Or a damp squib?
I’ll bet you know exactly what I’m going to say, because you’re no doubt thinking the same thing. Even if you’re not, I’m fairly confident that there will be at least a bit of niggle at the back of your mind.
It’s a banana skin game isn’t it?
There’s been quite a bit of talk on the news about the Christmas number one today, with Wham, Slade and that hippy Sam Ryder all in the running. I’m only joking about the hippy bit, but he does remind me of Neil from The young ones.
Anyway, I’m not particularly interested in that, but I am definitely interested in the fact that a win tonight could make us the real Christmas number that counts.
We’d go 2 points clear, which would mean that if Liverpool and Arsenal were to draw, which seems a big possibility to me, we’d be top of the tree (get it?).
And that would be the first time we’ve been top of the tree since the Gregory days in the 1998/99 season, where sort of coincidentally, we beat Sheffield Wednesday to achieve it.
History is on our side for this game.
Utd haven’t beaten us in the league at Villa Park in sixty years, although Chris Wilder has beaten us twice as manager in their home games.
The Blades have lost 27 of their last 32 Premier League away fixtures, winning two and drawing three. Probably worse still, Gustavo Hamer is the only player to have scored a goal for them in all their away games this season. That’s bleak away form, to say the least.
Squad news and for us it could be worse.
Luiz and Digne are both back after suspensions.
The bad news is Kamara begins his 3 game suspension and the less said about that, the better, in my opinion.
Pau Torres has an ankle knock and I think Youri Tielemens has a similar issue. Traore seems no nearer and of course, Mings and Buendia are also out.
Also of some concern, John McGinn, Matty Cash and Jhon Duran are all only a card away from a suspension, although I do realise that the “5 yellows” only stays in place until after the Man Utd game. Hopefully, they can stay card-free, McGinn in particular.
As for Sheffield, they have six players injured, but I’m struggling to find out who they are, exactly. It appears Chris Wilder is keeping his cards close to his chest and there is talk of a squad shuffle. I detect something amiss at the club, because the manager has also talked about how he wants unwanted players gone and quickly. Has serious doom and gloom set in, I wonder?
However, good news for them is that Jack Robinson is back from a suspension.
Aha, more research shows that their injured players are Chris Basham, Daniel Jebbison, Tom Davies, John Egan, Rhys Norrington-Davies and Rhian Brewster.
Not that I’m particularly bothered.
Going back to things we haven’t done for ages, Ollie Watkins has scored 21 goals in this calendar year, the highest since Andy Gray in 1976, where he scored 24.
So a hat trick tonight would give him that new record, but maybe that’s asking too much? He does though, have tonight’s game and the Man U and Burnley games to achieve it, which I’d like to see.
It’s when I see those sorts of stats that it really starts to sink in about how well the lads are doing this year/season.
So tonight should be easy then, eh? Certainly the bookies think so, because they have us as massive favourites.
Rightly so, because we’re doing brilliantly and they’re, on the face of it, frankly awful.
But wasn’t it a similar thing when we lost to Forest? It’s difficult to believe that we’ve beaten Man City, Arsenal and Brentford in our last three games, but somehow managed to get beaten by a team where we were their only victory in 13 games.
And that’s exactly why I’m not counting my chickens for this one. While we’ve done incredibly well, we still have that propensity to lose to even the lowest of teams when things are looking good.
That said, I have to say I think we’re going to win this.
As I suggested above, I think there’s something wrong at Utd. Wilder has talked about how you can’t go into games without belief, which suggests that he has two choices. He either plays some players who don’t believe or swaps them out for possibly inferior players.
Which is intriguing, because if he does shuffle the pack, it could mean that he’s sidelined players and the atmosphere will probably be poor around the club.
I’m speculating though.
The only thing left, is the score.
I’m going for 3-1 to us.
In the hope that Ollie gets at least one.
UTV!
The thing about ‘lesser teams, all they have is this thuggishness. It’s not football.
Please not a draw tonight!!!!
If we don’t win this it’s a huge missed opportunity! We should be battering these. We’re struggling against this low block
Adam, ‘these’ are not the same team that have been battered so many times this season. Wilder changed that. We’ve played them at the worst time.
That’s the most obvious hand ball
Yet another sh*t VAR decision – obviously either a Liverpool or Arsenal guy at Shockley Park.
Tee shirt line, isn’t it?
i thought that was Handball too, fwiw.
Get the fucking goal Villa.
