Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: dave.woodhall on December 26, 2016, 09:00:53 PM
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What a charming club this is, to be sure. There are many things that can be said about Dirty Leeds and, if you try really hard, one or two might not be uncomplimentary. While you’re thinking, here’s a few that come to might right away. Don Revie, cheating, bribery, Billy Bremner, hundreds Seig Heiling while Mark Walters & Tony Daley ripped them to bits that night in the League Cup, St Andrews, Bournemouth, Odsal, Vinnie Jones - folk hero, Peter Ridsdale, David O’Leary, singing Champions of Europe with no shame, the freak show they brought to the cup tie in 2000, Ken Bates, giving that whopper from the Sheffield Wednesday band a job, a succession of lunatic chairmen and owners culminating in a new meaning to the phrase ‘Manager of the Month’. It’s all fun at Elland Road.
They’ve finally started to get their act together and they might even be one of our rivals for promotion. They’ve got a former Next Big Thing manager unless he’s been binned in the past three days and Ronaldo Vieria’s parents deserve applause for naming him with an eye to the future. That apart, there’s nothing much here to stop us taking another step on the road to world domination.
Things newfooty fans don’t know - When Leeds were Champions of Europe. And neither does anyone else, so don’t worry.
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Other things they won't know, if you take out that Revie inspired 15 years, they've won one trophy, reached one final and spent more of their history out the top flight than in it. Pre Revie they could only dream of small heath level support. Shithouse of a club.
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That cup tie in 2000 is one of my all time favourite Villa games, Carbone curling one in from near the corner flag, Merson spilling blood in the build up to one of the other goals, great stuff.
Can see it being a similar game on Thursday, 2-2.
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That afternoon they won at Bournemouth and their shithouse fans travelled the breadth of southern England picking fights with strangers.
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If I start the match thread, home win. If I cannot for any reason then it's in the lap of the Gods how it could end up. Just pray they are in a good mood.
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I don't think they might be one of our rivals for promotion, I think they already are. Gary Monk has done a very good job there.
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If you think Gabby or McCormack are chuffers you should have seen Brolin when he came on for them at Wembley in the Savo final. Massive he was.
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If you think Gabby or McCormack are chuffers you should have seen Brolin when he came on for them at Wembley in the Savo final. Massive he was.
Still not as bad as that fat twat Quinn. And almost certainly more likeable.
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I beleive Bruce has planned out this week and we will see a different lineup and tactics against Leeds who will be taken a lot more seriously than Burton Albion.
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A real litmus test for us.
If we want to make the playoffs then this is the sort of team we really need to be beating, especially at home.
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A real litmus test for us.
If we want to make the playoffs then this is the sort of team we really need to be beating, especially at home.
They've won 7 out of their last 9 games. This will be a massive test for us.
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That cup tie in 2000 is one of my all time favourite Villa games, Carbone curling one in from near the corner flag, Merson spilling blood in the build up to one of the other goals, great stuff.
Can see it being a similar game on Thursday, 2-2.
I remember walking down Witton lane after that game , Leeds had left the away end long before
The final whistle looking for a fight against anyone , and I mean anyone women , children
Mother Teresa . Que a fat teenager (Villa
Fan) behind them
Big green iron railings on witton lane telling the Leeds fans to stop fannying about and "ave it"
The fat fuck gesturing fell on deaf ears thank fuck and managed to get home in one peice.
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That afternoon they won at Bournemouth and their shithouse fans travelled the breadth of southern England picking fights with strangers.
Living in Bournemouth I remember it well. Went out into town with a few mates for a night out...decided to head home 20 minutes later. It was carnage, they absolutely destroyed the town. Summer Bank Holiday I think it was...
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2-1 Villa. Could do with a better performance from Kodjia in this game - poor against Burton.
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Only in the last few weeks have they remembered they have a football team. Most pissed off to support the Rhinos and left their beloved club to rot.
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Need to put this lot in their place by delivering a disjointed, scrappy and unconvincing 1-0 win.
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I'm sure we'll deliver a disjointed, scrappy and unconvincing performance, it's the win I think we'll struggle with.
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I'm sure we'll deliver a disjointed, scrappy and unconvincing performance, it's the win I think we'll struggle with.
They're nothing special. If Adomah lifts his shot, or Westwood wasn't so shite that even when he strikes a halfway decent shot he should have crossed to a totally free Gestede, we'd have won the game.
Plus we had the handicap of having to field Elphick.
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2-0 Villa.
FTF
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That afternoon they won at Bournemouth and their shithouse fans travelled the breadth of southern England picking fights with strangers.
Living in Bournemouth I remember it well. Went out into town with a few mates for a night out...decided to head home 20 minutes later. It was carnage, they absolutely destroyed the town. Summer Bank Holiday I think it was...
I was living in Oxford at the time, dozens of them came on the train to beat up random undergraduates. My friend, a weedy maths student, was ambushed coming out of a bathroom in his hall of residence. He was wearing glasses and a towel round his middle.
