Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: dave.woodhall on November 24, 2020, 09:13:37 PM
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(https://i.ibb.co/dMfNdbT/whf.jpg) (https://ibb.co/dMfNdbT)
As we return to the scene of our Great Escape, when to the immense distress of football supporters all round south-east Birmingham and the plague pits to the north and western hinterlands, we stayed up and continued with our plans for world domination. West Ham are a place and a point behind us in the league, and they'll be a lot further behind by ten o'clock, or whenever the match finishes. Winning the World Cup all those years ago won't make much difference when the upcoming World Champions get going.
The good bits about the 'Ammers are Robert Snodgrass, who deserves your respect. The lengthy list of bad bits is headed by Lady Brady and the Pornos, who deserve your contempt. Somehow David Moyes is managing to hang onto his job, and when he eventually gets the sack there'll always be a place for him as the husband who mistreats his kind-hearted but love-blind wife in a Kay Mellor drama before getting his comeuppance when she finds him with the barmaid from down the road.
There won't be any West Ham fans in the ground but there'll be a lot of them in Essex, moaning loudly about Brady, Gold, Sullivan and how the East End ain't wot it used t'be, Gawd bless the old Queen Mum, as their team let in another goal.
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Gerroutta our kit !
Jellied eels 0 Villa 2.
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Including so many of the lovely people I work with.
Thanks Dave, what an epic opener to the pre match thread.
I think we’ll win.
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Them, unfortunately. Or a draw. We haven't had one of those yet this season.
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Seems like we've drawn more v West Ham than anyone in last 15 years?
Two last season of course and wouldn't shock me if it's the same on Monday.
Will go for 2-2.
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Without Barclay, Dean has a decision to make and I hope Conor gets the nod, his contribution was, in some places, overlooked as far as our survival is concerned.
2-0.
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Them 0 us something. Pretty much the way it’s gone on the road this season. I do hope Antonio is still out mind you.
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Not to be taken lightly
They are 1 point behind us and for all the early season talk of meltdown they have looked OK in the games I have seen
what ever result comes from this would not suprise me, play as we did at Ars and we win play as we did against leeds we lose or we have not had a draw yet so could be due one.
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Cockney Kit Stealers 1 The Magnificently Named Aston Villa 3
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What a mess that club has become. They play in that vacuous soul less stadium in the arse end of no where. Run by those insipid dodgy chancers.
The poster boy for what can go wrong to a football club.
As for the Villa , Aeneas to Icarus
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As for the Villa , Aeneas to Icarus
Don't sit too near the fire, you'll get your arse burnt ?
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What a mess that club has become. They play in that vacuous soul less stadium in the arse end of no where. Run by those insipid dodgy chancers.
The poster boy for what can go wrong to a football club.
That's not really true though is it? They've got a much better record than us over the last ten years and a brand new, enormous stadium for pretty well nothing, however soulless it is. I wouldn't want those two as owners if they were the last people on earth, but there are obviously clubs in far worse positions than the Spam.
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What a mess that club has become. They play in that vacuous soul less stadium in the arse end of no where. Run by those insipid dodgy chancers.
The poster boy for what can go wrong to a football club.
That's not really true though is it? They've got a much better record than us over the last ten years and a brand new, enormous stadium for pretty well nothing, however soulless it is. I wouldn't want those two as owners if they were the last people on earth, but there are obviously clubs in far worse positions than the Spam.
Maybe listened to too many London Cab Drivers and other Hammers, some are close to suicidal.
The gamble may still pay off and they become the next Citeh, I have a dislike of clubs moving from their roots generally and many times it does not work out. I still wouldnt swap the last 10 years to end up with those owners and that stadium.
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Whichever team scores first will win. Them's the rules. 8 and counting this season...
Got a horrible feeling it will be 2-1 to Alf Garnett's mob.
Hope that's plain bang wrong!
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16-16
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I thought Tomáš Souček was a great signing for them, exactly the type of player I'd like to see added to our midfield. Power, strength and no shortage of skill, we really don't have that type of player right now and one we'll need to keep an eye on Monday night.
As for the result, it really depends which Aston Villa turn up. We'll need to be at our best as they, very much like ourselves, are capable of top and poor performances, very Jekyll and Hyde. With 3 defeats in the last 4 games we need to turn up and I think we will but they'll probably have a Ray Stewart penalty in the last minute to steal a point.
2-2
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Inspirational opening gambit Dave!!
