RichW

Thread might not be pretty if Brighton do go and beat Man Utd Thursday night though! You say Brighton have been patchy recently, their league home form since the World Cup reads W5 D1 L1 so they are good at home. Lets hope Wolves are just as non-interested the weekend.

Couple of months ago I was firmly in the camp that Europe was a season too early for this squad but looking at West Ham and Leicester this season you can just never plan for Europe. Have to take the opportunity when it comes as breaking into the top 7 is reliant on one of the traditional “big 6” to have a bad season.

One thing have to factor in with Brightons remaining games is by the time they play Newcastle and Man City is whether those teams have already qualified for the Champions League or won the league. I’m expecting Brighton to beat Man Utd, Everton and Southampton but lose the 3 away ones but football doesn’t always work like that. That would leave them on 61 going into the final day. Everton could grab a draw there but Brighton are capable of getting a draw in those away games especially if Newcastle/Man City have achieved their objective by then. I think Brighton will just be out of reach by the final day for us especially with the goal difference. I wish Villa could rest our 3 best players and still batter a poor team 6-0. Man Utd throwing away a 2 goal lead the other night is probably the most frustrating thing, even a point advantage over Spurs would have been a bonus.

Well that’s where me and you differ. I would happily take Europa Conference considering we were 11th for months and were miles off the top 7. Not convinced if we qualified for the Conference league instead of Europa it would impact the transfers that much. Difference between Champions League and Europa League yes, Europa and Conference I don’t think so. If the Europa Conference is good enough for Jose Mourinho, it’s good enough for me. I think if any Premier League team took it seriously they would win it and I want to see Villa win a trophy in my lifetime.

Well I’m thinking Brighton beat Man Utd and Everton and Southampton but lose the others but then feel like Everton could easily get a 0-0 there but also Brighton could nick a draw in one of the games I feel like they will lose. I’m just focusing on Spurs as the one we need to finish above the at the moment If we do lose at Wolves then means gotta get something at Liverpool which like today I’m not confident is something we can do. Spurs game at Villa Park is crucial though, lose that then I struggle to see how finish above Brighton or Spurs. They’ve shown today it probably won’t be as easy game as I thought it might be.

I take it you don’t want Villa to play in the Europa Conference then? 5th going to be difficult as can’t see past Liverpool with their remaining fixtures. I’m not looking at just Brighton though, nothings changed with Spurs this weekend from what I can see.

Earlier in this thread I had Villa to be on 58 points going into the last day with Brighton on 61 and Spurs 60. Had Villa to lose today, draw with Wolves, beat Spurs and lose to Liverpool. Even said I expected Brighton to win their 3 home games before they played yesterday so not sure how you can say I’m one who thinks champions league is still on and calling anybody negative when people probably thinking I’m being negative. Villa lost, Spurs lost so nothing has changed. Liverpool will most likely finish 5th and Villa will need to better Spurs results in the next 4 games for European football which was the case before this weekend. It will go to the last day and as I’ve wrote previously, if Villa need to beat Brighton last day of the season for Europe I’m confident they will do it. Next 2 games are crucial, 4 points minimum needed I think. Anything less then that then will be relying on other teams.

What’s changed? Was always going to be a tough game today against team that are strong at home. Spurs are losing 3-1 Liverpool so if anything we could gain on goal difference today.

Todays result hasn’t changed much, I wrote off this game and Anfield beforehand any points today would have been a bonus. Spurs is the big game but can’t afford a loss at Wolves next week.

Buendia can be frustrating at times but his also one of my favourite players to watch in this team. If he was to pick up an injury/suspension and was missing for a couple of games I bet people would be screaming for his return. After Mings, Martinez, Watkins, Kamara his probably the next player we have to have fit as we’ve not got anybody in the squad like him. Coutinho can’t stay fit, and doesn’t really play 90 minutes either.

No idea if it will be 5th, 6th or 7th but only way I can see Villa not getting into Europe is if lose to Spurs which I don’t think will happen.

Well hopefully can get something tomorrow or at Anfield. I’m thinking more likely tomorrow as if villa do get something tomorrow and Man Utd lose to Brighton then Liverpool might think they can still finish top 4 going in our game.

It’s going to go the last day of the season for sure. I haven’t done one of them predictor things but if I was going to predict a worst case scenario for Villas/Spurs/Brighton final fixtures going into the final game of the season. I would think something like this Villa - Man Utd L, Wolves D Spurs W Liverpool L 58 points Brighton - Man Utd W, Everton W Arsenal L Newcastle L Southampton W Man City L 61 points Spurs - Liverpool L Palace W Villa L Brentford W 60 points Villa v Spurs is going to be a must win I feel, but if can beat Wolves and get a positive result against Man Utd/Liverpool could be on 62 points ish going into the last day. Only worry for me with Brighton is if they manage to get anything out of Arsenal/Newcastle/Man City then could be on more points if they do. I don’t see them dropping points in the other 3 games. With Spurs they are probably going to be playing a Palace side on the beach now they have hit 40 points and by the time they play Brentford I can see them being on the beach aswell so good chance for 2 home wins there. Away from home I don’t expect them to get anything and if Leeds need to win to stay up last day I don’t think Spurs will win there. If Villa need a result last day to get Europe I’d be very confident Villa would get it, especially since Brighton will have had to play Man City 4 days before.

