I was laughing as I wrote that title.
So the last time we were at the bungalow in Spain, the TV blew up on the very last day of our trip, giving me no time to sort it out. So a couple of weeks back I booked to come over this weekend to do a few jobs and replace the telly, as it just isn’t worth trying to repair it. But I forgot that it’s a Bank holiday and arranged to come back tomorrow night. How annoying was that, knowing that I could have had an extra day over here at no cost? Not that I’m used to having such luxuries as Bank holidays anyway, but it just goes to show, there’s always something irritating going on, isn’t there?
Anyway, the telly hasn’t arrived yet and Amazon tracking over here is junk. The closest I can get is between 8am and 8pm. So either I’m not going to get it in time for the game or sod’s law, it’ll come in the middle of it. In short, I’m going to have to watch it on my tablet.
The game then and squad news is that Marcus Rashford is probably out for the rest of the season. That seems just a bit too convenient to me, but I can’t say I’m overly bothered anyway. He won’t be here next season and I view it as a short marriage of convenience, where we’ve both helped each other out. Him, in reigniting his game and putting himself in the shop window and us being grateful for another (very useful) body. Disasi is available again and everybody else is available.
As for Fulham, Rodrigo Muniz is probably out for the rest of the season, Reiss Nelson is also out but Antonee Robinson is back.
We have a good record against Fulham at home, with only one lost in the last five or six games. Fortunately that one resulted in Steve Gerrard getting the bullet, which shows that every cloud has a silver lining.
Ah shoot, I’ve just realised the time ! We’re going to kick off shortly, so I’ll make it very brief.
I’m going for a 2-1 win.
UTV!
Comments
144 responses to “Villa – Fulham. A straightforward 3 points? Should be (ahem).”
When I moved out of Brum I had the good fortune to find out I was moving out to a place and get to know a McParland in saying to him was he any relation too Peter then told it was his uncle. I also had the privilege to watch him over the time he played for Aston Villa and a fine player he was . RIP Peter and thanks for having seen you play for Villa .
Looks like Spurs are going to get their way and move our fixture from Sunday 18th to Friday 16th to give them extra preparation time for the final which they haven’t even got to yet. Apparently they wanted it to be Thursday but Friday is a compromise!!!
We should all be pissed off if this precedent is set, seeing as we got no help in our Champions League campaign. Also all our fans who have already bought tickets and suddenly find out they can’t go maybe because it clashes with their own commitments.
F****** disgusting if true. 😡
They wouldn’t have done it if it was the other way round. I hope they’re absolutely inundated with requests next season. Morons.
It’s official BFR! Tickets already bought are still valid. How kind of them. What about the fans who might be on holiday on the Friday and were due back in time to watch on Sunday but can’t now. Like you said, disgusting!
It’s being reported on BBC – also Manures game being bought forward for the same reason – both irrespective of whether or not they reach the Final.
It’s outrageous and demonstrates once again the EPL’s favouritism towards certain teams and a complete disregard for Villa and (in his case) Chelsea’s fans and, the fact, that both teams are challenging for CL places.
It sets a precedent for other teams in Europe to seek date changes so as to benefit them – how long before the European Super League becomes reality with European competition being restricted to the ‘privileged’ few.
Seriously fuming.
Corrupt as fuck they done us no favours in our European commitments over the last 2 seasons fucking horrible corrupt fa fuckin getting more and more sick of football as the years go on
Just like the government corrupt as fuck absolutely fuming
Sorry about the bad language all
No apologies needed – it would drive even the mildest fan to a sweary outburst! 🙂
Don’t apologise, Little.
It is the correct thing to do because other countries are already doing it. If Villa had to have asked for relief during our run of close played games then every team that played before us would be saying what your all saying now. Its not just relief for Euro games its also relief for Premier games. We were out on our legs and dropped the points that would make the difference now. If we beat Spurs because they put out a C team will we complain that its not in the spirit of the sport. I wont.
Spuds could have put out the U18’s on Sunday anyway so it’s more disadvantaged Villa who are challenging for CL place whereas Spuds are challenging nothing in the league! All the fans planning a family day at Villa Park on a Sunday for the last home game of the season, now have to go to a Friday night evening kick off which will affect attendance and atmosphere. It’s noticeable the the OS have put out a very terse statement which suggests they are very unhappy.
Take your point about other countries but if the EPL are going to follow suite then it should be consistent throughout the European competitions – but it won’t happen!
