Yes, that’s what I still think of it as and that’s what it always will be to me.
I can’t be doing with this sponsorship rubbish and reckon I’m not alone.
It’s hard to think what to say about this game as most Villa fan’s opinions are that they don’t care a stuff about this game and would rather we just survive in the Premier league, even if we were to lose tomorrow.
I totally understand that thinking and mostly agree with it, but at the same time, I don’t believe we should just give up on the game.
Certainly Dean Smith won’t be willing to throw the game away, as it is silverware after all, as much as it would be little consolation if we were to get relegated later.
Let’s do the squad news and Keinan Davis has trained since Monday, so might be available.
Given that we have nothing to lose for this game I’d like to see Smith change something up and wonder if he might consider two up top, with Davis and Samatta? I could see a decent pairing there.
I don’t think it’ll happen though.
The only other news is that John McGinn isn’t anywhere near ready, but we all knew that anyway.
As for City, they’ll be without Aymeric Laporte, after he imjured his Hamstring.
Winger Leroy Sane is the only other player unavailable.
Not that it matters much They could have a dozen injuries and still put a good side out.
I think the big question is will the manager persist with 3/5 at the back or will he change to a 4?
I have a feeling he will change, because our midfield will just be overwhelmed if we don’t and again we don’t have much to lose if we try.
Then we simply can’t sit back, as we did in the home spanking or we’ll just get a similar result, which will hopefully mean the fans see an entertaining game.
I know what you’re thinking.
How will it be entertaining when we’re getting tonked?
Well, there’s the thing. I really have a sneaky feeling we won’t get our behinds kicked; certainly not by many anyway.
I know, I’m nuts!
But this is football remember, where anything can happen.
Who’d have given Watford a prayer against Liverpool today, for example?
And just as many of us didn’t think we’d beat Leicester, you just never know.
I have to be really honest and say I’m really struggling to say we’ll win.
A massive part of me is thinking something like a 4-1 loss, but I think it’ll be much tighter than that.
I’m going to go for a 2-2 draw at full time.
And then anything really can happen.
It’s a one-off game remember.
I just have a feeling.
I know, I’m daft 🙂
Badger, have you sent New Post out.?
Yes, this is it Bill.
Posted late and you’re probably the first to read it.
i am quite optimistic usually, but i can not see any result where we haven’t been defeated and humiliated. i think we have to abandon our principles for this one off game. we are 20/1 for a reason we are not that good against the best. we need to play this game with a spoiling mentality. defend deep, pack midfield and abandon the wingers they are a luxury we can ill afford, they never produce much anyways. we need to ruffle feathers, play keep ball and try to drag the game into deep waters before we open up and play. if we play as we have this season and i can not see anything but a thumping
bloody brighton did me out of 800 squids. my accumulator finished brilliantly, but palace beating brighton in the midday kickoff did me 5/6 aint bad. pus i was only two rounds out on tyson fury. which the referee did me then. fury had wilder in the 5th only for the ref to buy wilder time giving fury a point deduction.
i can not predict the game today with any confidence. if we play as we normally do, we will lose 4 5 6 nil. if we can change for this one game and play like underdogs, tough to break down. less ambitious about sending men forwards. take our few chances and not make mistakes. i can still see us losing but it will be less painful 2 1 / 3 1 defeat.
results totally went wrong for us yesterday. we had our chances but blown them over and over. it will prove to be very costly. i can see hammers and watford continuing their form to the finish. bottom three will be us norwich and newcastle stick a tenner on that.
Bournemouth and Brighton still in the mix Nath. Both Newcastle and Brighton on very poor runs – certainly Brighton have failed to win in 2020.
Put it this way – we have more chance of surviving in the Prem than winning this afternoon – especially as lightning struck yesterday!
My Grandson (25) is going today for his first Wembley experience – I hope it’s as good as mine in 1994 when I went with his mom (to be!) and my other two kids! He also sat on my knee in 1996 to watch us beat Leeds – he nearly hit the ceiling when Savo scored 🙂
Let’s hope he’s a good omen.
I’ve got a horrible feeling that Citeh will slaughter us, I’m going for 7-1, it’s a game I’m frightened to watch!
I’m of the same mindset as Nath. I would go for a back 4 with Elmo, Engels, Mings and Taylor or Hause at LB because Targett can’t defend. I would have a midfield 4 in front of Nakamba with Luiz, Grealish, Hourihane and Trezeguet and Samatta up front.
Having watched Watford yesterday, they showed no respect for Liverpool with niggly fouls and constant press on their defence and midfield so Salah & co hardly saw the ball. Unfortunately we are not capable of doing this so we need to employ damage limitation. Who knows, we might make it to penalties and then have a chance.