That Liverpudlian twat doing the commentary needs to shut his trap, he’s one eyed Liverpool and cannot speak f@&fing English . Driving me barmy .
Spot on Bill
So United now starting to look the more likely
Shit show tonight by us. This is what happens when you play so pedestrian like all game you switch off at important times. Losing to bottom of the league is embarrassing.
That is a crooked ref no two ways about that, they have fouled time and time again
Unbelievable.
They actually look more likely.
Just knew it would be a disaster tonight.
Another Villa falling off the perch when they can reach the top.
You are fxxxing kidding.
I knew it 🤬🤬🤬🤬
And there you go.
Archer.
And it fucking serves us right.
We’ve been utter shit.
It’s the hope that kills you 😪
I don’t believe it what a pissing shock .
Surprise! 🤦
No way will we come back from this.
You just knew it was gonna end like this.
Just have to thrash ManUre now…
Football is one unbelievable game. Gutted. Terrible reffing too.
It reminds me the time Southampton who were bottom of the league, beat ManU who were top.
GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!
Get the F88k in!
FUCKING COME OOOOOOOOOOOON!!!
Zanilo with a header.
Can they rule this out?
Either way, it won’t be enough.
Why the hell sell archer if he’d been loaned he would not have been able to play against us
And var has done us Bailey goal should have stood as it was several phases of play before the goal
It’s always the same with villa they bottle it when it matters I’m absolutely pissed off.
Why bother supporting this crap team I don’t know and what the hell was Ramsey thinking fouling the goalkeeper
Before we all have a massive whinge, it’s OK. Resilience again is a huge plus. What panned out was inevitable. Yes, we were poor. Shit, in fact. But they were very very tough to break down. And like Neville just said, we’re going to have to deal with more of that from now on. Maybe Buendia would have helped in that type of game. Needed something a bit ‘cuter.’ Unai will analyse it and find a way. IF that’s our dodgy Christmas result out of the way, it’s all good. Put it down as valuable experience. Merry Christmas!
P.s. Mr Heck, despite the disappointment, I still need some tickets for the 30th.
Roy, how did they bottle it if Bailey’s goal should’ve stood? A 1-0 is the best you can get from opponents like that. And they did break through with that goal. What can you do if it’s disallowed?
Cash booked and out next game.
No loss, even if we have to play dodgy Konsa there, imo.
Not sure I’d describe Konsa as ‘dodgy’. In fact prefer him to Cash at right back – a position we need to strengthen in January.
Let’s hope Tielemans is fit for Boxing Day as he can take the deep sitting role and allow McGinn further forward!
Kamara’s sending off is already proving costly. And it’s Martinez’s fault.
When Maupay fell over, Emi should have just stood there with his arms folded. Maupay is a twat as Mee is a c%£t.
Maddening again, but you live and learn
I love Emi, but teams will try and wind you up for the hell of it…We have to be smarter.
Still chuffed for Zanilolo tonight!!!! Every cloud…
Absolutely. Meant Mcginn had to play deep and that stifled us creatively.
Hitch, I detest Konsa at RB.
It just doesn’t suit him in the slightest, imo.
At least not in the modern game.
He’s far too gangly and slow and his distribution isn’t good either.
We need a £30 mill replacement in that area, with Cash as back up, imo.
Then Konsa goes back to what he does best.
Our best CB/stopper, imo.
Not really arguing with you about Konsa at RB – my point being I prefer him to Cash as it allows us to play Carlos and Torres both of whom are comfortable on the ball.
I totally agree that in a perfect world we will get in a class RB as first choice but its not a perfect world 🙂
But then again maybe Emery / Monchi will surprise us in January. Unlike Deadly, I’m sure the owners will back Unai subject to FFP.
Beaten by VAR tonight and a team playing anti football.
Liverpool saw it with United not even trying to score.
Expect Burnley to do the same.
We definitely missed Torres and Kamara tonight with McGinn sitting much deeper than normal.
But fair play to Villa they never gave up and one point is better than none – and I did call it as a draw Badger!
Exactly, Hitch. In hindsight, Dendonker in and McGinn doing the usual might have been a better option.
So frustrating.
We’ll win fuckall if we can’t put these lesser teams away.
Top 4 or 5 remains my ambition, but it’s so annoying that we offer nothing up front in these games.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, aarrrgghhh!
Utter dog shit performance. Too passive! We needed more runners from midfield to break their defensive lines.
Carragher really pissing me off with his anti Villa especially when Bailey goal ruled out. And how on earth wasn’t it a penalty early on for a push on Watkins.