Match Prediction: Away to West Ham
Friday, 19 December 08, 04:37 AM · Comments (29)
I have to be very careful about what I write today. Step over the line a little or act too confident and I'll have 200 comments from West Ham fans sitting in internet cafes all over East London. There you go, that should do it.
Anyway, it's not just the West Ham fans I've got to be worried about as I've got to be careful about how I write about resting half the team for the match in Hamburg also.
We all know why it was done, so they'd be better prepared for this match and if it all goes horrible, then it sort of makes resting them pointless.
But, while some of us might not have liked the team selection for Wednesday, we can all accept why it was done and that is the bottom line. I just hope Hamburg don't get an easy draw this afternoon and we end up getting the favourites.
I'm not going into the Hamburg match today but I will say it was the first European away trip I've made and while the result wasn't what we wanted, it was a fantastic day, despite the result.
I can't wait for the draw and hopefully the club will be a little more helpful this time in letting me have a ticket - but I guess I'll just have to wait and see. I'm booking flights as soon as we know where we are going.
Now, to the match tomorrow and while Marky Mark thinks this will be a draw, I fancy we will win this. We can win because the way we are approaching games at the moment suits us away.
Many teams are coming to Villa Park wanting to steal something so play a more defensive game, which stifles our attacking threat, but when we go away, the home team wants to attack, which opens it up for us, mostly Barry, Sidwell, Young and Gabby and we are getting the results.
West Ham have also lost more than they've won at home this season but they are coming into this game after a very decent result at Chelsea last weekend and while their manager is new to the job, you've got to fancy he knows what he is doing and that they're going to turn the corner very soon. Let's just hope it wasn't last weekend.
Anyway, even if they have turned the corner I think we've got more than them. With Ashley Young, Gareth Barry, Martin Laursen, Brad Friedel, James Milner, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Curtis Davies and Stiliyan Petrov all likely to walk straight back into the starting line up, you have to feel confident.
But I'm an Aston Villa fan and I'm going to predict a win, it's my job, but you've got to agree we're good away from home and based on how we've played recently, you can't go into this game thinking anything other than we will win.
So, all banter aside, I'm predicting a win. It's the right result and the one we need. With Arsenal playing Liverpool on Sunday and Manchester United not playing this weekend, we could go third and make the gap to fifth a little bigger.
Sitting third with Arsenal up next at home, would be the perfect Christmas present and make up for Wednesday.
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29 Comments · Add yours
Nice article Damian.
) with the goals.
I predict a win too. The 1st team is very good at the moment. What a buzz you get from supporting Aston Villa at the moment!!
3-1 Villa- Gabby, Barry and Milner (sorry Damian
Hmmmmmm tough one to call! Villa will be playing a confident West Ham side who drew 1-1 with Chelsea last weekend and could have won the game! I am actually going to go for a home win 2-0!
3-1 villa,west ham to score first
I am in an East London internet cafe, ha!, and yes West Ham to win 3-0. If Nigel and Marlene play perhaps 5-0! COYI.
If the West Ham fans are as big a bunch of tossers as Spuds fans I'm waiting for them
Villa to win 2-0 with Gabby and sub Harewood scoring ( that should upset a few)
Damian, I don't want to cause trouble but you should read the nice things Chris wrote about Milner when you were in Germany.
Reply to Jonathan:
get prepared for an ash & gab raid,ooops i meant a smash &grab raid. you have been warned
keefvilla
post a link and i'm pre-milner at the moment. he just needs time to settle in with a five man mdifield ..
i'm pro everything aston villa at the moment. just in a super good mood
Villa to win 2-1. A.Young, followed by a penalty from Barry after Carlton Cole had put the Hammers ahead.
Were forever bursting bubbles
Damien
LINK
Reply to AVFCBlog:
Damian he's a shit stirer, don't listen to him!!
Reply to talusmanvillafan:
Isn't that Michael Jackson's song?
Whoooppsss!!
UEFA cup draw is on eurosport... exciting times
West Ham Utd 0 Aston Villa 5
Milner 3 (27,52,81)
Agbonlahor 36
Barry (pen) 72
I'm playing football tonight, then i'm playing poker with my mates and getting drunk, then, after the hangover has been slept off i'll watch us slaughter West Ham 0:4 joy!!
UTV
Reply to Ipbopmalik:
Who you trying to wind up, West ham fans or Damian?
CSKA Moscow!!!
Nooooooooooooooo
its cska moscow
Just seen the draw, what happened to a local-ish game!! Bloody hell!
Anyway, as I have said on here before, we are currently 6pts better off then the respective games last season, drew with the Hammers at theirs so a win would be a great result and I think we can edge it (5-0 would be nice however!!)
Reply to keefvilla:
2 very good posts to make me smile after a crap UEFA Milk Cup Vase Badge Trophy draw.
Reply to Luke_M:
Thanks Luke. Nice to be appreciated.
17. keefvilla Wrote: | 12.09GMT | Dec 19, 2008
Reply to Ipbopmalik:
West Ham Utd 0 Aston Villa 5
Milner 3 (27,52,81)
Agbonlahor 36
Barry (pen) 72
Who you trying to wind up, West ham fans or Damian?
Reply Damian's been converted. I'm deadly serious!
i still can't work out if chelski have lost form or west ham have improved the only person i noticed was bellamy he looked pretty good we don't normally do well in london we won at spurs/arse but those were different most teams could have beat those two at that time, now its hammer time? if we do end up doing the combo by beating the hammers then i know times really are changing! i can see it being a cracker of a match we might just lose aswell but im going for a draw 2-2 i know stupid right. I also think we play much better when we go one nil down i don't know why but at least it can't end 0-0 when that happens
Did anyone else think that heskey goal the other week was class that touch was ronaldo style'ly a bit like what he did to us, someone said valencia was rubbish afew weeks back, how good would valencia be at villa we need him and im sure wigan shit wigan would want the cash more
iv stuck on a cheeky bet villa to win 4-2 with agbonlahor and milner to score
better odd with the 4-2 i know its unlikely with friedel in goal but it was worth a shout lol
3-0 Villa, Laursen, Young and gabby.
We could well be 7 points clear of Arsenal come boxing day as Liverpool will be favorites against them this weekend and we play them on boxing day.
Whenever Ive watched West Ham under zola they have played some pretty football. I do believe he will turn them around but I dont think they are capable of handling ashley and gabby on the counter attack.
I also think Milner will have his best game for the villa and possibly even bag a goal! I can see fabios words really giving him a shot of confidence when he really hasnt played tremendously well for us so far.
Barry, Milner and Ashley to score for the villa, Bellamy will get one for the hammers. 3-1 villa.
Reply to stermsav:
Sounds like an excellent weekend!
I think this will be a tight game where Villa get a late goal because West Ham are pushing for an equalizer. West Ham 1 (Bellamy), Aston Villa 3 (Laursen, Sidwell, Agbonlahor).