Match Prediction: Aston Villa travel to Manchester City
Wednesday, 04 March 09, 04:14 AM · Comments (85)
Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea won last night, meaning Arsenal are now only three points behind us and we're six behind the other two - how important is this game tonight?
Okay, you might think we shouldn't be that concerned by what Liverpool and Chelsea are doing and we should maybe concentrate on Arsenal, but I think the opposite. Or goal has to be to chase the two teams above and as long as we keep winning, one day one of those two, most likely Liverpool, will slip up.
As long as we keep putting on pressure to Liverpool and Chelsea - a by-product of that will be that we keep Arsenal at bay and in fifth place.
If we worry too much about Arsenal then our focus is in the wrong place. Let Arsenal bugger it up for themselves, we shouldn't be that concerned about them - they're the ones that have found themselves in fifth place, not us.
So, to the match later and some good news is that Manchester City are without some very important players. Robinho and Bellamy are both out and there is every likelihood, although I've not visited the Manchester City website for updates, that they'll have one or two first team regulars also missing.
Factor in our away form this season and you've got to fancy that we can get all three points tonight, after all Manchester City are hardly a consistent team at home, having won eight and lost five. I suppose some could argue there is some consistency with those numbers, but you know what I mean.
Martin O'Neill is also confident "We intend to give everything possible in our bid to remain in the leading group. Where you finish after 38 games is where you deserve to finish."
That same argument could be used for where we are now. We deserve to be exactly where we are right now and we need to prove that tonight. It's a night for certain players to stand up and prove they're good enough for a top four position.
So, you all know my prediction, it's three points for us and you know why. You also all know what I'm hoping for in terms of formation but I suspect after the goal on Sunday that Carew will get a start and I also suspect that Gabby won't be dropped for the first time this season in a league match, despite his need for a rest and a wake up call that he isn't an automatic choice.
So, until later, when I'll be opening up a match post with links to lots of different websites and team news and text updates, keep the faith and remember that it is your right to have a beer tonight, because your team is playing and your team comes first. My beer is going in the fridge now.
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85 Comments · Add yours
I am praying for a win, most of my mates support Arsenal and they won't shut up at the moment!
Need a good performance tonight, agree that Carew must start. Also need to put that ball in the back of the net a few times tonight. These are the games when we have to stand up and be counted. UTV.
I agree Gabby needs a rest, I actually think sitting him for this one would be a mistake though. I expect City to come out and attack even without Robinho and Bellamy, meaning Gabby's special skills can come to good use. Plus he did score his hat trick against them at the start of the season, that's got to count for something, right?
But 3 points should come our way. I read Micah Richards has a hamstring problem for them and is questionable, playing us with a hamstring problem is not a good idea. So we'll see if he plays.
And I totally agree with the looking up at the table instead of down. I can see Liverpool dropping a few more points before the season is done.
Also Mark Hughes in the sun thinks we are choking (for lack of a better word). He mentions how we have not won in 5, but he forgets to mention our away record. Really looking forward to this one. utv
Just read in the sun that if we finish fourth and Arsenal finish fifth but they win the Champions leauge then they get the champions leauge place next term !!!!!!!!!!
What the fuck !!!!!
So all this could be for nowt .
You're right Damian, we need to aim higher than 4th rather than try and stay there. Thats ok in theory but the reality of it is, is that Arsenal will be in the back of the players minds and O'Neill's.
Lets hope for a weakened Man City side and a poor performance on their behalf, and take full advantage. I think Carew should start tonight no doubt.
I don't think he'll drop Gabby because MON will be thinking... let him play his socks off tonight and then he's got a big rest until next game.
2-1 Villa win.
Altan
But when we finish third and Liverpool finish 4th - they will take the place from Liverpool, not us.
More of a reason to get 3rd.
Reply to AVFCBlog:
good thinkin batman!
Apparently heskys a dought for tonight (Achilies)=((Cappelo))=
Anyway think we will definetly score one or two so if we can stay solid at the back three points should be ours.
1-2 Villa Carew , Barry pen
UTV
As I've said before, sod Arsenal, I don't care what they do. As you point out the simple fact is if we match Arsenal to the end of the season we finish above them.
We should be aiming higher, Liverpool are not firing on all cylinders. I wouldn't say they where lucky last night, but if Sunderland had taken those chances in the 1st 20 minutes....
And forget Arsenal winning the Champions League, it won't happen they are not good enough (although knowing our luck....). I can't see past Utd for that personally.