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We owe these gravy slurping cavemen one. So let's give them two or three. Midfield is where it'll be won or lost, so let's hope ours turns up. FTF
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Such an important game for us and apart from reading we don't seem to be able to take the 3 points worrying
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Going on form this is going to be one hell of a tough game for us but I think we'll come through it and win 2-1
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The Northern version of Small Heath. Scumbag fans....FTF
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My friend, a weedy maths student, was ambushed coming out of a bathroom in his hall of residence. He was wearing glasses and a towel round his middle.
What is the probability of that happening, eh?
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2-0 to us.
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dirty leeds , we owe them.
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What was he freak show they brought to the cup tie in 2000 mentioned in the OP?
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What was he freak show they brought to the cup tie in 2000 mentioned in the OP?
Every coachload disgorged on Witton Lane was worse that the one before.
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Whilst a FTF outcome would be brilliant, particularly against a club as odious as Leeds, I thinks it's going to be tough.
Man for man I think we have the edge but they are seasoned Championship campaigners. I think a draw would be a good result.
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My friend, a weedy maths student, was ambushed coming out of a bathroom in his hall of residence. He was wearing glasses and a towel round his middle.
What is the probability of that happening, eh?
However wearing glasses around your middle is a unique event.
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They were shite in the game at Elland Road to be fair, I reckon we'll win this.
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My friend, a weedy maths student, was ambushed coming out of a bathroom in his hall of residence. He was wearing glasses and a towel round his middle.
What is the probability of that happening, eh?
It caused continued fractions
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I reckon we'll scrape a 1-0.
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I will quite unhappily accept a mediocre to poor three points.
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I will quite unhappily accept a mediocre to poor three points.
3 points, good performance and players with smiles on their faces.
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We'd better fucking win, the stick my son took at school after the match at Elland Road means they owe him a thumping win.
I fear Leeds will win this 2-0.
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I'm going for a 1-1 draw.
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Gotta lose our unbeaten home record sometime, reckon this maybe the one. Then we will win the rest of our matches beating Brighton on the last day of the season to clinch the title.
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That cup tie in 2000 is one of my all time favourite Villa games, Carbone curling one in from near the corner flag, Merson spilling blood in the build up to one of the other goals, great stuff.
Can see it being a similar game on Thursday, 2-2.
I remember thinking in 2000 that virtually all their fans were Mitchell brothers clones.
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Need to play 4 in the middle or we will get slaughtered.
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If we play like we did against Burton, constantly giving away possession cheaply and incapable of passing to each other, then it could be a long painful 90 minutes.
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I thought they were poor at Elland Road and but for a Gollini error we'd have got at least a point.
If we're half way switched on then we will beat them.
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We'd better fucking win, the stick my son took at school after the match at Elland Road means they owe him a thumping win.
I fear Leeds will win this 2-0.
My grandson lives in Yorkshire and goes to college in Leeds - my son took him to the game at Elland road and you can imagine the stick he got when he went back to college so hopefully we can reverse the result and send him back after the Christmas break with something to get his own back.
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There's secondary and tertiary education in Yorkshire? You learn something new
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We'd better fucking win, the stick my son took at school after the match at Elland Road means they owe him a thumping win.
I fear Leeds will win this 2-0.
Yup, I think we'll get turned over, 2 or 3 nil. Monk has got them playing with confidence.
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We'd better fucking win, the stick my son took at school after the match at Elland Road means they owe him a thumping win.
I fear Leeds will win this 2-0.
Yup, I think we'll get turned over, 2 or 3 nil. Monk has got them playing with confidence.
Was that after we played them because they looked as bad as us, but they just happened to score. Could quite easily happen again, but with us scoring the goals instead.
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We'd better fucking win, the stick my son took at school after the match at Elland Road means they owe him a thumping win.
I fear Leeds will win this 2-0.
My grandson lives in Yorkshire and goes to college in Leeds - my son took him to the game at Elland road and you can imagine the stick he got when he went back to college so hopefully we can reverse the result and send him back after the Christmas break with something to get his own back.
Is Sasha the grandson? College when Grandad is 58, the daddys in the family must start young. More relaxing retirement at least.
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Jus thad some bantz with a Leeds fan inthe pub (Chris Jameson: the pub was 10 Devonshire Place, High Harrogate) and am again convinced that they are completely deluded.
we'll win.
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We'd better fucking win, the stick my son took at school after the match at Elland Road means they owe him a thumping win.
I fear Leeds will win this 2-0.
My grandson lives in Yorkshire and goes to college in Leeds - my son took him to the game at Elland road and you can imagine the stick he got when he went back to college so hopefully we can reverse the result and send him back after the Christmas break with something to get his own back.
I think there's an easy retort to that....by the end of this season Leeds will have been out of the top league for 13 seasons.
