Aston Villa v Norwich City Pre-Match Thread

[devilla]

I can't see a clean sheet given our recent terrible record of defending set pieces so I think 2-1 to us. Gabby and Bent for the second after an insightful pass from Jenas in the 89th minute.

[ez]

3-2 win. Conceding the obligatory late goal.

[TheSandman]

Quote

Looking forward to beating them about 4-0. Maybe that will stop some of the bleating.


Quote

it won't.

The bleating may stop, but wait until December fixtures!!

I know, Villa always of late seem to do their best to spoil Christmas and with that set of fixtures they may again.

For some reason my feeling is that we will underperform in the easier fixtures this month, but take some unexpected points in December, leaving us in lower midtable by the new year.

That's my feeling too. McLeish's Blues side were always good at nicking points from the big boys.

[brontebilly]

As another poster suggested, if we pick the team properly ie no Heskey, I think we will win fairly comfortably. 2-0, 3-1. Norwich play good football but are stock full of Championship players at the same time. Naughton maybe aside not one other player would make our side.

However McLeish so far seems have to have no real idea tactically how he want us to play. It is kind of a mish mash 442 433 with Gabby playing up top near Bent at times and then on the left at others. 433 is the only formation we should be playing but where does that leave Bent? Id prefer if he were brave and go with the man in form at the moment - Gabby to go up top where he is much better.

Id play us for home games against the likes of Norwich
--------------Given---------------
Hutton, Collins, Dunne, Warnock
------Herd, Petrov, Bannan-------
Nzogbia, Gabby, Ireland

I expect though McLeish will go with
Same back 5
Herd, Petrov
Nzogbia, Heskey, Gabby
----------Bent------------------

[VancouverLion]

I'd go:

Given
Hutton
Collins
Dunne
Warnock

Jenas
Petrov
Herd

N'Zogbia
Gabby
Bent

Push Petrov on and have N'Zog and Gabby wide.

2-0 win.

UTV

[Simba]

Testament to the lack of confidence is that it wasn't long ago that I would look at the fixtures for the week-end, the table, and hope our comparitive clubs like Pool and Spuds lose against the lower teams.

Now I bloody hope they win so the lower teams lose the points!

I am always looking downwards hoping we don't get caught. Talk about defeatist.

[TopDeck113]

Feel remarkably confident this morning, but suspect that it will be rather closer than the Gabby hat-trick I was half-dreaming about at 7 o'clock.  2-1 us with an all-too-predictable nervous last five minutes.

[Mister E]

Norwich have already shown that they are more than a Championship side, with resilience and a bit of flair.
I can't see past a score-draw, sad to say.

[l_mckay]

Going to go for a 1-1 draw,not very optimistic about this with the way both teams are playing. But comon villa prove me wrong!!

[Phil from the upper holte]

I just checked and if we'd have not conceded so many late goals we'd be 4th, Quite depressing really

Draw today 2-2

[JJ-AV]

I think we'll lose and it'll be the beginning of the end for McLeish.

[Brian Taylor]

I think we'll lose and it'll be the beginning of the end for McLeish.

I hope is more the end of the beginning.

[olaftab]

I can see us losing in a high scoring match. Norwich are  open and attacking a bit like Blackpool last year where we were lucky to edge it 3-2. It could be other way round today.

[PaulWinch again]

It worries me that when Mcleish was talking about Jenas in relation to this game he said the wages are still astronomical and need to be brought down. How on earth can that be?

[olaftab]

Wages can be  decreased by "sacking" Beye, Heskey based on the fact that we have Jenas  to replace Emile in CM (cough!) and Hutton to cover for Habib.