Aston Villa v Newcastle United Pre-Match Thread

[KevinGage]

The term 'must win game' is over used.
But bloody hell, this IS A MUST WIN GAME.

2 -1 Villa
I don't care who scores.

We've had a few of these this season, maybe we'll crack it this time.

Just have a feeling it will be a draw, a point closer to safety, but a continuation of the agony for a while longer.

Where we are at present, we could have done without a Sunday kick-off. The results will already be in for most of the sides around us, even more pressure. We don't 'do' pressure.

[WikiVilla]

yes, we could be in the drop zone by the time we kick off

[PeterWithesShin]

Or results could go in our favour giving us an advantage and some confidence.

[WikiVilla]

Or results could go in our favour giving us an advantage and some confidence.

Oh yes, i hadn't seen it from that angle

[TimTheVillain]

We ALWAYS concede 53 league goals already this season

On this basis...

2-1 Villa

Bent
Downing

[The Left Side]

Head says draw heart says win, so I will go for a 1-1, Bent for us and Gutierrez for them.

[l_mckay]

ill go for a very nervpous 1-0 win! Bent the scorer

[TheSandman]

Has anyone used the term 'must win game' yet? Well they were right to do so. The problem with us and those kind of games is that we lose and put in miserable performances (CF Wolves and Sunderland).

We absolutely have to win and win we shall.

I'll go for 2-0 with a Bent double like Legion.

[Lobsterboy]

I'll go for 3-1 Villa with Bent amongst the goals again

Newcastle should be safe after beating The Dingles last week and in addition to losing Andy Carroll back in January they are without Leon Best (injured) and Kevin Nolan (suspended) for this match; that pretty much eradicates their entire goal threat apart from Joey Sodding Barton... so keep him quiet and we'll be alright!

[KevinGage]

Wolverhampton v Everton, 12:45
Blackburn v Birmingham, 15:00
Bolton v West Ham, 15:00
Chelsea v Wigan, 15:00
Man Utd v Fulham, 15:00
Sunderland v West Brom, 15:00
Tottenham v Stoke, 15:00

Never easy to call it with absolute certainty, particularly this season.

But you'd expect Chelsea to see off Wigan and Arsenal must be favourites v Blackpool.

Of the others, Wolves/Everton could go either way. Ditto Bolton/West Ham. A win for both the 'W' teams -nailed on relegation certs a few weeks back- in those games would not be particularly unusual. Nor would a win (or at least a draw) for WBA.

Blackburn or B-lose also stand a decent chance of being in a much better position come 5pm on Saturday. It's a six pointer for them, but a lose/lose for us. A win for either opens up a 3 point margin and would push them quite a bit higher in the league, a timely boost to morale at this stage of the campaign. Even a draw (probably the preferred result) gives two of the sides around us an extra point.

So yes, we face the very real prospect of being in the bottom 3 by the time we kick off on Sunday. If we are, it's how we stand up to the pressure. We'll be seen as the next big club on the slide, the 'crisis' club and so on. And there will be plenty of reactions similar to the Everton fans last week, people almost willing us to go down.

[WikiVilla]

Had a text from Villa today
Seats in the Trinity wings for Sunday are only £15 if anyone is tempted

[CJ]

Leeg - have you jinxed us by not stickying this?!  May need to break out the orange dot again to compensate.

Again our opponents are doing their best to help us with injuries/suspensions. They lost Carroll obviously, Leon Best is out for the rest of the season and Nolan is suspended. They've still got the Amoeba and that Underpants guy, but we should have got some confidence from last week to carry in to this game.  Villa win 3-1

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Conceding is a given.

1-1 Downing

[PaulTheVillan]

We'll win.

3-1.

Bent x 2.
Downing.

Barton.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Got a feeling in my water that Barton will be sent off.