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Pre-Match Thread


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  • There have been four red cards shown in the last two Premier League meetings between Villa and Chelsea at Villa Park.
  • Jose Mourinho has a surprisingly poor record as a coach against Aston Villa at Villa Park in the Barclays Premier League with Chelsea (W0 D3 L2).
  • Aston Villa and Newcastle United are the only two Premier League teams Jose Mourinho has visited with a Chelsea team without having at least one victory.
  • Branislav Ivanovic made his Premier League debut against Aston Villa and has scored four goals in his last five Premier League starts against the Villans.
  • Chelsea have won five and lost one of the last six Premier League meetings with Aston Villa.
  • The Blues have lost just two of their last 15 Premier League away games (W9 D4 L2).
  • Aston Villa have won just one of their last nine Premier league games at Villa Park (W1 D4 L4).
  • The Villans have gone five hours and 42 minutes without a goal in the Premier League at Villa Park.
  • This match will be Paul Lambert's 100th Barclays Premier League game in charge of Villa. Only Alex McLeish (18%) has a lower win % than Lambert (25%) amongst permanent Villa gaffers.
  • Aston Villa have netted the joint-fewest goals of any team after 23 matches of an English top-flight season (11 along with Leicester City 1977-78 and Derby County 2007-08). 

http://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/premier-league/aston-villa-v-chelsea/winner

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Just put myself through the Lambert press conference ahead of tomorrow's game. The guy is completely broken and the whole conference was spent deflecting criticism and papering over the cracks. Not that I expect any different but we really need actions on the pitch and not mumbling words in a presser. He seems to cut the figure of an isolated man. We need to stick together through these tough times and try our utmost to get behind the lads. We're nothing short of a laughing stock at the moment, from the media, newspapers and fans across the country. This is the time for our boys to roll our sleeves up and dig in and try our best to scramble over the finish line. This, I feel, will be our biggest task at staying up in the Lambert era, and one that I didn't not foresee after our impressive (and solid) start to the season. 

One thing Lambert said that stuck out for me was "we'll be fine". He said it with some passion and vigour that's been lacking from any interview before (although this may have been because Pete Colley clearly p*sses him off) but we need to believe, as fans, that we can stay up and transcend that positivity on the pitch -especially at VP. We've been difficult to beat this season at VP and as it was pointed out in that online petition and letter sent to Randy Lerner this week, whilst our away fans are second to none, the home fans are currently apathetic to what they're seeing - but give them a team with some fight, a will to win and playing with desire then you'll have VP rocking and that is something special (think back to Chelsea at home last season).

 

We're up against it tomorrow for sure and noone on God's green earth gives us a chance (of scoring) so we have nothing to lose. Maybe if they lose two men to red cards again we may have a sniff of not losing, but in truth we cant expect anything but a loss, which is so sad to have to admit as we're in a league where any team can give any team a  decent game on their day.

 

From Lambert's comments he didn't sound too keen to throw Sinclair in there too soon as he's played so little, maybe it cant do any harm tomorrow - but I get the sense Lambert will unleash him in midweek at Hull (our biggest game of the season, no less). Need Benteke to wake up, Gil to have his magic boots on and our defence/midfield to have the game of their lives.

 

I predict 0-2 to the Cockneys. But lets give it a go.

 

UTV

Edited by roonst83
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The Birmingham Mail reckons:

 

Guzan

Hutton, Okore, Clarke, Cissokho

Westwood, Sanchez, Delph

Gill, Benteke, Sinclair

 

Hope Lambert has the b**** to drop Cleverley.

Hope so.

 

On the assumption that Gil is going to be played from wide rather than centrally then that is my preferred lineup at the moment.

 

Although to be honest, I'd have been fine with a more defensive set up for the Chelsea game. But going forward, that's the team we should be putting out.

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The Birmingham Mail reckons:

 

Guzan

Hutton, Okore, Clarke, Cissokho

Westwood, Sanchez, Delph

Gill, Benteke, Sinclair

 

Hope Lambert has the b**** to drop Cleverley.

Hope so.

 

On the assumption that Gil is going to be played from wide rather than centrally then that is my preferred lineup at the moment.

 

Although to be honest, I'd have been fine with a more defensive set up for the Chelsea game. But going forward, that's the team we should be putting out.

 

This team (with the possible addition of Vlaar in favour of Clarke) needs some game time together ahead of our supposed easier fixtures to come so even if it gets beat by 3, 4 or 5 against Chelsea (and to be honest any team we put out could achieve that) it looks like the best bunch we could put out and shows some attacking intent.

