First, some good news. My fibre install looks like it might be happening on Tuesday. It’s amazing how the threat of the Ombudsman can give a company like Openreach a kick up the proverbial. An engineer turned up on spec and did the exterior work midweek. I’m not generally the sort to complain, but 3 months and delay after delay, to do an hour’s work?
Other good news was that brilliant win at Brighton. The strange part is that I’d previously predicted us to lose that, but just before the game I changed my mind and actually thought we’d win it. I think it was reading the pre-match mail from the club, where it pointed out that we’d won our previous six games that did it. You may well be thinking that it’s easy to say that after the game has happened, but I couldn’t exactly say it beforehand as it was another period where my signal was just non-existent. I’m sure it varies depending on the wind.
Anyway, a few of us got together and we predicted the rest of this season’s games. Following my usual way of thinking, in expecting the worst with anything else a bonus, I think I’ve predicted us to lose the lot, apart from one draw.
But I’ve now changed my mind for this game and whereas I thought this would be way too tough for us, the fact that we’ve won our last seven has demonstrated to me that we really are quite a good side, albeit I think some of our football is boring as sin. I read an article the other day, that talked about Real Madrid being the masters of winning ugly in Champion’s league games and it reminded me of us. You don’t have to play swashbuckling, pretty football to be a good side is my point and I might be doing myself a favour if I try and keep that in mind. I do try and do that already, but knocking it round at the back and trying to “draw them in” is something that tries my patience.
Not that I’m expecting a boring game today. Forest are particularly good in counter-attacking and do it with real pace. But we’re pretty good at that too and it should make for a pretty open game with some end to end type stuff, you would think.
Squad news and Leon Bailey is close to returning after his paper cut heavy knock. Hmm.
And Ross Barkley is back in full training with the squad. I wouldn’t think he’ll take part, apart from giving someone a bit of a rest, but given that it seems Unai really rates him, I think Bailey might get more minutes if he is indeed fit. Certainly his pace could come in handy. It’s also just come to my attention that Ollie is nursing a knee problem which explains his absences of late.
As for Forest, Ola Aina has a calf issue, Chris Wood will have a last minute assessment and Callum Hudson-Odoi is available. It seems they’re in pretty good nick otherwise, but their website isn’t very forthcoming.
I like Forest as a neutral and am honestly pleased that it looks like they’re certs for the champion’s league. I always like to see new faces in Euro competitions, as I’m sure most footy fans do. Indeed my car’s previous owner was a “Nottingham Forest in the community” worker.
Not that I want them to win today and unfortunately, it looks like they might be one of the clubs keeping us from qualification this season.
For those who like to use previous meetings as a guide, we’re unbeaten in our last eight home league games against them. We’ve also scored at least twice in each of the past seven, a stat which surprises me.
So we’re on a roll, but Forest are too, because they’re unbeaten in their last six. Couple this with our previous recent history and the way both teams play, I’d expect a few goals. What concerns me is that Forest have a very good defence that may prove tough to break down, whereas we can leave ourselves very open at the back when we attack.
I’m tempted to predict a victory here and it would be great if we could do it, as it would massively boost our chances of fifth place.
But I’m going to remain cautious and say it’ll be a draw.
2-2 it is then.
UTV!
Looking at the fixtures in April…we (may) be knackered by the time we get to Wembley. We face PSG, Newcastle and City in the space of 7 days, then Wembley 4 days later. The only way to manage that is what Unai did against Forest – 2 teams that alternate. Malen and Garcia will have a big part to play in the league, as will, dare I say, Watkins. While Rashford and Asensio will take center stage for CL and FA Cup. Great to see Maatsen’s performance on Saturday, as I imagine he will also be starting many more games. Need Onana to step up and give Tielemans a break, and also Bailey to slot in and produce the goals and assists he’s capable of…
This how the top teams do it – 2 strong 11s, keep everyone fresh, and keep going!
UTV!!!
I think that performance of Maatsen’s was what we’ve been waiting to see. I could hardly see a position on Saturday where I was unimpressed by any of the changes… Onana is probably a bit rusty. He’s not played a lot this season. It’ll take the Mings/Desasi combination a while to click too.
It’s gonna be fun!!!!
How Leicester must rue sacking Cooper. It was around this time he went on a run with Forest and kept them up with a couple of games to spare. Replacing experience and know-how with a name = stupidity.
