Pre-match Thread

[Vive_La_Villa]

21 minutes ago, Vancvillan said:

Seen some shouts in other threads for Elmo to make way for Kesler.

In a world where it's questionable that Barkley will be dropped, there's a zero percent chance of a start for Kaine Kesler.  Anyone who's seen a Deano first 11 over the last couple of years must surely know this.

I personally think it’s a ridiculous suggestion from fans to throw an 18 year old with zero Premier League experience in against Leeds.

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

19 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I personally think it’s a ridiculous suggestion from fans to throw an 18 year old with zero Premier League experience in against Leeds.

It could be the making of him, he seems a confident kid and id honestly prefer him to Elmo. Why not blood him in now when we are midtable and going into this game second favourites anyway. Gives us a chance to see what he’s made of against good opposition.

We already know pretty much for sure Elmo wont be up to much against Harrison or Raphinha. He came in last week and messed up for the first goal by jumping for a ball with Mings and then leaving himself out of position on the backfoot, reacted slowly to Emi’s save for the 2nd, could have easily been sent off after fouling Barnes second half. He isnt going to have it any easier this week.
 

Its not like Trezeguet coming in for protection even helps; the way Leeds attack we cant be doubling up on players leaving even more space for the 6 others that go forward together . I say give him a go, he might just surprise a few. Elmo will get booked and be a risk just like last week, guaranteed. If its too much for Kesler and he gets overawed then Elmo can always come on. 

[It's Your Round]

I’m beginning to feel a touch more optimistic now the weekend’s nearly here. Leeds have some key players out and even though I know that the whole squad is drilled with the same intensity, it’s got to be better than playing them at full strength. Our hopes really rest on what kind of team Smith puts out. It’s been discussed to death but I do hope he’s learned his lesson after the reverse fixture.
Even without Jack, we can still cause them problems with Watkins, Traore, McGinn if on form and El Ghazi. Like always it depends one which Villa turn up. The last few performances have been sub par, maybe tomorrow we’ll see a response? Maybe we’ll get battered again, who knows. 

[It's Your Round]

And as much as I want to see Ramsey replace Barkley, and Sanson replace McGinn. I’m fully expecting the same team as Leicester

[Robbie09]

Can’t understand why so many are calling for SJM to be dropped. Dean has said in several interviews that they have asked him to play a different role. 
I think he has more than justified his place in the team.

[It's Your Round]

15 minutes ago, Robbie09 said:

Can’t understand why so many are calling for SJM to be dropped. Dean has said in several interviews that they have asked him to play a different role. 
I think he has more than justified his place in the team.

He’s not been at his best for a while though, so many misplaced passes. I’d be happy to let him sit a game out and see what Sanson can do from the start. McGinn on form would be a handful for Leeds, so if Smith can get him back in a role that gets the best from him then fine. 

[Nigel]

After seeing the pre game press conference it will be good to see jack back!

[TRO]

15 hours ago, BigRed said:

He definitely means. Why do you think he doesn’t change his style & is called “naive”. He wants to win in what his mind is the beautiful way to attack from the front. 
 

everyone knows how we play & he’s happy to say this is what we are let’s see if you can stop it. 
 

it’s the same reason he announces his lineup in the week before games. He’s nothing to hide. 

He also likes to watch opponents in training.....very novel.lol

[Mic09]

46 minutes ago, Robbie09 said:

Can’t understand why so many are calling for SJM to be dropped. Dean has said in several interviews that they have asked him to play a different role. 
I think he has more than justified his place in the team.

Dean Smith has to tell him to make a simple pass - and that will be enough for me.

He works hard, tackles, drives the ball, just for the love of God, don't make idiotic passes. Just keep it simple. 

If he doesn't, all his hard work goes to waste in which case I see no justification why he should be in the team.

[TRO]

I just don't see how we cope with their intensity.....but happy to be pleasantly surprised.

[striker]

Can’t see anything other than a heavy defeat tonight for the Villa. Leeds are just too good at the moment and will run Villa’s midfield ragged unless Smith benches both McGinn and Barkley.

[Mister_a]

5 minutes ago, striker said:

Can’t see anything other than a heavy defeat tonight for the Villa. Leeds are just too good at the moment and will run Villa’s midfield ragged unless Smith benches both McGinn and Barkley.

Good job we’re playing tomorrow then

[John]

We know exactly what to expect from Leeds on Saturday evening and we should have devised a cunning plan to counter it by now, after all they have been playing much the same way since Bielsa took over. We really cannot afford to lose this one. If we win we stay eighth. If we lose we could possibly find ourselves in the bottom half of the table and would be overtaken by our hosts, albeit with two games in hand of them. Leeds are often referred to as an entertaining team. They do score their fair share of goals, but they also concede more than their fair share, so I can see what gives the press/pundits that impression. We have been the more effective of the two teams at the back this season and what better time for another clean sheet than tomorrow?  To achieve that our defence needs to perform at it's peak and our team will need to work incredibly hard, as we know our hosts will. Having lost our last game at Villa Park, we again need to compensate for our home failings, with another top away performance. Winning this will not be easy but it is not quite a trip to the Etihad is it?  

