Aston Villa vs Sunderland Pre-Match Thread

[JUAN PABLO]

Didnt get much sleep myself.    ffs Villa , why you do this me !!!!

[Meanwood Villa]

It's not excited nerves. It's being sick with worry. This lot have let us down so much over the past few years I'm lacking in confidence somewhat today. Sorry for being negative, hope I'm in a very different mood  by 10 tonight.

[Meanwood Villa]

This season has been slow like torture - probably worse than the last two. I don't know what happened in August 2010, but the shockwaves are still reverberating now nearly 3 years on. I hope we win tonight but I think it'll be 1-1. Our defence is our achilles heel and will still haunt us - shockingly bad decision from the board/management not to address this area last January. Still think Lerner's heart isn't really in it anymore - I wonder if he'll attend tonight? Not sure when his last appearance at Villa Park was?

Maybe we should have a thread dedicated to this?

[brontebilly]

feeling less confident as the game approaches. would be far more confident if this game was away from home. some of our players seem to go into their shells at villa park. think swansea at home was the only game we have won convincingly all season so its hardly going to start now. The wins against Stoke and QPR we almost threw away. Reading and West Ham wins were hardly convincing. I guess when it has come down to it we have beaten the sides around us but a commanding victory at this stage of the season seems beyond us lets be honest.

score early and we will win and probably pretty easily. however the longer the games goes on without us scoring, crowd start getting a bit iffy, sunderland score first and all hell could break loose. have a horrible feeling both sides will settle for a draw over the last 10 mins or so.

[Jon Crofts]

I think we'll get battered for the first 15 minutes, Sunderlands only tactics since DiNobio arrived seemed to be to get in the oppositions faces right from the off.  Hold firm at the back, weather the storm and we'll be at least 1 maybe 2 up by half time.  They'll get a goal & we'll win 3-1.

Newcastle right in the shit as of 10pm tonight.

[bilsim]

Biggest game of our Premier League history? Probably. I expect both teams to go for it and can see our defence leaking a few, that being said, Sunderland are still a poor side with numerous weaknesses that we can expose, so I'm going for a 3-2 win and for me to be a ball of jelly by 10pm tonight.

[Lastfootstamper]

The only time I usually feel like this is when we play Blues. It's a hard feeling to describe, but it's a mixture of excitement, dread and feeling slightly woozy.

Perhaps I should man up, grow a pair, etc.

You're fine. If we didn't feel like that on days like this, then what'd be the point of football-supporting?

[Concrete John]

I think this is a game where the side that handles the pressure best will win.  Lambert needs to send them out focused and confident.  If we do that, then I think we have better players, so should win.

[Shrek]

I think one team will win 2 or 3 nil, I just hope it's us. I'm really nervous.

[Mister E]

I'm looking forward to seeing Benteke bludgeon O'Shea; to watching Weimann and Gabby give Cuellar the runaround; and to seeing Delph man up to Gardner / Colbach (whoever is in their midfield).

[David_Nab]

Need to score first ..let them break us down no reply on counter attacks and long shots

[Des Little]

3-1 to the home team.  Mr Benteke to bag all three.

[PaulWinch again]

I have the exact feeling I had prior to us beating Blose 5-1, so I'm hoping for a similar result.

[Clampy]

I think this is a game where the side that handles the pressure best will win.

This is a very good point. I'm undecided as to whether playing at home is to our advantage or not given our poor form at VP.

[Summers]

Advantage I'd say. Crowd will be immense tonight, hope the team will be too. Di Canio will have his louts well up for it, need to make sure we match them in fight and take our chances. It's going to be open, we can't afford for our strikers to waste chances anymore.