Match Prediction: Season opener against Manchester City
Friday, 15 August 08, 02:41 AM · Comments (34)
It's very easy to get carried away when supporting your football team and when the team you're going to play in three days are humiliated at home by a pub team.
Okay, humiliated is probably too strong a word and 'pub team' is possibly not an accurate description of the the team they played, but they were not good and if we were to have played them last night, we'd have walked away with three points and a few goals.
However, things don't always turn out how they are supposed to in football, so anything can happen, although I think I've got this one spot on, but it's the drug known as confidence predicting this result today.
Normally by this point in pre-season I would have released my season prediction but I've held off, probably until later today, because I didn't want to predict where we would finish last week. I'm a little more confident today and you'll maybe get it later.
But it's important to factor in things about opposing teams and if you read my post last year you'll know I predicted we'd finish 6th and I put most of it down to the manager. For me, the manager is the most vital component of a successful team.
I say this because Manchester City have a new one, who I had thought for a long time was the earmarked successor for Sir Alex Ferguson, but I think he' made a huge mistake going to Manchester City and I'm not convinced he'll still be there at the end of the season.
It's not because he's not a decent manager, he's proven he's a decent manager at Blackburn and as manager of Wales. It's because he's at a club with an owner who has lost the plot and while he'll get backed, for every pound he gets backed, I think that owner notches up his expectations for this season and I think they were probably too high to begin with.
For me, they should have kept Sven and if they had done, they'd have done better this season. I think either Hughes will walk, as recent reports have suggested, or he'll get the sack sitting in 9th come November.
Most clubs would happily have a new manager getting you to 9th in November but I've got a feeling Thaksin Sinatra will have a more demanding target for Mark Hughes and it's unrealistic.
Because of the new manager and because of the result last night and because of the possible unrest with the reports that Mark Hughes may walk, I don't think they're ready. If Sven was still in charge, mostly because of continuity my prediction would be much more difficult.
If we were playing them four weeks in to the season, I know I wouldn't be so confident, but I think we've got three points here and that's my prediction. We're clearly ready and they're not. A full and vociferous Villa Park will also be a factor.
That's it for my prediction and it's suddenly hit home that the season starts in a few hours. Come on you lions.
Like this blog? Help spread the word: 
34 Comments · Add yours
damian am i reading too much onto it or is the line 'I'm a little more confident today and you'll maybe get it later.' a crypic clue that a new face is on their way?
gabby just signed new contract
villa 3 city 0
harewood reminded me of a lazy dalian atkinson last night
thats wot i was thinkin .. cryptic damian at work again ;)
If we have Carew back then yes we should have too much for them at home. Then again they are one of our bogie teams. Anyone know if he wil be back in time for Sunday?
could it be that a certain j milner will be winging his way to the midlands for a medical ????? ;D that would be good
Kevin Doyle could be a good signing...one of Irelands best players. Only speculation tho - LINK
Thats the first thing that came into my mind too, he's got us brainwashed!! Great goals last night with Capello watchin too. Will be interesting to see whether he picks Gabby this time round.... :)
I predict a bit of a nervy first 15 mins on sunday before dominating and securing 3 points.
There will be plenty of goals again this season and i am hoping for plenty on sunday and after 6 games together i think we will stop conceding so regularly like last season
neck on the line
4-0 sunday young two carew one and laursen
rob h
you're reading too much into it mate, sorry. i just meant that i've not done my prediction yet and well, it has to be done by 3pm saturday - so you'll get it today ... please. the only thing i've heard all summer is about de la red ..
Surely Sunday will be three points.
Kevin Doyle of Reading is the latest rumour. I think he would be a good buy. He is very good in the air and would be a good sub for Carew. He plays much better for Ireland than Reading.
"Then again they are one of our bogie teams."
Don't worry. Vass is injured.
damian you'r turning into rafa over transfers you should put up or shut up, stop teasing us with wild information or no information.
