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

225 Comments

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  1. swampduck
    swampduck December 28, 2015 at 4:49 pm . Reply

    just turned it of they are fucking utter crap crap crap and shit

  2. Dave67
    Dave67 December 28, 2015 at 4:49 pm . Reply

    Down we go. The sooner this season is over the better.

    1. Tekkers48
      Tekkers48 December 28, 2015 at 4:49 pm . Reply

      Season is over.

    2. Tekkers48
      Tekkers48 December 28, 2015 at 5:00 pm . Reply

      Now that we are all but confirmed as relegated. Those that attend the next home game should hang their heads in shame. The team, owners and club do not deserve our support anymore this season.

      1. OohAhPaulMcGrath
        OohAhPaulMcGrath December 28, 2015 at 5:05 pm . Reply

        Agree it’s all pointless now literally but we have plotted our own downfall. Every game this season there has been a defensive error that costs us at least one goal. Garde looks a broken man already tbh. Villa fans singing lamberks name that’s how bad it was

  3. Tekkers48
    Tekkers48 December 28, 2015 at 4:49 pm . Reply

    That’s it now. All over for us. Aston Villa have died as a club. No Heart left for the club now under the current setup. I now want the club to loose EVERY game until that twat Lerner leaves and takes all the assholes with him. We will build again but we are now on course for a decade in the lower leagues.

  4. #HELENIUS
    #HELENIUS December 28, 2015 at 4:50 pm . Reply

    So, we are at that point where people said to wait and see with this current squad……still disagree with the few of us who said this crop would be this shit???

    Its embarrassing.

  5. swampduck
    swampduck December 28, 2015 at 4:52 pm . Reply

    if you cant beat a team like norwich you best give up

    1. pat57
      pat57 December 28, 2015 at 4:52 pm . Reply

      I just have 🙁

  6. Stubbs
    Stubbs December 28, 2015 at 4:52 pm . Reply

    Rotterdam……….Rotherham………..Well they sound similar!!!

  7. Morgan Villa
    Morgan Villa December 28, 2015 at 4:53 pm . Reply

    Joke owner we need to force him out, nothing else will save this club. Signing a right back and playing him as a centre back because he refuses to play in his best position has been one of the weirdest things i have ever witnessed as a fan. Along with selecting Kieran Richardson ahead of any other plyer in our squad.

    I woke up this morning thinking we had a chance I saw the team sheet and thought wtf, the only reason i can think is the fitness level in the squad

  8. GIDDYVILLAN
    GIDDYVILLAN December 28, 2015 at 4:54 pm . Reply

    SHITE the mighty Mackems up next.

  9. Morgan Villa
    Morgan Villa December 28, 2015 at 4:56 pm . Reply

    I would dread playing The Witton Arms B team atm

    1. GIDDYVILLAN
      GIDDYVILLAN December 28, 2015 at 4:59 pm . Reply

      Don’t they play in a league above us??

  10. VillaAwayInDiv3
    VillaAwayInDiv3 December 28, 2015 at 5:00 pm . Reply

    soon will do

  11. GIDDYVILLAN
    GIDDYVILLAN December 28, 2015 at 5:01 pm . Reply

    Local derby with possibly Walsall next season to look forward to.

  12. Tekkers48
    Tekkers48 December 28, 2015 at 5:07 pm . Reply

    Aston Villa , Sunderland , Man Utd & Liverpool. All underachieving, All under American ownership. Haven’t got a clue about sport this side of Atlantic.

    1. OohAhPaulMcGrath
      OohAhPaulMcGrath December 28, 2015 at 5:21 pm . Reply

      Very true though Cheksea are Russian owned and city by Arabs arnt doing great either. But agree Americans don’t get football. Some years ago AMERICAN owners tried to get relegation banned to protect their investment so basically they would reap in the RB money and spend nothing. Fortunately this was rejected

    2. Bum Bum
      Bum Bum December 28, 2015 at 6:00 pm . Reply

      And none have any respect for the game…Just fucking greedy money obsessed bastards. Allegedly…snore…

  13. Stubbs
    Stubbs December 28, 2015 at 5:08 pm . Reply

    At least there owners attend the games!

    1. OohAhPaulMcGrath
      OohAhPaulMcGrath December 28, 2015 at 5:23 pm . Reply

      True

  14. bencey83
    bencey83 December 28, 2015 at 5:10 pm . Reply

    Garde is clueless. I thought we played well against West Ham and deserved to win. So why make so many changes? I reckon we could have got a result against Norwich. The only change I would have made was to drop Hutton. All West Ham’s chances came down the left. Hutton pushes forward all the time and doesn’t track back. He’s always out of position or wrong side of his man and attackers have so much space when they play against him. He clearly loves getting forward and getting crosses in, so play him as a winger or not at all. Why drop Okore and Lescott, who have done nothing wrong in the last couple of games, and bring Clarke back in, who continually costs us games with his ball watching and poor positioning? And why Richardson, Bacuna and Hutton were all playing, I’ll never understand! I even thought Gestede looked threatening against West Ham, so why drop him for an ineffective Sinclair? I just don’t understand it! As soon as I saw the changes he’d made, I gave up my last glimmer of hope and lost all faith in him as a manager. He clearly can’t see what the problems are to put them right.

