John Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Who do you fancy playing in our early matches next season? How about before and after the World Cup, on Boxing Day and the last few games of the season? When do you want to play our local derby (I forgot for a moment that both Small Heath & The Baggies, will still be a league below us, but there's still the Dingles). We will all know the fixtures on Thursday morning and no doubt there will be the usual "leaked" games, for us to take with a pinch of salt, before then. Who would you like though and who do you think we will get? This is a season that many of us will be eagerly looking forward to, in my case the most since our return to the PL in 2019, in your case the most since when? We will see our new signings for the first time in league action and we will see what our squad performs like, after a full pre-season of working with SG. I think we should be due a home game to begin with, someone like Brentford, Everton or Southampton, would do for me. We could follow that up with a trip to say Leeds or to Leicester and then take on whichever of those five teams we are not paired with, I would rather not play one of the promoted clubs or one of last season's top six, too soon. A couple of winnable games before the World Cup break, like a home game with Newton Heath and a couple of last season's top six after it. Wolves or Forest on Boxing Day anyone? How would you like the run-in to look? I wouldn't mind facing Palace in our last home game of the season, as well as one or two of the newly promoted and possibly by then, already relegated clubs on or around then, along with a few mid-table clubs that will already be on the beach. That could be the likes of Fulham and Bournemouth (facing the drop again) and Newcastle, Brighton or West Ham on their sun loungers. Hopefully, we will be very near to the top six come the end of the season and really have something to play for, or have another League Cup in the trophy cabinet or an FA Cup Final win to play for. What could possibly go wrong? UTV! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 2 hours ago, John said: I think we should be due a home game to begin with, someone like Brentford, Everton or Southampton, would do for me. We could follow that up with a trip to say Leeds or to Leicester and then take on whichever of those five teams we are not paired with, I would rather not play one of the promoted clubs or one of last season's top six, too soon. A couple of winnable games before the World Cup break, like a home game with Newton Heath and a couple of last season's top six after it. Wolves or Forest on Boxing Day anyone? Agree with all this. World cup final on the 18th Dec. So will games start by 26th Dec back in the league? Some players are going to be knackered and some fresh as a daisy, plus most wont have played together for 5 or 6 weeks, I guess no week or so to get the club squads back together before games restart? Probably due to lack of spare time in the season and Xmas being the money season to show games on tv. 2nd half of the season is going to be messed up as some players fitness tail off and some players will be fresh having not being in the World Cup or not playing much. Could be good to play top six teams as much in the 2nd half of the season as possible because some of their best players will be knackered because the World Cup, heat etc and they’ll have European games packed in they won’t know what day it is most of the time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WallisFrizz Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) I saw some ‘leaked’ fixture list (most probably made up) on Twitter that had us away at Man City first game, home to Spurs second game and then I think away to Southampton 3rd game. Although it seemed to have a round of fixtures during the international break so fake it seems. Edited June 14, 2022 by WallisFrizz . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomav84 Posted June 14, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted June 14, 2022 3 minutes ago, WallisFrizz said: I saw some ‘leaked’ fixture list (most probably made up) on Twitter that had us away at Man City first game, home to Spurs second game and then I think away to Southampton 3rd game. yeah they were made up. that fixture list was riddled with errors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HalfTimePost Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) I'd like: First game: City or Liverpool away. Both virtual write-offs but both have a new striker who may not start with the form they'll inevitably find later in the season. Maybe no Mane/Bernardo for them any more meaning an opportunity to exploit for us as they try to find a bit of cohesion. Early games: No just-promoted teams, apart from maybe Forest who have no squad to carry over. The other two will start well, may not win loads but their early form (and end of season run-in form) will be their best all year. Play them before the World Cup break as their form drops and before our players go to the WC. I'd like the ones that ended last season poorly with no form to carry through. One of Newcastle, Wolves or West Ham for a winnable 'tough' game. And an easier one like Brentford to not make the first 3 games look too nasty on paper. Boxing Day: Man U at Villa Park. They'll be the weakest of the Sky 6 again and straight after the world cup they'll have still had most of their players be missing for the majority of the tournament and therefore knackered.. An opportunity to finally beat them at home. Our players will be there too, but likely fitter having been more bit-part options. Last few games: Tour the team's that'll be on the beach, Brighton, Wolves, Palace in mid table and chuck in the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal who will have easily secured Top 4 (Chelsea) or have finally dropped into 6th with no hope of reclaiming Top 4, with a thin, young squad that'll be on its last legs following a long season of little rotation with a WC in the middle. (Arsenal) Edited June 14, 2022 by HalfTimePost 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 You want the big teams first up, not the promotion teams. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Need to be at home for the first game and not against a promoted side. Early season form is key to having a successful season. So having 4 games from the first 6 games against the 10 teams who make up the non top 6 / promoted 3 is important I'd like something like Southampton (h), Brentford (a), Chelsea (h), Brighton (a), Fulham (h), Leeds (a) - something like that would be good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBlack Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 As stated on the other thread, we'll almost certainly be away first week to avoid clashing with the commonwealth games. I'd like us to play Man United away, or maybe Arsenal. A team we aren't expected to get anyhting against, but who might be in such a shambles that they dont hit the ground running. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 42 minutes ago, HalfTimePost said: I'd like: First game: City or Liverpool away. Both virtual write-offs but both have a new striker who may not start with the form they'll inevitably find later in the season. Maybe no Mane/Bernardo for them any more meaning an opportunity to exploit for us as they try to find a bit of cohesion. Early games: No just-promoted teams, apart from maybe Forest who have no squad to carry over. The other two will start well, may not win loads but their early form (and end of season run-in form) will be their best all year. Play them before the World Cup break as their form drops and before our players go to the WC. I'd like the ones that ended last season poorly with no form to carry through. One of Newcastle, Wolves or West Ham for a winnable 'tough' game. And an easier one like Brentford to not make the first 3 games look too nasty on paper. Boxing Day: Man U at Villa Park. They'll be the weakest of the Sky 6 again and straight after the world cup they'll have still had most of their players be missing for the majority of the tournament and therefore knackered.. An opportunity to finally beat them at home. Our players will be there too, but likely fitter having been more bit-part options. Last few games: Tour the team's that'll be on the beach, Brighton, Wolves, Palace in mid table and chuck in the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal who will have easily secured Top 4 (Chelsea) or have finally dropped into 6th with no hope of reclaiming Top 4, with a thin, young squad that'll be on its last legs following a long season of little rotation with a WC in the middle. (Arsenal) The fake fixtures had Man U at home on Boxing Day and our first game was City away. What you been up to hey? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaFaninLondon Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 A home game to start the season would be nice. I’m not sure I understand all these people saying Liverpool or city away (or even home), yes you can catch them cold but it’s unlikely and we really need to get off to a good start next season and build momentum early. First six like this: Southampton (h) Palace (a) Fulham (a) Brighton (h) Arsenal (a) Leeds (h) Reckon we take quite a few points from those (at least 10, maybe 12+). Boxing Day Spurs, Neverton or the Dogheads at VP. Last few games teams with nothing to play for, especially if we still could make too 6/7. So any team from 8-14, or already relegated, I’m thinking Everton, Wolves, Brighton, Bournemouth, teams like that (if my predictions for finishing places are accurate). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Isnt there a thread already for this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Chelsea city or liverpool away 1st please. Followed by a winnable home game like c palace at home 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hippo Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Forest away first game (guess) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted June 14, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted June 14, 2022 Most pointless thread of the year, as usual. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhan_Zhuang Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Manure at home first game of the season and we smash them 3-0 UTV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Zhan_Zhuang said: Manure at home first game of the season and we smash them 3-0 UTV I’d take 3-1 with Savo scoring on his debut. Edit: Savo never scored!! Edited June 14, 2022 by Vive_La_Villa 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhan_Zhuang Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 5 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said: I’d take 3-1 with Savo scoring on his debut. Edit: Savo never scored!! Taylor, Draper, Yorke Reminds me, Yorke was unplayable that day! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chine Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Guessing wel be away first game , Boxing Day, last game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightoffyour Posted June 14, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted June 14, 2022 1 hour ago, mjmooney said: Most pointless thread of the year, as usual. Only until we get the fixture list... Anyway, Chelsea on Boxing Day. It's traditional. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom13 Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Bring on anyone. "Let's be having you!" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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