So your grandson's friends at college being teenagers would not have seen Leeds play a live top flight match in their lifetime unless they have brilliant recollections of when they were 3-4 year olds.
Hope we don't end up like that.
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If we win it will an amazing result. They've only dropped points off the top 2 in their last 10 games, won every other. Watched them against Newcastle and I thought they were very average. Hopefully test Green with some early long range efforts.
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If Leeds were so crap when they played us, then what did that make us? They're a decent enough side, so a win would be a fantastic result. I think a draw is most likely though.
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Jus thad some bantz with a Leeds fan inthe pub (Chris Jameson: the pub was 10 Devonshire Place, High Harrogate) and am again convinced that they are completely deluded.
we'll win.
That's my local!
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They were very poor against Newcastle and worse than a poor us at Elland Road.
Tempo has got to be there and the balance of the midfield.
I'd bring Ayew and Grealish back for this. Gardner and Jedinak will likely be the two, Grealish and Ayew wide with McCormack and Kodjia up top, the former deeper and floating to create a link.
I think it gives us the chance to narrow up our forwards and put three up there to occupy their defence and stop their full backs.
I think we will win. How fluid the game will be is anyone's guess.
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If Leeds were so crap when they played us, then what did that make us? They're a decent enough side, so a win would be a fantastic result. I think a draw is most likely though.
For once sir I have to say bollocks, we will win this game as we are only at the beginning of a record breaking run of consecutive wins, in which we will only look convincing for about half an hour in total.
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If Leeds were so crap when they played us, then what did that make us? They're a decent enough side, so a win would be a fantastic result. I think a draw is most likely though.
You watched the game, they were shite. We were less shite and it was heading for a draw thanks to Gardner and Adomah's wank finishing and lack lustre tempo. Then Gollini went nuts.
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I thought they roughed us up and the ref let a lot go.
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Yes, it was heading for a draw until they beat us. I saw them have a crap first half, and miss a sitter of a header which my old mom could have scored with her reading glasses on, and which was far easier than our chances. But then I saw them score against us in the second half with a great cross and header, after a significant period of fannying about on our part, and then we totally fell apart. Then they scored another, winning the game comfortably. No hanging on. No frantic last minute scrambles.
I'd love to see us be that shit and win 2:0 on Thursday, but as I say, I reckon a draw is the most likely hope considering our disjointed style and lack of goals.
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We'd better fucking win, the stick my son took at school after the match at Elland Road means they owe him a thumping win.
I've been working in the YTV newsroom in Leeds for four years now and it was the first and only time anyone has wanted to talk to me about football.
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We'd better fucking win, the stick my son took at school after the match at Elland Road means they owe him a thumping win.
I've been working in the YTV newsroom in Leeds for four years now and it was the first and only time anyone has wanted to talk to me about football.
It's the first time he's ever had relentless stick following a Villa defeat, if we lose on Thursday I'm going to have real problems getting him back to school.
Fuck the fuckers please Villa.
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We'd better fucking win, the stick my son took at school after the match at Elland Road means they owe him a thumping win.
I've been working in the YTV newsroom in Leeds for four years now and it was the first and only time anyone has wanted to talk to me about football.
It's the first time he's ever had relentless stick following a Villa defeat, if we lose on Thursday I'm going to have real problems getting him back to school.
Fuck the fuckers please Villa.
They'll have a few days to forget about it this time. There's a straw, clutch that
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You saw them create fuck all from open play until Gollini's brain decides to fall out his ear.
We were poor, up until that point, they were even worse. Adomah should have buried his chance, although it was a good save, not that a corner was given.
They were an abomination against Newcastle who managed the game very well I thought
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We need to play much better than we did yesterday. To try and do that Grealish and Ayew must start.
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Agreed.
I'd be tempted to but Bacuna centrally with Jedinak and some body else the more I think about it. We played well at Reading and pressed the life out of them. Bacuna has the enegery to do that.
Grealish and Ayew off Kodjia? There's options I suppose but it would be nice to get into January and choose a midfield of Jedinak and somebody of quality.
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Take another look at that cross and header. Gollini could have done better, but it was a good move. Like I say, if they were that utterly shit that they ran out two-nil winners, despite all the ifs and buts that can't put points on the board, then what does that make us?
Maybe one game doesn't tell us that much? After all we were apparently fantastic against Brighton, and failed to win, but we were unspeakably, utterly shit against Norwich and got what we deserved. The table is probably a decent guide at this stage.
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Every so often you see a vehicle with one of those giant Leeds FC stickers in the back window. It only seems to be Dirty Leeds fans who go in for those Dirty great big window stickers. Is it something that only the Dirty Leeds clubshop retails ? Whenever I see one of those Dirty great Leeds stickers it really boils my piss, what with me hating brazen over the top demonstations of devotion in general and hating Dirty Leeds in particular. Just as you sometimes see an unwashed van with fingered grafitti on the back doors, I'd like to get a tin of spray paint and take it to one those vehicles and write "I wish my wife my wife was a dirty as this" all over their bloody big window sticker.