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I just don't really agree that "showing attacking intent" is the best course of action against a team like Chelsea. I want points, not an honourable loss.

 

But if it will help the team settle for the easier fixtures then I'm all for it.

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Park the bus and hoof to the front 3

 

                          Guzan

Hutton - Okore – Vlaar- Clark - Cissokho

               Westwood - Delph

 


        Gabby -  Benteke – Sinclair

 

 

Won't be pretty but we never are anyway.

 

If we can keep them out for long enough we may get a chance on the hoof break

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Park the bus and hoof to the front 3

 

                          Guzan

Hutton - Okore – Vlaar- Clark - Cissokho

               Westwood - Delph

 

        Gabby -  Benteke – Sinclair

 

 

Won't be pretty but we never are anyway.

 

If we can keep them out for long enough we may get a chance on the hoof break

A 5-2-3?

We'd get absolutely overrun in midfield.

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The Birmingham Mail reckons:

 

Guzan

Hutton, Okore, Clarke, Cissokho

Westwood, Sanchez, Delph

Gill, Benteke, Sinclair

 

Hope Lambert has the b**** to drop Cleverley.

this has to be our strongest line up , but with vlaar potentially in for clark although clark has been excellent !!

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Park the bus and hoof to the front 3

 

                          Guzan

Hutton - Okore – Vlaar- Clark - Cissokho

               Westwood - Delph

 

        Gabby -  Benteke – Sinclair

 

 

Won't be pretty but we never are anyway.

 

If we can keep them out for long enough we may get a chance on the hoof break

A 5-2-3?

We'd get absolutely overrun in midfield.

 

 

We'l get absolutely overrun in midfield no matter what formation we play. Best option is to bypass it altogether.

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The Birmingham Mail reckons:

 

Guzan

Hutton, Okore, Clarke, Cissokho

Westwood, Sanchez, Delph

Gill, Benteke, Sinclair

 

Hope Lambert has the b**** to drop Cleverley.

 

I believe he can now the window is shut and utd can't sell him anymore. 

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I just don't really agree that "showing attacking intent" is the best course of action against a team like Chelsea. I want points, not an honourable loss.
 
But if it will help the team settle for the easier fixtures then I'm all for it.

We're playing on our own hallowed turf , so regardless of the opposition , we should be playing to win , it's that negative mind - set that got us in to this rut in the first place . We should never play with fear at Villa park , if only Lambert could get that in to his thick skull .
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Just put myself through the Lambert press conference ahead of tomorrow's game. The guy is completely broken and the whole conference was spent deflecting criticism and papering over the cracks. Not that I expect any different but we really need action son the pitch and not mumbling words in a presser. He seems to cut the figure of an isolated man. We need to stick together through these tough times and try our utmost to get behind the lads. We're nothing short of a laughing stock at the moment, from the media, newspapers and fans across the country. This is the time for our boys to roll our sleeves up and dig in and try our best to scramble over the finish line. This, I feel, will be our biggest task at staying up in the Lambert era, and one that I didn't not foresee after our impressive (and solid) start to the season. 

One thing Lambert said that stuck out for me was "we'll be fine". He said it with some passion and vigour that's been lacking from any interview before (although this may have been because Pete Colley clearly p*sses him off) but we need to believe, as fans, that we can stay up and transcend that positivity on the pitch -especially at VP. We've been difficult to beat this season at VP and as it was pointed out in that online petition and letter sent to Randy Lerner this week, whilst our away fans are second to none, the home fans are currently apathetic to what they're seeing - but give them a team with some fight, a will to win and playing with desire then you'll have VP rocking and that is something special (think back to Chelsea at home last season).

 

We're up against it tomorrow for sure and none on God's green earth gives us a chance (of scoring) so we have nothing to lose. Maybe if they lose two men to red cards again we may have a sniff of not losing, but in truth we cant expect anything but a loss, which is so sad to have to admit as we're in a league where any team can give any team a  decent game on their day.

 

From Lambert's comments he didn't sound too keen to throw Sinclair in there too soon as he's played so little, maybe it cant do any harm tomorrow - but I get the sense Lambert will unleash him in midweek at Hull (our biggest game of the season, no less). Need Benteke to wake up, Gil to have his magic boots on and our defence/midfield to have the game of their lives.

 

I predict 0-2 to the Cockneys. But lets give it a go.

Calling that shower Cockneys is an insult to ordinary decent Cockneys , I doubt that lot even know where the Bow bells are .

 

UTV

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I'd go defensive and hope we can get something.

............guzan.............

Hutton..okore..vlaar..Clark..cissokho

.....Westwood...Sanchez...delph....

...............gill...............

............benteke...............

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