Aston Villa v Preston: Pre-match Thread

[SoccerHQ]

PNE only sold 600, surprised. Didn't they sell out last year?

Like me, the thought of negotiating the M6 there and back is enough to put anyone off
Having said that I`m hopefully venturing down tomorrow

Yes I get that and obviously midweek hits away crowds anyway.

It's not that far though and they are just outside the play offs so thought 1k + was more likely.

[Ads]

The M6 is usually fine on a week night.

You're better off sometimes leaving closer to 6 than you are 5 to avoid traffic.

[Ads]

Said this in the Bruce thread, but is;

Jedinak/Thor

O'Hare
Hourihane
Lansbury
Snoddy

a better midfield 5 than the likely midfield in a 442 we may well revert to?

[SoccerHQ]

I think we'll go 4-4-2 tomorrow. Grabban's first start and then replaced by Davis on the hour.

Will mean one of the central midfielders will have to take a wider position.

With Bjarni I'm pretty sure he plays wide midfield role for Iceland in any case. He's not a DM for them anyway.

[villa `cross the mersey]

The M6 is usually fine on a week night.

You're better off sometimes leaving closer to 6 than you are 5 to avoid traffic.

Thanks Ads - I m meeting junior straight from college so we are having an early dart - get a decent parking spot and tuck into the obligatory Balti pie and chips from the chippy pre match
KFC is off the menu on the way back however, as KFC have no chicken !!!!!!

[Brassneck]

Said this in the Bruce thread, but is;

Jedinak/Thor

O'Hare
Hourihane
Lansbury
Snoddy

a better midfield 5 than the likely midfield in a 442 we may well revert to?

I'd go with the line up you posted in post #1, be it 442 or 451 with Grabban playing on the left in place of O'Hare

[Ads]

The M6 is usually fine on a week night.

You're better off sometimes leaving closer to 6 than you are 5 to avoid traffic.

Thanks Ads - I m meeting junior straight from college so we are having an early dart - get a decent parking spot and tuck into the obligatory Balti pie and chips from the chippy pre match
KFC is off the menu on the way back however, as KFC have no chicken !!!!!!

As long as there's not an accident, the roadworks from J19 to J16 actually improve the flow of traffic. I'd rather spend 18 miles driving at a guaranteed 50mph than what it was like with the chevrons.

M6 Toll into Brum can be useful too, getting off at Sutton. Depends where you park of course, I use the streets close to the Albion as that's where I used to park when I lived down there having come up the Hagley Road.

But generally in the 8 years I've been up here the only game that I have ever had a problem with was that Friday night kick off against Man United. Absolutely shocking traffic that night.                                                                                                                                                   

[AsTallAsLions]

If you lot carry on with this talk of Grabban on the wing I'll have to change my downgrade my prediction!

[Brassneck]

If you lot carry on with this talk of Grabban on the wing I'll have to change my downgrade my prediction!

Grabban can play and has played on the wing in the past.

[Brend'Watkins]

We beat this lot at their place without too much fuss 3 months ago or so and without Grealish in the side.  Have they improved immeasurably?

[AsTallAsLions]

We beat this lot at their place without too much fuss 3 months ago or so and without Grealish in the side.  Have they improved immeasurably?

They've certainly improved.

[Brassneck]

We beat this lot at their place without too much fuss 3 months ago or so and without Grealish in the side.  Have they improved immeasurably?

They're a difficult side to beat and have lost less times than we have this season. They played the last 30 minutes on Saturday with 10 men so hopefully, that may have taken it's toll.

[Steve67]

They work really hard but we have to work harder.  If we are serious about top two we simply have to win games likes this but typical Villa, we lose one and all the doubts come flooding back due to the last five years of shite.  Stick with a formation that works and expect the players to perform like they were doing before the second half on Saturday.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

We beat this lot at their place without too much fuss 3 months ago or so and without Grealish in the side.  Have they improved immeasurably?

They were lucky to put a team out that night they had so many injuries.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

If you lot carry on with this talk of Grabban on the wing I'll have to change my downgrade my prediction!

Grabban can play and has played on the wing in the past.

If that's true then stick him out wide and play O'Hare in the middle. Certain to do a lot more than Lansbury. I really like the look of that team, hard working with plenty of goal potential:

Jedinak or Thor

Grabban
O'Hare
Hourihane
Snoddy

Hogan