Aston Villa v Manchester City Pre-Match Thread

[saunders_heroes]

One of these days we're gonna click at home like we do away.

Fuck yeah!

Got a ticket for tomorrow, I've been buzzing since I found out, as the opportunities are few and far between thanks to redundancy and a new baby.

We'll play well, really well, then gift them a soft goal. They'll sit back and dictate the game, look to see it out only for Tonev to come on and snatch the win with two rasping drives late on.

Well it's my birthday so we just HAVE to win!

I don't believe this all-optimistic routine you have on this evening.

It's about as natural as the bits on celebrity Mastermind where John Humphreys tries to make chatty small talk with the contestants.

I'm always optimistic right before a game. 5 minutes in and it all changes though.

[AVH87]

Aguero missing for them is a slight boost. However, I'm very worried about the prospect of Yaya Toure running the midfield and making our guys look like amateurs. Need a big shift in there from Delph and Sylla, keep things tight and look to play on the counter. A 1-1 draw is possible, however my head is saying a 3-1 defeat.

[ozzjim]

Got to start Sylla, Delph and Westwood in the middle for me. Then Weimann and Albrighton on the flanks and Gabby up on his own IMO. We need to play to feet and on the counter, not launch it to the big man.

[villan from luton]

Ozzyjim, cant disagree with that, Gabby is a better hold up player than some of us realise

[Monty]

Got to start Sylla, Delph and Westwood in the middle for me. Then Weimann and Albrighton on the flanks and Gabby up on his own IMO. We need to play to feet and on the counter, not launch it to the big man.

I like this idea, though there is an argument for Kozak's abrasive hard-work. But Albrighton looks sharp and motivated, and speed on the break might be our saviour - and Kozak, for all his good qualities, is not quick.

[mr woo]

We won't score. They will. Several times.

Hope I'm wrong.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

As Paulie has gone and posted in the Post Match thread, by H&V tradition we're now doomed.

I know who I'll be blaming at 4.45pm tomorrow.

[mr underhill]

this is being optimistic . 1-4.

[Walmley_Villa]

Got to start Sylla, Delph and Westwood in the middle for me. Then Weimann and Albrighton on the flanks and Gabby up on his own IMO. We need to play to feet and on the counter, not launch it to the big man.

Westwood is out.

Would love to be optimistic but they will have too much for us and especially our defence. 3-0 Citeh

[Holte End Stylist]

My brain tells me we'll more than likely lose(fairly heavily) and my heart feels a shock win coming on but at the end of the day I'm just gonna be happy seeing my daughter be a mascot so in a weird kinda way the result is secondary to the day........................though not getting thrashed would be good

[Rotterdam]

We won't score. They will. Several times.

Hope I'm wrong.

Ditto

[achilles]

We won't score. They will. Several times.

Hope I'm wrong.

Ditto

Can't argue with that, it will be an uncomfortable afternoon!

[pooligan]

Sadly another home defeat under Lambert, 1-4 to City

[tom jennings III]

I think if they don't score within the fist 15 we can make this very difficult for them. Personally I wouldn't start Kozak:

Guzan
Lowton Clark Vlaar Luna
Bacuna Delph Kea
Albrighton Gabby Weimann

My thinking here being that Bacuna can protect Lowton more than if we played Bacuna at right back and Sylla in the middle. Kea makes the team ahead of Sylla based on recent performances, especially against Spurs where I thought Sylla looked a bit headless chicken and I think we need to try to play it around Toure rather than out-muscle him. Kozak on the bench so we don't play it long and continually invite pressure on ourselves when it invariably bounces off him.

Having said all this I'm pretty sure Kozak will start.

[curlytailavfc]

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