I am actually back home now, but not for long. I’m off to a training course tomorrow in Middlesboro, of all places. So I doubt if I’ll be able to see much of the game, as I’ll no doubt be stuck in tons of traffic.
Whatever, I’m hotfooting it back to Spain on Saturday to get away from this weather and back to my original holiday plan.
I heard a statistic on Sky sports news earlier and it shocked me.
We have only won one FA cup third round game in the last eight. That is frankly disgraceful for a team that has been mostly in the Premier league. But yet, so typical of Aston Villa.
Just like we’re going to be up against a new manager bounce after West Ham sacked Lopetegui and appointed Harry, oops, sorry, Graham Potter today. It’s a hard life for managers sometimes, isn’t it? Potter walked away with a rumoured £10 million or more payoff, had a nice 20 month break and then walks into the West Ham job, where I have a feeling he might do a decent job for them. Hopefully that turnaround won’t come too quickly though.
And to cap it all, it looks like we might have to face a new manager bounce when we face Everton too.
Anyway, can we change that shocking third round record? And does Unai actually care about the FA cup?
The main news for us is that John McGinn definitely won’t be available. Pau is out for weeks, but those two apart, we seem to be all good.
I’ve searched for West ham team news, but everywhere is dominated by Potter’s appointment and I don’t really care much anyway. I do know they have a couple of top players out, but that’s it.
Emery made out that he wants to win the game and I wouldn’t expect him to say anything otherwise. He also points out that winning the cup is a route to the Europa cup, which worried me slightly. Is that an admission that we won’t qualify for the Champion’s league? I prefer to think not and he just vies that as a worst case back up.
He also talks about how we’re trying to build a team and that sort of comment makes me think he might want to give some players a rest and some young players a game. I can see Maatsen coming in, but we don’t have a lot of room for many changes, I’d have thought.
Certainly Philogene won’t feature as his £20 mill plus signing by Ipswich will probably go through tomorrow. Does Kosta Nedeljković replace Cash at right back? Maybe, but apart from giving the lad game time, I can’t see why. Cash, as much as I don’t rate him, has hardly burnt himself out this season, I wouldn’t have thought. Duran is still suspended, so “Whack it wide” Watkins (thanks, whoever posted that one) is assured a start. McGinn being out leaves few options in the middle and the hope would be that quite a few of our players play themselves into some sort of form, which isn’t an ideal way of looking at games.
Thoughts then and the biggest plus for us is that West ham leak practically two goals a game and I don’t see Potter changing that by tomorrow night.
The problem is that we’re not taking our chances and our defence is nearly as abysmal as West Ham’s.
Will Potter change much at all? It’s difficult to see after just one day, so this is basically going to be all about the new manager bounce. And after what I’ve just read about Lopetegui and his relationship with the West Ham squad, their players are going to be at least in a more positive mood and will be all out to impress the new manager.
Which means things might prove probematic for us.
Everything about this game is a total guess for a fan, but surely we’re due an FA cup win, aren’t we?
Add in our home advantage and I’m going for a 2-1 win and a happy 150th Anniversary.
Heh, I remember the 100th Anniversary like it was yesterday. And that makes me feel really old 🙁
2-1 it is then and UTV!
Damm. 50 years in the blink of an eye.
Do we need to win this? Does it matter?
Or is it a further drain on our resources, meaning we should just concentrate on the CL or Prem?
I want us to go all out for it, myself.
“I’m off to a training course tomorrow in Middlesboro”
Ram-raiding or shoplifting? 😂
🙂
Last time I was there, was about 15 years ago.
It was basically closed and really bleak, just like the weather.
I won’t be staying.
To be fair Badger I’ve been on several union courses with a few Smoggies and to be honest I found them hilarious, absolutely no filter.
Oh, there’s nothing wrong with the people. Good, down to earth types, which I like.
It’s just the place. Altough Yarm is a different story altogether. It’s like chalk and cheese.
When was the last time we won the FA Cup?
Embarrassing, really. You would in actual fact be embarrassed to say “yeh we’ve won it 7 times….the last time we won it was, errr, it was em, (under your breath)…1957.”
Can someone please do something about this?
I mentioned this a couple of weeks back.
For a club of our size, our actual achievement rates are really poor.
Taisei Miyashiro
Jamie Gittens
Wesley Franca
More links. No idea who any of them are which makes it a bit more exciting personally…
Also rumours Nassef Sawiris is moving out of the UK due to Labour’s tax rises. Can any of you guys remeber such a useless government? Only another 4 and a half years to go!!!!
Is the game on TV tomorrow night???
Only Nassef Sawiris?
The last government was great wasn’t it?
How you judge a government on a few months is beyond me, but each to their own I guess and many others think the same as you in fairness.
The game is on ITV/ITVX
Not going to be drawn into a political debate about Labours ‘Liz Truss type budget’ 🙂
I was director of a company with headquarters based in Middlesbrough – went there on several occasions – never saw anything of interest then they paid me to leave; they weren’t overly fond of Villa fans 🙂
Oh the game – well we don’t have the greatest of records against West Spam and it’s 10 years since we progressed passed the fourth round – just thought I’d add that stat to cheer us all up.
Will probably watch from behind the sofa.
I always find one way to judge it is on what it does. This one seems to want to fix things. The last one just wanted to pit everyone against each other while doing f all.
ITV. Cheers.
Badger, I’ve worked in and around politics for over 30 years. Trust me, it’ll be another generation before we see another Labour Govt, if ever. Things have changed.
A full squad or rotation tomorrow night??? I think Emery will still prioritise the EPL and CL. Shame really. It’s dull seeing the same 3 or 4 teams winning it every year.
A brilliant job, freezing pensioners, the national grid a gnat’s b****X of collapsing, farmers shafted, economy f**ked and food prices predicted to go up by around 20% !
Hell in a handcart but just how can you judge after 6 months???
I feel I should go to the match tomorrow but it’s so cold it’s tempting to sit at home and watch on TV. Armchair fan and all that
I raise you the destruction of the NHS, a ruinous Brexit, the worst death rate from Covid in Northern Europe, waters filled with sewage, roads full of potholes and the biggest net immigration (legal and illegal) in history.
I’m a pensioner and I know lots of pensioners. I don’t know any that will freeze but that doesn’t mean I agree with the policy. Farmers were shafted by the Tories not Labour. Why should they not pay IHT when everyone else does? It’s because the richest are the biggest landowners and that’s why they haven’t paid it before, not for some romantic love of farmers. Did you not notice the price rises on food under the Tories?
When I was young Councils owned houses, we owned this countries infrastructure for power, rail, gas and water. Now they are foreign owned and what do we have to show for it? Transfer of assets from the people to the rich. I’m sure the money will trickle down sometime.
Scandinavians pay loads more tax than we do but get free (effective healthcare, free University education, free childcare, good benefits). Stuff is more expensive but they get paid more and they are happy. Very little homelessness too. If you would rather pay less tax and live in a mess of a country that seems a strange choice to me.
I’m probably a lone voice on here but it’s the way I was raised. You have paid holidays, sick pay and maternity leave because of Trade Unions. Not because of Tories.
Anyway. Rant over.
May I start by thanking DS for his statement? I note that there are no football questions this morning, but Badger did say that you would allow us a bit of latitude so may I ask one question? When this forum likely to return to football?
(I was being facetious DS)
UTV
No problem mate. I don’t usually post political stuff as I don’t think it’s the correct forum so I normally ignore and move on but for some reason last night 🍷…
I’m not sure if I’m looking forward to tonight. I always get those pre match nerves.
Promise, no politics from me tonight, though I don’t promise no alcohol. It’s very hard to watch Villa without it.
Practically everyone who died during Covid (allegedly) died of Covid and had it stamped on their death certificate. There are lies, damn lies… No further comment.
Anyway. Back to football. What is it about fans of most football teams that makes us fear the worst all the time? We should beat West Ham but I can see us playing a weakened side again and limping out of the competition. My head says that’s understandable with the amount of games coming up by my heart longs for a good cup run.
PSG allegedly after Chesty now (what are you going to with that wall mural Badger??)
Just looking at the head to heads and we have never lost to those Irons in the FA Cup at Villa Park, in fact they (West Spam) have never scored!
Now, admittedly they have only met twice in around 120 years but the score is 8-0 to Villa and Unai’s never lost to Potter.
3 – 0 to the mighty Villa!
Please no weakened team we have to win something and this is a great opportunity Everton Palace and even stevenage have beaten us recently so learn by your mistakes please mr emery
Olsen, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatson, Kamara, Tielemans, Barkley, Rogers, Bailey, Watkins.
Mings captain which is a nice touch from Emery.
COYL
UTMV
Strongest team apart from Olsen.
In fact, we should f*** the Hammers up if that team plays properly…
It’s a strong starting XI except for Olsen. Unfortunately with Emery’s style of football, the goalkeeper is the starting point of a lot of our play. Martinez excels in this formation but when he is out we look even more chaotic at the back.
I fear for worst and even though it’s the centenary game, I think the Villa fans who will be freezing themselves at VP will go home disappointed. New manager bounce plus the lack of interest in the domestic cups by Emery added to our dire home record in recent history. 1-2 to the Hammers is my prediction.
Please prove me wrong and let’s win the FA Cup. It’s the one piece of silverware that matters that I haven’t seen us win.
A friend of mine who has gone to the game said he would get me a match programme. He has texted me to say they have sold out as well as the centenary shirts. Bravo Chris Heck you muppet for missing out on thousands of pounds in sales 👏👏
Hopefully that’s the only own goal we suffer tonight! Idiots!
Nope. 1 in 8 of deaths during the period were listed as due to Covid. Google is your friend, not Facebook😃
Never been on Facebook, DS. Prefer word of mouth.
And Google is absolutely nobody’s friend.
I prefer facts. Thats just me.
Facts…what were they again? Not sure they still exist but I appreciate the comfort we feel when we believe they do. The banger I bought for my first car was ‘listed’ with a surprisingly low milage. Must’ve been a fact, surely?
Yeah OK. Can’t argue with that level of insight.
Ye good shout Holte
And should be able to get through with that line up
Decent line up tonight. Bench doesn’t have much to drag us back in to it if we are losing but that’s where we are. West Ham’s team isn’t bad but hope Potter hasn’t had enough time to get them in shape
My forecast for tonight made before Christmas was a Villa win on penalties.
Got to stick with it!
That’s about par for the course.
First sniff of a chance and they score. We’re so unbelieveably bad at the back it’s an absolute joke.
It’s EVERY game!
How does that happen with two holding midfielders???
Clean sheet?
0-1 and absolutel shite start. So easy for them.
Bollocks. One down courtesy if the match fixer!
(Sorry about the politics, Badger did start it though 🤣).
That’s a bloody great looking kit. I hope we do it justice!
Not doing that currently Bum Bum
Now we have another injury – I get the feeling we’re going to have a real problem for the rest of the season.
Lee Dixon is 100% correct, we are over playing this, too many touches – Get It Forward!
Same old story, RSS.
Fotty is bloody infuriating. No rhyme or reason to any of it… I’d kill for a long sleeve version of tonight’s shirt.
DS just raised the issue of Google and misinformation. Shall we give that topic a miss? 😁
I feel a Villa goal coming on…