Derby pre match

[Czechlad]

My ideal XI:

[Villan4Life]

Managed to bag two tickets for my first Villa Away game this season.

Looking forward to it, mega excited. I've unfortunately moved 5 months ago to countryside outside Stoke-On-Trent so not too far on train to Derby so won't take long get there

Hopefully 2-0 win to us

Edited November 5, 2018 by Villan4Life

[MaVilla]

5 hours ago, Czechlad said:

My ideal XI:

Personally i would have Thor in place of Hourihane.

Then there is thebdebste around is Elmo mobile enough to play in the AMC role, or whether he would be better at RB?

[KHV]

10 hours ago, MaVilla said:

Personally i would have Thor in place of Hourihane.

Then there is thebdebste around is Elmo mobile enough to play in the AMC role, or whether he would be better at RB? 

I'd have Elmo at RB and Adomah as one of the wide men.

I wouldn't have Hourihane in either, he just isn't a DM

[Jareth]

I see this game as Bolasie's big moment. We'll concede for sure though. 

[AvfcRigo82]

On 04/11/2018 at 21:33, theboyangel said:

I’d be very happy if we come out of the game with a clean sheet!

I think we will be there or thereabouts in this one.

[BOF]

20 hours ago, John said:

5th plays 14th. There are more places than points (7) between the two teams at the moment and it could be down to 4 on Saturday!

It is a game that involves two of Chelsea's finest in Frank Lampard and John Terry. We lost at Pride Park 2-0 last season and have not won there since 2008 when we kept a clean sheet and had it not been for the 6 goals that we scored, so would have they. Overall we have 61 wins to their 38 in the 122 league meetings between the two clubs. Prior to The First World War we scored 6 goals against them four times and 7 twice. Another 6 or 7 goal win would be nice, it would also be highly unlikely.

East Midlands meets West again on Saturday and a win for us would give us such confidence at the start of a difficult run of fixtures and would close the gap between the two teams nicely. I have to admit that I would be happy to get a point from this one though.   

Also 3rd in the home table versus 17th away, and 4th in form versus 14th.  They do concede though.  In fact there are only 3 sides in the whole league this season with better than a goal a game defences.  They've also only 3 clean sheets this season although all 3 were at home.  Still not great though, and we rank joint best in scoring in all bar one of our games.  So I think there'll be goals in this one.

[Unused Sub]

I expect changes for this one.

I can't see Hourihane holding the middle of the park like the previous Bolton game. I wouldn't be surprised if Jack is shovelled out to the wing for this one with Kodja's lack of defensive work rate/awareness.

[Czechlad]

Hourihane and McGinn need time together, so that's why I'd play them. I am aware that neither of them are a DM, but both are high energy mids who can put in a tackle. I still think they make us better when both are on the field. 

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

4 hours ago, Unused Sub said:

 I wouldn't be surprised if Jack is shovelled out to the wing for this one with Kodja's lack of defensive work rate/awareness.

I would. Dean Smith isnt going to turn himself into cabbage target practice overnight with Bruce like decisions like that. 

[Johnnyp]

Need to press Keogh at every given opportunity. He's not comfortable on the ball. They have midfielders who can hurt us but they are only as good as the service they get. Abraham and Jack needs to work their bollocks off when we don't have it. I'd leave kodjia off for this one. It's when we don't have the ball his concentration isn't the best.

[Stevo985]

--------------------Nyland

Elmo, Tuanzebe, Chester, Hutton

--------------------Whelan

-------------McGinn, Grealish

Bolasie---------------------------Adomah

------------------Abraham

[villaglint]

16 hours ago, Johnnyp said:

Need to press Keogh at every given opportunity. He's not comfortable on the ball. They have midfielders who can hurt us but they are only as good as the service they get. Abraham and Jack needs to work their bollocks off when we don't have it. I'd leave kodjia off for this one. It's when we don't have the ball his concentration isn't the best.

This, this and this. Keogh has been a horror show every time I've seen them. No idea how he's still getting a game unless they've done a Jedinak and have no other option except the kid who'll rapidly improve if given a chance. 

[Nigel]

4 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

--------------------Nyland

Elmo, Tuanzebe, Chester, Hutton

--------------------Whelan

-------------McGinn, Grealish

Bolasie---------------------------Adomah

------------------Abraham

Hutton isnt a left back, he upsets the balance of the team when he plays there.

 

[Johnnyp]

1 hour ago, Nigel said:

Hutton isnt a left back, he upsets the balance of the team when he plays there.

 

True. Taylor has been decent in the last few games, I'm under no illusions we need a LB but in the short term he'll do. Hutton was very good against Bolton. I'd go same again. 

[WakefieldVillan]

I'd go with the same back 5 again, obviously there are weaknesses that we all know about, but I think having a settled defence would outweigh the possible improvements of changing the full back positions, if that makes sense?

With Tammy as our main man up top, I would go for a midfield selection of either;

                 Hourihane  

Elmo  McGinn  Grealish  Kodjia

Or;

                     Whelan

Bolasie  McGinn  Grealish   Kodjia 

Basically I feel if Bolasie starts I would like the insurance of Whelan sitting, over Conor, and for me Adomah just doesn't do it for me (but I think he will start & hope he proves me wrong). 

Be a tough test this, Huddlestone will sit deep and look to dictate play, we need McGinn to give him no time and space, Jack likewise. 

Predicting goals, both teams, unfortunately  think the Rams will edge it! 

UTV 

        

 

 

 

[Stevo985]

4 hours ago, Nigel said:

Hutton isnt a left back, he upsets the balance of the team when he plays there.

 

He's the best left back at the club. 

[Nigel]

1 hour ago, Stevo985 said:

He's the best left back at the club. 

I disagree. I think Taylor is the better player on form. 

Although that's not what I'm saying, Taylor fits the team better and offers us more.

Having a left footed player in the position offers us passing angles we don't have when Hutton plays. 

[Skills]

On 07/11/2018 at 02:08, Unused Sub said:

I expect changes for this one.

I can't see Hourihane holding the middle of the park like the previous Bolton game. I wouldn't be surprised if Jack is shovelled out to the wing for this one with Kodja's lack of defensive work rate/awareness.

prime example of having Bruce in charge for too long...   personally i cant see Smith moving Jack anywhere but as the most attacking of a 3 man midfield

 

[A'Villan]

Derby have beat Manchester United, narrowly missed out on beating Chelsea (a game in which Derby players scored 4 of the games 5 goals), spanked West Brom and had some decent results against other promotion candidates in Middlesbrough and Sheffield United. They also have lost some you might've expected them to win.

They've shown they can mix it with the best of both this league and the Premier League so far this season.

Taking the points here with a solid performance would be a huge boost for our campaign. I don't know what to expect from Derby so I'm not going to make a prediction, but I'm not going to let our league position dampen my hopes of continuing what has been two games of solid football from us, against teams which Derby have failed to overcome in their fixtures this season.