Pre Match Thread

[OutByEaster?]

It's a good line up I think, our best back four making a rare appearance and with Kamara in front of them for the first time this season, that will hopefully get us pretty solid. There's a lot of pressure on Philogene obviously, coming into the team in a very big game - but I think McGinn and Tielemans can give us the ability to keep things tight and then we can break with Watkins - I fancy Watkins one-on-one with their centre halves and I think we can tempt them into leaving spaces for Rogers to run into. Plus we have the ability to bring Bailey and Duran on for half an hour at the end when they're tiring.

Chelsea are a good side, but I'm hopeful.

[AndyM3000]

3 minutes ago, GingerCollins29 said:

Generous. He can't control or pass, looks lazy and disinterested

Didn't look lazy against Bayern.

[Mr_Dogg]

I wonder when they'll talk about Villa for 30 seconds. Or even Chelsea.

[Nicho]

7 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

Scenes when Philogene scores a worldie

It would be the shock, I don’t think anyone wants him to fail, I hope he has a worldy

[AndyM3000]

Just now, Mr_Dogg said:

I wonder when they'll talk about Villa for 30 seconds. Or even Chelsea.

I don't even turn the TV on now until 1 minute before KO. It's better this way.

[cheltenham_villa]

6 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

That line - up stinks of caution. It won't matter if we get a result, but I'm not entirely convinced by that line - up.

How so? It's pretty much our starting 11 but with Jaden over Bailey. 

Caution would surely be Carlos for Cash? 

[smg]

26 minutes ago, Nigel said:

Gutted...had this in my head as kicking off at 12.30!

Another hour of filling time....

You could watch the build up…………..oh wait a minute looks like there’s another game on.

[Django_Zooms]

Just now, Mr_Dogg said:

I wonder when they'll talk about Villa for 30 seconds. Or even Chelsea.

Driving me insane. City & Liverpool chat for the first 20% of our coverage, so far.

[Nigel]

Just now, AndyM3000 said:

I don't even turn the TV on now until 1 minute before KO. It's better this way.

Clever idea, that way you will only get 26 minutes of Man city talk!

[Pongo Waring]

27 minutes ago, Tayls said:

Chelsea too good for us at the moment. Reckon they’ll have a great day. 

We've beaten Bayern. Who have Chelsea beaten top teams this season?

[Delphinho123]

39 minutes ago, Herman22 said:

Honest question? Why drop Pau? Do you think he’s been bad recently? 

I assume you’d start Mings? Or go with Carlos and Konsa. 

Start Mings. Mings and Konsa as a partnership is the best we have and has been for the last 5 years. Deanoooo.

[foreveryoung]

Just now, Delphinho123 said:

Start Mings. Mings and Konsa as a partnership is the best we have and has been for the last 5 years. Deanoooo.

Mings won't get that form back.

[GingerCollins29]

3 minutes ago, AndyM3000 said:

Didn't look lazy against Bayern.

That one performance nearly two months ago is your acid test? I'm going off every other dreadful, lacklustre appearance he's made. 

I hope he'll show something, anything but he's just nowhere near this level

[VillaChris]

4 hours ago, turvontour said:

But isn't drawing all the time the reason we are indifferent, to a large extent? Bournemouth, Palace, Ipswich, Man U etc. 

If you look at last season. If you take a draw in any of Man City at home, Arsenal at home or Arsenal away, then the club definitely doesn't play champions league football this year, and possibly for decades, I don't know.

Again. Do we take a draw v Bayern Munich at home this season? Bayern Munich are infinitely better than Chelsea.

Plucky points away at Chelsea are fine but we'll finish 9th or 10th with that mindset. 

A draw is more than fine today if we then beat Brentford and Southampton. That's the key as we're starting to drop far too many points against bottom half teams especially at VP.

[Tomaszk]

35 minutes ago, AshVilla said:

Why are we starting Philogene.

It's bad enough when he's subbed on.

Because the alternative is Bailey.

[Nigel]

I feel for the pannel that they have this in the way of the big game!

[VillaChris]

4 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Start Mings. Mings and Konsa as a partnership is the best we have and has been for the last 5 years. Deanoooo.

Bringing him back in the prem away to Chelsea would be asking for trouble, Southampton is a better game to start Mings.

Pau also was training against Jackson every day for three years so knows his game inside out.

[Tomaszk]

12 minutes ago, GingerCollins29 said:

Generous. He can't control or pass, looks lazy and disinterested

Jaden looks lazy?

In what way? Be specific.

[Delphinho123]

4 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

Mings won't get that form back.

Could well be right I’m afraid, mate. Shame. Great player.

[OutByEaster?]

15 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said:

That line - up stinks of caution.

Is that necessarily a bad thing? 

We're away at one of the best sides in the country.