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.
