m going to remain cautious and say it’ll be a draw.
2-2 it is then.
UTV!
I’m quite looking forward to this.
Clean sheet.
That’d be good!
I don’t see it though.
Such a bench!!! It will be great to see if those given a chance today try to impress Uni.
E. Martínez (c), Captain
I. Maatsen
T. Mings
A. Disasi
Andrés García
Y. Tielemans
A. Onana
M. Rogers
Marco Asensio
D. Malen
O. Watkins
Substitutes
M. Cash
L. Digne
Pau Torres
B. Kamara
E. Konsa
J. McGinn
R. Olsen
J. Ramsey
M. Rashford
Definitely a clean sheet team. 2-0 to Villa, but we may leave it late.
Wow, is that 8 changes from midweek? I’m not a fan of changing a winning team but because of who we meet on Wednesday, it’s quite understandable. Weirdly though, the two players who I think most need a rest, Tielemans and Rogers, start again. This suggests Emery thinks these are irreplaceable.
Forest are a counter attacking team so I expect us to have a lot of possession with Elanga especially being the main threat. If we score first, I think we could win by 2 or 3. If Forest score first then we are in for a tough evening.
Saving it up for Paris. Nuno will have torn up his pre match team talk and replaced it with be ready to pounce on errors in the Villa back 4.
Not that we need an incentive but Brighton lost and Bournemouth draw won’t hurt.
This many changes is a mistake, I reckon.
I get wanting to save it for PSG, but Forest are too good a side to do this against.
I really hope I’m wrong, but I can’t see us getting anything here.
On the plus side, that has to be the strongest bench ever, by far.
It’s not a bad starting line up either.
It’s just that they don’t have that having played together thing.
Bloody hell u miserable lot!!! (It’s a defence mechanism isn’t it). We’ve had 4 good chances so far. That team today looks very fresh! And peek at that bench!!!
Not predicting owt as I always get it wrong…
Couldn’t comment!
Chesty and now Malen, great stuff!
2-0!
And we go to positive goal difference for the first time
Shocking innit!!!
Long way to go yet, but 2-0 up in 16 minutes ain’t a bad start!!! 😁😁😁😁.
We need another couple of goals to make sure!!!!
Great start and need to keep it up. A little degree of complacency creeping in. Need to keep 100% concentration and see out the match. Then in to 7 more consecutive wins in the league- we’ve got the team just believe.
Why the empty seats???? I could have taken my boys to this bloody match!!!!! 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
A quick goal early 2nd half, job done? We need to spend 45 minutes boring this second half out. 3 points. Sod the entertainment value.
I would like to see a third goal – Forest are getting back into the game and Elanga is a real threat – 2-1 is a different game.
We need to show a little more concentration and intent going forward.
All Forest – Villa being slipshod with their passing.
Games not won yet – Villa need to wake up and quickly
We’ve completely lost it – I can see us losing this.
Much too complacent
I called it before the break we were complacent . Only one winner if we do not step it up and not us.
Ah. A Forest goal. Time to change it up a smidge…We need a goal to piss on their fire.
JJ and Kamara on. Cool.
Forest are up to all sorts of skulduggery.
Just hope it’s not too late. We had lost all momentum
Forest can be a dirty bunch of twats when it suits them.
Poundland Grealish is one dirty little b****”d!
Number of times we’ve given the ball away in the middle of the park!
Well, we won which is all one can say.
We had the big chances in the second half to put it to bed but couldn’t take them.
We’ll need to be a lot better against PSG.
Anyway great three points
UTMV