Pre-Match Thread Cup Final 3 of 10

[Nigel]

This is not the kind of game villa win....over to you unai 

[mjmooney]

If we win, VT will crow triumphantly, and start fantasising about European glory. Emery will analyse how and why we won, learn from it, and feed it into his planning for the next game, and next season. 

If we don't win, VT will go into depressed meltdown, fulminate about corrupt refs and VAR, and earmark half of our players as not good enough. Emery will analyse how and why we didn't win, learn from it, and feed it into his planning for the next game, and next season. 

This is just one stage in a long journey. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by mjmooney

[rjw63]

If its on SkyScumSport we're guaranteed to **** lose.

Edit.

Ah, BTScumSport, just as bad. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by rjw63

[TRO]

My prediction sadly is ....0-2

due in the main to their aggressive press, aided and abetted by their physicality.

Edited April 15, 2023 by TRO

[turvontour]

We're always priced to win very well with the bookies generally. Touching 3 to 1 today is essentially both ignoring our form in recent months and/or assuming that it comes to an end very soon. We had ridiculously long odds away at Chelsea given their form

[Demitri_C]

Have a bad feeling about today.think they will turn us over. I dont think our cm is strong enough and we dont have many options with all our injuries

They also got two good strikers in isak and wilson they have more options to change the game

[duke313]

45 minutes ago, Follyfoot said:

I think we will get tonked 

That’s the spirit.

[TRO]

On 13/04/2023 at 10:26, TheFish said:

Player Comparison: Callum Wilson vs. Ollie Watkins | FBref.com

Wilson is pound for pound, the better player. Scores more per 90, takes more shots and gets more shots on target per 90. Creates more for others too. 

Like I say, it's a coin flip between Luiz and Kamara ahead of Longstaff and Willock, but Joelinton and Bruno are must starts. Bruno needs no explanation. But I've watched big Joe go from a joke, a £40m flop, a punchline of a striker,  to being one of the most physically dominant, dynamic central midfielders I've seen in a black and white shirt. He's genuinely a monster in midfield and his footballing brain is way, way better than it once was. He's starting to add goals to his game too which is not something I ever thought would happen. I love him and his big goofy smile. 

Can't argue with ASM taking his man on two or three times instead of just the once, but you can't argue with the end product, in terms of creativity he's up there with the very best in the league. And play him alongside a career 1 in 2 striker like Wilson... that's just golden goose stuff.

 

On 13/04/2023 at 10:03, TheFish said:

Pope

Trippier Schar Botman Moreno

Luiz Bruno Joelinton

Isak Wilson ASM

That might seem harsh or unbelievably biased, but that's honestly where I'm at.

Pope has more clean sheets, better save %, more sweeping actions etc. 

Schar has improved hugely under Howe. He's calm under pressure, good tenchnique, threat from set pieces, not just aerially, but he's got a good shot on him too, plus he has a wonderful range of passing. Every time I've seen Mings he looks like he's got a big mistake in him, like Lascelles does. 

Moreno beats our leftbacks because Targett hasn't been fit and Burn isn't a left back.

Coin toss between Kamara and Luiz, for me. They're both better than Longstaff/Willock, but neither are good enough to oust Bruno or Joelinton.

Front three speaks for itself. Watkins is in good form, but I'd have any of our lot over him. 

• Ollie has scored more for Villa than Callum for Newcastle.
• Pope is behind a miserly defence....so is bound to get clean sheets.....and we had a horrendous start to the campaign.
• Mings Mistakes are pre Emery......you need an update, as does Southgate....He too has improved markedly under Emery.
• 3 good strikers....its anyones pick.

Your team is ahead of us in development, and is more physically equipped for the press.....it should be a good game for both teams.

[The_Steve]

I’m sure VAR will come to their rescue again 

[Villatillidie95]

Morning all, what a huge game! Win today and people sit up and take notice of us properly, up to this point we have flown under the radar, with the likes of Brentford, Brighton, Fulham and Newcastle getting the lion's share of attention. I'm going to leave in about 45 mins, just eating some food and having a nice cold beer to wash it down hehe

[StanBalaban]

 

 

[Jareth]

Nah we'll win this. Cos Unai. 

[smg]

1 hour ago, Zero7 said:

Can’t see us wining without cash and kamara. 

But cash is shit I read it on here.

[Farlz]

I’d prefer it if we were playing away tbh. Got a bad feeling.

Would take a draw absolutely. 

[PaulC]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

My prediction sadly is ....0-2

due in the main to their aggressive press, aided and abetted by their physicality.

I think we might score but fear you could be right. It's not being negative but  they are third for a reason 

Edited April 15, 2023 by PaulC

[Xela]

Proper test today. A rapidly improving Villa team against a well drilled Newcastle. They are a bit further down the line into their development than us and Howe has done a superb job. 

We have Emery tough, who is genuinely elite.

1-1

I wouldn't be disappointed at that TBH. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Xela

[VillaParkAvenue]

We’ve done well without Kamara lately but we could miss him more against the better teams. More than happy for a point today.

[allani]

8 minutes ago, PaulC said:

I think we might score but fear you could be right. It's not being negative but  they are third for a reason 

We are also 6th for a reason.  I think both managers would be happy with a draw but that maybe Unai would be the happier to risk defeat for the sack of a potential win.  Isak worries me - starting to look like a great signing.  But I fancy us to score.  Which almost certainly means that a boring 0-0 is on the cards - I wouldn't be too gutted by that.  I think Newcastle will take points off Brighton and Spurs.  Oh and the idea that only 2 of our players get into a combined XI is an absolute joke.  Unfortunately I suspect that Howe will be better prepared than the idiot who came up with that!

[Villatillidie95]

Reckon we will come out the blocks in total contrast to forest last week, just got a feeling this week that emery means business and really wants to show everyone what we are about

[Condimentalist]

1 hour ago, turvontour said:

We're always priced to win very well with the bookies generally. Touching 3 to 1 today is essentially both ignoring our form in recent months and/or assuming that it comes to an end very soon. We had ridiculously long odds away at Chelsea given their form

Yeah 5/1. Took that one with Ollie to score, nice payday.