Sunderland v Aston Villa Pre-Match Thread

[Irish villain]

KEA has to start if Barry still isn't on penalties.

[PeterWithesShin]

We have to start KEA if Delph is banned.

[Percy McCarthy]

Given

Cuellar
Dunne
Baker
Warnock

CNZ
Petrov
KEA
Downing

Heskey
Fonz

Finger on the pulse, me.

[Hookeysmith]

Last seasons team that played out a 2-2 draw


Aston Villa
01 Given                                                          Guzan                     Equal if not better           
02 Hutton                                                         Lowton                   Significant improvement
03 Warnock Booked                                           Bennett                  Seems to be as much a liability at present
05 Dunne Booked                                              Vlaar                      Equal if not better
06 Collins                                                         Clark / Baker          Still inexperienced
10 N'Zogbia (Albrighton - 87' )                           Same
19 Petrov                                                          Delph                     Could not lace Stans boots
31 Herd                                                            Same
09 Bent                                                             Benteke                 Good goalscoring record so far - offers more than Bent IMHO
11 Agbonlahor Booked                                        Same
18 Heskey                                                         Holman                   My mom would offer more than Heskey

Quite a bit of change since last year and maybe not like for like better players in every instance  - the mentality of wanting to win is a huge improvement

[eastie]

seems according to nursey that lambert saying today that Herd and baker out but Bennett and Clark back in contention- great news to see Clark available .

[not3bad]

Lawro says: 2-0 to Sunderland.

[itbrvilla]

Lawro says: 2-0 to Sunderland.

I agree.

[PaulWinch again]

What is our centre half situation now? Is anyone back?

[Pete3206]

Lawro says: 2-0 to Sunderland.

We really are bad if Sunderland score 2

[stubbsyandy]

KEA out thru suspension?

[Clampy]

Now Clark is back, it look like one decision for Lambert to make is whether to play Bennett or Lichaj.  Bennett will get some stick being a Boro lad so whether he'll be able to handle that will be one thing to consider.

[Chipsticks]

Now Clark is back, it look like one decision for Lambert to make is whether to play Bennett or Lichaj.  Bennett will get some stick being a Boro lad so whether he'll be able to handle that will be one thing to consider.

Being as Lichaj's 'in form' after a good game against Swindon, surely he should go for him?

[Billy Walker]

Lawro:

"Sunderland v Aston Villa

This is a big game for Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill against his former club.

The Black Cats are just not firing at the moment, and it is the first time I have really known O'Neill to be under a bit of pressure to get a positive result.
He will get it right eventually but, at the moment, if Steven Fletcher does not score for Sunderland then no-one else looks capable of finding the net.

They are just not creating chances and I think Adam Johnson needs reminding that he there to provide for other players because he has not done that so far. Stephane Sessegnon is another talented attacking player who is not performing at the moment.

I just wonder whether O'Neill is contemplating playing an extra creative midfielder to maybe make the difference for them, because they definitely need some extra guile.

Aston Villa have probably got bigger problems though. They were very ordinary in their draw with Norwich last weekend.

I think Villa boss Paul Lambert was really clever afterwards. He came out and said the game could have gone either way but he was taking the flak away from his players because Norwich were so much better.

That is a big worry for Lambert. His side do not look like they are going to climb out of the bottom six anytime soon and it is one thing for them to be beaten by teams higher up the table, but quite another for them to be outplayed by sides around them at the bottom.

Given Sunderland's problems in attack it is quite brave to predict they will score one goal, let alone two, but I think they will add to Villa's woes here.

Prediction: 2-0"

Two thoughts:

It seems to me every pundit out there seems to have forgotten we were playing with ten men for pretty much the whole of the second half v Norwich.

Is it possible that Lawro and MON could be  good mates?

[eastie]

Now Clark is back, it look like one decision for Lambert to make is whether to play Bennett or Lichaj.  Bennett will get some stick being a Boro lad so whether he'll be able to handle that will be one thing to consider.

Being as Lichaj's 'in form' after a good game against Swindon, surely he should go for him?

I'd be surprised if Bennett didn't return , although with McLean and Johnson our full backs need to be gang on their game.

Clark has returned at a vital time and is very much a boost.

[Clampy]

Now Clark is back, it look like one decision for Lambert to make is whether to play Bennett or Lichaj.  Bennett will get some stick being a Boro lad so whether he'll be able to handle that will be one thing to consider.

Being as Lichaj's 'in form' after a good game against Swindon, surely he should go for him?

The only thing about Lichaj playing left back is that he tends to hoof the ball first time out of defence because he's right footed. He has'nt got the composure that a normal left back would have. It's a tough call.