If I was to say “I don’t know what to think about this one”, you’d probably think “crikey Badger, you’ve said that a few times this season”. And you’d be right, because I have.
The trouble is, my immediate thoughts are to say I think we’ll win this game.
But for pretty much all of the season, Villa have failed to do what the average fan has expected. It’s worked both ways, mind and just as we put up an excellent fighting display against Liverpool when I think many expected a sound beating, so we’ve failed to win games that we would have assumed to be a shoe-in, such as Ipswich at home. That one particularly sticks in my mind and it’s that sort of result that really rankles me.
Squad news is that Konsa and Bailey both face late fitness tests. I’d say that Bailey won’t get a chance now we have the newcomers, but Unai seems to love him, hence I’d guess that if the player is fit, he will start. Konsa, of course would be a welcome return, albeit I don’t think he’s been at his best this season. Pau, Kamara and Onana are all a couple of weeks away at best and Disasi is ineligible against his parent club.
As for Chelsea, Noni Madueke is out for a few weeks with a Hamsting issue and Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu, Benoit Badiashile, Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana (the only one I’ve heard of) are all long term injuries. Not that it matters much, as they have stupid amounts of players to call on. Which is something else that rankles, because I’ve literally just read that we face a big fine by Uefa for a financial breach.
Anyway, as I said, I fancy us to win this one, but I just get a sneaky feeling that we won’t and a draw seems most likely. I don’t see it being a high scoring game either and it’s most likely to be a tight affair.
Hence a 1-1 seems most likely to me and in a game where it would good to pull some points back against another Europe contender, I would be disappointed with just one at home.
Then again, watch Villa do the unthinkable again and either win easily or get soundly beaten.
It’s what we do.
UTV!
I tolerate Emery’s style of play because it’s been successful for the most part. I would prefer us to play like Liverpool, Newcastle or Spurs (at their best) but that’s not going to happen under Emery.
It seems certain teams (Newcastle and Palace spring to mind) rough us up basically and we can’t deal with it.
Emery likes to control games and playing out from the back is the catalyst for our team to venture forward trying to break the lines. It doesn’t hurt to have the keeper boot it long from time to time as last night proved worthwhile. McGinn was the starting point on a number of occasions last night and Palace were on to him quickly, and I think he got lucky a few times with free kicks given for the stick big arse out and wait for contact!
We need to focus totally on the cups now. Beat Cardiff and we are in the QF with a decent chance of getting to the final now Liverpool and Arsenal are out. We just need another home draw and for the other teams like Citeh and Newcastle to meet in QF.
As for the Champions League, anything from now is a bonus. We can easily go out against Bruges. If we get past them then we will most likely be out assuming it’s Liverpool.
The next two weeks are massive for us!
Holte, my predictions stink, but i wouldn’t be suprised if PSG did Liverpool next week.
What’s unai on about aston villa is not a contender to win the fa cup has he lost his marbles crazy thing to say
Trying to take the pressure off, to balance the extremely high expectations of us lot!
The message coming out of VP is very depressing.
The number of players likely to be missing on Friday is nothing short of disastrous.
We could be looking at a very weakened side with nothing on the bench.
That’s why Emery is dampening expectations.
When will, if ever, our lack of good fortune with injuries / illness actually change?
Just to add bones to that:
Torres, Cash and Barkley out
Onana, Mings, Kamara, Martinez all doubts
Malen ill
Disasi Cup tied.
When will our misfortune with injuries change?
We’re left with a possible defence of Olsen, Garcia, Konsa, Bogarde and Digne (or Maatson) with nothing on the bench!
Our defensive midfield pivot – McGinn and Tielemans neither of which are suitable to the role
Watkins up front with a choice of Rashford, Asensio, Rogers, Ramsey and Bailey as a midfield 3 – again with nothing else on the bench.
No wonder Emery is playing down the FA Cup.
I fully expect a substantially weakened side tomorrow with Emery focusing on the CL games against Brugges.
That should still be enough to see off Cardiff.
I’ll be out tonight so will miss the game. I need a rest after that Palace shocker.
Tonight will be more shocking…
Why have Liverpool been so good with injuries? They play even more games than us. There must be a reason!
Reason 1: some players are just injury prone – stop buying them!!!
He should be bigging us up we have a great chance this season
Reverse psychology, Little.
If he bigs it up and goes out, he looks a prize tit.
Playing it down in public is the right way, imo.
I had no idea El Ghazi plays for Cardiff. I hope he gets a great reception.
Guaranteed to score…
Van Dyk has played every minute of every game and he is a Rills Royce of a ce tee half. Most of our back line are Lucy to make it through if h one game these days
Here’s a really shocking stat.
The opposition have scored from their first shot on target in 14 games – that’s in 50% of our EPL games to date!
Ah well another Villa entry into the record books.
Wouldn’t bet against a few more before the end of the season – at least it’s unlikely ever to be beaten 🙂
That’s got to be down to luck, surely? Simply because there will always be a ‘first shot on target’ at some point. So what odds it goes in? Unless…
I would like to know how soon the opposition’s first shot on target happens. However soon it comes, it needs to be later, ideally second half.
Secondly, maybe questions need to be asked of the goalkeeper. Palace’s first was his fault.
