Aston Villa v Manchester City Match Thread

[pauliewalnuts]

Who's left back??? Hutton or one of the CBs? Worrying either way.

Cuellar.

[Compass]

It's good to see Gardner starting, but Heskey instead of Ireland? And I see Collins made it back comfortably. Didn't McLeish say Baker could play left back? Back to hoof again.

Here's a scary fact - If we lose today (which I'm afraid we will with this lineup) we'll be 7 points away from Norwich and 7 points away from the relegation zone. You're doing a good job McLeish. 

[ozzjim]

It is a completely idiotic decision; steps in the right direction right up until the first sub against Newcastle last week. Since which mad decisions have become the norm it would appear. Complete and total insanity. He deserves all the chants of you don't know what your doing if we are tonked today, especially after not getting a midfield player into the club in January when we had lost Jenas etc.

[manic-road]

Seeing that team i fear a drubbing.

[supertom]

Oh dear god! What a shit team. McLeish hasn't got a bloody clue! Heskey starting again! Why? What reason? What does he offer? I just cannot give any backing to this clueless idiot, when he makes decisions like that.
Who plays left back? Hutton or Cueller? Either way, not good. Hutton can barely keep himself in position at right back. Carlos played left back under O Neill for a couple of games and was woeful.

We'll get pillocked right royally I'm afraid lads. We should be playing 3 across the middle. We need an extra bad in there because it's too much pressure on an aging Stan and an inexperienced GG.

McLeish out! Is that his way of getting back at the protestors? If so, good job because it's pissing annoying mate! Bring back O Leary! Yeah I said it!

[PaulWinch again]

I just am staggered he's picked Heskey, I genuinely can't fathom it.

[PaulWinch again]

If he's set us up to lose by as few as possible like he did earlier in the season he should just go. We should be going for it with our most creative players N'Zog and Ireland.

[David_Nab]

Well obviously is a problem with Ireland and Nzog as both on bench..Heskey in is a shock as is Cuellar at Lb...

[Mr Diggles]

I suspect McLeish values Heskey more than the fans do. I fear a contract extension in the summer.

[Compass]

We deserve to lose by that lineup. It's anti-football. You don't start old man Heskey out of position over Ireland or N'Zogbia. Basically what McLeish is doing is he's putting his own personal problems before the club.

[ormskirkvillan]

I can only think he's trying to confuse Man City by picking the strangest team he could think of. At 6pm he will either be a genius or a step closer to being declared insane!

[pooligan]

I have come to the conclusion that Heskey must have it written into his contract that if fit he must be in the side. Can not be any other reason how he is selected .

[TheSandman]

You never know, it might work!

I'm going to wait until quarter to six before making a judgement on it being a mistake but I think that it is a somewhat strange selection.

[Toronto Villa]

I have nothing personally against Heskey, but I've said before, I'll be glad when we as fans never have to discuss him again because he's no longer part of our club. I was scared that he'd be part of the line up today, mostly because it makes us play a certain way. It's going to be hard enough today and even more so if we just launch the ball up to Heskey all game. You give the ball to Man City they'll kill you. We give the ball away too much without Heskey and even more afraid of that today.

[Chris Smith]

We deserve to lose by that lineup. It's anti-football. You don't start old man Heskey out of position over Ireland or N'Zogbia. Basically what McLeish is doing is he's putting his own personal problems before the club.

What a ridiculous post. Man City are a big, physical side and he's in there to try to counter that. We improved last week when he came on.