Aston Villa v Sunderland Pre-Match Thread

[danlanza]

3-0 Villa
Gabby with 2
Benteke with 1

[bobdylan]

Guzan
Lowton Vlaar Clark Luna
Westwood
KEA        Delph
Bacuna                    Agbonlahor
Benteke

I'd go with that.

Actually think Kozak was better v WBA than Benteke, but I'm still not sure Benteke is 100% fit and seemed to be a lot deeper.

Not convinced about KEA, but Sylla had a shocker IMO v WBA.

Weimann in for KEA for me with Bacuna in midfield and Weimann right forward, otherwise the same.

[Concrete John]

Villa to win.  Benteke to score.  That is all.

[CJ]

Sooner or later we have to play really well and give someone a seeing-to so I can go back across Aston Park with a smile on my face and a spring in my step. Benteke will break his recent goal drought, Gabby will be fully fit and firing, Weimann will find his touch again, Delph will add flair from the middle. 4-1 Villa

[SoccerHQ]

Front three has to be our usual. Think this is the ideal game for them to get back into the groove.

Question for me is who the midfield trio are. Westwood's a certainty to start given the praise Lambert was dishing out and the goal has probably kept Bacuna in. You'd assume Delph if he's fit enough would start but I'd quite like to see Bacuna in the middle trio with licence to get forward and see how that works.

[Chipsticks]

Guzan
Lowton Vlaar Clark Luna
Westwood
KEA        Delph
Bacuna                    Agbonlahor
Benteke

I'd go with that.

Actually think Kozak was better v WBA than Benteke, but I'm still not sure Benteke is 100% fit and seemed to be a lot deeper.

People keep saying that Benteke isn't 100% fit, but he's had a good few games now under his belt and he's looked a shell of his former self. He rarely wins headers, struggles to hold up the ball, and often runs into nowhere when he does keep it. Based on this, I'd say Lambert has to start Kozak, and I hope he does in keeping with his policy of not being afraid to drop players. The only thing stopping him would be how good we know Benteke can be, but based on his current form I'd keep him on the bench as a back-up in case of disaster.

Either he's not fit, or he reeks of a player who doesn't want to be here.

[Clampy]

Question for me is who the midfield trio are. Westwood's a certainty to start given the praise Lambert was dishing out and the goal has probably kept Bacuna in. You'd assume Delph if he's fit enough would start but I'd quite like to see Bacuna in the middle trio with licence to get forward and see how that works.

I think it can depend on the other teams formation though. If a team are coming to Villa Park and playing five across the middle like Cardiff did, then you have to consider playing three central midfielders which we did. The only problem I can see with playing Bacuna in midfield is that he'll probably tend to drift out wide and leave the two in midfield exposed. It could be worth trying this weekend, although Sunderland do tend to play Fletcher on his own up front.

[Dr Butler]

need to win to back up that point we got Monday, Benteke to break that goal drought and go on a scoring spree until May.....

[Dave Cooper please]

@MatKendrick: Neil Swarbrick will referee Villa v Sunderland on Saturday and Jon Moss will referee Southampton v Villa next Wednesday #avfc

Wasn't he the drummer in Culture Club?

[supertom]

Sunderland haven't been horrendous since Poyet took over. They'll be a different side to the utter shambles of Di Canio's team. They're still shite, but we'll have to work hard for it, and they'll want to avoid a repeat of last season, so expect them to try and frustrate us.

[Clampy]

@MatKendrick: Neil Swarbrick will referee Villa v Sunderland on Saturday and Jon Moss will referee Southampton v Villa next Wednesday #avfc

Wasn't he the drummer in Culture Club?

Yes, god knows how he managed to become a ref, it's a miracle.

[danlanza]

Guzan
Lowton Vlaar Clark Luna
Westwood
KEA        Delph
Bacuna                    Agbonlahor
Benteke

I'd go with that.

Actually think Kozak was better v WBA than Benteke, but I'm still not sure Benteke is 100% fit and seemed to be a lot deeper.

People keep saying that Benteke isn't 100% fit, but he's had a good few games now under his belt and he's looked a shell of his former self. He rarely wins headers, struggles to hold up the ball, and often runs into nowhere when he does keep it. Based on this, I'd say Lambert has to start Kozak, and I hope he does in keeping with his policy of not being afraid to drop players. The only thing stopping him would be how good we know Benteke can be, but based on his current form I'd keep him on the bench as a back-up in case of disaster.

Either he's not fit, or he reeks of a player who doesn't want to be here.

So do you think another transfer saga is going to unfold in January ? Or is he just out of form ?

[supertom]

Guzan
Lowton Vlaar Clark Luna
Westwood
KEA        Delph
Bacuna                    Agbonlahor
Benteke

I'd go with that.

Actually think Kozak was better v WBA than Benteke, but I'm still not sure Benteke is 100% fit and seemed to be a lot deeper.

People keep saying that Benteke isn't 100% fit, but he's had a good few games now under his belt and he's looked a shell of his former self. He rarely wins headers, struggles to hold up the ball, and often runs into nowhere when he does keep it. Based on this, I'd say Lambert has to start Kozak, and I hope he does in keeping with his policy of not being afraid to drop players. The only thing stopping him would be how good we know Benteke can be, but based on his current form I'd keep him on the bench as a back-up in case of disaster.

Either he's not fit, or he reeks of a player who doesn't want to be here.

So do you think another transfer saga is going to unfold in January ? Or is he just out of form ?

I genuinely don't think he's as fit as he was last season. The summer bollocks might have played a part, but even in the early games, where at least he was still scoring, he looked a yard short in pace he had last season. We could be seeming JPA syndrome, but I think it's fitness.
When he had his 6 week layoff, we probably rushed him back. Now he looks a couple of yards short of pace.
We should also remember he picked up another niggle whilst out with the national team the other week.
I would hope we start seeing Benteke getting back to his best in December.

I don't want to read too much into it being a question of attitude. He's one of those players who doesn't always bust a gut. Sometimes he can look a bit lackadaisical, but then he'll shift up the gears out of nowhere and make something happen. We've not seen his individual brilliance this season as yet. Where he'll just run through the opposition like Adele plowing through a buffet queue full of kids.

[MoetVillan]

I think its two things, fitness and confidence (which are linked).  He needs one to go in off his shin/ear/arse etc and suddenly the confidence will soar.  He is thinking about playing for another team alright, they are called Belgium.  I honestly dont think its anything else.

[darren woolley]

2-1 To us Benteke and Gabby scoring.