I thought they’d really struggle this season after a pre season of seeming discontent from the outside looking in. They’ve had a decent start though and have some decent players. They also have some very average ones.
The kind of game I can see us slipping up and losing and the winning away run has to come to an end sometime, then it will be a bit of panic mode in the ranks.
But sod it, a thoroughly refreshed Grealish and McGinn inspire villa to a 2-1 win.
I’d stick hourihane in for Barklay and maybe pack the midfield and be a bit more conservative than recent games.
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Whichever team scores first will win. Them's the rules. 8 and counting this season...
Got a horrible feeling it will be 2-1 to Alf Garnett's mob.
Hope that's plain bang wrong!
Scoring first seems even more vital this season, every time we concede I think thats done it.
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we need to win this so I can take rip the piss out of the ex-cocknee fans that populate the Village. They always go on about how great the East End is, but none of them have lived there for 30 years or so...
Please Villa a Arsenalesque type performance and victory would be lovely...
UTV
The Doc
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We'll be back in the saddle and put on the style.
West Ham United 1 Aston Villa 3
Souchek 77’ Watkins 14’,65’
McGinn 42’
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Whichever team scores first will win. Them's the rules. 8 and counting this season...
Got a horrible feeling it will be 2-1 to Alf Garnett's mob.
Hope that's plain bang wrong!
Plain bang wrong but worse, it's also fake news.
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I have gone for a draw. West Ham have had a decent start to the season but when I have seen them on TV they
have rarely impressed me. They seem to be inconsistent and have good and bad spells in games.
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2-1.
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I thought we'd lose to Arsenal, I got that wrong. I thought we'd beat Brighton, I got that wrong. On that basis, 3-0 West Ham.
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2-4, our away form has not been to shabby.
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Good feeling about this game -1-4
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I’m thinking 2-0 to us
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This one will be tough. Score first and we’re in with a decent shout. Go behind and we’ll struggle as usual. First goal crucial- they’ve had a decent. Start to the season like us. 2-1 Villa, with our first goal in the 26th minute 😉
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we have had plenty of time to prepare properly for this match, unlike the last one when we only had one training session ! We will be back to our magnificent best with Mr Hologram filling in wonderfully for the absent Barkley, and even getting on the scoresheet again with a beauty. 3-1 Villa 😀😎
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Typical, Antonio likely to return for them following a hamstring problem....
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Without Barclay, Dean has a decision to make and I hope Conor gets the nod, his contribution was, in some places, overlooked as far as our survival is concerned.
2-0.
Is it a banker that Ross is out though?
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Have Conor in Barkley's role where his inability to track midfield runners is less urgent, and hope he gets his scoring boots out. One of his few games playing as almost a second striker was when he grabbed that hat-trick against Norwich in the championship.
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1-1 Draw
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Typical, Antonio likely to return for them following a hamstring problem....
He was on a hot streak going into our game at the end of last season and aside from the left breakaway where he should have scored he didn’t do much else. Not saying I wouldn’t have minded him not playing of course.
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I think Ezri and Mings can handle Antonio. They're less good against less physical, more tricky customers.
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Without Barkley we probably are a lesser threat. Hopefully Grealish and others are rested and sharp. Hopefully Mings dosent loose his head again. Hopefully Trez does alot right again & Traore can step up his game. Our results this far makes it a bit hard to predict, I dont know really.
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I think Ezri and Mings can handle Antonio. They're less good against less physical, more tricky customers.
Antonio is quite tricky though. He really should have scored against us in the last game last season.
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Antonio is a cracking player. His only issue is fitness.
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Wonder if Smith will try Traore in Barkley's position instead of Hourihane? I hope not but I wouldn't be surprised.
Hopefully likes of Grealish and McGinn fully refreshed after a bit of a break. Good chance to pick up a win as we appear much better away from home this season.
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I didn't know where else to post but can anyone recommend or vouch for the villa face coverings on the online store.
I getting a few items after watching villa tv training and some gear but wondering on the items.
Theres a small black friday reduction so I just wanted to check if worth adding these masks to my purchases.
Thanks.
(I didn't want to start a new thread anywhere and hope it's ok to post here )
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I didn't know where else to post but can anyone recommend or vouch for the villa face coverings on the online store.
We bought a couple, and they’re comfortable to wear. No idea if they are better at stopping the virus from spreading.
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I didn't know where else to post but can anyone recommend or vouch for the villa face coverings on the online store.
We bought a couple, and they’re comfortable to wear. No idea if they are better at stopping the virus from spreading.
