VillaChris

26 minutes ago, villan95 said:

Oh obviously we are capable of beating both but I think the matches v Liverpool and Chelsea could go either way for both teams.

Home v away advantage means nothing though? Spurs have only actually beaten us on the road since December so they're actually in their worst away run of the season.

Huddersfield complete s***.

Must win game and they haven't had one shot on goal.

Really going down with a whimper. Guy in charge was managing in the Bundesliga two years ago aswell.

Just now, villan95 said:

Can't trust Liverpool to beat Spurs. Still think we need another 6 points.

Again Chelsea and Liverpool just going to hand the game to Spurs...but play lights out v us. We've got both at VP, Spurs have to play them infront of their home fans where it's different expectations and teams find extra 10% if they're starting to get on their backs.

All we have to do is match Spurs results v them and then get 4 points off Brighton-Palace and then Spurs would have to do the same v Arsenal and Man. City which is a tough ask.

22 minutes ago, tinker said:

Liverpool,  what a mess, klopp kicking off with the substitutes before they came on, Salah lost it with him. Bit of a car crash end to his lpool career. 

Get our set pieces right on the day and we'll beat them.

Way to look at things now.

Spurs got two games in hand. Let's just give them two wins v Burnley and Sheffield United. If that's not by a combined 5 goals they're still below us.

To finish above us they'd then have to do a point better than us in these four fixtures: Arsenal and Man. City at home, Chelsea and Liverpool away.

That's a very tough ask for me. If people are saying they can beat Chelsea and Liverpool then why can't we seeing as we're playing both at home.

We also have Brighton who just want the season to end now and we do very well against them even when they're in form as we saw in the September match.

We'd really have to throw away 4th now. We were vulnerable after the Man. City and Brentford games and Spurs completely messed up the chance to put us under even more pressure by losing heavily at Newcastle.

Since then we've played with far more confidence in the prem games so it's really hard to see us suddenly choking. Also don't think Olympiakos will be as taxing as the Lille games were and we also have extra recovery from the second leg so to me it's all looking pretty good.

15 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

Cameron Jerome playing and someone scoring in the football league today. Fair play to him he's still in there for the love of the game.

140 goals in 650 odd games. What a shit record for a non target man.

The typical too good for the championship (at his peak) not good enough for prem type.

37 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

West Brom will beat Wednesday and help them.

Think all Sheff Weds need to do to stay up is win at Sunderland.

They're basically down with two draws so would be comical if Rowett plays the final two like he did Rotherham. Judging by his comments today he realises they'll need to have more of a go so that will leave more space between midfield and defence and Huddersfield do have pace in the final third.

Sheff Weds need to just match their results now so would finish above them drawing their final two. They couldn't finish above Plymouth on 48 points unless Plymouth lost their last two games by six goals.

I'd say it's looking far more likely they're going this time compared to other years personally.

49 points and they're still down if Plymouth draw one game (and don't lose the other heavily), Blackburn draw one game and Sheff Weds win one of their final two games.

8 hours ago, Cmac said:

Palmer back but no gusto or Chilwell so full backs be weak for Chelsea. Enzo out as well but given how he is playing, not sure if that’s good or bad. At home under the lights, we should be looking to win this! 

Carney and Sterling doubts so basically their front line will be Palmer in number 10 position with Mudryk and Mudeke either side, they really don't have anyone else and bench will be full of kids.

14 hours ago, RichW said:

Hope Brighton play like this next week (they won’t). Some of the passing out from the back has been ridiculous!

Why wouldn't they? Their record v us is abysmal in the last four years so even when they're clicking their style doesn't really click v us.

We won 6-1 v them when they'd won 5 of their first 6 prem games of the season. 

11 hours ago, omariqy said:

Yeah he’s back 

Played three games v us and hasn't scored yet so he's not some jinx player to face for us just yet.

1 hour ago, VillaAlex said:

I was thinking it may have been Anwar, he was pretty poor in the COVID season and had the shocker against Everton away. But the season after he was hitting them in from everywhere.

Whereas Trez kinda saved our arse after the return from the break. 

He'd been with us the previous season on loan so I assumed his partner had moved over from the Netherlands by then compared to our 2019-20 intake. Can't have been Gulibert or Engels as neither played for us much after that season resumed and Wes was of course sadly injured.

Interesting Newcastle wanted him in summer 2019, he'd have flopped like Gerrard did and admitted as much in the interview. Think the other serious job offer while he was here was from Boro (Sunderland interview came after he left).

Ansu Fati has flopped aswell, came in with huge expectations and think he's started about five games.

One of those seasons though where if Man. United, Newcastle and Chelsea all moan they've dropped down the league due to having ten injuries then Brighton will certainly drop down the league having ten injuries.

Just watching the podcast now....I assume the player he's talking about from 8 minutes is Samatta as his performances massively declined as soon as football returned during lockdown.

I was genuinely wondering what had happened as he'd looked o.k in the 4-5 games he first played.

Edit: Might've been Trez given he did alright the next season according to Terry.

Certainly limping to the end of the season now. I thought they'd pick up again after exiting Europa but hasn't happened.

Their transfer strategy is rightly lauded but I think last few months have shown the drawbacks of it. If I'm right they replaced Caciedo and Alexis Mac with Dahoud (clearly didn't settle and now back in Bundesliga), Baleba (promising but just a kid) and Lallana?!!!! Milner would probably be playing central midfield if he was fit currently. Gilmour was doing o.k but that's a real downgrade in a key part of the pitch and why De Zerbi is moaning so much so a little chink and we'll see what they do in the next window as the spark has gone from their play big time and this is how teams slowly fall back down the premier league.

