The Villa never fail to do it, do they?
Raise your hopes and then fail to produce on a consistent basis, that is.
I was thinking about this yesterday and it led to me wondering why we’ve never any consistent success in my 50+ years of supporting the Villa. I mean, think about it and you’ll see what I’m on about.
Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Everton have all had good stints in the limelight, but the second city’s biggest club has never achieved on a similar level. Yes, we won the league and the European cup, along with a few league cups and they’re great achievements, but it just seems to me that we’ve never really had our fair share. After all, you could probably say that Leeds and Forest have had more success than us.
Of course, we’re not quite alone in this. Spurs, Newcastle and maybe others could be classed as similar, but I’d emphasise the second city part in our case. Mind you, I’ve never been convinced that Birmingham (the actual city) has had it’s fair share of much either. Certainly Manchester always seems to be pushed ahead of us, Liverpool has some sort of romanticism about it. Glasgow does too and as for London, well, I’m not even going there.
So what am I getting at?
I don’t know really, apart from hopes being raised and us nearly always failing to produce on the seeming promise.
And we did it again on Wednesday night against Brentford, in producing what I thought was a good first half performance after what I again think of us being poor for months and being on a bad run, in our league outings at least.
Have we turned the corner?
Squad news then and Ramsey is a couple of weeks away, but Onana is close and will be assessed this morning. Perhaps most concerning is the fact that Unai himself doesn’t know who will be available;
“Today I don’t know exactly which players are available for tomorrow – some are doubts, yesterday they were in some pain and as well some were really tired.
We are going to train now, this afternoon, but even training this afternoon, I think until tomorrow morning it’s not going to be clear for me which players will start the match”
Hence it would seem anybody might start.
As for Southampton, they have Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Flynn Downes and Tyler Dibling all back from injuries, but are still not in very good shape. Captain Jack Stephens starts a four match ban after a midweek sending off, Aaron Ramsdale is out with a finger injury, Paul Onuachu is a week away and a certain Jan Bednarek is touch and go. I believe they have other players out too so overall we’re probably doing fairly well injury-wise.
So there we have it. We’re at home to an injury ravaged team, that is struggling at the bottom end of the table. It should all be a very straightforward win to the Villa, shouldn’t it?
Except Southampton have the ability to break on you with very decent pace, something we all know we’ve been very susceptible too, with way we play such a high line. It’s looking pretty windy and that might affect things, so maybe a freaky sort of goal is very much a possibilty. That Dibling kid looks very useful and has a few very nice twists and turns in his box of tricks, combined with some decent pace that could see our right back posed with some very serious problems.
Prediction time then and I’m going to stick my neck out. If Mings plays (and yes, I thought he was great midweek) I’m feeling quite confident and will go for a 3-1 win to the Villa.
See, that’s what they do to you. One win and suddenly the world’s our lobster again!
Fingers crossed and Up the Villa!
Watkins has missed two good chances already which Duran probably would have converted. I think Ollie is in serious trouble in maintaining his number one striker role. He is a willing runner but tonight the ball is bouncing off him to the opposition too often. Their defence is rubbish and we have gifted them back into the game with poor communication between Martinez and his defenders. Would Mings have shouted out the danger?
We should be winning this game easily but now we could end up losing.
Agree.
As it’s Christmas time and Unai needs a plan B, may I suggest the late, great Terry Venable’s Christmas tree formation: 4, 3, 2 1.
4: Cash, Mings, Konsa, Digne (for CL, swap Mings for Torres)
3: McGinn, Kamara, Tielemans
2: Rogers (right), Watkins (left)
1: Duran
What d’ya think, chaps?
We should be comfortably in the top 8 blew it against brugge got fixed out of it by juventus and now fucking up against the bottom team absolutely soul destroying
I know what u mean. Let’s see what the second half brings. Let’s hope Santa is wearing his claret and blue socks…
Duran on. Ollie off. Duran has confidence on his side…
Ollie hasn’t.
Merry Christmas, Little8!
OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!!!!!!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Looking at Chelsea and their ridiculous depth of talent, aren’t you glad they didn’t prise Duran away in the summer?
Oh that lad!
Duran!!!!!!
Cock up for the goal apart we have played pretty well. Nice passing without going gung ho. Pretty good away European performance.
Who would think that two games ago we were rubbish and Emery had lost the plot.
JHONNYYYYYYYY!!!!
Var. Bollocks.
BOLLOCKS! F*** OFF! 😡
I’m liking the long balls being pinged from the defence to the final 3rd. Plan B? Or at least a piece of it coming to the fore? Better than playing out from the back bollocks.
Jesus but EMI is slow tonight
SHIIIIIIIIIITTT! 😡😡😡
This game is agony!!!!!
Fuck that Var oh yes this is agony agggghhhh
I tell my 7 year olds: never EVER pass sideways in your own half. Ever.
Torres. What the F are you doing???😡🤦
Carlos and Torres should be our backup CB’s. It should be Konsa and Mings as first choice IMO.
Agree.
Yeeesssssss!!!!!