Aston Villa v Cardiff City Pre-Match Thread

[Ads]

I think we will do something unusual; score first and score early.

From what I have seen, Cardiff appear quite limited going forward and a threat mainly from set pieces. I think we'll have enough.

[Mortimer's Bear]

3-1

Benteke (2), Helenius

Whittingham for them

[supertom]

I'd like to see a couple of youngsters come in. Our young sides play football and play with some flair, so I'd like to see some of them bringing that to the first team. Too young is not an excuse we can use anymore.
Johnson and Robinson certainly deserve a chance to shine. If anything these lads could settle quicker than some of the foreign youngsters we've signed. Also regarding Johnson, he's someone who can pass the ball and he seems to score from midfield at his level. He may be able to bring some goals from midfield with him.

I do think we need some fresh impetus in the side ride now. We're so dour. It may be good to see Tonev back who was direct and confident against Everton. If his delivery gets more consistent he'll be a decent player.
Helenius time too maybe? Weimann is struggling at the moment. It might be time to sacrifice workrate for a touch of guile.

It's going to be tight and probably feck ugly to watch but I think we'll get a moment of Benteke magic to nick the game.

1-0

[Simon Ward]

Is it too early to call this a "must win game"?

[Brend'Watkins]

Is it too early to call this a "must win game"?

It is if I am to keep faith with Lambert.

[Clampy]

I'd like to see a couple of youngsters come in. Our young sides play football and play with some flair, so I'd like to see some of them bringing that to the first team.

I agree. There should be a place on the bench for at least one of them. I know Johnson was on Saturday but that was mainly down to injuries. Bowery manages to get on the bench and when you've got two other strikers as subs already in Kozak and Helanuis, it seems a bit of a waste.

[supertom]

I'd like to see a couple of youngsters come in. Our young sides play football and play with some flair, so I'd like to see some of them bringing that to the first team.

I agree. There should be a place on the bench for at least one of them. I know Johnson was on Saturday but that was mainly down to injuries. Bowery manages to get on the bench and when you've got two other strikers as subs already in Kozak and Helanuis, it seems a bit of a waste.

Honestly the Bowery thing confuses the hell out of me. A plodder at Chesterfield to come here and he's still getting in the matchday 18 and occasionally playing. The lad works hard but he's clearly not good enough.
We have one of the best academies around. If our goal is to produce younger, inexpensive Villa sides for the forseeable future then surely bringing our own youngster into the senior side more regularly should be a given. We've brought in young lads from the lower leagues, like Westy, Lowton and Bennett, and they have their qualities (some more than others) but surely our academy is producing players as good, if not better than those. Certainly we've got 4-5 attackers coming through who have a hell of a lot more potential than Bowery seems to.

At this current time too, Helenius seems to be struggling to settle, so his place may be better taken by a young and hungry player like Robinson etc.

[CJ]

According to Physioroom Gabby and Delph will be back but Andi will be out (I think he needs resting anyway). We're looking more solid at the back and I think Gabby and Benteke will worry their defence, although Mackay has got them well organised at the back having been a decent defender himself. Bellamy can be a threat (on and off the pitch!), Whittingham takes a decent set piece and Caulker gets on the end of a few, but Medel annoys me intensely - he seemed to spend most of the Swansea game trying to get players booked by rolling round feigning serious injury after every tackle and waving imaginary cards (personally I think referees should oblige anyone waving an imaginary card by booking them). I'm going for 3-1 to us - Gabby, CB and Vlaar for us, Caulker for them, and their silly chairman doing a wedgie on himself as he untucks his Mighty Bluebirds red shirt from his pants.

[Hoppo]

Completely agree Supertom. I'd have a mixture of Johnson, Robinson,Graham and Burke on the bench every game.

[l_mckay]

Think this has 1-1 written all over it. Benteke for us

[Concrete John]

3-1.  Benteke, Bacuna and Weimann for us.

[Des Little]

There's always...

Genius move.  Villa 4 Cardiff 1

[Bad English]

I expect the Villa to refocillate my spirits with a comprehensive 3-1 medium-rare spanking.

[not3bad]

Let's just get over the line one goal to the good.  1-0.  Benteke.

EDIT: Or a Bacuna free kick. 

[eastie]

                           Guzan

Lowton.    Clark.     Vlaar.     Baker


      Westwood.     Sylla

 Bacuna.     Delph.   Tonev

          Benteke