Aston Villa v Wigan Athletic Pre-Match Thread

[Legion]

Saturday 29.12.12 KO 3pm

The biggie. A real 6-pointer. Against bloody Wigan. At this time of year.

Anyway, 1-0 narrow home win.

Ireland 78

UTV! In Lambert we trust. Keep the faith... (where's that orange dot?)

[PeterWithesShin]

Us 4 Them 1

[SoccerHQ]

1-1.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

A win and a clean sheet. 2-0.
The start of an unbeaten run which can go right through Janurary, by which time we will be securely mid table with a trip to Wembley on the horizon. 

[nodge]

Two and a half to nil to us, which will give us exactly the same goal difference

[Fin Feds Dad]

2-1 to us.

Benteke and Holman .

Nurse !!!!!!

[bertlambshank]

1-1.

[KevinGage]

It's not quite in the 'must win' category, for me  (though it does represent one of our better chances of gaining three points this season).   But it is absolutely a must not lose game. 

A win would calm the nerves (for a bit)   but I can see a tense and disjointed 0-0 or 1-1.  Stop the rot, and all that.

If we still have the current gap over the sides below us going into the New Year, I'll be reasonably happy.  Might improve the quality of players we could hope to attract if we look a better bet to stay up.  Bit of a pisser that Sunderland seem to have found a bit of form now though.

[Matt Collins]

An absolutely excruciating 1-0 win, Benteke. Wigan have 1 point from 27, we can do this, but I think we need 2-3 injured players back. Wouldn't want to see herd and Clark at CB, Bannan and KEA in midfield and Ireland with Benteke upfront!!

[Matt Collins]

Would love to see Guzan - Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Bennett - Westwood, Bannan - Weimann, Holman, N'Zogbia - Benteke

subs: Given, Lichaj, KEA, Gabby, Ireland, Bowery, AN other

That would be a significant step up from the side that finished today.

[eastie]

I'm interested to see whether lambert makes a change in goal, Guzan has conceded 12 goals in 2 games and granted he was very good at Chelsea I think given must be wondering if he will now get a chance - I'm not saying Guzan should be dropped but am wondering at what point lambert may feel a change may be needed.

[paulcomben]

Nothing that a 13-0 home win cannot sort out.

[eastie]

Paul Lambert looks ahead to Saturday.



Ron Vlaar, Andreas Weimann, Nathan Baker, Gabby Agbonlahor and Charles N'Zogbia are all injury doubts ahead of Wigan.

Villa's quality quartet are all struggling for Saturday's clash.

Vlaar has missed six games with a calf problem.

Weimann also injured his calf in the game at Chelsea and was absent from the Tottenham match.

Baker limped off against Tottenham with a hamstring problem while Agbonlahor and N'Zogbia have hip and knee issues respectively.

Lambert said: "The injury situation is not helping us at the minute. There are a lot at the football club. You have just got to go with what you have got though.

"With Ron, I don't know. He's doing alright at the minute but has not played since Arsenal.

"He has not trained with us. He's still working on his rehab.

"Nathan has a hamstring problem. We don't know how bad it is. Andreas has injured his calf.

"Gabby still has a problem with his hip area and with Charles it's his knee. They are still struggling a bit."

Asked if any might come back for Wigan, he added: "I am not so sure. I don't think there will be many of them coming back."

[Legion]

Paul Lambert looks ahead to Saturday.



Ron Vlaar, Andreas Weimann, Nathan Baker, Gabby Agbonlahor and Charles N'Zogbia are all injury doubts ahead of Wigan.

Villa's quality quartet are all struggling for Saturday's clash.

Vlaar has missed six games with a calf problem.

Weimann also injured his calf in the game at Chelsea and was absent from the Tottenham match.

Baker limped off against Tottenham with a hamstring problem while Agbonlahor and N'Zogbia have hip and knee issues respectively.

Lambert said: "The injury situation is not helping us at the minute. There are a lot at the football club. You have just got to go with what you have got though.

"With Ron, I don't know. He's doing alright at the minute but has not played since Arsenal.

"He has not trained with us. He's still working on his rehab.

"Nathan has a hamstring problem. We don't know how bad it is. Andreas has injured his calf.

"Gabby still has a problem with his hip area and with Charles it's his knee. They are still struggling a bit."

Asked if any might come back for Wigan, he added: "I am not so sure. I don't think there will be many of them coming back."

Surely that's a quintet?

[eastie]

Paul Lambert looks ahead to Saturday.



Ron Vlaar, Andreas Weimann, Nathan Baker, Gabby Agbonlahor and Charles N'Zogbia are all injury doubts ahead of Wigan.

Villa's quality quartet are all struggling for Saturday's clash.

Vlaar has missed six games with a calf problem.

Weimann also injured his calf in the game at Chelsea and was absent from the Tottenham match.

Baker limped off against Tottenham with a hamstring problem while Agbonlahor and N'Zogbia have hip and knee issues respectively.

Lambert said: "The injury situation is not helping us at the minute. There are a lot at the football club. You have just got to go with what you have got though.

"With Ron, I don't know. He's doing alright at the minute but has not played since Arsenal.

"He has not trained with us. He's still working on his rehab.

"Nathan has a hamstring problem. We don't know how bad it is. Andreas has injured his calf.

"Gabby still has a problem with his hip area and with Charles it's his knee. They are still struggling a bit."

Asked if any might come back for Wigan, he added: "I am not so sure. I don't think there will be many of them coming back."

Surely that's a quintet?

They did say quality quartet- maybe they think one is shit !