My prediction however is 4-0 to Citeh.
defiantly holte ditch that three centre back tactic, play back four but do not allow the full backs from crossing the half way. play a narrow three midfield or four in fornt of the defenders, with grealish playing off samatta. if davis is fit you could play 433 with davis central and grealish and samatta playing off davis. ditch the over reliance on short passing and mix it up. you do not have to commit 6 or 7 players to attacking high. just 3 or 4 max 5,
once the game reaches the hour and if we are still in the affair. we can change tactics. we need to be solid down the middle, we can not afford to be open from the start and the game being over before half time. i know this tactic will not sit well with most fans but its essential. even doin this might not be enough but needs must.
also we have to be mean. put in the boot legally make city players concerned about picking up silly injuries. we can not afford to be NICE as we have all season#. be mean just like holte says watford. they put pool off with their physically all legal fouls, but made pool players worried about over playing or holding the ball too long. tackles after they played the ball.
if we played pool yesterday instead of watford we would not have beaten them, watford are not easy to play against. pool were off their game as well. but watford 100 % effort, tight defending and physically dominated pool. i know we do not have the players to recreate this. watford tactic yesterday is their normal game. they play like the underdog keep it tight at the back. full backs do not go missing overlapping. they have two midfielder blockers also ahead of the back four. they have three who do most the attacking. they hit deaney every opportunity and their wide players both come in and feed of him.
Isn’t that down to manager Nath , my name sake has made a positive impact , he was a player you didn’t mess with , I now believe Villa made a bad mistake in giving Smith a 4 year contract, Terry has been no use to our backs in defending, we all sore this coming but Mr nice guy cocked it up by been too nice. I fear the worst in being made a fool of and going down when the writing was on the wall 5 games into our start. I truly hope I’m wrong but I don’t see it getting better with the crew in Villa park.
yeah i would think so bill 🙂 they play as most teams do in a representation of their manager. but i think holte and myself maybe a few more think their style is ideal tactic to play the top top teams. looking back at the best giant killings David beats Goliath usually with anti football tactics unlike the bible where he used his loaf.
No he didn’t – he used a stone and a sling and got lucky 🙂 – we’re not allowed to use the former (sadly 🙂 ) so we’ll just have to rely on the latter along with a little Divine intervention!
Like what has already been said, we shouldn’t bow down to public opinion that we need to entertain. We have adopted the same game plan as we did in the championship which worked against most teams but in the premier league we have been found out. Apart from Grealish we haven’t got any quality so we should have taken a more conservative approach. Unfortunately Smith seems to only have one type of play and isn’t ruthless enough. As a Villain I would love for him to succeed but this level might be beyond him. Citeh know as do every other club that everything we do in an attacking sense goes through Grealish. Take him out and there is very little else we have to worry the opposition. We must beef up our midfield purely for the reason our defence is a shambles and needs protection.
On a different note, congratulations to my local team Halesowen who beat Barnet, who are quite a few leagues ahead of them, to reach the semi final of the FA Trophy. One away from Wembley.
Been watching Coventrys game and in particular Callum O’Hare, what is our club up to? The kid is a none stop runner like John McGinn, the more I fine out the more I turn on our manager, even the commentator saying a skilled player and doesn’t stop tackling.
Watford were impressive yesterday, while Liverpool were off the pace. I can’t see the same today, as we are just not aggressive enough. We also don’t keep possession, so we will get worn out chasing the ball. It’s going to be attack v defence I think. A horrible watch and like someone else posted earlier I am reluctant to turn the TV on.
Looking grim for survival in the Prem too.
On the upside, I am often wrong about football matters.
Thank God for that, you had me Worried.
One question – should he play Nyland or Reina and who will he play?
No time for emotions here – he should (must) play Reina.
I favour Nyland. Reina has been a bit suspect of late, and nylon had a big part in us getting to the final. I expect he will be very busy though.
Nyland it is then 🙂
I’m not happy about El Ghazi starting after his white flag approach last time.
Yeah – so much for the ‘some of the players have played themselves out of the team’
Looks like Hause is the scapegoat given that Drinkbeer is ineligible.
Just seen the teams – we are going to get so annihilated.
Citeh not even bothering to play De Bruyne!
I feel sick.
I thought it was just me DS 🙂 Better to be at Wembley than watching on the box – whatever happens the Villa fans will make it a cracking day out.
When Smith said players had played themselves out of the final, he must have realised after that it could have been 8 – 9 players.
I’ve nearly broken my neck to get from Liverpool to home ready for the game.
I thought it was a bloody 3pm KO!
ASTON VILLA, : Nyland; Guilbert, Engels, Mings, Targett; Elmohamady, Nakamba, Douglas Luiz, Grealish, El Ghazi; Samatta.
Subs : Reina, Konsa, Taylor, Hourihane, Lansbury, Trezeguet, Davis.
MAN CITY, : Bravo; Walker, Fernandinho, Stones, Zinchenko; Gundogan, Rodri, David Silva; Foden, Aguero, Sterling.
Subs : Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Mendy, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus.
Feeling calm about the game. I think it’s called acceptance!
Four at the back? It looks like it.
And yes, it shows that Smith has no real options when it comes to replacing the best eleven.
Good to see Nyland starts after getting us to wembley in the first place.
We may be giving Citeh 2 hostages with (no Marx for) Engels,and (my Mum was kidding) Marvelous but they are giving us 3 with Stones, Rodri and Foden.
Comparison of the benches though is no laughing matter.
UTV.
The lads look up for this.