Aston Villa v Reading Pre-Match Thread

[Matt Collins]

As I posted on another thread, this won't be easy. With the exception of Chelsea away on the first day, Reading have either drawn or been narrowly beater (never by more than 1 goal) this season. I think it will be tight, and either 1-1 or 2-1

I think Lambert will freshen it up a bit. Wouldn't be surprised to see Holman / Ireland / and potentially Delph and Bent coming in. Bannan might be a bit knackered.

I wonder if we could go:

Guzan - Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Stephens - Ireland, Westwood, Holman - Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor

But I suspect we'll stick with two holders in there, with Delph (or KEA) potentially coming in for Bannan due to tiredness.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Hope Bent gets some pitch time. Really want him to be part of our progression .......

[nornironvillain]

very hard game, reading are starting to fin their feet a bit in the EPL

we will hastle and hound them and be in their faces but we need a bit of guile and somebody to break them down....Stephen Ireland?

1-0 Bentike

[CJ]

Absolutely HAVE to win this and if we play with the same high tempo as we did yesterday we will. The danger is thinking just 'cos they're in the shit (like us) we just have to turn up to get three points. McDermott will see us as a chance for them to get a win just like Adkins did.  Need to get right at them from the start. A dry night and 3-1 to us

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Absolutely HAVE to win this and if we play with the same high tempo as we did yesterday we will. The danger is thinking just 'cos they're in the shit (like us) we just have to turn up to get three points. McDermott will see us as a chance for them to get a win just like Adkins did.  Need to get right at them from the start. A dry night and 3-1 to us

There is no way Lambert or the players will take this lightly. They know how vital this game is, and Lambert will have them raring to go. Anyone who looks jaded or showing the wrong body language will be replaced .....

[PaulWinch again]

Southampton winning makes it even more must win.

[paulcomben]

A great thing to look forward to on a cold, dark November Tuesday night in the busy period for anyone still in work. It beats watching the usual crappy repeat or dull new drama or flippin antiques or cookery show. Despite the worry, the scares and the pathological inability to create goalscoring chances.

[Chipsticks]

This is incredibly reminiscent of that Bolton game last season. Though we've come on leaps and bounds since then, and I think we have more than enough to beat this Reading team, and if we play anything like we did in our last two home games then we'll sweep them aside. I think the only things to worry about are overconfidence and fatigue.

[SoccerHQ]

3-1 win.

Anyone see the Reading game yesterday? They conceded 3 at Wigan and Wigan could easily have scored more.

When you look at the back 4 it's not hard to see why, Chris Gunter, Kasper Gorkess, Sean Morrison and a left back who's worse than Warnock imo in Nicky Shorey still amazingly forgeing a premier league career.

That's a really really slow and lightweight back 4 they have so I'd keep the front three as I fancy them to cause Reading all sorts of problems with the strength and pace in there.

Only worry I have is Jason Roberts is a niggly forward who'll back into our defenders all night long. Would be a worry without Vlaar as I remember last season in the bolton game when Davies came on in the second half and he bullied our defence which turned the game.

[Mortimer's Bear]

5 - 0 home win

Benteke (3)
Weimann
Agbonlahor

[eastie]

The Southampton win over Newcastle puts us back on bottom 3 although only 6 points from the top 10 - things are tightening up down there and a few clubs are being dragged into it - the next 3 games are huge for us.

[PaulWinch again]

As I say we desperately need to win and we will.

[villan from luton]

I can see us winning this by about 3-0 - think Ireland will be back in the team and fresh and the front 3 should give that Reading defence a tough time

[saunders_heroes]

Trust Newcastle to let us down. One season wonders that's all they are.
We must win on Tuesday.

[rutski]

Trust Newcastle to let us down. One season wonders that's all they are.
We must win on Tuesday.

or what?