TV will take precedence and next season Sky are televising c. 250 matches; this season it was c. 150. Add TNT and Prime and the amount of fixture re-organisation is going to be just ridiculous.
Expect even more dumbing down of the Cup competitions – maybe even allowing clubs not to enter as was the case originally with the ‘League Cup’
Hitch, I see your point re the quality of the side that Spurs put out. I wonder if the decision will be totally in the hands of the EPL and not Uefa for our teams. Re the TV that many games suggests PL games 7 nights a week. It has to start sometime and its typical that we will be the losers regarding families and celebrations. Hopefully the biggest celebration will be our place in the Champions League.
Without having actual knowledge Gerry, I don’t believe UEFA can edict domestic fixture changes in respect of teams playing in Europe. The EPL know the European weekly fixture dates and the domestic season is arranged around those dates – eg CL games are Tuesday / Wednesday so domestic teams play Friday or Saturday – similarly Europa and Conference games are on a Thursday so teams involved generally play on Sunday.
As I understand it Spuds made a request for the game to moved back to Thursday; EPL moved it to Friday – despite Villa’s objection – which I suggest is to suit Sky (which will be the excuse cited to avoid any precedent claimed) and has nothing to do with a compromise as reported by BBC.
It just stinks!
It’s created a massive problem which shouldn’t have happened.
Scenario one is Spurs play a strong team now that they have more time before final and beat us. We are fuming because we had two less days following Bournemouth to prepare.
Scenario two is Spurs play a weakened team and we all question the integrity of why game was moved anyway.
It will be interesting next season when we get the first request to move a game because of fixture congestion and it’s refused. Probably because Sky or TNT have it as one of their games.
Scenario 3
The Spuds don’t make the final?
Bodo/Glimt have a really good record on their own (plastic) patch, a two goal deficit is far from insurmountable.
A case of counting chickens?
If scenario 3 plays out, the match will still be on the Friday night. It would be hilarious if they and ManUre were to lose and get beaten Friday too.
Let’s hope so! Would love it if Bodo beat them, love it!
Stinks to high heaven all them poor families missing out spurs can’t field a weakened team cos they are weak as piss anyway so hope we stuff them and finish champions league
Exactly. Take the anger out on them and pummel them like we did Newcastle.
As I suspected Villa are ‘not happy’ – fuming, I would say reading the article on BBC – about a fixture change which is unprecedented and injurious to Villa’s CL chances as well as disrespecting our fans. Villa are quoted as saying ‘no disrespect to Spuds’ which means the exact opposite!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c86j861w6g7o
We have to channel our anger into smashing Spuds into the ground.
I’m absolutely furious; completely unacceptable.
Hitch, I would like to see a more venomous response from Villa. Prejudiced doesn’t convey how disrespectful this decision is. It’s the fact it’s our last home game and the fact it’s being moved from a weekend afternoon to a weekday evening! The fact that fans looking forward to going who suddenly can’t having already paid for tickets. Why should Villa be offering refunds because of Spurs when they could play kids if they want to rest their main players. Their league position is irrelevant now!
I’m furious even though it doesn’t directly affect me.
Holte, reading between the lines of what they’ve said to the BBC, I would say Villa have given the EPL all barrels at close range.
It’s up to the fans now to vent their anger and the team to steamroller Spuds on the pitch.
On a different note, what a cracking game again between Inter and Barcelona!
I will be surprised Trump doesn’t sue TNT commentators. Both commentators in total aggrement that when they saw PSG beat Man City, Liverpool and now Arsenal they absolutely knew that PSG were going to win the the Champions League. Not one mention of the way we destroyed them at Villa Park. At least the female commentator whose name…whatever.. said that Villa gave them a real shock.
Yes Gerry. In the Times today Arteta is claiming Arsenal are the best team in the Champions League! Which is why on 6 Premiership grounds he will be greeted by the home fans chorus of “Champions of Europe. You’ll never sing that!” Delusional. His team won neither leg against PSG and lost by 2 goals on aggregate. Arsenal performed worse than Villa by that metric – and PSG beat them both. Arsenal were outclassed, Villa were given a lesson in finishing.
I’m finding all the bleating and excuses for Arsenal getting knocked out quite nauseating. They were second best in both games and as for them being the best team, according to Arteta, I can only believe that he is having some sort of mental breakdown.
I believe that PSG still had another gear in them. Inter will give them a stiff test but I think that they can go on to win it and that after only scraping a win against Villa.
