Villa – Ipswich; A shoe-in, yes?

Or is it?

This should be dead easy. Ipswich are second bottom in the league and have gained a solitary point from their last 18. Even that was six games ago, meaning they’ve lost the last five games on the trot. Easy and this should be a gift of three points for us.

Except we very rarely do easy, do we? We couldn’t even beat Ipswich last time we played them, after all.

We should give ourselves every chance in this game if we manage to not let them score early, as most other teams manage to do . How nice was it for us to get an early goal against Spurs? Do the same today and it’ll be game over, I would think.

Squad news and foremost is that Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings are both in contention. Mings, as much as I’m not his biggest fan, is at least a proper defender and is sorely needed with the injury position we’re in. More good news is that our new loan signing, Axel Disasi is available after being cup-tied against Spurs. He’s only played six games this season, but even so, I’d expect him to come straight into the team. Mind you, we all know Unai isn’t afraid to play square pegs in round holes, so you never know. He may decide that Disasi isn’t ready. Given that Ipswich don’t score many, it wouldn’t surprise me.

On the downside, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Matty Cash, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley are all still out, with no updates on how they’re progressing.

As for Ipswich, Sammie Szmodics will be assessed after he had a setback with an ankle injury last week. Conor Chaplin, Christian Walton, Wes Burns and Chiedozie Ogbene are all out but goalkeeper Alex Palmer, who made his debut last weekend after joining from West Brom, could play his first Premier League game.

For the stattos amongst us, here’s a couple; Ipwich have only beaten us once in our last 14 meetings and they’ve only beaten us twice at Villa park in the last 44 years. Everything seems to be in our favour, doesn’t it? Which, knowing us, makes it scary.

Prediction time then and I simply cannot see us losing this one. Indeed, I think we should get a few goals today. That said, there’s another stat we’re probably vaguely aware of. We’ve only kept one clean sheet in our last 14 games.

So any score is invariably going to end in a -1

And I’m going for 3-1. I could easily see it being a bigger victory if we manage to motivate ourselves, but I see the lads subconciously taking it easy and the tractor boys giving us a tough time.

UTV!

198 Comments

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  1. Bill Pearson
    Bill Pearson February 15, 2025 at 12:36 pm . Reply

    A clean sheet would be nice Badger, and as for Mings I’d be a lot more comfortable with him marshalling our defence, well I’m not predicting as bad for my health and I get pissed off getting it wrong yes I like to see our new lads playing. UTV.

  2. Alfie Ricketts
    Alfie Ricketts February 15, 2025 at 12:57 pm . Reply

    Comparing Ipswich at home to Ipswich away, in my opinion, is an unfair judgement, simply because it is so difficult to play away against any PL opposition or any opposition in England to be honest, no matter who you are. (e.g look at what the Blues, to their credit, did last week, leyton orient, plymouth etc.

    So these are completely different games.

    I will get the negativity out the way and say we will definitely concede and it will more than likely be Liam Delap putting us down, probably before I’ve got in the stadium.

    But I can see us winning today, maybe 2-1 or 3-1 but it wouldn”t shock me if we slip up, again. But I can see the new signings making an impact, and I am, like you, looking forward to seeing Disasi.

    If we don’t win here I can’t see how we’re going to finish in the top 5. Will be reactionary but we should turn focus to FA Cup and Champions League. Anyways, hopefully we don’t have to worry about that, I will be leaving soon en route to VP as usual! UTV 🙂

  3. Bum Bum
    Bum Bum February 15, 2025 at 1:12 pm . Reply

    I hate Ed Sheeran. Does that help the dabate any?
    4-0.

    1. Bum Bum
      Bum Bum February 15, 2025 at 1:13 pm . Reply

      …debate any…(Can we have an edit function)?

    2. Alfie Ricketts
      Alfie Ricketts February 15, 2025 at 1:15 pm . Reply

      I like his music, he’ll probably find a way past our defence with his musical notes, albeit a pluck of a guitar string would probably see us sticking our arms in the air for an invisible offside 🙂

      *cough cough* Ezri Konsa!

