Aston Villa v Bradford City Pre-Match Thread

[Clampy]

Team wise, i'd go for......

                 Guzan

Lowton     Vlaar    Clark    Bennett

Bannan       Delph      Ireland

Gabby       Benteke      N'Zogbia

Subs: Given Holman Dunne Lichaj Weimann Bent Carruthers

I agree with that team with the exception of Ireland.  But then I'm not sure who else we have to play in midfield!!

I went for Ireland over Holman because i think he'll keep and pass the ball better than Holman. Like you said though, there's not a great deal of choice.

[JUAN PABLO]

Big Ron talking about the Tranmere game on Talksport at 10.15

[Jimbo]

Anybody feeling sick or jittery prior to this game should remember a few things. We are not favourites to go through, perhaps for good reason - we concede more goals than we score. We cannot and should not expect to reach Wembley. We are the underdogs now. The pressure's off our shoulders and firmly upon theirs. This tie is Bradford's to lose. Only they can fuck it up now. Can they take the pressure? 35,000+ Villans will be roaring us on, no matter what the score. Game on. 

[PaulWinch again]

I feel sick, and I really pray we overturn this and do it well. It's not only for the cup final, it's also because I think it's vital to our chances of survival.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

Anybody feeling sick or jittery prior to this game should remember a few things. We are not favourites to go through, perhaps for good reason - we concede more goals than we score. We cannot and should not expect to reach Wembley. We are the underdogs now. The pressure's off our shoulders and firmly upon theirs. This tie is Bradford's to lose. Only they can fuck it up now. Can they take the pressure? 35,000+ Villans will be roaring us on, no matter what the score. Game on. 

You seem to forget we're Premier League and they're Division 2. We are the favourites. Talk to anyone and they think we'll go through (well, apart from many Villa fans (including me)).

[bratfud_lad]

Anybody feeling sick or jittery prior to this game should remember a few things. We are not favourites to go through, perhaps for good reason - we concede more goals than we score. We cannot and should not expect to reach Wembley. We are the underdogs now. The pressure's off our shoulders and firmly upon theirs. This tie is Bradford's to lose. Only they can fuck it up now. Can they take the pressure? 35,000+ Villans will be roaring us on, no matter what the score. Game on.

I don't think anyone knows who the underdogs are anymore mate. 

[JUAN PABLO]

Great hearing Big Ron

[Jimbo]

Anybody feeling sick or jittery prior to this game should remember a few things. We are not favourites to go through, perhaps for good reason - we concede more goals than we score. We cannot and should not expect to reach Wembley. We are the underdogs now. The pressure's off our shoulders and firmly upon theirs. This tie is Bradford's to lose. Only they can fuck it up now. Can they take the pressure? 35,000+ Villans will be roaring us on, no matter what the score. Game on. 

You seem to forget we're Premier League and they're Division 2. We are the favourites. Talk to anyone and they think we'll go through (well, apart from many Villa fans (including me)).

League status counts for nothing, as the previous leg illustrated painfully.

Anyway, Big Ron has just been on the radio dispensing first class advice about penalty shoot outs. If you're a 'keeper, stand still. Save the bad ones. I wonder if Lambert knows this? We could have done with a bit of BFR's guile tonight.

[MonsXI]

Anybody feeling sick or jittery prior to this game should remember a few things. We are not favourites to go through, perhaps for good reason - we concede more goals than we score. We cannot and should not expect to reach Wembley. We are the underdogs now. The pressure's off our shoulders and firmly upon theirs. This tie is Bradford's to lose. Only they can fuck it up now. Can they take the pressure? 35,000+ Villans will be roaring us on, no matter what the score. Game on. 

You seem to forget we're Premier League and they're Division 2. We are the favourites. Talk to anyone and they think we'll go through (well, apart from many Villa fans (including me)).

League status counts for nothing, as the previous leg illustrated painfully.

Anyway, Big Ron has just been on the radio dispensing first class advice about penalty shoot outs. If you're a 'keeper, stand still. Save the bad ones. I wonder if Lambert knows this? We could have done with a bit of BFR's guile tonight.

What did he say about Given? I was walking back in from kitchen. He didn't say Given was our best keeper did he?

[VinnieChase84]

I'm trying to work today and can't concentrate on anything but tonight. I just want to get my villa shirt on and have a beer and get ready for tonight's game. Feel sick with nerves

[Phil from the upper holte]

I've gone for Villa win FT however I think we'll win just don't know if it'll be an aggregate win. I'm worried we won't keep a clean sheet I think the Bradford manager has said we'll just attack

[fredm]

People talking about the large crowd getting to the Bradford players.  How many times have Guzan, Lowton, Clark, Bennett, Delph etc played in front of 40,000?  And those 40,000 will be getting restless by the minute after the first quarter of an hour if Villa haven't scored.

I have a horrible feeling that PL may well go for broke tonight and start with Benteke, Gabby, Weimann, Bent and N'Zogbia.  If he does I personally think it will be madness.  The line up was wrong at Bradford in that they were getting in each others way as they didn't know who was going to run where.

I think he should start with Benteke and Gabby up front with N'Zogbia given the free role behind them. We need Gabby's pace to keep their back four playing deep and not allowing them to push up.  They will then have the midfield four keeping a rigid line and if the defence is deep it will keep them back as well.

 Bradfords tactics will be to try and get corners to unsettle our defence by hitting long balls to Hanson, who I expect to see against Vlaar, and Wells, who will get in behind Clark and Bennett and try and force them to concede the corners.  Then they will hope their set pieces come into play.

One thing though, we really do need to use the full width of the pitch tonight to drag the Bradford defence around and create positions for ourselves.  Then all we have to do is make sure we hit the back of the net.

[Mazrim]

I very much doubt they will just attack.

[Clampy]

The marketing team have made us look silly even more so if we don't make the final. As for Lambert the last thing on his mind after recent weeks should be some stadium announcer no matter what an idiot he was that night.

The stadium announcer wasn't on Lamberts mind.

He didn't even know about it until asked a question at the press conference. He then said that he hadn't heard any such announcement but, if it was said, it was a little bit disrespectful.

I can't see what he's supposed to have done wrong in this.

He has'nt done anything wrong, although James Nursey has typically for him came up with the headline 'Lambert vicar's in a twist' and  'Unholy row with Bradford PA Man'.

He really is a piss poor journalist.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Probably not but he's already commented our defence is our weakness