Thanks. Comfort essential.
I getting the pack of 3 adult £12.75.
Along with the training gear best place to buy all villa merchandise and the promotional code is 15% off selected lines.
Rather spend official club store.
Ok. Thanks again
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Impossible to predict. No surprise if 4-0 to them. No surprise if 4-0 to us.
I hope that helps :)
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You just know that Mings will make a tackle, take the ball cleanly but graze Hallers leg afterwards and VAR will call it penalty! Villa to storm back and win 1 - 3
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If they work their socks off, we'll win.
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I didn't know where else to post but can anyone recommend or vouch for the villa face coverings on the online store.
We bought a couple, and they’re comfortable to wear. No idea if they are better at stopping the virus from spreading.
Thanks. Comfort essential.
I getting the pack of 3 adult £12.75.
Along with the training gear best place to buy all villa merchandise and the promotional code is 15% off selected lines.
Rather spend official club store.
Ok. Thanks again
The Project B6 ones are certainly good quality.
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FTKSJEMCF!
1-3
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FTKSJEMCF!
1-3
What’s the M?
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FTKSJEMCF!
1-3
What’s the M?
Munching?
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Unless I'm very much mistaken:
Kit-stealing, jellied eel-munching, Cockney fuckers.
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Had a look at their pre match thread.....don't think Sendo will be back anytime soon!
https://www.kumb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=179083&start=60
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Had a look at their pre match thread.....don't think Sendo will be back anytime soon!
https://www.kumb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=179083&start=60
Tbf most seem decent on there, I'll always maintain that they're the best bunch out of the London clubs.
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Had a look at their pre match thread.....don't think Sendo will be back anytime soon!
https://www.kumb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=179083&start=60
He's a funny cove. He was fine when he was here but now he's gone full-on Small Heath SOTV.
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Sendo, what a two-faced toerag...did he stop posting here cos Chris Jameson or someone said something mean to him ?
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This will be a tough game. They're very compact and organised, but do possess players in the front 3 who can hurt teams, regardless of whether Antonio starts.
I suspect they'll play 3 at the back like Brighton and be happy to sit in a low block.
I think the Brighton game demonstrated a bit of mental fatigue from the 3 international games, with McGinn and Mings way off the pace and Bertie not up to speed. That said, the chances we had, we ought to have won comfortably, yet the goals conceded were mind bending poor.
There may be a temptation to bring Grealish central, but I'd resist that. Our best player ought to play in his best position and I don't want to see him moving closer to Rice, but rather have him drag Rice out of position.
We can't replace Barkley like for like so the options, sticking with Grealish out wide, would be Hourihane or Bertie. Given the fitness of Bertie I'd be tempted to bring Hourihane in and perhaps have him partner Dougie in the midfield and push McGinn further forward.
A winnable game for sure, but tough.
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It feels like a hell of a long wait for this game to around.
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Same team as vs Fulham and same result. Back to 3pts from the top with a game in hand. Top by friday night after sending pointless Bruce back north, pointless.
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Saw something on twitter coupe of days ago saying we were training with Grealish central mid with Traore and Trez on the flanks
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Traore is ahead of Conor in Dean's thinking so will be shoehorned in.
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I suspect it will be a straight swap, Hourihane for Barkley, with the rest of the team as it usually is. Traore really hasn't done anything to deserve a start yet, so I hope we don't mess around with the formation just to accommodate him.
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My thinking too, the straight swap for Hourihane. I think bringing him in but dropping him in next to Luiz to push McGinn on would be asking for trouble.
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Would it be that much of a shock though to play Trez down the left, Traore right, Jack as 10 with Doug and SJM in behind? I can see us doing that.
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Maybe that's the way to go whilst Barkley is out but it will leave us short of attacking option to change the game if we need to.
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In the presser Smith was drilled a bit about Hourihane's demotion since Barkley came in. The way he answered makes me think Traore will start ahead of him.
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It would surprise me given the 3 man midfield structure has got us three good away wins.
West Ham had decent options centrally with Rice, Soucek and Fornals linking up with the forwards so would be a gamble to take a midfielder out of that equation and would leave Doug and McGinn covering plenty of ground.
I'd be surprised if DS suddenly alters the system.
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Antonio will return for them whilst Yarmolenko is out.
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Unless I'm very much mistaken:
Kit-stealing, jellied eel-munching, Cockney fuckers.
Facking laverly staff!
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FTKSJEMCF!
