Sunderland v Aston Villa Pre-Match Thread

[Lobsterboy]

2-0 win.

Bent to open the scoring and Gabby to seal it late on

Lovely!

[TimTheVillain]

2-0 Sunderland.

Hope we get a shot on goal :-)

[littlevillain]

can't see them not scoring in this one, still we should have enough for at least another draw. however a heavy defeat will completely bring the doom and gloom merchants out and Mcleish will be hung.

[Villanation]

can't see them not scoring in this one, still we should have enough for at least another draw. however a heavy defeat will completely bring the doom and gloom merchants out and Mcleish will be hung.

Can't see us losing this, watched Sunderland the other week and they where worse then we have ever been this season, I've only seen 1 team worse this far, although Bolton are having a good attempt at it.

Minimum draw, i think we will claw back some bonus points at the weekend.

[Compass]

Why do people still think N'Zogbia will score? He's been by far our worse player and that's saying something considering the majority of players who have been poor for us. He struggles bringing the ball forward let alone finding the net. No doubt this is the fault of the manager because he wasn't this bad at Wigan and Newcastle, even spells when he went missing.

I'm not sure about this tbh. Sunderland haven't been that great this season and they pratically have no decent strikers. We have to get something out of this game. I won't be surprised if we lose this match considering we have a manager who can't set up a team to get enough chances at home nevermind away. Then that will be 3 matches lost in a row and Norwich will be make or break for McLeish. Lose that and the negative chants will be so strong at Villa Park that the atmosphere when Houllier lost against Wolves at VP will seem like heaven.

[Villanation]

Why do people still think N'Zogbia will score? He's been by far our worse player and that's saying something considering the majority of players who have been poor for us. He struggles bringing the ball forward let alone finding the net. No doubt this is the fault of the manager because he wasn't this bad at Wigan and Newcastle, even spells when he went missing.

I'm not sure about this tbh. Sunderland haven't been that great this season and they pratically have no decent strikers. We have to get something out of this game. I won't be surprised if we lose this match considering we have a manager who can't set up a team to get enough chances at home nevermind away. Then that will be 3 matches lost in a row and Norwich will be make or break for McLeish. Lose that and the negative chants will be so strong at Villa Park that the atmosphere when Houllier lost against Wolves at VP will seem like heaven.

If we lost to Sunderland and then went onto lose to Norwich with Spurs, Man Utd and Liverpool coming thick and fast McLiesh would be a fool to even consider turning up at the club for work..

Can't see it happening TBH.

[petegoldring]

A dreadful 1-1.

God how depressing - hoping for a draw at Sunderland.

[willywombat]

A dreadful 1-1.

God how depressing - hoping for a draw at Sunderland.

I must have accidentally slipped into a parallel universe where the mighty Aston Villa once used to routinely collect an easy 3 points from an away fixture at Sunderland. Sorry but I dont think coming away from there with a point is depressing at all

[Greg N'Ash]

scares me this match.. if i had to pick an away win when the fixtures came out this would have been one.

 2-2

[taylorsworkrate]

1-1

Bannan will be a big loss.  Ireland has to play or we will lack any sort of creativity.

[The Left Side]

2-0 to the black cats over the lions, booo!

[brontebilly]

Id go with

Given
Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Warnock
----Herd,---------Clark
----------Petrov--------------
Ireland, Bent, Gabby

Pressure will be on McLeish if we lose this. After the shit with Bannan this week, he needs a performance and a result. His reign hasnt kicked off yet at all. The only two games we have won have been at home to Blackburn and Wigan. A win at Sunderland would be very welcome indeed.

A final thing - No Emile fucking Heskey please

[villadelph]

2 -1 FT   Bent '39, Ireland '61  |    Bendtner '88

                Given
Cuellar Dunne Collins Warnock
               Petrov
       Delph         Ireland
 N'Zogbia              Gabby       
                  Bent     

I think we'll take it. Though there will be a late scare.

cmon boys, if sunderland jump us this week and we fall to 14 or 15 i'll be suicidal. don't ruin my week.

utv.

[Mr Diggles]

Unfortunately I think this is the start of the long and rocky road to January, that's not me being incredibly downbeat (well, it is) because I just don't think we can compete against some of the better teams nor away from home. I honestly think we'll only pick up 7-10 points between now and the Swansea match in January.

So in that spirit, Sunderland will spawn a win, even though Villa put up a decent fight. Bent will not score and will be pilloried by the home fans. The lack of any creative spark in the midfield will cost us massively.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

1-0
Late Bent Winner