Villa – Liverpool: Can we win?

As we all know, there are no easy games in the Premier league and this is about as tough as they come, even though we’re at home.
So that’s it then; we’ve lost before we kick off and I might as well stop there.

But at the same time, as I’ve said a few times lately, you just never know in football.
And is it me, or have my recent “you never know” comments coincided with a serious upturn in our form of late?
Ok, I got the wins against Palace and Norwich totally wrong, but I’m sure I added the “you never know” part.
Not that I’m claiming any type of credit for it, but I’ll clutch at any available straws.

Straight onto squad news then and from what I’ve seen, Pool are in pretty good shape, with perhaps the main news being that Sturridge is available. You’d have to think that he will at least get some minutes, although having read around the odd Liverpool fan site, he’s now becoming something of a joke player because he can’t string two consecutive games together.
Couple him with Benteke, who just hasn’t worked for Pool up to now, though and it’s a scary thought. Would anyone bet money against Benteke scoring against us? I wouldn’t.

As for us, we’re better off than last week, in that Hutton’s available.
Don’t laugh too much at that.
Regardless of how poor/ineffective we might think he is, he will be well up there when it comes to the actual effort part of the equation at the end of the season. That’s personal opinion though and I digress, sorry.
The only other news I know is that Sanchez is close, but it’s probably too soon.
Not that I’m sure he should come back in anyway.

Why change a winning side?
Well, I didn’t see the Norwich game, but Garde apparently didn’t like what he saw and said we need to be better.
Which is precisely the sort of comment he should be coming out with just now, in my opinion.
Complacency is the last thing we need.

But what exactly is there to change anyway, especially against a much better side than Norwich?
It’s not like we can swap the strikers about is it?
Kozak’s out and it wouldn’t surprise me if Gestede’s thrown a wobbler and refused to play or something, such is the state of the club.
Even clubs that are massively struggling at the bottom of the Prem usually get some sort of experienced striker in before having to think about kids, is the point.
Garde’s biggest opposition is the BOD, it seems, but again, I digress.

I could argue that we don’t play Westwood, as I don’t rate him at all, but it doesn’t matter. The midfield picks itself, because there’s no depth.

As does the defence, although in fairness, they do seem to be a bit more sturdy, especially now Richards has moved to RB.
And Bunn, whether you think he’s better than Guzan or not, certainly seems so if you look at the form.

Enough of my rattle (which basically sums up a lot of thoughts that I’ve had over the last three weeks, but couldn’t relate on here) though and what do I think?

I struggle to see past Liverpool’s form against us over a long time, when we play them at home.
But they can be very erratic and their defence is as bad as ours, if you can catch them out.
And that’s where Gabby comes into it.
If there was ever a time when he has to justify what so many Villa fans think of him, as one of our own, who will fight to the end, so it has to be now.

Go and get them, mate!
And regardless of what I’ve said in previous months, I really do want him to come good.

Unfortunately I have to go for a 0-2 loss.

But you never know, do you?