Pre Match Thread

[maqroll]

They don't seem to have the same cutting edge from previous seasons. If we are truly "title contenders", this is a game we need to bag maximum points from.

Seems a good opportunity to shore up our away record.

I think we are about to go on another goal scoring tear.

[Villa87]

Emi 

Konsa Carlos Torres Moreno

McGinn Kamara Tielemans Ramsey

Diaby Watkins

Bailey impact off the bench as clearly was playing on fumes before coming off against Arsenal. I’ll be missing this one (first in a long time) as sister in law is getting married. She could have checked the fixtures first! Tough game, would be massive to win this one to show we can pick up the wins away from home in tricky places. 

[fightoffyour]

5 hours ago, Villa87 said:

Bailey impact off the bench as clearly was playing on fumes before coming off against Arsenal. I’ll be missing this one (first in a long time) as sister in law is getting married. She could have checked the fixtures first! Tough game, would be massive to win this one to show we can pick up the wins away from home in tricky places. 

How unbelievably selfish. Your sister is getting married and with absolute zero consideration for anybody else involved she didn't choose to do it during an international break.

[duke313]

6 hours ago, maqroll said:

They don't seem to have the same cutting from previous seasons. If we are truly "title contenders", this is a game we need to bag maximum points from.

Seems a good opportunity to shore up our away record.

I think we are about to go on another goal.sciring tear.

Or a leggy performance after an away trip in Bosnia.  

[TRO]

Every team will be "rocking themselves up" to beat us, after taking 2 top scalps.

The warning signs will be levelled by their coaches...."if you're not on it, they will blow you away"

We have to be ready, away from home, to play some "containing football"....and weather the physical onslaught and partisan crowds.

[Nigel]

We really need to replace Luiz's ability to progress the ball so i think its a good time to reintroduce the Cash/Diaby right sided partnership.

We will need attacking options.

[Demitri_C]

This wont be easy. Dont thinknwe have won there since they came up so wont be easy at all esp without luiz

You would imagine JJ comes straight in for luiZ providing no injury vs mostar.

Moreno in for digne would be other change

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

They have lost 4 out of their last 5 in the league and just lost to Sheffield Utd. Neal Maupay was our nemesis in his first stint at the club but we are a different proposition thesedays. I expect Diego Carlos to eat him up and shit him back out. Little punk that he is.

They are a well coached side, it will be difficult for sure; but Mbuemo being out is a big plus for us. Think the players will be well up for this, every game must be as exciting for them as it is for us whilst flying this high in the league. Big incentive to get the win here with us playing before everyone next week too,  we could actually be top of the league going into next Saturday

[switters]

We got a bad record there but hopefully we can end that this weekend. Mbuemo missing helps and they got a few other injuries aside - Jensen in particular is a big miss if he still out. Still they have a good manager and will be well-drilled, only 2 teams won there and one of them was Arsenal with a 1-0 in the 89th min. We certainly can't go into this complacently expecting an easy win.

Without Luiz and Digne seems like Ramsey and Moreno are the natural choices to come in, if they are thought to be up to speed. If Moreno not, we'll have to have an unorthodox LB choice - Cash, perhaps. or Lenglet.

Could see a tight game with Watkins to be the matchwinner.

[MaVilla]

so, they are without Henry, Hickey, Mbeumo, Toney, Schade, Ajer, Collins and Dasilva.

Jensen is probably fit, apparently.

these are the types of games we have to be winning if we genuinely want to finish top 4.

 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by MaVilla

[Adman]

I think we'll struggle to get into top gear here.  No luiz, Thursday game, just beaten two top sides, away form not as strong, we're the villa. Everything telling me a loss I'm afraid

[VillaJ100]

I'm worried about every game now as a potential banana skin! Being up at the top means every loss is punished and could be really painful. When you're a mid table team you probably expect to win about half your home games, draw 5, lose 5. Away, you're probably going to lose about half, win 4-5, draw the rest and bring in about 50 points. Being up at the top in this era is a whole different ball game and you can't really afford to lose more than 5 or 6 games in total, let alone just away. So we really need to win this one.

[Pongo Waring]

No Toney, No Mbeumo, No Rico Henry, No Aaron Hickey, No Kevin Schade, No Kristoffer Ajer, No Nathan Collins
Just lost to the worst team in the league Sheffield United. 

Never have a better time to play Brentford away. We should win this.
 

Edited December 14, 2023 by Pongo Waring

[Tomaszk]

This fixture on paper is a difficult one.

It is a fact, they're very weak right at this point. Missing a lot of key men.

I would probably take a point. Don't think Unai Emery will.

Wonder who takes a pen if we get one. Sorry Ollie, still don't want you near them. I'd be comfortable with any of Digne, Pau, Carlos, Tielemans, McGinn or JJ taking one.

[mikeyjavfc]

Bad feeling about this one. Difficult place to go after an intense run of games and mid week trip to the balkans. Regardless of result don’t think it will be a vintage performance from us, especially without Luis pulling the strings in midfield. Could be a cagey one, wouldn’t turn down a draw in context of 2 previous wins at home. Hope we play the Mostar game at snails pace to conserve energy!

[Leeroy]

Got to be winning this one with the amount of players they have out. Mbeumo out is a big loss and our defenders should be able to look after Maupay, Lewis Potter and Wissa. Moreno in for Digne is like for like, we’ll miss Luiz but can drop McGinn into the pivot alongside Kamara and have Ramsey and Tielemans behind Watkins and either Diaby or Bailey. Brentford are a really solid midtable team but we should have a lot of the ball so just need to unlock them and take our chances. 

 

Four games left in 2023, if we can get 9-10 points or more we’ll be in a great position going into the new year. Beating Brentford makes that much more likely.

[rubberman]

I would not be taking a draw. No easy games and all that, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't get much more straightforward than against a depleted team who've lost 4 in 5.

Also, doesn't this give us another record to break - most wins in a calendar year? Unai loves breaking records.

[Brentfordnylons]

12 hours ago, Pongo Waring said:

No Toney, No Mbeumo, No Rico Henry, No Aaron Hickey, No Kevin Schade, No Kristoffer Ajer, No Nathan Collins
Just lost to the worst team in the league Sheffield United. 

Never have a better time to play Brentford away. We should win this.
 

Draw would be good but think along with too many key players out and your excellent form a defeat is on the cards.Thomas Frank has done an incredible job getting a tune out of this squad this season and but expect to end the season strong so watch out next April at Villa park.

[Pongo Waring]

8 minutes ago, Brentfordnylons said:

Draw would be good but think along with too many key players out and your excellent form a defeat is on the cards.Thomas Frank has done an incredible job getting a tune out of this squad this season and but expect to end the season strong so watch out next April at Villa park.

Considering our poor form against you at your ground, I think a draw would be good for Villa too. but like I said you have a lot of key players out so I think we should be going there for a Win. Wont be easily tho. First goal is important.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Pongo Waring

[kurtsimonw]

Very worried about no Dougie. I think he's by far our most important player in terms of how we play.