I hate Leeds, you hate Leeds, we all hate Leeds.
We all hate Leeds and Leeds and Leeds, Leeds and Leeds and.......
FTF. 3-0 to us.
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Bit concerned about this one. Think it could be a draw, which is a better result for them than us.
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They were very shit against us and won, it happens. It happened at Villa Park yesterday too.
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Halfway point of the season. Won three of the last four. If we are to go up this season, this is the sort of results pattern we are going to need. Leeds will be tough but Villa are more than a match for them.
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We need to play much better than we did yesterday. To try and do that Grealish and Ayew must start.
The last time they both started they were both woeful v Norwich but agreed on this occasion
Looking back to a few weeks back v Leeds, there wasn't much in the game really. All our players selected need to be physically able to compete, Kodjia was bullied out of the game by their right back and Gestede's lack of mobility was a huge issue against their brute centre halves. Only one of McCormack or Grealish can start and despite RMacs goal v Burton I'd pick Grealish.
Bunn, Baker and Bacuna are all sure to start but first and foremost we need to match fire against fire against this lot. Don't rate Gabby but their right back needs a taste of his own medicine at Villa Park and to be fair he wont push Gabby around too easily. We need mobility up top so maybe a fired up Ayew with Grealish supporting is the way to go. I think we can get behind their centre halves.
---------------------Bunn
Hutton, Chester, Baker, Amavi
Adamoah, Bacuna, Jedinak, Gabby
----------Grealish, Ayew
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i only watched the Leeds match on telly last time and although the match was no classic i thought we were marginaly the better team and created the better chances,
so even though we lost i think we can be hopeful of a better outcome this time
1 nill Villa
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We need to play much better than we did yesterday. To try and do that Grealish and Ayew must start.
The last time they both started they were both woeful v Norwich but agreed on this occasion
Looking back to a few weeks back v Leeds, there wasn't much in the game really. All our players selected need to be physically able to compete, Kodjia was bullied out of the game by their right back and Gestede's lack of mobility was a huge issue against their brute centre halves. Only one of McCormack or Grealish can start and despite RMacs goal v Burton I'd pick Grealish.
Bunn, Baker and Bacuna are all sure to start but first and foremost we need to match fire against fire against this lot. Don't rate Gabby but their right back needs a taste of his own medicine at Villa Park and to be fair he wont push Gabby around too easily. We need mobility up top so maybe a fired up Ayew with Grealish supporting is the way to go. I think we can get behind their centre halves.
---------------------Bunn
Hutton, Chester, Baker, Amavi
Adamoah, Bacuna, Jedinak, Gabby
----------Grealish, Ayew
You would drop our top goal scorer for Gabby? :o
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Um. I'd definitely play kodjia
Bunn
Hutton Chester Baker amavi
Bacuna Jedinak grealish
Adomah kodjia ayew
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Um. I'd definitely play kodjia
Bunn
Hutton Chester Baker amavi
Bacuna Jedinak grealish
Adomah kodjia ayew
My team too, although I think Bruce will start McCormack ahead of Ayew.
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Not so sure
McCormack doesn't really fit into a 433 and I reckon Bruce will revert to that to get three in midfield. Jedinak has dipped again recently and will need that, even if he did only play an hour the other day
Ayew has been frustrating of late but he's still one of our most talented players and looked good from what I've seen of the burton game
If he doesn't start grealish I'll be pissed off. He makes us play a lot better at home especially. But not playing as part of two central midfielders along with Bacuna please
Do really need a win to start closing the gap with the top 6.
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For this one, I would go:-
Bunn
Hutton Chester Baker Amavi
Adomah Bacuna Jedinak Grealish
Kodjia McCormack
Subs: Gollini, Ayew, Gardner, Elphick, Westwood or Gabby
We really need to win this one so we can really make strides towards that top 6
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Bunn out on the right makes us look a bit exposed between the sticks, unless Hutton is playing rushback !
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Bunn likes coming in from the right to make his saves!!!
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There's a good spine to that team.
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I think Tim Sherwood did play that formation once
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Oh dear Matt, we stand no chance with my line up then!!
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Jus thad some bantz with a Leeds fan inthe pub (Chris Jameson: the pub was 10 Devonshire Place, High Harrogate) and am again convinced that they are completely deluded.
we'll win.
That's my local!
You didn't step in to repress the deluded f*c*er! :-)
I had a heated - and in the main, good-natured - discussion which reinforced the fact that many Leeds fans are living in the past to a worse extent than we are!
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For this one, I would go:-
Bunn
Hutton Chester Baker Amavi
Adomah Bacuna Jedinak Grealish
Kodjia McCormack
Subs: Gollini, Ayew, Gardner, Elphick, Westwood or Gabby
We really need to win this one so we can really make strides towards that top 6
Grealish played as a winger is a waste and he's not actually very good out wide.
