Stoke City v Aston Villa Pre-Match Thread

[SoccerHQ]

Think we'll lose this 3-1. Our record up there is crap, Stoke have won 4 out of the last 5 and given how we're defending corners and high balls at the minute, I think we'll lose two goals from set pieces.

[TonyD]

Depends on AMs team selection.  It could be a great boxing day or forum wipeout.

[Matt Collins]

We need to think radical. After Jones went off for Man U last night they had Valencia at full back. Clark has to stay in midfield. Cuellar has to stay at centre half. Collins and Heskey have to stay out the team! Gary Gardner superb athlete who will run all day long plus over 6ft so he can help out with the aerial bombardment. We need a feel good factor and Clark, Herd, Bannan, Albrighton and Gardner can give us that.

So who plays at right back? Gardner??!

[The Man With A Stick]

God, I really hope we smash this lot.

[PONGO49]

I just hope that Bent has finished shopping.

[supertom]

To put it into perspective, if we lose this, we're 8 points behind Stoke. 8 POINTS...BEHIND...STOKE CITY!

Much as yesterday was a vast improvement on performance, I can unfortunately only see us losing this game. We still don't look like we'll score many at all, and we're poor at defending set pieces. As Soccer HQ says, I think Stoke will have a field day.

If we can avoid giving away too many throws and set pieces, we may well nick something, but with Delap and that young lad pelting throws, they can be a threat from 60 yards out+
It's a big ask not to give them much in our half. I don't think we're up to it. We have to try and keep the ball, and as we've seen for most of this season, it doesn't often work.

I also suspect that Bent will come back into the side and we'll go back to 4.4.2. We really can't play that with the midfielders we have, but I don't believe McLeish will see that.

[Matt Collins]

I'd be really tempted to put Bent on the bench, but given recent controversies you could see that becoming a bit of a storm in a teacup. It would be very harsh to drop Albie or N'zog though, and play Gabby wide

[KRS]

Stoke had a few players out against Man City and were as equally pathetic as we have been against a number of the better teams. Obviously Stoke will be a different prospect at home against an average Villa team, but if we take confidence from last nights performance and Stoke are still a few players down then we could get a result. I'm hoping for at least a draw.

[Matt Collins]

Stoke really aren't all that. But we're so bad at set pieces it's very hard to see us not conceding one or two down there. in theory, with Collins, Cuellar, Clark and Dunne we should at least be well placed.

We could start by conceding fewer corners

[PeterWithesShin]

1-1. We'll deal with their aerial bombardment until the last couple of mins when Crouch pops up. Zog to score ours.

[darren woolley]

2-1 To Stoke Gabby scoring for us.

[Hoppo]

Yes Gardner at right back. Good players can play anywhere. If Valencia can do it for United im sure Gazza can.

[Somniloquism]

I think they will win even if we put out the same team and play as well as last night. Firstly,they seem to be our bogey team, and secondly, they are our bogey team.

[Matt Collins]

Yes Gardner at right back. Good players can play anywhere. If Valencia can do it for United im sure Gazza can.

He's not even made his villa debut yet. Up against etherington away at stoke? No thanks!!

[TaxDodger]

1-1. Crouch 90. Bent 79.