Is Arteta as deluded as Trump?
Answers on a postage stamp 🙂
According to click bait we ain’t going to have a team next season.
Ollies off to solve the Goooners impotency in front of goals.
Martinez is off to Saudi for all the Riyal’s he can eat.
Ramsey’s off to the Spuds, for a bit of midtable mediocrity and Rogers is off to Chelsea to make up the numbers.
What are we to do??
Charge them all a f****ng fortune; rip the b****cks of every one of them and rebuild the team …..
OR tell them alm to FO.
🙂
Don’t panic! A raid on the bins elsewhere will net Vardy, De Bruyne, Stones, Dibling Raya and any SpudUlike. Monchi will pull enough rabbits that you have never heard of out of his hat to make up the numbers.
Just laugh. Villa go to great lengths to ensure Clownley does not get a sniff until the ink on the contract is dry.
Dibling worth a look. Natural talent. With Unai’s coaching, would bring huge profit in 4-5 years. Which means he would be productive in that time.
Clickbait from previous transfer windows have been laughable and totally inaccurate. We will sell one player to meet PSR according to reports. Ramsey and Rogers for big profits but if we could get £40-50m for Ollie, I would drive him there. He’s been a great servant of course and I hope he beats Gabby’s record, but he’s definitely on the slippery slope in terms of productivity.
Ramsey and Rogers are still young and their values should at least remain the same. Others like Kamara and Martinez who would also fetch big profits are too valuable and we need to do the Liverpool thing of replacing one or two. There’s no doubt in my mind that our loan signings will all be sent back.
Have we really got PSR problems this season? I very much doubt it with the sale of Duran and revenue from the CL.
Also we have a number of loanees coming back which will net is a few quid!
More of an issue in Europe is our squad ratio costs. Those in the know say we have elected to take a (small) fine for this seasons breach but it’s something we do have to address that’s why talk of DeBruyne coming are junk and why Emery has been evasive about Rashford.
So, if we do decide to unload a top earner that’s more likely the reason.
Totally forgot Leon Bailey. Offload him and then sign Eze post June. Probably close to £100m for sale of Bailey and Watkins if rumours of Saudi and Arsenal are true. Is it worth a punt on Delap?
Spurs through. Shit.
As long as they beat ManU I’ll be happy! Spurs have an issue that although they are well below PSR, they have nothing in the pot and owe lots for other players. Poor Spuds fans! 🙂
Yeh but if they win, they get Champions League after a piss poor season. That would be galling. Saying that, it works either way so can’t win.
Can both teams lose? I just see Spuds in the CL as the lesser of two evils. Utd fans are insufferable at the best of time…
Tielemans is injured and out of Saturday’s game – that’s a massive blow for us at a critical moment and a boost for Bournemouth.
Can we get anything from this match?
We don’t have a great record against Bournemouth, particularly at their place.
Madly, it might all come down to tomorrow’s result!
Onana, time to earn your cash. McGinn playing the through balls that Youri does. No issues. Asensio NOT in the starting 11 please. I would also put Ramsey in for Morgan; he doesn’t do much away from home. Challenge Ramsey to produce a match winning performance, which he hasn’t done for 2 years…
Emi
Digne
MINGS.
Konsa
Cash
Onana
Kamara
McGinn (in the hole)
Malen (right)
Ramsey (left)
Watkins – time to break that stupid record.
That team can win the game without Tielemans.
Not bad BFR but if Unai is persisting with his favourite I see Pau taking the Tielemans role and Mings coming in. Its a dilemma huh? If Shakespeare was alive today he’d be a Villa fan, bringing us the thoughts of the Prince of Wales, not Denmark. He would not need to change much.
Torres or not Torres?
That is the question.
Whether ’tis nobler to insert Mings
to buffer the slings and arrows
of courageous Bournemouth.
Or, the killer pass against these Seaside troublers
and by exposing – end them.
Very impressive OLL
We need a literary expert in our pub quiz team 🙂
Thanks Hitchens60, but I doubt your pub would allow quiz contestants to take part via Zoom. Rather defeats the object.
I am doubtful about a win today without Tielemans – I think we need to score 3 which means taking most chances. The end of season party may start today at around 7pm.
I like the line up BFR, but we know Torres will play instead of Mings and I wouldn’t be surprised if he persists with Rogers and Asensio instead of Ramsey and Malen. I think it’s very likely for Onana to start assuming Tielemans doesn’t make a miracle recovery.