Fk the kit stealing jellied eel munching cockernee mo-fos?
Think I’m getting the hang of this...
1-3
What’s the M?
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Coventry away. Rest a few players, give them a goal start and then grind their noses into the dirt. Ideal scenario.
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Unless I'm very much mistaken:
Kit-stealing, jellied eel-munching, Cockney fuckers.
Facking laverly staff!
Shat it you facking slaaaaag! Oi oi!
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Saveloy!
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There is another option for tonight’s starting line up. We could start Nakamba as further defensive midfield cover and push McGinn further forward. I’d prefer that to Hourihane starting.
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Seems to be an unusually high vote for them given we've won all our away games without conceding a goal so far.
Not tempting fate or denying it's not an easy place to go but they must go into this more nervous than us.
0-2 villa away win, Watkins with both.
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Seems to be an unusually high vote for them given we've won all our away games without conceding a goal so far.
Not tempting fate or denying it's not an easy place to go but they must go into this more nervous than us.
0-2 villa away win, Watkins with both.
Still think we are quite a fragile side and conceding the first goal seems to really impact on us.
I would go with either Hourihane as a replacement for Barkley or bring Nakamba in alongside Luiz and push McGinn further forward.
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I get the reasons I just think it's odd that over a third of the site think we'll lose, away at west ham, with an unbeaten away record.
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I get the reasons I just think it's odd that over a third of the site think we'll lose, away at west ham, with an unbeaten away record.
Not only unbeaten, but unbeaten to nil.
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It's probably because of our away record that people are saying that. It's the belief that we're due one or that good things don't last. Not having Barkley is probably a factor too.
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I get the reasons I just think it's odd that over a third of the site think we'll lose, away at west ham, with an unbeaten away record.
Their home form has been good since their bad opening day defeat to Newcastle. 4-0 v Wolves, 1-1 v Man. City, 1-0 v Fulham. would be more than happy with us coming up with those results when we play those three at home.
It's working well away currently but that will balance out inevitably soon just like losing the next three home games after 7-2 did.
I'd be happy with a point tonight and then go all out v Newcastle as there's rumours they have a covid outbreak in squad so won't be at full strength.
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So effectively still trapped in the mindset that Villa will always let you down. Dave W mentioned a need for us to break away from that and this game looks like perfect evidence for how worn down the fans are.
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Indeed. What's it to be, one win in 5 or up to 4th place tonight? Probably a draw.
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Let's hope we keep up our good away form and grab another three points. Playing teams like this seem to suit us at the moment. 1-3 to us. Trez to get off the mark which would be deserved.
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So effectively still trapped in the mindset that Villa will always let you down. Dave W mentioned a need for us to break away from that and this game looks like perfect evidence for how worn down the fans are.
yeh he mentioned that before the Brighton game, which should have been a regulation 3 points.
We as a Team are just not there yet, one day maybe. :)
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We've lost three of our last four so it's not completely unreasonable that people are cautious. Think we'll draw tonight, we haven't had one of those yet.
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So effectively still trapped in the mindset that Villa will always let you down. Dave W mentioned a need for us to break away from that and this game looks like perfect evidence for how worn down the fans are.
Not really. We could lose tonight but I expect us to win v Newcastle, stripeys, Burnley and perhaps Palace over next few weeks so would be disappointing if we weren't in a decent position going into new year as that would pretty much be 30 points.
You could actually spin it the other way and say it would be a good achievement to finish above West Ham this season. If we do that we'll like finish in the top 10 for first time since 2011 (last time we finished above West Ham in premier league).
They've had arguably the toughest start of anyone in prem so far and turned us over tonight and they go 5th apparently so they're clearly much better than this time last year just like we are.
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Four points from this and Newcastle would be do nicely. I'd take a draw tonight.
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The good news is Jack and SJM should be fully refreshed after a 9 day break, the not so good news is Antonio is available for them, although the West Ham fans reckon he will start on bench.
Going 2 - 2, but the way the season's going, wouldn't be entirely surprised if it ended 3 nil either way.
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How about push Luiz into Ross’s role and bring in Marvellous to cover Luiz defensive role?
Just an idea.
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Not for me. Luiz is The Rock. We've got to draw some time, surely? 2-2
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The bad news that I think we’ll lose 2-1. The good news is that I usually wrong.
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4-2 to us.
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Chance to climb the table to 4th?
It's the Villa, what could ever go wrong?
Loss written all over it
Settle for a draw