Aston Villa v QPR Pre-Match Thread

[supertom]

I always wonder about differing pitch sizes. Should they not have a set guideline so that all pitches are the same size?
Not that it makes a hell of a lot of difference I suppose.

[Mister E]

I always wonder about differing pitch sizes. Should they not have a set guideline so that all pitches are the same size?
Not that it makes a hell of a lot of difference I suppose.

The flexibility in pitch sizes is more applicable to the grassroots game, where finding groupnds of uniform size can be difficult.
I guess, also, the FA would want there to be some benefit in playing home games over and above having a majority of home supporters in the crowd.

[villa `cross the mersey]

@thegoalzone: Darren Bent still not available and Fabian Delph still suspended. PL impressed with Yacouba Sylla and is likely to start tomorrow

WTF is going on with Bent? Have we sen the last of him in a Villa shirt?

[N'ZMAV]

@thegoalzone: Darren Bent still not available and Fabian Delph still suspended. PL impressed with Yacouba Sylla and is likely to start tomorrow

Darren Bent is pissing me off.

[Ads]

 think there is a minimum size.

I suppose its about perception.

At QPR in the second row of the upper tier I could jump onto the grassy area behind the by-line. At Villa Park in the third row of the Upper Holte, I would splat to my death in row 40 of the Lower Holte.

[stubbsyandy]

think there is a minimum size.

I suppose its about perception.

At QPR in the second row of the upper tier I could jump onto the grassy area behind the by-line. At Villa Park in the third row of the Upper Holte, I would splat to my death in row 40 of the Lower Holte.

You have had cause to think about it this season....

[neo_Villan]

Anyone know when we last beat a Harry team?

I believe it was March 4th 2006. Villa 1 Pompey 0. Milan Baros, who for all the shit he subsequently got, scored a few important goals for us that season.

Remember that. At the time Pompey looked down and out. I felt that they would inevitably go on a run though and was fearful before that game that it might begin against us. Luckily for us, their run began the game after. So we just missed it.

[eamonn]

No such luck now, huh?

[eastie]

By Dean Wilson | 15/03/13 

Harry Redknapp has piled the pressure on Aston Villa ahead of their crunch game on Saturday after taking his team from 'no-hopers' to survival contenders.

And he reckons the home crowd could help him do just that if they get restless during a massive relegation scrap between his bottom club QPR and the big Midlands club.

Redknapp admits that his side were written off a month ago, but a run of two defeats in the last nine games as well as back-to-back wins has changed the landscape.

"I think they’re a massive club – Villa and they’re a young team," said Redknapp. "The pressure of the home crowd can play on people’s performances.

"People wrote us off four weeks ago. But now we’ve got ourselves back in the picture. We were no hopers so the pressure is not so much on us.

"It is a big game for sure. We’re both in a relegation battle so it’s going to have an important bearing on the league. It’ll make a massive difference to the look of the league table.

"The lads are ready to go and all along I felt we could do it. I said it was going to be tough. I still think we can do it.

"We went to Chelsea and won. We had that five match unbeaten run before being beaten by Swansea and Man United. That’s only two defeats in nine games.

"We’ve got to be up for it. It’s Premier League football. It’s a good club and we desperately want to stay in the Premier League."

And Redknapp knows he has got the teams around QPR looking over their shoulder again, just when they thought they were cast adrift.

"It's not good when you see the results coming through, and we've been there," he added.

"You see the results of the teams around you, and obviously you want them to lose because it makes a difference to everything.

"They're probably looking and thinking "oh QPR again." They probably wrote us off and suddenly we’ve put ourselves into the pack again.

"That is only today though, we need a result at Villa."

[Marlon From Bearwood]

Anyone know when we last beat a Harry team?

I believe it was March 4th 2006. Villa 1 Pompey 0. Milan Baros, who for all the shit he subsequently got, scored a few important goals for us that season.

Remember that. At the time Pompey looked down and out. I felt that they would inevitably go on a run though and was fearful before that game that it might begin against us. Luckily for us, their run began the game after. So we just missed it.

I just can't remember that game. I don't know whether that tells you more about my memory, or the quality of football on display.

[damon loves JT]

Hang on - 'from no-hopers to survival contenders'?

Given how long he's been in charge, that's not much of an achievement.

[Ads]

The press wank themselves into such a frenzy over Redknapp that come May or when they're relegated in April, all they will be left with is a messy, bloody stump.

[Malandro]

I don't know one person that likes 'arry. Is this a nationwide thing?

[Des Little]

This time tomorrow I will have stopped shaking like a shitting dog and will be murdering a pint in the Holte Suite, whatever the result. This is no good for the nerves whatsoever.

[neo_Villan]

I don't know one person that likes 'arry. Is this a nationwide thing?

It told me alot that when I checked out the Spuds forums following his sacking, the majority were happy to see the back of him. This is despite him perhaps being their most successful manager in recent history. For me he is just another MON; vastly overrated by the media but not rated at all by most fans of the clubs he has actually managed. 30 years in management and one FA Cup to show for it. Enough said.