Aston Villa v Bolton Wanderers Pre-Match Thread

[ozzjim]

Woken up really nervous about this one. I am going 2-1, Heskey both.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

I've woke up and was dreaming about tonights game. I was sitting in the very back row of the upper holte ( I have never ever been in the upper holte), play was at the other end where we were defending when a mass fight broke between the players, one of our players kicked the ball away really hard from the witton end and it nearly hit me and I was worried about falling out of the upper tier into the lower holte. The only other thing I remember was a very old very slow Stan Collymore was playing right back for Bolton, our tactics seemed to revolve entirely on putting pressure on him down that flank to get a breakthrough.

Anybody able to analyse my dream or am I just a bit strange ?   

[Shrek]

---------------Given

---Hutton-Cuellar-Baker-Lichaj

Albrighton-Ireland-Herd-N'Zogbia

---------Weimann-Heskey

If Gabby is fit, I'd play him wide instead of Marc

A nervy 2-1, Weimann & Heskey

[Simba]

Andy - you are a bit strange mate.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

sportinglife.com

McLEISH HAS NO DOUBTS ABOUT DUO

Alex McLeish is content to put his faith in two players out of contract this summer in striker Emile Heskey and defender Carlos Cuellar for Tuesday night's vital Barclays Premier League clash with Bolton.

Striker Heskey, 34, is poised to lead the attack at Villa Park if captain Gabriel Agbonlahor fails to recover from a shoulder problem.

Cuellar is required to fill the gap at the back left by the absence of central defender James Collins through a groin problem.

McLeish said: "It depends on Gabby, but Emile would come right into the thinking for tonight. He's admired by all his team-mates.

"His team-mates love him, and love him playing in the team, because they know he's going to work his socks off for the cause and he's going to create chances for them.

"He's capable of scoring as well when he's playing in his favourite position of centre forward.

"I think Michael Owen said he was the best partner he ever played with.

"It's the same scenario with someone like Carlos. The thing about guys like that is that they have total commitment to any particular task that they have to undertake.

"Those two are fine examples of that, two guys who will go through brick walls for you and for the club - regardless of what happens next."

McLeish also confirmed Cuellar was the "outstanding candidate" to skipper the side on Tuesday night if Agbonlahor is ruled out.

The Scot has challenged Villa to improve their home record and show a ruthless streak on Tuesday night.

Villa have recorded just four victories in front of their own supporters this season and lie only five points above the bottom three.

McLeish said: "Our record at home is rotten. It's not something we are proud of.

"It's something we can't do anything about now but we've got to do something about the next game. We've got to go all out to win it.

"The stakes of the Premier League are enormous. This next game is huge for us and Bolton and we've got to go for it and the players are totally committed and ready for the cause.

"We've lost sucker equalisers in the last few minutes. These points become vital when you get to this stage of the season.

"We've got to try to find that ruthless professionalism and resilience when we get to situations such as that."

[Matt Collins]

---------------Given

---Hutton-Cuellar-Baker-Lichaj

Albrighton-Ireland-Herd-N'Zogbia

---------Weimann-Heskey

If Gabby is fit, I'd play him wide instead of Marc

A nervy 2-1, Weimann & Heskey

That's pretty much where I am. Although I think Mcleish has said Heskey will play if Gabby isn't fit.

And I might play Gardner or Bannan instead of Albrighton to give us more help in midfield.

And would Clark get ahead of Baker?

[Irish villain]

I dreamt about the game last night too! But it was away at West Ham and we got a crucial win.

[David_Nab]

Cuellar as captain I agree with.

Now if we got a pen would take it ?

[Mazrim]

Our defence is not awful and it's not Bolton's last chance.
If they pick up a point they will be 3 points from 17th with a game in hand. That will play on their mind.
If they do go gung ho we'll have plenty of space to attack into.
But as they have major injury problems in midfield I can't see them being too adventurous.

I think if anybody will be pressing it will be Villa. The pressure is really on McLeish to get a win, even if a draw isn't the end of the world.

[andyh]

I'm afraid they'll want it more than us. If they don't win, they are pretty much down. If we don't win, we still have the chance against West Brom or Norwich.
Hope I'm wrong.

This is precisely how I see it

[Shrek]

For me Baker has been quality at centre half, he should keep his place going in to next season as he will only improve.

[Phil from the upper holte]

1-1 draw the cup final

[ADVILLAFAN]

Is there anything we're supposed to do for Muamba? Assuming we'll be clapping in the 19th minute for Petrov, I wondered if we'd have the strange thing of 2 sets of fans clapping for the 2 players?

[Risso]

sportinglife.com

McLEISH HAS NO DOUBTS ABOUT DUO

Alex McLeish is content to put his faith in two players out of contract this summer in striker Emile Heskey and defender Carlos Cuellar for Tuesday night's vital Barclays Premier League clash with Bolton.

Striker Heskey, 34, is poised to lead the attack at Villa Park if captain Gabriel Agbonlahor fails to recover from a shoulder problem.

Cuellar is required to fill the gap at the back left by the absence of central defender James Collins through a groin problem.

McLeish said: "It depends on Gabby, but Emile would come right into the thinking for tonight. He's admired by all his team-mates.

"His team-mates love him, and love him playing in the team, because they know he's going to work his socks off for the cause and he's going to create chances for them.

"He's capable of scoring as well when he's playing in his favourite position of centre forward.

"I think Michael Owen said he was the best partner he ever played with.

"It's the same scenario with someone like Carlos. The thing about guys like that is that they have total commitment to any particular task that they have to undertake.

"Those two are fine examples of that, two guys who will go through brick walls for you and for the club - regardless of what happens next."

McLeish also confirmed Cuellar was the "outstanding candidate" to skipper the side on Tuesday night if Agbonlahor is ruled out.

The Scot has challenged Villa to improve their home record and show a ruthless streak on Tuesday night.

Villa have recorded just four victories in front of their own supporters this season and lie only five points above the bottom three.

McLeish said: "Our record at home is rotten. It's not something we are proud of.

"It's something we can't do anything about now but we've got to do something about the next game. We've got to go all out to win it.

"The stakes of the Premier League are enormous. This next game is huge for us and Bolton and we've got to go for it and the players are totally committed and ready for the cause.

"We've lost sucker equalisers in the last few minutes. These points become vital when you get to this stage of the season.

"We've got to try to find that ruthless professionalism and resilience when we get to situations such as that."

He really is an utter, utter, utter cu....oh, never mind.

[Merv]

Gotta love it that McLeish has dug out that Michael Owen quote about Emile Heskey. Think he said that about ten years ago! Anyway, Emile's looked a bit sharper when called upon in the last couple of games, which doesn't surprise me. I've never had an issue with him being used as a centre-forward, it's when he's been played in midfield that it has irked me.

1-1 tonight. Think I've predicted that score before every game this season.