Popular Post John Posted March 2, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted March 2, 2021 (edited) I remember Chris Wilder being interviewed after our play off win at Wembley in 2019 and it was mentioned how nice it was that two managers, had taken the team that they supported into the Premier League (Dean through the play offs and Wilder as champions). When the PL restarted last season, our hosts were the club with Europe in their sights and it was us that had seemed destined for a return to the Championship. As it was, a terrific late run of results kept us up and a poor run of results after the restart, cost the Blades the place in Europe that they had seemed destined for. Both clubs fortunes have been reversed this season. It is us that entertain hopes of European competition, next season and our hosts are the club that is on the verge of relegation. Some Blades supporters may link their subsequent demise to the failure of Hawkeye to give them a goal at Villa Park, but a lot of games have been played since that did not happen. Although the chances of the two clubs meeting in the PL next season seem incredibly slim, our hosts will still want to get a couple of positive results before the end of the season. They would probably need to win 8 of their last 12 games to be in with a chance of survival, but we do not want tomorrow's game to be the first of what is an unlikely 8! On paper, we look clear favourites to come back to B6 with three points. We are ninth in the league and the Blades are rock bottom. We are 28 points ahead of them, but for me we really do need to score the opening goal after all, we have only lost once when we have scored first. The Blades will work hard tomorrow and they will pose a threat from set pieces. If they concede the first goal, that may well totally delate them, let's find out. Our last league win at Bramall Lane was in 2018 and we have lost on our subsequent two visits there (1-4 and 0-2). Overall, we have won 60 and have drawn 32, of the 129 league games that there have been between the two clubs. A win would see us climb above Spurs again and move to within a point of both Liverpool clubs. It would also move us within two points of Chelsea and three of West Ham. We have had opportunities to move within striking distance of the top four before, this time we need to take the chance. Just win this one for us Villa! Edited March 2, 2021 by John 7 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted March 2, 2021 Moderator Share Posted March 2, 2021 Referee: Robert Jones.Assistants: Darren Cann, Derek Eaton.Fourth official: Tony Harrington.VAR: Graham Scott.Assistant VAR: Lee Betts. We've not been refereed by Robert Jones yet this season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post OutByEaster? Posted March 2, 2021 Moderator Popular Post Share Posted March 2, 2021 I'm not sure I hate any of those. (Yet) 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barry'sboots Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 13 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said: I'm not sure I hate any of those. (Yet) You must surely hate VAR!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 1 hour ago, Jono62 said: I loved little Carles Gil. Had a lovely shot on him. Possible the most overrated player in Villa history. That's for another thread though. I can see arguments for sticking with the same team but I can also see changes, due to the fact we had a specific gameplan for Leeds away. Tough decision but I have faith in the coaching staff. Think it will be a tough game but it really is one we should be winning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7392craig Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 2 hours ago, alreadyexists said: I wish him luck as no one else can decide how to say his name. Sky commentators seem to have settled on Sonn-Sonn for some reason. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bannedfromHandV Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 Interesting that Wilder has publicly accepted relegation now, that will go one of two ways in terms of how it affects the players, let’s hope for our sake it doesn’t fire them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GENTLEMAN Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 16 minutes ago, bannedfromHandV said: Interesting that Wilder has publicly accepted relegation now, that will go one of two ways in terms of how it affects the players, let’s hope for our sake it doesn’t fire them up. I suspect the 1st goal will be of huge importance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alreadyexists Posted March 2, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted March 2, 2021 42 minutes ago, bannedfromHandV said: Interesting that Wilder has publicly accepted relegation now, that will go one of two ways in terms of how it affects the players, let’s hope for our sake it doesn’t fire them up. I can see it taking the pressure of them and letting them play with freedom... that probably won’t change much though in my opinion. I’m cautiously optimistic, and I think we can beat them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
It's Your Round Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 I’d take a scrappy 0-1 all day long, but like everyone else I’m keen to see us back to our scintillating best. Sheffield United aren’t a pushover, but the volume of losses they’ve suffered suggests that their spirit can fall apart quickly. A fast start and an early goal and we’ll be more than capable of seeing it through. Who knows, maybe the relief of accepting they’re down will encourage them to open up a bit more. If they do then that plays into our hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 If Nakamba plays = clean sheet. thought he did well at Leeds on Saturday. Anwar El Ghazi was on at Leeds so if he’s like it again Sheff U I think we could do well at Sheff U. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted March 2, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted March 2, 2021 I have a good friend who's a Blades fan. He just wants the season to end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villatillidie1980 Posted March 2, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted March 2, 2021 I’d love us to follow up the Leeds result with another win. Wolves on Saturday could be a tough game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
It's Your Round Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 39 minutes ago, mjmooney said: I have a good friend who's a Blades fan. He just wants the season to end. I know a few that feel like that. Hopefully Villa will do the kind thing tomorrow and smash seven past them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 I was looking on Sheffield United forum and seems a number of them blame us for the poor season that they're having, the idea being that we should have allowed them to score after the hawkeye incident which they believe would have relegated us, meaning that they would have been able to sign Cash and Watkins, and rather than us being in the league there would be Bournemouth instead. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 (edited) 46 minutes ago, useless said: I was looking on Sheffield United forum and seems a number of them blame us for the poor season that they're having, the idea being that we should have allowed them to score after the hawkeye incident which they believe would have relegated us, meaning that they would have been able to sign Cash and Watkins, and rather than us being in the league there would be Bournemouth instead. The thing I always have on that is imo the players just trusted the technology e.g. it hasn't failed before or since on whether a ball has crossed the line whereas penalties and us getting robbed of that goal at Palace are ultimately a subjective call. It's not like all the players were on the goalline looking right across so from some angles probably looked like part of the ball was on the line and if ref watch didn't go off they'd assume it wasn't over the line anyway. I get why it stings with Sheffield and I'd have had no issue with the goal being given a minute later once the replays showed it was well over but ultimately they still finished top half and had whole summer to sign whoever. Other thing is thank f*** Nyland is well out of the club. It's incredible the difference a calm and composed keeper like Martinez can make to a back 4 compared to Nyland who was complete opposite in every game he played bar the Leicester SF when he just peaked out of nowhere. Edited March 2, 2021 by VillaChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stegzy Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 I would like to see us keep near enough the same team with just Trez replacing Traore, to freshen things up a little and possibly Sanson for Ramsey, but happy if things stay the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 That hawkeye didn't work wasn't our fault or responsibility, so we had no obligation to let them score, was completely different to the Leeds situation, they let us score to right a wrong, a wrong that they themselves were responsible for. And consider this: how do we know that the ball crossed the line, out of the two technologies why should we trust the television images over hawkeye. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 I think we need Traore to play this one as they are hard to break down and without Grealish we might need that little bit of magic from Traore even if it is spasmodic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stegzy Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 7 minutes ago, PaulC said: I think we need Traore to play this one as they are hard to break down and without Grealish we might need that little bit of magic from Traore even if it is spasmodic. The modern day Wanchope. Crazy skills or crazy cock up, either way it leaves all befuddled! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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