The foxes have thrown the towel in. Newcastle should rack up 7 or 8 if they fancy it…
Totally agree, Ron. Stupid short termism and blind panic. Leicester have had incredibly poor leadership at the very top. They certainly haven’t done themselves (or us) any favours tonight.
If Newcastle score 8 the go 3rd apparently!!!
They’ll go outright 4th on GD if they score 8 Bum Bum…
There are some players that are so bad, they could get a team relegated without assistance. Ramsdale is one: 3 relegations from the EPL now is some record. Another is Wout Faes. Leicester and incredibly Belgium are guaranteed to flop if he is playing.
Meanwhile, Citeh are willing to pay…wait for it…a full £42.5 million for Morgan Rogers.
Move the decimal point to the right and you’re probably closer. Who makes this sh*t up?
Contract expires: Jun 30, 2030
Pep give us a bell in 2029.
Ha! A mate told me about their alleged interest. That sum is hilarious!!! Try £150m. They’re trying to claw back some of the cash they wasted on Grealish.
36 hours until KO!
Did they waste it on Grealish? Or did they just waste Grealish? Some of the things he was doing on the pitch from our promotion season onwards were phenomenal. What Pep did was like buying Buckingham Palace then gutting it and painting it all white.
Bravo to Dean Smith, btw.
I must say that the pre-match experience at the Emirates is truly crap compared to ours. I honestly think that all the fireworks and tifos really helps to energise our lads.
A firecracker in each and every players’ undergarments if it guarantees we go through?
…I’ll hold a lit sparkler between my buttcheeks if we win it!
Don’t try that with a rocket. You may have seen that video clip from the US.
😆
So it’s Arsenal in the semis if we get past PSG? We can take them to penalties, at least. Big carrot.
But my head says PSG will scrape it over the two legs…
Just seeing the news about the fighting in Paris. I suggest that a club official has a serious word with a certain Mr Martinez to stop the shit-stirring, because it will be Villa fans who will feel the wrath of angry Parisians, not him; he’s putting people in danger for no other reason than to be a d***. Keep a clean sheet, and cut the crap.
A Villa – Inter final would be brilliant – plenty of history there! Kent Neilsen, Platty, Phil King, not to mention Pagliuca with his Villa tattoo!
I can’t guess what the master tactician has planned for this one. However he has assembled a best squad with no big game chokers, with exception of McGinn, and he may be hooked early if he goes AWOL.
McGinn a big game choker, OLL? See playoff final and last season against City and Arsenal – he pretty much dragged his team through those two league games. Very harsh.
According to CIES Football Observatory and based on their data Chelsea have three of the top 100 GK’s in the World and Martinez doesn’t figure in the top 100 at all.
Yeah right!
And BBC write an article on it without any critical consideration of the data used.
The BBC has changed Hitch. Some of their stuff has not been updated for months. Imagine they dropped their Business reporting just in time to miss the current fiasco.
Still no team news, I hope they are not waiting for anybody special.
The BBC is now awful. I rarely bother with it. I cancelled my licence fee last year.
Sorry all can’t get positive about tonight think it will be a 3-0 loss Paris are really good we have done amazing to get this far hope the boys prove me wrong
You’re probably right, Little. If they play like they did against Liverpool, we won’t cope and we won’t have the same luck, which means we could be at least 3 down by half time. We have to try and control the game and slow them right down. Easier said…
Have to admit I don’t half a clue about the result but I am going to say we don’t concede and Ollie comes on to score the winner.
Team news – Asensio on the bench for Villa, Rashford starts
published at 18:52 British Summer Time
18:52 BST
Paris St-Germain v Aston Villa (20:00 BST)
Paris St-Germain XI: Donnarumma, Hakimi (c), Lucas Beraldo, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Joao Nevez, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, Doue, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia.
Subs: Safonov, Tenas, Kimpembe, Goncalo Ramos, Lee, Hernandez, Mayulu, Barcolo, Zaire-Emery, Mbaye.
Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne, McGinn (c), Kamara, Tielemans, Ramsey, Rogers, Rashford.
Subs: Olsen, Proctor, Mings, Disasi, Maatsen, Bogarde, Onana, Barkley, Asensio, Watkins.
Come on Villa!!!!!!
John McGinn, OLL?
All that tension. And then…jumping up and down screaming like an ape! 🤣🤣🤣
F****** COME OOOOOOOOON!!!
Oh f*** it.
Shit, wrong thread. 😅
Same again second half, please…