    1. third generation villian
      third generation villian December 28, 2015 at 5:31 pm . Reply

      i agree entirely,

      sherwood played 9 games this season got 1 win and 4 points

      Garde played 10 games this season won 0 and 4 points

      Allardyce played 8 games this season won 3 and 9 points

      Pullis played 19 games this season won 6 and 23 points

      Just another crap managerial appointment by lerner and i am sorry to say we will not be back till he sells the club and the club is rebuilt from top to bottom and its just my opinion but i don’t believe he is trying to sell the club its just a smoke screen so he does not have invest in the club till he recoups his money from the o’neil years.

  15. steve
    steve December 28, 2015 at 5:10 pm . Reply

    i’ve got to go to my sister in laws now. what a shit day.

    1. Stubbs
      Stubbs December 28, 2015 at 5:24 pm . Reply

      Tell her I’ll be round about 9.

      1. Bum Bum
        Bum Bum December 28, 2015 at 6:03 pm . Reply

        You know she’s 19 stone don’t you??? 🙂

        1. Stubbs
          Stubbs December 28, 2015 at 7:58 pm . Reply

          Well they say size matters

    2. Morgan Villa
      Morgan Villa December 28, 2015 at 5:28 pm . Reply

      No point in tring to get another manager sacked time to force Lerner out and Fox

      1. OohAhPaulMcGrath
        OohAhPaulMcGrath December 28, 2015 at 7:30 pm . Reply

        Easier to sack manager. We need someone like Pearson that can hit the ground running and knows what it takes. Can’t stand the guy but he’s our only chance

        1. Stubbs
          Stubbs December 28, 2015 at 8:06 pm . Reply

          Mate be realistic, It doesn’t matter who we get in. Although not great Mcleash, Lambert, Sherwood, Garde, Mcdonald, Mccallister, Houllier can’t all be shit. Like most of said on previous threads no matter who the manager is we are ruined as a club.

          Going down and re-building is maybe the way forward but not with this current regime. We need to be sold and then let the new owner(s) build us back up. Although I have a feeling Lerner will take us down then bring us back up claiming we are a stronger outfit both on and off the field and he has a new 5 year plan for us.

          We need to start fresh from the top and that means a new owner, a new board and a new belief because under this current regime there is non.

          1. OohAhPaulMcGrath
            OohAhPaulMcGrath December 28, 2015 at 8:17 pm . Reply

            Once we are down it could take a generation or more to get bk up its really hard nowadays.

          2. Stubbs
            Stubbs December 28, 2015 at 8:30 pm . Reply

            I agree but we’d have more chance of coming back without our current owner and board.

  16. swampduck
    swampduck December 28, 2015 at 5:11 pm . Reply

    shit

  17. swampduck
    swampduck December 28, 2015 at 5:15 pm . Reply

    don’t know how they can take the money after that performance fucking crap

  18. jvillan
    jvillan December 28, 2015 at 5:21 pm . Reply

    how could not starting team of
    bunn
    bacuna richards lescott clark
    traore gana vertout ayew
    gil kozak
    been worse than shit put out

    1. bencey83
      bencey83 December 29, 2015 at 12:39 pm . Reply

      Can’t anyone see that Clarke is our worst defender?! Why do people rate him?! He doesn’t mark his man and ball watches. Richards was also guilty of this for the first Norwich goal, but I’ll let him off, as he’s generally very good. Clarke seems to make the same mistakes over and over again. He left his man totally unmarked for the second Norwich goal. Both goals could have been easily avoided. Hutton is just as bad, plus he doesn’t track back, is often out of position, and gives his man too much space. The coaching staff need to be addressing these issues in training, but nothing seems to be changing! Our defenders keep getting sucked to the ball and don’t seem to have an awareness that there is a totally unmarked player in behind them. I’ll never understand how this can happen game after game at Premier League level! Even in the Championship we will get punished for this.

  19. Stubbs
    Stubbs December 28, 2015 at 5:22 pm . Reply

    Garde still claiming we are good enough to stay up, if he actually picked a decent attacking line up, like he has available, maybe we would win games but whilst he persists with the same players that continuously let him down we won’t win nothing.

  20. swampduck
    swampduck December 28, 2015 at 5:22 pm . Reply

    going down no way back from this and don’t deserve to stay up

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