Villa – West Ham; We need 3 points, simple.

Villa-v-West-Ham-1293532
(courtesy of the Villablogger.com)

We can beat these, can’t we?
Can’t we?

I’m not so sure myself, but it seems many Villa fans are pretty confident, which is fair enough.
There has been much comment about how we need to win our next three games if we’re to have any chance of survival and although that seems a massive ask, we really do need to put some points on the board.

Looking at the form table, West ham haven’t won at all in their last six, but by the same token they’ve only lost one, having drawn five. Which of course means they’re hard to beat.
They don’t concede many either if you take their 4-1 drubbing at White Hart Lane out of the equation and that game apart, they’ve only conceded two goals against some stiff opposition.

Which is where I suspect we’re going to find things tough today.
If you assume we’re probably going to concede a goal, we’re going to have to score two to actually win the game.
I know I’m stating the obvious, but given our enduring lack of penetration in the final third, how likely is it that it’s going to happen against a good defensive side?
I don’t know is the simple answer, but the fact is we have to make it happen somehow.

If we don’t, I think even the most positive of us will have to start conceding that it’s all over; a position that many of us have already reached.
As for me, I think I’m still in a state of disbelief or even self-denial if you like.
But it’s beginning to dawn on me that if we don’t get the result today, we’ve simply had it.

Squad news then and West Ham have Diafra Sakho, Victor Moses, Winston Reid and Dimitri Payet all out.
Andy Carroll might make it, but is doubtful and it’s too soon for Manuel Lanzini, who have both had thigh problems.

The Villa are in pretty good shape, but have Micah Richards out again for his fourth consecutive game.
Joe Bennett and Aly Cissokho have been recalled, but can’t play until January.

So where’s this one going to go?
Garde was criticised last week for not going for it against Newcastle, but I can understand his thinking.
This week however, if we’re in a similar position, we really are going to have to attempt to win the game.
We have to get the three points, no ifs, no buts.

Looking at West Ham’s form, I’d suggest this has 0-0 or 1-1 written all over it.
But that isn’t going to be good enough and that same form suggests there will be a change, meaning one of the teams is going to get the three points.

Let’s hope it’s us.

UTV


Comments

225 responses to “Villa – West Ham; We need 3 points, simple.”

  1. Badger123 avatar

    Can I be even more worried than I have been over the last few weeks?
    It seems I can 🙁

  2. 2-0 VILLA 3points a must nowt less.UTV COYL

  3. LVG’s FUCKed

    1. Badger123 avatar

      More “player power”, d’you think?

      1. Could be maybe that’s an issue with us??

        1. Badger123 avatar

          It wouldn’t surprise me Giddy.

  4. VillaFan avatar

    1-0 today to us.

    We have to win sometime, right?

    1. Badger123 avatar

      Villafan, agreed mate.

  5. Did house see team sheet lucky to scrape 00 draw we are not going to score with Westwood Sanchez gana playmakers at home to side that haven’t won in 6

  6. Badger123 avatar

    VILLA: Guzan, Hutton, Okore, Lescott (c), Bacuna, Westwood, Sanchez, Gana, Veretout, Ayew, Gestede. Subs: Bunn, Clark, Richardson, Traore, Gil, Grealish, Sinclair.

    WEST HAM: Adrian, Tomkins, Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Obiang, Noble (c), Kouyate, Zarate, Antonio, Valencia. Subs: Randolph (GK), Jenkinson, Hendrie, Oxford, Cullen, Song, Parfitt-Williams.

  7. I hope they start out from the blocks sharpish & keep it up for the 90,fuck this turning up for one half I’m starting to find that really annoying.

    1. Badger123 avatar

      And Gestede needs to move about too.
      I’m really not convinced by him at all, but hope he proves me wrong.

      1. I’ve got him down for a brace today both with his head ok half a bottle of malt to come to that conclusion but that’s how I’m thinking atm

    2. Badger123 avatar

      lol

    3. Badger123 avatar

      Looking like we might actually get something atm.

  8. Badger123 avatar

    Sanchez off, which I’m sure will please many.
    Gil coming on.

  9. Badger123 avatar

    Jesus.
    Look at the space he had.
    What a choker 🙁

  10. DOWN…Time to start building for next season.

  11. Ffs conceding another late goal fucking hell do we switch off nearing the end of halves or are the batteries running out?