It is an important game tonight, but arguably they all are now. That said I think we'll win tonight and it'll be 3-1. Gabby, Carew and Knight the scorers. Man City are concentrating on the UEFA cup now that they are pretty much safe.
Reply to Villa_Chris:
But are Arsenal really going to win the Champions League? Come on guys! We have more chance of finishing runners up to Man Utd than that happening!!
As for tonight, 2-1 Villa and I believe we will start with 4-4-2, Carew and Gabby upfront, and hopefully switch to a 4-5-1 once we go 2-0 up (like we did on Sunday!!!!!!)
Nothing to do with tonight but I thought I had to share this one with you all.
During the 1957 cup run Burnley turned up at Villa Park for a replay kitted out in black away shirts, as this was leading to obvious confusion the ref came into the Villa changing room at half time for a change of tops. According to Peter McParland he was given one of our purpe away shirts.
VILLA IN PURPLE ?!!!
If any historians or old gits can throw any light on this one I'd be interested to see what the kit looked like.
Anyway, my 1st away trip of the season tonight, looking forward to one of Betty's lovely hot pots and a few pints of Newton & Ridleys.
2 nil to The Villa
He's got to play 4-5-1 with Gabby up front surely?
We need to not panic and take the point, not go for broke for three. Nethertheless I expect us to play 4-4-2 and lose with Man C catching us on the break through midfield.
This game will set the marker for the rest of the season.
If we win tonight, then the confidence will flood back and the outsiders will think "yeah, fair play - they've got the bottle to last".
A draw would be OK I reckon. Certainly wouldn't be a bad result.
A defeat and the alarm bells will start ringing loud and clear.
Game will be won and lost in midfield tonight. Petrov and Barry need to boss De Jong and Ireland and get them on the backfoot. Those two especially are really going to have to battle tonight.
i am so scared!
We're 13 hours ahead here in New Zealand so we've already seen the game!! Top game it was too. Two sitters for Carew to tap in and a blinder from Milner - Top draw!! :-)
I Can't see anything other than a Villa win tonight.
Altan....
"Apparently heskys a dought for tonight"
Were you trying to spell donut?
Reply to keefvilla:
ha ha ha ha
Reply to james_villa:
Me too! I just hope the players are dealing the pressure better than we are
Reply to djongrass:
Phew, I can relax...
How scary is tonights game? It's one of those games that could define our season!!!
This is why we are football fans, that nervous tension and build up to kickoff! The feeling of untter devestation, despondency and anger when we lose. But the fantastic feeling of joy, excitement and relief when we win. Don't you just love it!!!!!
Edgey 2-1 win for us tonight (I hope)!
Damian
I totally agree we should be focusing on finishing second rather than looking over our shoulder. However, for those with twitchy bums, surely a point is just as good. Realistically thats a two game lead especially the way they are playing. No i hope and expect the Villa to win tonight, but won't be downhearted if we only get a point. two games from ten, its a big ask and i believe our final run-in is easier. UTV
Reply to CSM:
nervous tension if we don't score in the first 20 mins i will soil myself again
Reply to djongrass:
Can you also send us the race results from Ascot
Season defining game this one, me thinks.
We win - we go on to greater heights, third, maybe second.
We lose - the wheels fall off and we slip to fifth, maybe sixth or worse...
Personally, I predict a hard fought battle with a single goal in it - to us of course!
Reply to james_villa:
You had one of those dodgy meat pies as well then!!!
Is it just me or do peoples hearts stop when you are watching Gillete Soccer Saturday and Geoff Stelling announces a goal at the Villa game. Those few seconds when you don't know which team has scored are horrible!!!
Anyone know what's happening with CSKA Moscow, because i seen somewhere that the Football team and there basketball team being pulled in for army service and disbanding the team's. So could we technically sneak back into europe ?.
Reply to CSM:
i watch the gits on the bbc and u can usually tell who it is there is a fake smile and silence villa have scored if they are overjoyed villa have conceeded
Also Vagner Love on a freebie sounds pleasing to my ears.
I just did the BBC Predictor thing (yes, not much work to do today) and according to my results (and I think I've been fair- I've said Arsenal won't win at Newcastle or Wigan, and get nothing from United and Liverpool) we'll finish 5th
But I did suggest we'd lose 2-0 tonight.
So, the essence of the story is, don't do the Predictor cos it'll make you cry, but anything better than a defeat at Wastelands tonight and we're off to Madrid!!!!!