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Jus thad some bantz with a Leeds fan inthe pub (Chris Jameson: the pub was 10 Devonshire Place, High Harrogate) and am again convinced that they are completely deluded.
we'll win.
That's my local!
You didn't step in to repress the deluded f*c*er! :-)
I had a heated - and in the main, good-natured - discussion which reinforced the fact that many Leeds fans are living in the past to a worse extent than we are!
Never heard any football talk in there, love it in there but wish they'd stop changing the beers what seems like every other day. I find one I really like and next time I go in they no longer have it.
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Going to be tough with the way we are playing. I'll say 1-1.
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That afternoon they won at Bournemouth and their shithouse fans travelled the breadth of southern England picking fights with strangers.
Living in Bournemouth I remember it well. Went out into town with a few mates for a night out...decided to head home 20 minutes later. It was carnage, they absolutely destroyed the town. Summer Bank Holiday I think it was...
I was living in Oxford at the time, dozens of them came on the train to beat up random undergraduates. My friend, a weedy maths student, was ambushed coming out of a bathroom in his hall of residence. He was wearing glasses and a towel round his middle.
To be fair that doesn't sound like Leeds fans...
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That afternoon they won at Bournemouth and their shithouse fans travelled the breadth of southern England picking fights with strangers.
Living in Bournemouth I remember it well. Went out into town with a few mates for a night out...decided to head home 20 minutes later. It was carnage, they absolutely destroyed the town. Summer Bank Holiday I think it was...
I was living in Oxford at the time, dozens of them came on the train to beat up random undergraduates. My friend, a weedy maths student, was ambushed coming out of a bathroom in his hall of residence. He was wearing glasses and a towel round his middle.
To be fair that doesn't sound like Leeds fans...
I witnessed a similar assault on the aesthetes at the Hammersmith Apollo in the mid 80's where followers of the surly and cantankerous Leeds ne'erdowells Red Lorry Yellow Lorry attacked members of The Bolshoi contingent just because they were executing exquisite ballet movements in the mosh pit.
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Went for a draw in the poll, but desperately hoping for a win. I hate Leeds and their scummy fans. They've got a good recent record and ours isn't too bad, so called a draw.
Love it if we ftf though. Come on Villa!!
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We're disjointed at the moment. But this lot aren't Barcelona. The fact that them and Sheffield Wednesday are in the top 6 shows it's a pretty poor league.
He's bound to change the shape. I imagine it'll be closer to how he was previously setting us up at home. I think Westwood, Grealish and Ayew will all start.
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I've said all season that I think the play offs are beyond us. Results like the ones we had at Leeds and Norwich will happen at frequent intervals to keep us below 6th.
That said, a win tonight and I may have to admit it could be possible.
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The game against Leeds tonight is possibly the biggest we have had in a while, it hasn't the glamour of an FA cup final for example, but it will tell us where we are on our recovery back to our rightful place and whether we realistically can go back up this year.
A win tonight against a team who will be there or thereabouts in the promotion race will put us right in the mix as it is then followed by some relatively easier games. A defeat tonight wouldn't be the end of the world as we still have a lot of games left, but the all the teams above us do seem to be on good runs and picking up points which will make it difficult got come from 9 points behind
Anyway what I am getting at is anyone who can make tonight's game but hasn't got a ticket yet, get down to VP and let's give the lads as much backing as we can
Let's roar them on from the first minute to the last, regardless of how the game is going, as we have seen we are more than capable of coming from behind with players we have at our disposal
It's time for the world to see our home in full voice again
UTV
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Agreed. I am sending positive vibes from Singapore!
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I'm also in Singapore 🇸🇬
Though will be in Perth 🇦🇺 by the time this kicks off - 4am local time
It would be ridiculous to stay up for it though I've got a nasty feeling i'll end up checking it on the mobile
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I always check on my mobile throughout the night. My body clock always wakes me up at crazy o- clock when we have midweek games.
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0-0. Cagey, nervy affair with few clear cut chances.
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Jus thad some bantz with a Leeds fan inthe pub (Chris Jameson: the pub was 10 Devonshire Place, High Harrogate) and am again convinced that they are completely deluded.
we'll win.
That's my local!
You didn't step in to repress the deluded f*c*er! :-)
I had a heated - and in the main, good-natured - discussion which reinforced the fact that many Leeds fans are living in the past to a worse extent than we are!
Never heard any football talk in there, love it in there but wish they'd stop changing the beers what seems like every other day. I find one I really like and next time I go in they no longer have it.
I think it's a great bar too; the Roosters Assassin that it currently on is really good.Butm as you say, their speed of turnover on the beers is annoying
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big love being sent from Aberdeenshire
(don't want to put the mockers on it but the second worst game I ever saw was one winter v Leeds. Goalless draw with Brian Deane's hopelessness being the only entertainment)
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Leeds are in better form than us, have two centre backs who are playing as well as ours, have a better midfield than us and have a more balanced attack with pace in Sacko and Roofe.