  4. Bill Pearson
    Bill Pearson February 15, 2025 at 1:38 pm . Reply

    Can you all stop being a Bet Fred Please I know we all would like to win then again it’s football and get prats like Oliver and Dean were f”£k . I’m worried as it is that we are not where we should be, today’s game is a must for us but should we not forget CL .
    any news yet on the team? . UTF

  5. DSVilla
    DSVilla February 15, 2025 at 2:33 pm . Reply

    Routine win today. What are you all worried about?

  6. Gerry
    Gerry February 15, 2025 at 2:38 pm . Reply

    E. Martínez
    L. Digne
    B. Kamara
    A. Disasi
    Andrés García
    Y. Tielemans
    J. McGinn (c), Captain
    J. Ramsey
    M. Rogers
    D. Malen
    O. Watkins

    Substitutes
    Marco Asensio
    L. Bogarde
    J. Jimoh-Aloba
    I. Maatsen
    T. Mings
    R. Olsen
    M. Rashford
    O. Zych

  7. Texas Villan
    Texas Villan February 15, 2025 at 2:53 pm . Reply

    No Bailey even on the bench?

    1. Holte
      Holte February 15, 2025 at 2:55 pm . Reply

      Devastating news 😏

  8. Holte
    Holte February 15, 2025 at 2:54 pm . Reply

    This is a must win game if we want 4th / 5th. Pool and Chelsea to follow us a tough run.
    Disasi needs to be up and running from the start and I’m sure Ipswich will identify this as our weak link.
    A positive start like last week is needed with more ruthless finishing.
    I think we will win 2-1 because we are almost certain to concede.

  9. DSVilla
    DSVilla February 15, 2025 at 2:59 pm . Reply

    4-1

  10. Texas Villan
    Texas Villan February 15, 2025 at 3:04 pm . Reply

    Clear handball outside the box and no VAR check. Let normal service resume.

  11. Sidforever
    Sidforever February 15, 2025 at 3:17 pm . Reply

    What’s wrong with Kamara?

  12. Bill Pearson
    Bill Pearson February 15, 2025 at 3:27 pm . Reply

    4-1 who said that? Be lucky we win this from what I’m seeing. no urgency in this game up till now.

    1. DSVilla
      DSVilla February 15, 2025 at 3:56 pm . Reply

      Have faith Bill. Goals will come

  13. Holte
    Holte February 15, 2025 at 4:03 pm . Reply

    A half to forget. We need Asensio to offer the skills to beat a low block. Maybe take Watkins off and switch Malen to CF.

  14. Bill Pearson
    Bill Pearson February 15, 2025 at 4:03 pm . Reply

    Well, 45 minutes gone and 0-0 against 10 men, watching this game we have lost the flow of passing and positional play no urgency no aggression, we are going to win 5-0
    and a few flying pigs on the ground.

  15. OLL again
    OLL again February 15, 2025 at 4:06 pm . Reply

    I have just been binge-watching Peaky Blinders. Strange isn’t it, back then people in Birmingham could shoot straight. This afternoon that has been our obvious failing. More practice please.

  16. Holte
    Holte February 15, 2025 at 4:18 pm . Reply

    0-1. Forget Champions League next season! Too slow again.

    1. The Ron Saunders Stand
      The Ron Saunders Stand February 15, 2025 at 4:25 pm . Reply

      Nanny McPhee and his set pieces are W*”k.

      1. The Ron Saunders Stand
        The Ron Saunders Stand February 15, 2025 at 4:30 pm . Reply

        No bullshit from that free kick and look what happens.

  17. little8
    little8 February 15, 2025 at 4:24 pm . Reply

    Fuckin rubbish again just can’t get our league season going absolutely awful

  18. Bill Pearson
    Bill Pearson February 15, 2025 at 4:37 pm . Reply

    too much tip tap and not going forward is the problem, there you go a goal from a free kick tells us to get up the field. nearly had another from the new player. we got to go forward.

    1. The Ron Saunders Stand
      The Ron Saunders Stand February 15, 2025 at 4:59 pm . Reply

      Sorry Badger but Chesty just don’t do it for me, too often totally ineffective and gives the ball away in dangerous positions just far too often.

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