Reply to djongrass:
Do you have a link to watch the highlights for us?
Does any1 know links that live stream the match, and use low internet usage???? cheers guys....
Oh and a 2-1 win tonite
UTV
Shitting it about tonight. I think MON will revert back to 4-5-1 to try and get back to winning ways. I feel that Gabby will be given another chance because he seems to excel in away games. A good time to play Man City with their injuries. Would love to shut Sparky the fuck up!
SYMBAS
a point is better than no points but its adding more pressure and another factor .. looking behind is wrong as we'll come off track - just try walking in a straight line when you are looking behind yourself - it doesn't work
we need to look forward and concentrate on our job. if we do that, then it's in our hands - if we look back - then it's something else
would a point be acceptable? well, we'll have people saying we're still above arsenal which all have taken at the start of the season at this stage - but getting 3 tonight is important
Villa will win this comfortably, there is nothing to worry about.
We have wobbled a bit lately but when Villa are under pressure we actually play better, how many late second half goals have we scored – loads - and all when we look like we’re going to drop points. When the pressure is off we loose concentration and well we all know the results.
Speaking of the Stoke game, the fact is that when lesser teams come to Villa park, they just play really deep, get dug in and stick out for a draw and then hope for a long ball and the odd break. This happened with Stoke, Wigan (…Arsenal, Liverpool). This is a good strategy against Villa as it renders Gabby’s pace to a large degree ineffective (I for one can therefore see the merit of starting Gabby on the bench for some home games - against lesser teams).
But for man shity away who are not a “lesser team” (on paper), they will be going at villa and will allow Gabby and Ashley to perform their party tricks,.
Not much chance of over confidence tonight is there and I can’t see us dropping into the Arsenal-esque arrogance I saw in the first half against stoke, and with concentration up, away from home, counter attacking football playing, we are in our element.
If Lausen was fit I’d say 2-0, as he isn’t 2-1, gabby is going to silence his critics tonight.
Watch this space.
i think Man City will beat us 2-0, Gabby needs to be dropped apart from his deflected goal at Blackburn he hasn't scored in over 15games...how can we have him as a lone striker with that record, look..Heskey was bought into provide a goal scorer, we all know Heskey is'nt a goal scorer, how can you play these two up front...where's the goals coming from, Id play Carew up front with Milner and Young floating behind.
Look for Gabby to break out of his slump tonight with 2 goals. Also, agree that Carew should start.
Arsenal have about as much chance to win the CL as we do the league title.
3-1 Villa.
Reply to vogra:
I agree. His strikerate is attrocious at the moment and it's not like his workrate is making up for it either.
Carew will hold the ball up so, so much better than Gabby- whether that be to feet or above the waist. Should give time for Milner and Young (is he definitely not banned?) to support.
Give Gabby a rest, some time out of the scrutiny and pressure and unleash him again in a couple of weeks.
The other reason I like 4-5-1 is we tend to get a spare man lurking around the edge of the box when we attack- great to pull the ball back to- unless its Sidwell...
Reply to vogra:
i am vigourously shaking u by the sholders saying
"don't panic!"
Reply to Christian1983:
I also did this last night, however I got us finishing 3rd ahead of Liverpool by a point
. Again I tried to be as fair as possible, with us drawing tonight and losing to Liverpool and Man U.
I think the lesson is, don't count anything until 38 games are up. Anything can happen in football. If we win every game, we'll probably win the league!!
Reply to AVFCBlog:
Damian
I totally agreed with your comments. I was just trying to releave those with twitchy bum syndrome.
And again, 4 points is better than three, especially as they would have a better goal diff if level (Both +15 at moment, but a loss for us and a win for them would be a minimum 2 goal swing in theuir favour). So as of this moment, i'd settle for a 4 point gap.
PS. If we do win all the better
Reply to keefvilla:
V funny
I've done the BBC prediction jobby and we will finish 4 points above Arsenal, 1 point below Liverpool, 4 points below Chelsea. (assuming we lose to pool and United).
If we beat or draw with red scouse we will be third no probs.
Also I predict that my dinner tonight will be bland and unsatisfying, like something else in my life unfortunately...
No prediction from me, im just praying.
somethings gone wrong i have got arsenal in 6th behind everton
u married jon? u need a mistress
Reply to Jon '2':
Ha ha! Suppose I shouldn't laugh but it is funny!
I fancy us to bounce back this eve, they have Robinho and Bellamy out. I hope Carew starts and gabby puts his boots on the right feet, this is the turning point and back to winning ways.
