myko Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 No baker is out for at least a week apparently... Okore could be back to full fitness though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myko Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 (edited) I think Sylla and Tonev will both start today, doubt all the players will play all three games as they'd just be inviting injuries. Edited August 21, 2013 by myko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I fancy a draw funnily enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 This on TV? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedClaretAndBlue Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 This on TV? Nope not live but theyll have extended highlights on Sky Sports 1 just after FT tho. The Donnin of the new home strip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 nope i think it will be same team vs arsenal. lambo wont wnat to change winning formula, only clark for baker change Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HalfTimePost Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Sylla for KEA imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villagav Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I've got to go for 3-1 to Chelsea. Their attacking movement will be too much for our defence, but we'll hit them on the break a couple of times. I'd love us to smash them though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papillon Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I think we will field pretty much the same team - this is also going to be a much harder game as well. We met a tired Arsenal with a lot of injuries and niggles, now we are playing a blistering Chelsea away and they have pretty much all their players available. Arsenal suits ut well, they have high up the field but sometimes have slow tempo in their passing - making it possible for us to counter them every single game. We have beaten them some three times in the last five or six at Emirates right? Chelsea are a totally different ball-game. They are extremely good at defensive organizing and have been for ten years, especially under Mourinho when they let in 15 (!) goals in one season. It's hard to think that we let in 15 goals against Chelsea, Spurs and Wigan - and they let 15 goals in during 38 games? Not dissing us, what happened last year was freakish of course, but it just says something about Mourinho. Arsenal were lackluster in their attacking play, no chemistry and just random bursts into our area. Chelsea are quick, their play for Oscar's 1-0 goal was pow pow goal. I think with the cards we have been dealt with Arsenal (a) and Chelsea (a) in 5 days, including traveling down to London and up again in the meantime, well we are not favorites for this tie. I have one eye on Liverpool as well, why wouldn't that tie be moved to Monday? Annoying setup for us. What I fear is giving it a real go tonight, lose 3-0 and leaving every player knackered for the Liverpool-game we actually have a shot at winning on Saturday... must be tough for Lambert, knowing every bit of firepower spent today will leave us tired for Liverpool. These are great athletes though, we have a week off after Liverpool so I guess we will be fielding the same team in all these three games, more or less. Guzan - Luna - Vlaar - Clark - Lowton - KEA - Delph - Westwood - Weimann - Gabby - Benteke Before Arsenal I felt we had something going into the game, I think I predicted we scored 2 or so goals in the match thread before the game and we did! Tonight I am afraid every single analysis of the game predicts a heavy loss. They are just that good, and we meet them at a bad time. They were awesome in the first half against Hull, before stepping it down a few gears in the second-half, making substitutions and resting players. What sucks is that their next game is away to Man Utd on Monday, so they can field a strong team and still recover in good time. Prediction: 4 - 1 But if we lose tonight and bring it to Liverpool, well we still stand a great chance of having a much higher tally of points compared to what we could expect from these three opening fixtures Now, prove me all wrong and bring us a point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I fear for our defense against a team that knows how to exploit a weakness. 3-0 to Chelski by half time, and a spirited but doomed comeback by us in the second half to finish it 4-1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreveryoung Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Sorry to sound negative after Arsenal, but we won't win this!! Chelsea looked proper sharp against Hull, took there foot off the gas second half. Jose will wanna match the high scoring loss last season. 4-0 Chelsea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazzlarrGoesHuge Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Are we not all villa fans here, what's with the pessimism, sure Chelsea ran rings around hull on Sunday, but did you not notice the space they were given, we have a much younger, energetic team, sure the Chelsea team posses some pure class, but we can easily get in amongst the quick passing, force them into dead ends and utilise our youthful strength, admittedly I fear Vlaar's lack of pace and think we need to give Okore a start, I know we've got the ability up front to break them down, especially if Agbonlahor puts in another blistering performance, besides the last game we played against Chelsea I believe we deserved to win, and thought we looked to do so until Benteke got sent of, still 2-1 was hardly a pounding, and an interesting fact for you; Jose Mourinho has won none of his last four Premier League matches against Aston Villa, three ending in draws and the other a villa victory, so we get in amongst them tonight, make not silly mistakes and I truly believe a 2-1 villa victory is on the cards!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakid007 Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 We will win 3-2 2 from the beast & 1 from Delph We hav to take the fight to them and make sure we track their midfield runs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted August 21, 2013 Moderator Share Posted August 21, 2013 My prediction is we'll see the debut of Jores Okore. He already excelled against Chelsea in the CL and with Baker out and Clark having played on Saturday it's the perfect opportunity to introduce him into the side. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SikhInTrinity Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Wouldn't play him as it leaves Vlaar completely uncomfortable on the left side. He may have scored against Malaga but he was all at sea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyavfc Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I don't think we'll change anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phumfeinz Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I don't think we'll change anything. We have to, Baker is injured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic_bouma Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 I would be happy with 3 points from our first 3 games so saturday was a great start and anything else is a bonus now for me.Predicted a drubbing by arsenal and they proved me wrong But I still simply can't see pass a comfortable Chelsea victory The way lambert has been bigging up kea this week suggests Sylla won't play That would be disappointing coz I think Sylla is vital to our team and I don't rate el Ahmadi Hope Okore starts. 3-0 Chelsea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Clark should be in for Baker. There's no point in changing a winning side this early in the season. Had we lost or drawn at Arsenal then fair enough, but you don't reward a win by benching a number of the players. Talk of Okore will be wide of the mark. Rotation further up the field can be worthwhile, but you don't swap out your centre backs for the sake of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samjp26 Posted August 21, 2013 Author Share Posted August 21, 2013 (edited) Will people stop going on about Vlaar being uncomfortable on the left side. He has played there for Feyernoord, he has played there for Holland. Anybody ever wondered that maybe it just so happened to be Baker and Clark that are more comfortable on that side? They have both been deployed at left back before so it would make more sense. Vlaar and Okore can work fine. Edited August 21, 2013 by samjp26 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts