Stoke City v Aston Villa Pre-Match Thread

[TimTheVillain]

I know what you mean, but in the context of the development of our club ( i.e. we've been in the top flght since the year dot) and taking into account the money spent on 'talent' over the past few years under RL, the fact that we face Stoke with a certain amount of trepidation is perplexingly painful to me.

I just hope we stay tight at the back, Friedel controls his area and our MF / strikers do enough to get the 3 points.

I'm really looking forward to this one.

Is Ireland fit does anyone know ?

[Mazrim]

We should be going there expecting to win although it will be tough. But with all the hullabaloo around our club at the moment it depends which side turn up.

But they're bottom of the league with no points and we have a lot of good players who should be rested and up for it to impress the new manager, so I'll go for a narrow win.

2-1 Villa.

I would go thusly:

------------------------Friedel

Young---------Collins--------Dunne-------Warnock

-----------------Reo Coker----Petrov

Albrighton-----------Ireland---------------Young

---------------------Agbonlahor

[damon loves JT]

We will lose to a really silly late goal. I'm thinking set piece, I'm thinking nobody on the posts, I'm thinking Brad pointing at people and shouting

[whydelilah]

2-2.

I'd think about playing a back 5 tbh so Carlos, Collins and Dunney all starting to combat their long throws.

Also last year on their small pitch our wide men made little impact so I'd rest Albrighton as I fear he might get lost in the land of the giants, have Ireland, NRC and Petrov as a midfield trio and Young in the hole behind Carew or Gabby if Big John dosen't make it.

There's a good chance Delap will be on the bench.

I can't remember the last home game when he's been fit Delap actually hasn't started with how narrowe the pitch is at the Brit, a few away games you left him out but can't remember a home game he didn't start last season.

Big boost for us imo if you don't start him, you can defend 99% of throw ins well, switch off for one and lose the game as we found out to our cost two years ago.

That is true.

We have just brought Marc Wilson in though and I very much see him being the selection in the middle with Whitehead.

Delap has been shoehorned into our team on the right of midfield in recent months (which he has been pretty poor at in all honesty) but we now have Walters and Pennant to fill that void so I expect Rory's chances to be much more restricted now.

We aren't getting much joy out ogf his throws anymore anyway, we are a lot less dependent on it.

[Simon Ward]

Play three in the centre of midfield, with Ash, Gabby and young Albrighton up front and we should be lethal on the break!

[Blackcountry Villa]

Anyone know if theres any tickets remaining and if there will be any on sale at Stoke tonight? Can't get through to the ticket office.

[villa `cross the mersey]

The chance to go third and send a message out to the rest of the League - points to a defeat doesn`t it?

[VillaAlways]

The chance to go third and send a message out to the rest of the League - points to a defeat doesn`t it

Yep!  I've got an awful feeling about this game

[curiousorange]

Less confident about this one this morning. Though perhaps that's because we've had to wait all weekend for it.

[Ads]

Anyone know if theres any tickets remaining and if there will be any on sale at Stoke tonight? Can't get through to the ticket office.

Yes there are BV. Very poor turnout for this one. A good couple hundred tickets are still left for what is a trip that even with the speed cameras and even with rush-hour, will still only take an hour at the most to make.

[Blackcountry Villa]

Anyone know if theres any tickets remaining and if there will be any on sale at Stoke tonight? Can't get through to the ticket office.

Yes there are BV. Very poor turnout for this one. A good couple hundred tickets are still left for what is a trip that even with the speed cameras and even with rush-hour, will still only take an hour at the most to make.

Cheers mate. I agree, a lot of our fans like to think we've got the best away support in the league but we aren't even close, we can't even take 3000 fans an hour up the road, we couldn't shift 2300 tickets at Newcastle first away of the season, we can't sell out at Wolves which is even closer than Stoke and we've only got 1700 for Spurs when they bring 3000 here every season. Shit support my lord...

[Ads]

Wolves is very close to selling out mind.

In other news Carew, Ireland, Collins and Sidwell are all fit for selection.

[Chico Hamilton III]

Shit support my lord...

I'm really sorry if I've got the wrong person here ( and I'll happily delete this post) but are you the same BCV who was on here earlier in the year, telling us we were all mugs for paying money to watch Villa and that you preferred watching us in the pub with your mates?

[Ads]

I think you've got the wrong one Chico.

[Olneythelonely]

Shit support my lord...

I'm really sorry if I've got the wrong person here ( and I'll happily delete this post) but are you the same BCV who was on here earlier in the year, telling us we were all mugs for paying money to watch Villa and that you preferred watching us in the pub with your mates?

I think this is the guy that thinks "fuck everyone else, I'll stand up if I like".

I may also have the wrong person.