Or is it?
This should be dead easy. Ipswich are second bottom in the league and have gained a solitary point from their last 18. Even that was six games ago, meaning they’ve lost the last five games on the trot. Easy and this should be a gift of three points for us.
Except we very rarely do easy, do we? We couldn’t even beat Ipswich last time we played them, after all.
We should give ourselves every chance in this game if we manage to not let them score early, as most other teams manage to do . How nice was it for us to get an early goal against Spurs? Do the same today and it’ll be game over, I would think.
Squad news and foremost is that Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings are both in contention. Mings, as much as I’m not his biggest fan, is at least a proper defender and is sorely needed with the injury position we’re in. More good news is that our new loan signing, Axel Disasi is available after being cup-tied against Spurs. He’s only played six games this season, but even so, I’d expect him to come straight into the team. Mind you, we all know Unai isn’t afraid to play square pegs in round holes, so you never know. He may decide that Disasi isn’t ready. Given that Ipswich don’t score many, it wouldn’t surprise me.
On the downside, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Matty Cash, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley are all still out, with no updates on how they’re progressing.
As for Ipswich, Sammie Szmodics will be assessed after he had a setback with an ankle injury last week. Conor Chaplin, Christian Walton, Wes Burns and Chiedozie Ogbene are all out but goalkeeper Alex Palmer, who made his debut last weekend after joining from West Brom, could play his first Premier League game.
For the stattos amongst us, here’s a couple; Ipwich have only beaten us once in our last 14 meetings and they’ve only beaten us twice at Villa park in the last 44 years. Everything seems to be in our favour, doesn’t it? Which, knowing us, makes it scary.
Prediction time then and I simply cannot see us losing this one. Indeed, I think we should get a few goals today. That said, there’s another stat we’re probably vaguely aware of. We’ve only kept one clean sheet in our last 14 games.
So any score is invariably going to end in a -1
And I’m going for 3-1. I could easily see it being a bigger victory if we manage to motivate ourselves, but I see the lads subconciously taking it easy and the tractor boys giving us a tough time.
UTV!
Comments
198 responses to “Villa – Ipswich; A shoe-in, yes?”
So it looks like it’s either Brugge or Dortmund. Brugge played a blinder against Atalanta but I fear that Dortmund might have their mojo back. So I hope we get Brugge and give them a tonking!
Either way, I think it could have been much worse, 1874.
If we can’t beat either of them, we don’t deserve to progress.
And I actually think we are capable of beating them.
Oops, that’s done it.
Brugge not to be underestimated.
Atalanta were highly regarded during the league stage but it also demonstrates the difference between knockout games and league games – just look at how close Celtic ran Bayern.
Whoever we face it won’t be straightforward.
I think we are capable of making Brugge straightforward if we do the right job at VP, if we fail that against any team, we are out.
There will be no tonking, regardless of who we play!
Big six team at home, wonder if we can go a game without making referee excuses, they bore me after a while, whether the decision is right or wrong.
Clean sheet? No chance. = nil pois.
I can’t see Villa parking the bus tonight, so I expect the usual high line, and Salah to sprint away from our defenders. Even if Konsa and Cash are fit I think Liverpool’s forwards have too much firepower – unless they are really weary. Duran bagged a late pair last year to earn us a point. He’s gone, but we have enough up front to keep us in the game if we finish clinically. That would be a real change, so I am going for a Reds win – but hoping to be surprised.
Pawson referee so definitely Liverpool to win.
Cash on the bench but Konsa not fit enough, neither is Bailey. Kamara joins the list of long term injuries.
Rashford and Asensio start – Ramsey and Malen ‘retire’ to the bench.
Martinez, Digne, Mings, Disasi, Garcia, Tielemans, McGinn, Asensio, Rashford, Rogers and Watkins.
Off to the pub quiz so won’t have to watch the demolition!
We concede to 10 man Ipswich so I think the Scousers will rattle a few goals tonight. We are capable of scoring but we miss more than most when it comes to clear chances.
I think 1-3 as we will miss Kamara especially.
I’ve gone 0-4 – not a chance.
My prediction Holte same as you 1-3
Salah two of the goals.
We are not good enough.
We save or best for the best. Nothing would suprise me but I want Villa to win, as I know they can. Thats a better team than I expected with our injuries.
WHAT THE F ARE THEY DOING???!
God, this woman commentator is doing my swede in.
Mine too. And there goes the clean sheet.
F*** Off MACALLISTER! CHEATING PRICK! WAKE UP REF, YOU MORON!!! 🤬🤬🤬
And that’s what you get when you give the ball away eery couple of minutes.
Pathetic.
0-1
Good Heavens!
Utter utter shite. Can’t defend to save our lives, or season.
GO FORWARD FFS!!!!
Only Saints have more errors leading to goals than us. Extremely damning. Thursday 90% players, 10% manager imo.
What a joke giving the ball away, Salah first goal Garcia you dope .
Come back Cashy. All’s forgiven.
*That’s 90%
Stupid f****** phone
I can’t understand why you’d pass it backwards there. I just don’t get it. 😫😫😫
I tell my 7 year olds to never ever play backwards of sideways passes in the final third. For that reason. I just do not get it.
FUCKING COME OOOOOOOOOOONN!!!!!
Tielemens, get in!
1-1
Can we make a real game of it?
Where’s the defence???!!!
We haven’t got one.
It real is a poor state.
Rogers and Watkins not in the game.
Liverpool are just so hard to play against.
They press you to death and you can see why they are where they are.
Commentator: “Craig Pawson is being rather generous tonight.”
Add your own expletive insult…
🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
Watkins!
Have that, lovely play, 2-1
Wooooooooooo! What a run from Ollie!!! Love the movement!
That was like watching us defend, haha.