Leeds have had the better of recent games against us, having won 3-0 at Villa Park, earlier this season and 3-2 in 2018. We did bring a point back from our last visit to Elland Road, following a remarkable game and some notable incidents. I would not say no to a point if one was on offer, but we really need a win to get our season back into gear and to put a stop, to our hosts convincing recent run of results against us. We last won at Elland Road in 2000. Since then we have drawn four and lost two, so it is high time that we won one! Overall, we have won 28 and have drawn 29, of the 87 league games that there have been between the two clubs.  Just win it for us Villa!    

Edited February 26, 2021 by John

[useless]

Before they played Southampton Leeds had lost three of their last four games, so not sure why people seem to think they've been in some sort of amazing form, they did beat Southampton, but Southampton are a team that have only won one of their last eleven and recently conceded nine goals, so don't think that win tell us much. Over the last fives we've actually taken more points than them.

 

[OutByEaster?]

The Villa - Leeds rivalry is weird, I think it comes from us having to play each other in the Championship at a time when I don't think either of us belonged there - we each reminded the other of something we'd prefer to forget and so took that frustration out on each other, then we managed to find a flashpoint and suddenly there's a chip on each shoulder and a simmering resentment. I might be wrong, I'm not sure how it started, or even why it continues, but it's there, I can feel it.

It's great.

It's all the things I like about football in a lot of ways, it's so much more interesting than Villa - Southampton or (I presume) Leeds - Southampton for example. To have a little spite in your heart makes the excitement of following the team all the more acute. When one or the other team scores tomorrow, that moment of joy will be punctuated by a vaguely threatening sweary outburst aimed at the opposition through a TV somewhere in Birmingham or Leeds, not just the celebration of a goal but the spite of seeing another man suffer a pain that you know very well - it's a joy that a lot of people don't get to experience.

I like it, long may it continue. I'm happy that we get another chance to show this bunch of jumped up, media fuelled neanderthals exactly what their place is in the scheme of things tomorrow and I look forward to raising my fingers to a screen at the depressed, defeated faces of Yorkshire's third finest. 

And hey, if there's some bloke in Meanwood who's looking forward to doing exactly the same thing to me, then fair play to him, at least he gets it, at least he understands - even if he is an arsehole.

 

[BOF]

A good sign is I've backed against us. I very rarely do that and I almost never win when I do.  So if we get something from the game you can almost exclusively thank me.

[OxfordVillan]

If we line up as we did against Leicester then unfortunately I can easily see the game being out of reach by 60mins. 

[villa4europe]

seem to be saying in this thread before every game that there's an overreaction and pessimism to the team sheet but tomorrow is one where smith can get it badly wrong

traore on the right and barkley in the middle will be eaten up by leeds, not sure what the answer is to traore, expect bielsa to overload whichever side he plays on, we need energy in the middle, sanson, nakamba or ramsey it doesnt matter, maybe even something weird where we overload the middle but have them cover wide, traore playing off ollie in a bit of a free role then a 4 man midfield 

defence

nakamba

luiz mcginn sanson

traore

ollie

if ollie and traore pull wide then a midfielder has to make a forward run (which unfortunately leans in to playing barkley)

if he lines up the same as last week then i'll be angry with the line up for the first time in a while, based on what they did at VP and how we have been playing its beyond having faith in them

[It's Your Round]

29 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

The Villa - Leeds rivalry is weird, I think it comes from us having to play each other in the Championship at a time when I don't think either of us belonged there - we each reminded the other of something we'd prefer to forget and so took that frustration out on each other, then we managed to find a flashpoint and suddenly there's a chip on each shoulder and a simmering resentment. I might be wrong, I'm not sure how it started, or even why it continues, but it's there, I can feel it.

It's great.

It's all the things I like about football in a lot of ways, it's so much more interesting than Villa - Southampton or (I presume) Leeds - Southampton for example. To have a little spite in your heart makes the excitement of following the team all the more acute. When one or the other team scores tomorrow, that moment of joy will be punctuated by a vaguely threatening sweary outburst aimed at the opposition through a TV somewhere in Birmingham or Leeds, not just the celebration of a goal but the spite of seeing another man suffer a pain that you know very well - it's a joy that a lot of people don't get to experience.

I like it, long may it continue. I'm happy that we get another chance to show this bunch of jumped up, media fuelled neanderthals exactly what their place is in the scheme of things tomorrow and I look forward to raising my fingers to a screen at the depressed, defeated faces of Yorkshire's third finest. 

And hey, if there's some bloke in Meanwood who's looking forward to doing exactly the same thing to me, then fair play to him, at least he gets it, at least he understands - even if he is an arsehole.

 

You’ve captured the crux of the rivalry well there, that’s exactly where it came from and the reasons you give are what fuelled it. It’s not the same kind of rivalry as small heath, but it is now a rivalry whether we like it or not. And like you, I happen to enjoy it, it’s what makes football so emotive. 

[villa4europe]

It's bald men fighting over combs IMO

Fighting for relevance, like you say started in the championship, was the same with Newcastle and Wolves, almost a compliment to us, everyone wanted to be bigger than villa

I think that's growing because the top of the league is so skewed now that it's boring so the intensity of us lot fighting over the tiny scraps of recognition that are left is getting bigger, there doesn't want to be the reality or acceptance that we're all mediocre nothing clubs not winning anything in the modern PL, so we bicker with each other and paper over the cracks 

That said Leeds are like wolves, they don't know whats coming yet, they're enjoying thr journey upwards unaware of the ceiling that awaits them which same as wolves makes them **** annoying