Pre-Match Thread

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

The last time we beat them at VP i was 8 sitting in my nans living room in silence with the tv on mute, BBC teletext 303 on loop refreshing the pages (that was the Saturday ritual round there as my Mum dropped us round there while she got her weekend freak on with her new fella) I sat quietly watching the 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 come in. I had a to try and hide the big grin on my face as my Nan was a big Utd fan and I was respectful like that and wanted to eat dinner that night.
 

To now be 34 and not seen a home win since is truly mindblowing. 

But now we have Ollie Watkins, who did, lets not forget, score the only goal pre season in a 1-0 against this lot. Roll on Sunday.

[Raver50032]

It is rampantly mind-blowing how we have found Manchester United (just a team of 11 men) so difficult to overcome season after season. We are long, long overdue a win against them at Villa Park. If there's any justice, Bruno Fernandes will dislodge one of his big toe-nails in the warm up. As crooked a player as his grin. 

[HKP90]

No way we’re not conceding a penalty. I’d put a wager on it.

[villalad21]

1 hour ago, Raver50032 said:

It is rampantly mind-blowing how we have found Manchester United (just a team of 11 men) so difficult to overcome season after season. We are long, long overdue a win against them at Villa Park. If there's any justice, Bruno Fernandes will dislodge one of his big toe-nails in the warm up. As crooked a player as his grin. 

Same reason why we've struggled against City.

They have very good players

[rjw63]

1 hour ago, villalad21 said:

Same reason why we've struggled against City.

They have very good players

I've seen us beat Citeh loads of times.

I've seen us beat Yanited five or six times. In almost 50 years.

That's the difference.

[VillaChris]

1 hour ago, villalad21 said:

Same reason why we've struggled against City.

They have very good players

Since the Man. City takeover in 2008 we've beaten them at home in 10/11 and 13/14 season and also incredibly got a 0-0 v them in 15/16 for one of our 17 points so not as comparable.

Again Chelsea had a takeover in 2004 and we actually were unbeaten v them at VP up to 2009 and got some good results down at Stamford Bridge in that period aswell.

Think I really gave up on this game when they had Moyes and loads of teams were getting wins v them for first time in years. Think they lost about 8 games at Old Trafford this season and we took the lead up there....before completely crumbling and being 3-1 down at half time.

The worst record we have v top 6/7 in last decade is probably against Spurs, can only remember one win when Benteke scored and pretty much every other single game v them has been a defeat since 2010.

[The Fun Factory]

6 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Since the Man. City takeover in 2008 we've beaten them at home in 10/11 and 13/14 season and also incredibly got a 0-0 v them in 15/16 for one of our 17 points so not as comparable.

Again Chelsea had a takeover in 2004 and we actually were unbeaten v them at VP up to 2009 and got some good results down at Stamford Bridge in that period aswell.

Think I really gave up on this game when they had Moyes and loads of teams were getting wins v them for first time in years. Think they lost about 8 games at Old Trafford this season and we took the lead up there....before completely crumbling and being 3-1 down at half time.

The worst record we have v top 6/7 in last decade is probably against Spurs, can only remember one win when Benteke scored and pretty much every other single game v them has been a defeat since 2010.

For about 15 years now I have had 3 major wishes for Villa- one is for us to win a proper trophy, to witness a 50,000 crowd at a expanded Villa Park, and for us to beat United at home.

None of them have occurred yet. United one is the easiest to happen one day.

[Wainy316]

I genuinely wonder if there's another fixture in world football that has been so one sided over a 30 year period. 

[Follyfoot]

I'll tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them, love it.

 

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Follyfoot

[VillaChris]

11 minutes ago, Wainy316 said:

I genuinely wonder if there's another fixture in world football that has been so one sided over a 30 year period. 

Pretty sure Everton up until recently actually had a worse record home and away v Man. United but they've won a few v them at Goodison in last 10 years.

Spurs also went about 12 years without beat Chelsea and heard it mentioned at the weekend Newcastle had only beaten Arsenal once in 20 attempts.

Have to say though not beating another side at home when we've been in same league for 20 + year takes some going so I doubt there's any regular fixture in English football where it's so lopsided towards away time.

What makes it worse is all those 2 goal leads we've thrown away in second halves down the years. That FA cup game in 2002 really started it all from a mental point of view and I resigned myself after we played out of our skins in the Houllier season with likes of Hogg in midfield and still couldn't win despite being 2 up with 10 minutes left.

We then did the same two years later under Lambert and lost again 3-2.

[The Fun Factory]

I remember one time  we got a draw when we were down to 10 men and it felt like a win.

[VillaChris]

4 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

I remember one time  we got a draw when we were down to 10 men and it felt like a win.

Gabby wasn't it? Only red of his career and it got rescinded the day after so another unjust decision against them.

[Sulberto21]

The one game of the season I always want to win. Their plastic I'm so cool I support United fans really get on my manboobs. 

We have to stay compact and we need to match their physicality. The way we win this is we surprise them and go gung ho in the first 20. 

Gotta take our chances in that 20 minutes. We get 2/3 in that 20 minutes then they'll crumble. But it's all on that first 20 minutes.

We should have beaten them at old Trafford but we were a little scared and allowed them to dictate play. Once we realised they're crap we dominated the game until pogba elbowed Douglas in the face kicked him and got the penalty.

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, Wainy316 said:

I genuinely wonder if there's another fixture in world football that has been so one sided over a 30 year period. 

Thankfully we didnt have to play Brentford every season  

[villalad21]

2 hours ago, Wainy316 said:

I genuinely wonder if there's another fixture in world football that has been so one sided over a 30 year period. 

Everton - Liverpool 

[Wainy316]

All that said, it would be typical if our first home league win against them in a quarter of century happens when there are no fans in the ground.

[mottaloo]

5 hours ago, Raver50032 said:

 If there's any justice, Bruno Fernandes will dislodge one of his big toe-nails in the warm up.

....and yanited will get a penalty for that.

Again.

[VillaChris]

9 hours ago, Wainy316 said:

All that said, it would be typical if our first home league win against them in a quarter of century happens when there are no fans in the ground.

More annoying we've beaten Arsenal twice now BCD at VP given we hadn't won at home to them since the 90s. I bet we'll go ages again without beating them, same for Liverpool.

Seems lack of fans is helping us v the top teams at home so interested how we get on this weekend. I know we lost 3-0 to them end of last season but we were on an awful run at the time and indeed that defeat put us on the brink of relegation before the mad 8 points from 4 games finish.

[Sulberto21]

1 hour ago, VillaChris said:

More annoying we've beaten Arsenal twice now BCD at VP given we hadn't won at home to them since the 90s. I bet we'll go ages again without beating them, same for Liverpool.

Seems lack of fans is helping us v the top teams at home so interested how we get on this weekend. I know we lost 3-0 to them end of last season but we were on an awful run at the time and indeed that defeat put us on the brink of relegation before the mad 8 points from 4 games finish.

We started that game well then the sabre tooth rat stamped on Konsa and screamed like he'd had his favourite Barbie doll stolen. From then on we lost our belief and heads a little and got overrunn.

I still don't understand how the pundits called that a clever bit of play.

[Adam2003]

On 02/05/2021 at 18:30, VillaChris said:

Maguire's actually had a good season after the mess he made at start of it on and off the pitch. Lindelof's the one Ollie needs to try to get on.

Curious to see if they leave him out for Bailly like the return fixture - credit to Ole that team selection worked well in terms of marshalling Watkins. Last time I remember Bailly playing, not that I watch them closely.