I looked at Arsenal, Everton and our own fixtures and guestimasted the following: Us with 20 points, Everton with 16 points and Arsenal with 14 points from the remaining games!
I've also been realistic....honest
4th here we come!!!
guestimated*
Reply to Jon '2':
How can you say that when you've got DA VILLA
Reply to Jon '2':
As a pick-me-up, why dont you try shuvvin a mobile on vibrate up your arse!!!!
Ashley Cole swears by it
Apparently
Looks like O'Neill is going to start Heskey tonight after reading what he has said in the Birmingham Mail.
I was hoping for Big John to start which probably isn't going to happen...unless he drops Gabby (which I doubt). Has Gabby scored yet playing alongside Heskey??.....Thought not.
About Heskey....
“He’s getting there,” added O’Neill.
“I’m hoping that he’s going to be fit for Manchester City, he should be and I think he’s positive about that, but he’s still not completely clear of that problem yet.
........................................................................
Is it me or is he contradicting himself a bit here??
It's you Chris
ha ha thought it might be.
Why would you want to risk playing someone who isn't fully fit when you've got John Carew raring to go and looking for a start?!?
Because o'neill likes to make the fans go ehhhhh? and scratch there heads.
ehhhhh? I'm scratching my head
Reply to leawaylittleman:
EHHHHH me too, Im confuzzled!
Hi, this HD stream people were chatting about last week for £1.50. Whats the link and did anyone use it - review? good quality, English Commentary and such?
Can you feel the pressure? Ha ha - you may just lose tonight. We're coming for you baby... in the dead of night, like nothing.
Reply to leawaylittleman:
I hope you are right. If Villa play 4-5-1 they could give Man City a hiding. I don't think they will so Aston Villa may squeeze a 2-1 win.
Reply to Dan Price:
I used the stream. It was top class. However, Ive just logged in to see whether tonights game is on there and for some strange reason, I've been banned!!
its squeaky bum time.......... this is nerve wracking but il take it over a relegation battle or mid-table mediocrity any day of the week. I think this may be a 1-1 draw, twud be an ok result but im hoping for the win. defo stick 5 man in mifield lease young milner and gabby to do their thing and have barry petrov and garnder pulling the strings and breaking up the play. put shorey left back young right and cueller in for davies whom looks weak since his shoulder injury
I used this stream for the Moscow game, was god apart from crashed last 5 mins, which was no bad thing...
LINK It's on their Channel 2 apparantly.
*good
Reply to 1874AVFC:
Thanks mate
man city will win tonight and all u jokers here hopin to finish in the top 4 are dreaming your a small club
Reply to don:
TW@T
Reply to don:
KN0B
Reply to don:
MUPPET
Reply to don:
yeah we are a tiny club and you are run by a fucking Arab, have all the money in the world and still can't put a decent run together you twat. You are not even in the top 1o for fucks sake, good luck staying up.
Reply to don:
You can stick your money up your Ar*e, i mean it hasnt really helped you has it to be fairly honest!
Awful fans
Awful club
Amen
Reply to Villa_Chris:
chris mate oneil will always start heskey over carew when fit i am. that was pretty when he bought him and i fear could lead to carews departure
sorry missed out about 3 words in that sentence. its 4am here in Oz and i got up to get ready for work before the villa game!
Reply to don:
I hate to tell you this, but small clubs don't win the European Cup and multiple FA Cups, League Cups and domestic championships. Get a f***in clue!
Reply to tonebon:
And you missed and "e" from your username......!
@ don.
Who has a european cup ?. if your not a Liverpool or Man utd fan then shhh, Because history speaks louder than words.
Reply to don:
Small time is the phrase that comes to mind
Reply to The Force:
what a TWAT
Reply to don:
brum reminds me of manchester,they both only have one football team and they aint fucking blue.
please martin play carew from the start!! the guy is a hero to us!!
when we bought heskey i squirmed at what martin had done!
i hope he proves me wrong but i cannot see it, 3-1 to the villa tonite
utv
Ha ha ha Steve - top marks mate.
I've got to agree wholeheartedly with what Damian says about us focusing on the teams above not below us. If bloody Arsenal do win the CL I will be surrounded by grinning, infuriating f****** w******* g****** b******* supporters. The only thing that keeps me going at times is the fact that we've won a European Cup and they haven't. Pleeeeeeeeeeease lads, do it, do it for me.