  12. 15 goals coming down Hutton side why , he s crap along with this Humpty of manager start with rudi and play no wingers but fucking 3 defensive midfielder

  13. What a shocker, Hutton screws us once again. Sounds about right.

  14. Another surprise, Sanchez goes off and space opens up. He was having a very good game.

  15. Traore!! Bring him on ffs. We can’t win without scoring or creating chances with which he does both!!

  16. VillaFan avatar

    Here we go again.

    Yawn.

    I’m only watching because it’s miserable outside, but this now is even more miserabler. Get Traore on for 2nd half PLEEEAAAAAAAAASSSEEEE!

  17. Nice to see how the mighty have fallen benteke off the bench again yet from being a star to a squad number breaks my heart LOL

    1. VillaFan avatar

      Doesnt give me any satisfaction seeing that at all.

      If you worked for an employer and saw things going downhill year on year, you would jump ship too.

      Dont blame the guy wanting to leave this shower of shit.

      1. Yes but see how long Mr loyal stays at the scousers glory Hunter all the way whoever you are.

        1. Ps your a fan of delphs then??

  18. Does garde not know he can use traore
    Just seen Westwood break forward and what does he do get a fucking nosebleed at edge of box and goes sideways

  19. Get in there aaaaaaayyyyewwwweee

  20. Westwood another good half chance

  21. Norwich looking SHITE mackems looking SHITE easy easy

  22. There is Christmas cheer the SCUM losing

  23. garde out now
    anyone that leaves traore off for 83 mins and plays hutton westwood deserves sacking why not use either grealish \sinclair even try clark up front so much for new ideas he is worse than last 3 already forgot took vertout off as well sack GARDE NOW

    1. ah calm down, Garde out, who would you have in Ancelotti is it?
      The manager is here to stay, the owner is more than likely here to stay for a while,
      the Squad will change somewhat,

      get used to it,

  24. At least we’re showing some fight. West Ham’s goal should have been a routine save for a good goalie – if only we had one. Guzan went down in installments.

    Still unbeaten in 2 games running – the first time this season if I’m right. Not a great record I know but we are improving.

    Now please Santa if you could send us a decent goalie and a striker in the January window would be nice.

    1. saddened avatar

      Over 38k in attendance, with Fox telling him league position is not everything, Randy must be thinking everything is looking rosey….. When are people going to start demonstrating with their attendance…. Our club is the most poorly run in the premiership let’s start showing the board how we feel.

      And if anyone says support the lads – the lads are on an average of 41k a week and don’t give a shit, and we have no chance of staying up !

  25. can someone tell me how we are better under garde
    still conceding stupid goals tick
    still not scoring goals tick
    still picking
    guzan tick
    hutton tick
    westwood tick
    gabby no tick
    not playing
    kozak tick
    traore tick
    no sign off
    ilor tick
    crespo tick

    how many saves have opposition keepers had to make in garde 7 games not many

    only consolation is when lerner eating cornflakes discovers wolves only worth 35/45m his beloved villa won t be worth his 64m initial investment

    1. Sir Earl Barrett avatar
      Sir Earl Barrett

      JVillan, I agree that the players you have ticks against are not good enough, having seen the goal again this morning as opposed to at VP yesterday, Guzan should’ve done better. What you are ignoring in my opinion, is that sadly, the players being left out are even worse. If we’re all in agreement that we were already doomed to relegation before RG came in then we can’t use the fact we now look doomed as a marker against him. I don’t think anybody can deny we look more organised under Garde (yes the defenders don’t have the ability) and I thought we played decent enough football yesterday and gave it a go. This clamour for Kozak to start baffles me, he’s been ignored by three managers now and they have all been desperate at some stage to get the team scoring yet none of them have turned to him? It’s like these fans that clamour for Gary Gardener to start. The longer he’s injured the better player he becomes in the eyes of the fans – has anyone actually seen him kick a ball in the prem? Pep could be manager now JV, and your tick list would still look the same. Years of financial incompetence have led us to this point and I’m afraid we’re seeing the result of this play out every Saturday.

      1. OohAhPaulMcGrath avatar
        OohAhPaulMcGrath

        Agree SEB Lerner has been lucky in past few seasons and if it wasn’t for bent then benteke we would be down years ago. Our only hope is to try and get Austin in winter but it’s unlikely he will come as he is out of contract in Sumer and can negotiate a good deal for himself. Plus would he come to a club with one foot in the championship. He is also injury prone so would he be available for enough games

        1. What would be the point of signing a forward to stay in the prem to be in exactly the same position next year? It is pointless. Whoever we sign we will only sell to line Lerners pockets. We can’t even compete with the likes of Palace, Swansea, Newcastle and Leicester so what’s the point of staying in the division to get laughed at every week.