That said, we've become difficult to beat and being underdogs against one of the other big clubs in this division might just fire up the crowd a bit more.
We also have the Championship's most talented player in Grealish.
Any result is possible, and that's why I'm enjoying this season more than any in recent years. No more forgone conclusions before I even leave the house.
Roll on tonight!
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I agree with claret+blue ed, no booing but total support. We've seen how it can help other teams. Let's frighten Leeds with the noise from start to finish.
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Spot on Claret & Blue ed.
We've got to somehow up the ante tonight. The performances since Brighton away have simply not been good enough (although I'd settle for them if it meant similar points totals between now and May). We got away with it against lower placed sides such as QPR, Cardiff, Wigan & Burton. The two games we played against teams above us (Norwich & Leeds) both ended in defeat and we really looked below average.
We have to do better tonight. Leeds will be oozing confidence and certainly not afraid of us like Burton, Cardiff, Wigan & QPR were. We're long overdue a good performance and need to put it in tonight.
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Spot on Claret & Blue ed.
We've got to somehow up the ante tonight. The performances since Brighton away have simply not been good enough (although I'd settle for them if it meant similar points totals between now and May). We got away with it against lower placed sides such as QPR, Cardiff, Wigan & Burton. The two games we played against teams above us (Norwich & Leeds) both ended in defeat and we really looked below average.
We have to do better tonight. Leeds will be oozing confidence and certainly not afraid of us like Burton, Cardiff, Wigan & QPR were. We're long overdue a good performance and need to put it in tonight.
Totally this
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Sacko and Roofe? What sort of invented names are they? Haberdashe to net the winner for us.
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I think it will be cold. And other than 15/20 minutes where we play well, we'll really feel the cold the rest of the match.
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I've said all season that I think the play offs are beyond us. Results like the ones we had at Leeds and Norwich will happen at frequent intervals to keep us below 6th.
That said, a win tonight and I may have to admit it could be possible.
What about results like we had against Reading, Fulham and Brighton? All three of which are better sides than Leeds or Norwich.
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Leeds are in better form than us, have two centre backs who are playing as well as ours, have a better midfield than us and have a more balanced attack with pace in Sacko and Roofe.
That said, we've become difficult to beat and being underdogs against one of the other big clubs in this division might just fire up the crowd a bit more.
We also have the Championship's most talented player in Grealish.
Any result is possible, and that's why I'm enjoying this season more than any in recent years. No more forgone conclusions before I even leave the house.
Roll on tonight!
Grealish is a talented player but he has been in and out of our side all season. Needs to start delivering consistently, we keep saying the likes of Ayew and Grealish are the best players in the league but they aren't delivering for us consistently and thus not playing regularly. 5 league goals is a pitiful return from both of them thus far, Tom Ince has 8 in comparison.
Adamoah with a fraction of their ability seems to have a hatful of assists since he joined in comparison.
Leeds look a very big price at 11/4 tonight considering the run they are on.
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Leeds are in better form than us, have two centre backs who are playing as well as ours, have a better midfield than us and have a more balanced attack with pace in Sacko and Roofe.
That said, we've become difficult to beat and being underdogs against one of the other big clubs in this division might just fire up the crowd a bit more.
We also have the Championship's most talented player in Grealish.
Any result is possible, and that's why I'm enjoying this season more than any in recent years. No more forgone conclusions before I even leave the house.
Roll on tonight!
We're not underdogs.
Villa 6/5, DL 14/5.
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Leeds are in better form than us, have two centre backs who are playing as well as ours, have a better midfield than us and have a more balanced attack with pace in Sacko and Roofe.
That said, we've become difficult to beat and being underdogs against one of the other big clubs in this division might just fire up the crowd a bit more.
We also have the Championship's most talented player in Grealish.
Any result is possible, and that's why I'm enjoying this season more than any in recent years. No more forgone conclusions before I even leave the house.
Roll on tonight!
Grealish is a talented player but he has been in and out of our side all season. Needs to start delivering consistently, we keep saying the likes of Ayew and Grealish are the best players in the league but they aren't delivering for us consistently and thus not playing regularly. 5 league goals is a pitiful return from both of them thus far, Tom Ince has 8 in comparison.
Adamoah with a fraction of their ability seems to have a hatful of assists since he joined in comparison.
Leeds look a very big price at 11/4 tonight considering the run they are on.
I guess our unbeaten home record is being taken into account in drawing up those odds.
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Leeds are in better form than us, have two centre backs who are playing as well as ours, have a better midfield than us and have a more balanced attack with pace in Sacko and Roofe.
That said, we've become difficult to beat and being underdogs against one of the other big clubs in this division might just fire up the crowd a bit more.
We also have the Championship's most talented player in Grealish.