To the game i'm confident, they'r lacking strikers altho sturridge is proving to be handy. I just hope carew is back, harewood sometimes doesn't have that killer touch. Does anyone else notice that gabby and harewood don't get along. they'r always sniping at each other
I'm unconvinced about that Doyle rumour. If we get a striker it'll be in the Carew mould.
I thought we were pretty poor in midfield yesterday. I think it'll be a 2-2 draw.
You don't need to be Poirot tho work out that De La Red will be getting his picture taken with a Villa shirt very soon.
Cuellar and De La Red will be regulars in the Spanish team before long, and this will get us a reputation as a club that can turn a good player into a big name, especially in La Liga, making us a very attractive club.
It's great being a European club again. Praise the MoN.
young 2 carew and laursen
up the villa
Surely we can do better then Doyle. He has no skill at all. Very poor player when the ball is played up to his feet and he has to try and get turned (bit like gabby but without the pace). He is decent in the air but £8m is way too much.
this de la red link has just died out i havent heard a thing about it and kevin doyle scored only like 6 goals last season we want a 20 goal man but milner will b a class signin if we finally get him
_aron_
i notice that aswel .. he also gave ashley an aggressive chest bump after his goal. prob. for not givin him the through ball but i thought it was a bit over the top, i mean ashley is a strip to the wind he could of killed him :D
I think we'll win on sunday but i don't think it'll be easy. 2-0 or 2-1, with Ashley and Carew on the score sheet!
Who's gonna start at the back? Will Cuellar play ahead of Davies?
15 million should get Santa Cruz, get in there now MON! please dont waste money on Doyle
As a City fan, we won 4 out of the last 19 games and he had lost the plot and like with England, had no plan B. I am dreading Sunday. Thankfully I have 3 Villa player's in my fantasy team to ease my pain
no no no to santa cruz. he's had one decent season. He's very injury prone and before blackburn had scored 40 goals in 190 apps. We need a proven consistent goal scorer.
I can see an nice comfortable 2-0 victory for sunday, possibly 3-0 if Carew starts. City are a shambles at the moment where were building confidence. Plus Richard Dunne is still suspended after his sending off in the last game of last season! If we do fail to win it will surely be another case of 3 points wasted. UTV
Doyle would be a dreadful signing. Really can't understand why MON targets these kinds of players every so often, if it's even true that is.
Im going for a 3-1 Villa win! Big John, Gabby and A Young to get the goals!
I just hope that we see an Aston Villa side that is really geared up for the challenge. I think we have been a tad lethargic at times in pre season because we haven't had a hard challenge as yet. Well that is now over and I want them to give a sustained top notch effort for the full 90 minutes. Then we will win the game.
GB to score from a penalty, 1- nil to Villa.
2 nil to the villa carew and young villa to finish 5th!
Dunne out on suspension, Joe gone for Olympics, Benjani and Vassel injured. They are without any real quality upfront and one of their star defensive players. Not to mention their confidence is low from losing at Home yesterday, while ours is sparkling. I'm not saying it is a walk in the park but you could not ask for an easier game against a team like them all season....
as long as we bring our game to them too of course.
Shanghai Villain - So optimistic. I wish i could hold the same hope as you. How is it so obvious by the way?
1-0 villa
i wasn't fully convinced by the performance last night, gave the ball away to much. but man city seem to be in a bit of trouble at the moment. but in my opinion it will go our way
1-1....i'm just glad Vassell is'nt playing for them....
Man City are our bogey side..
2-0 to aston villa!
predicted line up:
friedel
l.young davies laursen shorey
reo-c petrov barry young
carew agbonlahor
bench:
taylor cuellar gardner routledge osbourne maloney harewood
UTV ;D
Its good to get back from holiday and finally be back on avfcblog! I can't tell you how excited am about today. Seems like a year since we drew with West Ham. Like you said Damian, its easy to get carried away with confidence ofter Man City's defeat in the UEFA cup. But we can't judge a teams season performance on 1 flukey defeat. Still believe were going to win but probz not as convincing as we think. Im sticking a fiver on Villa 2-1 and another on 2-0 ;)