On 23/04/2024 at 21:47, villan95 said:

There's a chance he picks Gomez over Konsa though

Gomez played about four games for Liverpool (after endless years of injuries), got injured again and has since been warming the bench again so that would be a nonsense pick.

Think it will just be the same as last few tournaments. Three RBs and Trippier will just cover the LB spot (and possibly have to play there). England same as all other tournaments, some great attackers but feels like one injury to Rice and it will all fall apart. Also left hand side pretty weak with Maguire and probably going to have to gamble on Shaw when he's barely played second half of the season, can't see him lasting a full tournament and Chilwell was abysmal in the March games.

I'm actually disappointed it's gone up to 26 as was looking forward to Southgate actually having to make some tough calls but now he'll have the space to call up all his old mates. I don't really understand why it hasn't gone down to 23 as you can still name them all on the bench and have 5-6 sub option so that's enough to rotate and keep people fresh surely?

6 hours ago, rubberman said:

Yep, no Enzo and Gusto unlikely. Really hope Palmer is still sick as well.

Would still bring in Doug to help own midfield and drop one of Diaby or Bailey (depending on his knee) and give us more oomph from the bench.

Gusto out would be great. Alfie Gilchirst looks like that token local player in their squad who's won a prize to play prem as he gives 100% but playing Arsena was simply too much for him.

We're missing a trick if we don't continue getting the ball forward quickly and have Ollie moving to the left as him with Digne on the overlap will overwhelm him I imagine. Only other option is to move one of the CBs to RB.

Just now, Zhan_Zhuang said:

I also feel Villa can beat Liverplop; if we maintain our form and win that it would be amazing.

We played very well right at the end of last season at Anfield when they were in better form than they are now (we're the same level pretty much) so not sure why that's automatically being written off.

It's not even Klopp's final game and they'll save all their energy for his home farewell.

On 23/04/2024 at 14:43, Wainy316 said:

Excellent pricing again and for a European semi final!

Softening us up for the inevitable season ticket bombshell?

I've been surprised by how good the prices have been for these knock out ties. Would not have criticised the club one bit if they'd ramped them up to prem levels given how rare SF games are at VP in last 30 years.

Given the Chelsea match was also 20-30 quid they've clearly learnt from the nonsense of the Everton league cup so more of the same next season please.

Must admit I thought Liverpool were only on 71 points so thought we were right on their tails.

Yeah 8 point gap is too much. It's a bit like trying to catch Newcastle last season when they had a dip in form.

On 23/04/2024 at 23:09, HanoiVillan said:

You're not going to believe this, but apparently 'a study' has declared that they had a 54 point something percent chance of staying up with Sala in the team, so they have rounded that up to 100 and then billed Nantes the entire cost of relegation as they see it. 

Absolute scumbag club, always have been. 

Genuinely can't understand how that could ever stand up in a court of law. Sala could've scored 10 goals for them in the prem....but they could've all been consolation goals in 2-1 defeats.

It's like us signing Samatta in Jan 2020. He scored twice I think and they were both goals in games we lost so really no difference if anything had happened to him like poor Sala.

1 hour ago, duke313 said:

Big rebuild needed, Nunez an £80m flop; Salah finished, probably Saudi bound; midfield non-existent apart from Mac Allister; VVD declining.  Slot, if it is him next season, has a massive job on his hands.  Is Trent going to stick about for the rebuild?  Weren't Madrid interested in him?  Can see him going if an offer comes in.

We'll finish above them next season.

Their midfield is o.k. Still lacks a top quality DM but they've been playing Alexis Mac deeper than he was at Brighton as the tempo setter. Szoboszlai is a good player aswell although he does have a tendency to take so many more touches than needed when in the box.

I was going to put the we'll finish above them line aswell but have to see how we juggle europe again as even Europa League will be higher intensity than what we've faced for most of this season. Think more Lille standard teams if we make the CL from earlier in the season. Also two extra games by end of January.

They'll drop down the league though. Klopp + Salah very likely leaving in the same summer and Van Dijk making noises now so that would be three huge personalities on and off the pitch to lose within 12 months.

16 hours ago, burchy said:

Everyone is raving about Yoro as a CB but I like the look of ZeZe at Nantes. Left footed and only 18, one for the future perhaps?

Medina would also be a decent shout at LB/CBL too. 

Mentioned Medina a few years back and he's since played CL for Lens and played very well v Arsenal in a back 3 in the home game.

Don't think he's played much for Argentina so could get him for a decent price.

Doing nothing if Nunez is their main CF next season that's for sure.

Robertson has also declined quite a bit so they'll be needing upgrades in 2-3 areas so going to be a real challenge for Arnie Slot or Anorim as they'll inevitably lose intensity from Klopp leaving with his style.

2 hours ago, Keyblade said:

We need to play Diaby and Bailey together again. Keep the pressure on Cucurella all game. Keep Dougie on the bench til 60 mins. Tielemans and McGinn have been working so well together.

I think Luiz will come straight back in as have to be careful Chelsea's three centrally don't overrun us like in the cup. Palmer if back will also come inside constantly.

Can't really drop Rodgers based on how good he's been in last month so think Diaby will miss out on this one.