Any result is possible, and that's why I'm enjoying this season more than any in recent years. No more forgone conclusions before I even leave the house.
Roll on tonight!
Grealish is a talented player but he has been in and out of our side all season. Needs to start delivering consistently, we keep saying the likes of Ayew and Grealish are the best players in the league but they aren't delivering for us consistently and thus not playing regularly. 5 league goals is a pitiful return from both of them thus far, Tom Ince has 8 in comparison.
Adamoah with a fraction of their ability seems to have a hatful of assists since he joined in comparison.
Leeds look a very big price at 11/4 tonight considering the run they are on.
I haven't heard many people ranking Ayew as one of the best players in the league - I don't think he'd make the top 150 to be honest. You need to be able to know when to pass a ball to be considered a decent player, and forwards and attacking midfielders need to be able to shoot with some consistency of accuracy too.
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Need to win and back that up with 3 points on Monday Minimum acceptable if we are to reach play offs will be 4 points from these games. Won't be easy
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I've said all season that I think the play offs are beyond us. Results like the ones we had at Leeds and Norwich will happen at frequent intervals to keep us below 6th.
That said, a win tonight and I may have to admit it could be possible.
What about results like we had against Reading, Fulham and Brighton? All three of which are better sides than Leeds or Norwich.
Which emphasises my point that 2/3 wins on the trot will be followed by a defeat at regular points throughout the season. A defeat tonight will undo the good work of the past few games but a win will make me believe we can climb upwards. Tonight is that pivotal for me.
Also worth noting that 6 of our 8 wins have come against the current bottom 6.
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We've lost two in 12, 5 all season. Nobody has beaten us regularly. Only Brighton have lost fewer games, while everybody bar Fulham has lost more.
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I hope for once you're right, Ads. A win tonight would really have everybody fearing us and set us up nicely for the 2nd half of the season.
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For once? Cheeky bastard.
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Bad feeling about this one. We been a bit lucky with the results and it doesnt feel like we are ready for taking on the good teams yet.
Still think the key is Jedinak. Bruce currently like to play him with just one other MC in a classic 4-4-2 when we play at home. At least he starts out that way.
Problem we get from that is Jedinak ends up as midfield engine with a lot of passing going through him and he is way to error-prone threading difficult passes.
So our possession and attacking suffers. Another thing is that he plays higher and that leaves us vulnerable to fast counters (he is strong but not fast) and whoever is playing MC alongside him have to cover. So far only Bacuna have managed to do that decently. Gardner is a ghost beside Jedi and Westwood cant even cover for Jedi defensively.
I am hoping that Bruce at some point figure out he needs to play Jedi deep anchoring the back 4 with 2 energetic MCs in front. Bacuna is a given but not sure about the other one. Tend to favor Gardner (for that Reading game that was the only time we had midfield that worked) and Grealish cant play both ways. Tshibola might work but its hard to tell as he never even subs. 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 please.
Kodjia
Grealish Adomah
Gardner Bacuna
Jedinak
Amavi Hutton
Baker Chester
Bunn
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Wood and Hernandez both back for them apparently.
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Wood and Hernandez both back for them apparently.
Wood couldn't hit a barn door from 6 paces, they'd be better off with 10 men
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4-1 win. Kodjia x3 and Baker.
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I'd like to see Bacuna and Gardner partner Jedinak in midfield.
Gives us the ability to press and retain the ball. Grealish, Adomah and Kodjia would be the three he'd choose up top.
Important game, let's get the first goal and keep the concentration.
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It's a pity the return of this fixture isn't in March/April like it should be. We'd be in our element by then and hammer them comfortably.
They're playing with real confidence, we're still disjointed. Can't see past a draw at best.
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I'd like to see Bacuna and Gardner partner Jedinak in midfield.
Gives us the ability to press and retain the ball. Grealish, Adomah and Kodjia would be the three he'd choose up top.
Important game, let's get the first goal and keep the concentration.
I'd like to see Gardner nowhere near the team. He's done the near-impossible of being worse than Westwood.
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In Paddy Power in Newmarket Adama Traore is 8-1 to score the first goal for Villa.
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In Paddy Power in Newmarket Adama Traore is 8-1 to score the first goal for Villa.
Its a sign! Villa defeat!
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We've lost two in 12, 5 all season. Nobody has beaten us regularly. Only Brighton have lost fewer games, while everybody bar Fulham has lost more.
Maximum defeats that can be inflicted by anther team=2 ;) However we don't get beaten regularly so far this season.
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Got to be honest and say for the first time in 20+ years I really don't fancy going tonight...its only because the kids are badgering me to take them. Last season we were so poor I felt obliged to go and support them. But the last few home games I've been bored senseless..its cold and on the box and I guess middle age is getting to me, the pub seems a more attractive proposition. Can't see past a draw, but I really hope they surprise me. Better go dig out the big gloves for tonight and hope the sacred heart isn't as rammed as boxing day!