Brighton were always gonna show a reaction to the week they’ve had though didn’t expect them to be so comfortable at half time when I saw that line up. Still a very good team. Pretty sure they would have seen these 3 home games as all winnable. Key players rested for them for Man Utd in mid -week so again think they will go and win that game. I will only start worrying about Brighton’s results if they somehow manage to nick a win in them 2 away games against Newcastle and Arsenal as I just don’t see them getting anything there.

Well their home form is pretty good, so wouldn’t be a surprise unfortunately

Well hopefully my prediction is wrong as if they do drop points in them fixtures would only make me confident Villa will finish above them. Wolves are in form at home correct, away from home they are not. 1 win away from home all year and that was to Southampton. Don’t see anything there that would suggest Wolves will get anything. Everton gotta go all the way back to 1st October for their last away win, again that was at Southampton. At best I think they will get a 0-0 like at Palace but not got no confidence in that. Hopefully I can look back at this post and I’m wrong but I don’t think my predictions are ridiculous as you say. Brightons fixtures against Arsenal, Newcastle, Man City and Villa I’d be surprised if they got even 4 points out of that lot so they probably will tail off with those games.

After playing that FA Cup semi final I don’t think it was a great surprise they lost away to a Forest side absolutely desperate for points. You say trounced, Brighton still had some very good chances to score that game so it’s not like Brighton were poor. Wolves are poor away from home, there will be a reaction from Brighton today. It’s pretty well known how poor Man Utd are away to the top half this season, they literally just threw a 2 goal away to what’s a poor Spurs side? Brighton will no doubt be up for beating them, you know just like how Newcastle did against Man Utd before they played us? Brighton undoing will be the away fixtures to Arsenal and Newcastle after aswell as the 2 tough fixtures they have after the Southampton game (another game I expect them to win). Well if Villa were to play Man Utd and Wolves at Villa Park coming up then I’d probably be just as confident Villa would win those so yes.

Start of 3 home games in a row for Brighton today. Expect them to get 9/9 points from those games so if they do drop any points it would be a bonus. Think possibly Everton might be able to get a 0-0 there but think Wolves and Man Utd will be comfortable wins for them.

Bit frustrating that Spurs have got Palace at home next weekend. Even though I think Villa won’t get anything this weekend, if did manage to beat Man Utd and Wolves could have been going into that Spurs game knowing a draw/win would have sealed European football with 2 games to spare. Expect Palace to be on the beach by that game unfortunately.

Think this is going to be the game where it's a game too far for the players we have got atm. Hopefully Man Utd should be feeling the effects of a busy week here but as we have seen in the past with Villa it never seems to work that way. Gonna presume it will be the same starting eleven and that we won't have any of the injured players come back. Key will be to still be in the game before the inevitable Eriksen substitution in the second half as they seem to struggle to control the game when he goes off and they've got not anybody else like him. Man Utd have struggled away from home but at Old Trafford they have been very, very good. Villa to play well but predict a narrow loss with VAR controversy.

Spurs managed to draw with them at home. Pretty much every top team have got something against Man Utd at their own grounds. Old Trafford has been a different story.

I've already accepted that Liverpool are probably going to finish 5th but 6th is there for the taking. Like Newcastle away last week, I just cannot see Spurs getting anything at Anfield this weekend. Any points Spurs are going to get is at home, they will probably beat on-the-beach Palace and maybe on-the-beach Brentford but can't see them getting anything from their away fixtures, even Leeds will probably have to beat them to try and stop up. Just gotta hope Man Utd can avoid losing tonight.

It helps that they are out, I was hoping Fernandes and Rashford would be out but Rashford came back last week and Fernandes is meant to be fit for tonight's game so looks like they won't be missing for the weekend unless get injuries tonight. Regardless of their injuries, their home form has been very good this season, you can't ignore that. Away from home against decent opposition they've been found out but at Old Trafford teams have not been going away with many points this season. Villa can be 2-0 up on Sunday and I still wouldn't feel confident will get something from the game. Not sure why people are saying they'd be disappointed if don't pick up anything at Old Trafford especially if it looks like Villa haven't got any injured players coming back to make changes to what looked like a tired side against Fulham.

Not sure there has been any reliable source that said they were close to getting it signed? Just that they were in talks. These things can take time and i'd imagine the club and Watkins are probably waiting till the end of the season to sort it since currently in a race for europe.

Need Man Utd to get at least a draw tonight, then it will just become a case of bettering Spurs results over the remaining 5 games which is something I'm confident Villa can do. My predictions for the remaining 5 games:- Man Utd - L Wolves - D Spurs - W Liverpool - L Brighton - D (this is dependant on what the table looks like going into it. If it's a case of Villa need to win to get that European place I'd back Villa to win) If we get anything at Old Trafford and Anfield then it's a bonus.