Thirdly, how does the first shot come about? What side of the pitch? Is it set pieces? Etc.
Loads of work to be done. I don’t like the word shambolic, but the defence is getting to that point now.
If we could keep the same back-4 (& goalie!) for 4-5 games on the trot, the defence wouldn’t be as abysmal as it was against Palace.
But we do seem to have had an awful run of defensive injuries this season, many of them coming just 15-minutes or so into a game; the disruption to any game-plan at the start of a match must be considerable.
I do think that the coaching staff have some serious analysis to do to try and pin-down just why we seem to lose another defender almost every-other game.
Villa press conferences are currently meaningless or BS. The HT keepers’ switch at Palace was decided before the game. That is why a GK coach and Olsen were out as soon as the HT whistle went to warm up. If it had been a decision taken only when Martinez was asked if he could continue, the players would have been back in the dressing room. Emery has a tell-tale habit of scratching the side of his face or behind his ear when he is making stuff up as he goes along.
Emery a typical Spanish coach. The Copa del Rey is regarded as more mickey mouse than our League cup so they bring that ‘don’t care about the FA cup’ attitude here. It needs to be knocked or booed out of them by the fans.
Strong rumours that Rashford wants to make the move to Villa permanent. Source BBC and The Sun. Hitch its 15 now
Ah, I stand corrected Gerry.
It’s just a very bad stat.
Reading the comments of Cardiff manager, we can expect a low block (park the bus) approach with long balls trying to play over our defence.
If we overcommit and don’t move the ball around smartly they can cause an upset.
We’ll have plenty of the ball, it’s what we do with it that’s important.
Whick hopefully means tons of shots from just outside the 18 yard area.
Watching after all tonight…Fingers crossed.
We should be able to win this with our second string. If we can’t get the result against a struggling Championship side, we deserve to go out. It’s as simple as that;
Martinez, Garcia, Konsa, Bogarde, Maatsen, Tielemans, McGinn, Bailey, Asensio, Rashford, Watkins.
Subs: Olsen, Zych, Digne, Rowe, Kamara, Rogers, Ramsey, Jimoh-Aloba.
Didn’t realise El Ghazi was playing for the Bluebirds? Deserves a warm welcome.
Chambers on the other hand can f*** right off!
😂
Nice to see and reassuring that Kamara is on the bench.
He’s key to us getting through the next round of the CL
After all the talk of a second string lineup, we are fielding a strong starting XI.
We need to go full throttle from the start like against Spurs and get the job done early. We know we probably will concede with their first effort on goal.
This is our best chance of silverware and it’s a cup I’ve never seen us win. I will be really pissed if we go out against Cardiff.
Rashford – great crosser of the ball
We are a s**te watch.
Blimey – that’s a bit early RSS 🙂
Hitch the forwards make the runs BUT the midfield are just so reluctant to hit the pass and this against a team that’s conceded 55 goals in 34 games?
It’s ridiculous!
Agreed RSS – but it’s Emery that wants them to play with ‘control’!
Is that what I’m enduring Hitch?
A controlled performance?
I’d say comatose would be more apt?
Not sure if you’re being ironic, Hitch. Nonetheless, I don’t want him crossing the ball. He’s way too wide and hss been since his debut. It won’t surprise me if he doesn’t score a single goal before his loan ends. And it wouldnt be entirely his fault. Is that why we brought him in? To hug the touchline? He’s capable of 25+ per season. But not from where he’s currently being deployed. A mistake, IMHO.
No, I wasn’t BFR.
Compare Rashford wide with Bailey!
Yeh, but it’s a waste, Hitch. Ramsey can do that, with Rashford central.
“We are a s**te watch.”
Agreed.
Totally boring and trying to play in front of them will just prove tedious at best.
It also makes us open to a counter.
Get in behind them. We’re physically and mentally way better; you can see it..
Agreed
Please refer to my above comment.
Bailey FFS!!!! PASS THE F****** BALL!!! It’s like watching a 9 year old play! 😡😡😡
And then Ghazi, like watching a 6 year old, crashing into his own player. 🤦
It’s fine is playing this stile as li g as the players are clinical. As soon as an opening is created then pass, but they don’t.
Konsa playing out from the back is way too slow.
Tielsman to slow and out of form – 2 great chances and fluffed them
Bailey wants to shoot and will not cross with his right foot
Rashford has put a couple of early crosses over and those were the bright moments to date
Tielemans not playing well – so far
He’s been miles off it for a few weeks, but is the best we have in his position, imo.
There you go, Bailey gets behind them, whips one in and tears them a new one.
That’s the way to go.
And then comically crashes into the advertising hordings.
Ollie would have missed them…
He misses most things.
Talk about parking the bus. No space at all.
As soon as I saw the 5 at the back lineup pre match, it was so obvious we’d struggle…
If they keep defending deep, Villa might want to consider some long range shooting when they get near the D. Asensio? Tielemans? McGinn? Rashford if he ever comes in?
Ooh, should have been a goal for Ollie then
Hmm
What is wrong with our decision making, it’s surely has to be tactical this holding onto the ball for way too long. Gone are the days when you used to have to do everything quicker
Ironic in a hypersonic world with instant gratification. Not with Villa.