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Wood and Hernandez both back for them apparently.
Wood couldn't hit a barn door from 6 paces, they'd be better off with 10 men
Didnt he score up at elland road?
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Wood has scored 14 this season. That's more than our top 2 scorers combined.
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In Paddy Power in Newmarket Adama Traore is 8-1 to score the first goal for Villa.
I'll have a bit of that
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Wood has scored 14 this season. That's more than our top 2 scorers combined.
He reminds me of that lump at Derby/Fulham, Martin I think he's called. Big and rubbish but keeps getting picked. Still, if he's scored 14 then i must be wrong, just that whenever I seem him he looks like a tall Adrian Heath and, for the benefit of younger readers, he was absolute mince.
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Wood has scored 14 this season. That's more than our top 2 scorers combined.
He reminds me of that lump at Derby/Fulham, Martin I think he's called. Big and rubbish but keeps getting picked. Still, if he's scored 14 then i must be wrong, just that whenever I seem him he looks like a tall Adrian Heath and, for the benefit of younger readers, he was absolute mince.
Its not because he played for the baggies then? ;)
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'Interestingly' he rarely scores twice in a game. Just looked up his stats and he's scored 27 since the beginning of last season but only once scored more than one in a game in that time.
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Got to be honest and say for the first time in 20+ years I really don't fancy going tonight...its only because the kids are badgering me to take them. Last season we were so poor I felt obliged to go and support them. But the last few home games I've been bored senseless..its cold and on the box and I guess middle age is getting to me, the pub seems a more attractive proposition. Can't see past a draw, but I really hope they surprise me. Better go dig out the big gloves for tonight and hope the sacred heart isn't as rammed as boxing day!
Our best home record for [a significant amount of time, anybody want to shed light on this?] and people still find a reason to complain ;) Make the most of this!
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I think it's the first time since 1993 we've won 5 home league games in a row.
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I think it's the first time since 1993 we've won 5 home league games in a row.
I was born in 1995 so that would make this our best home run in my lifetime.
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Just double checked that season and we won 7 in a row at home from Dec-March.
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I think it's the first time since 1993 we've won 5 home league games in a row.
I was born in 1995 so that would make this our best home run in my lifetime.
Truly you have lived through a golden era of Villa history. How blessed you are
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Kyle Bartley is however missing for them, good news for us.
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I think it's the first time since 1993 we've won 5 home league games in a row.
I was born in 1995 so that would make this our best home run in my lifetime.
Truly you have lived through a golden era of Villa history. How blessed you are
Mmm...
I've always attended home games but only started seriously going away under Sherwood / Garde ...
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Just parked up after an easy drive up from Dorset. I'm expecting a tight game with the odd goal.
Hopefully Villa can play at a better tempo than the last few games, with the midfield keeping the ball better. UTV
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Hate to say it, but we have got to lose at home sometime.
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We'll lose fairly comfortably.
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Why?
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Hate to say it, but we have got to lose at home sometime.
Yes, thats fine, once promotion is secured and we are all in holiday mode.
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We'll lose fairly comfortably.
Are you serious or just a wind up merchant?
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I think it's the first time since 1993 we've won 5 home league games in a row.
I was born in 1995 so that would make this our best home run in my lifetime.
I am so sorry.
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villa 1 leeds o
kodja
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I think it's the first time since 1993 we've won 5 home league games in a row.
I was born in 1995 so that would make this our best home run in my lifetime.
I am so sorry.
Something strange is going to happen tonight, good or bad i dont know, but its written .
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Kyle Bartley is however missing for them, good news for us.
Westwood starts for us
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Kyle Bartley is however missing for them, good news for us.
Westwood starts for us
FACEPALM
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Kyle Bartley is however missing for them, good news for us.
Westwood starts for us
Deep joy. Although with Gardner injured I suppose our options are limited.
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There are no words in the English language that are foul enough to adequately explain how much I hate Leeds
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Very pacey looking Villa side tonight
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Take a look at @AVFCOfficial's Tweet: https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/814542761156296704?s=09
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Jack and Ayew in, Adomah rested
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Kyle Bartley is however missing for them, good news for us.
Westwood starts for us
Deep joy. Although with Gardner injured I suppose our options are limited.
Sorry, just noticed Gardner's on the bench. Bit baffled by that.
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Westfuckingwood. I can smell a bullying.
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McCormack on bench, I respect Bruce for that. He was crap despite scoring.
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suprised with RMC being dropped
he was shit for 60 mins the other day I admit but after he scored I would have had him starting
i mean Kodja had a mare
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Looks like Bruce have the right idea with 2 MC in front of Jedi...but using Westwood as one of them kinda kills the idea.
It would kill any idea really....
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suprised with RMC being dropped
he was shit for 60 mins the other day I admit but after he scored I would have had him starting
i mean Kodja had a mare
Too much dancing the night before?