Southampton v Aston Villa Pre-Match Thread

[Simon Ward]

I'll take a draw!

[olaftab]

Some good news on the horizon-

@JoresOkore: My Knee looks great, feels great and doing great. Hopefully it will continue🙏 #OnlyGodKnows 🙏🙏🙏

On balance, if I had to bet, I'd say the surgeon probably has a marginally better idea than God, but that's just me.

In this case Surgeon is GOD!

[Chipsticks]

Some good news on the horizon-

@JoresOkore: My Knee looks great, feels great and doing great. Hopefully it will continue🙏 #OnlyGodKnows 🙏🙏🙏

Annoyingly, tt's hard to get too excited as we're doing fine defensively at the moment. I'm more concerned with where the hell N'Zogbia is these days.

[Mortimer's Bear]

1-2

Benteke, Tonev

[eastie]

By Alex Richards | 03/12/13 

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert will check on the fitness of forward Andreas Weimann's fitness ahead of Aston Villa's trip to Southampton.

The Austrian international suffered a tight hamstring in Saturday's goalless draw with Sunderland but is hopeful of being fit enough to feature at St Mary's.

Christian Benteke, largely anonymous at the weekend, should continue up front, along with Gabby Agbonlahor, meaning Libor Kozak will have to settle for a place on the bench once again.

Aside from long-term absentees Charles N'Zogbia and Jores Okore, Lambert has no other injury problems.

Villa, currently sitting 11th in the league table despite just four wins from their opening 13 games, lost twice to the Saints last term.

Provisional squad: Guzan, Steer, Baker, Vlaar, Clark, Lowton, Luna, Bacuna, El Ahmadi, Delph, Westwood, Albrighton, Sylla, Tonev, Kozak, Helenius, Agbonlahor, Weimann, Benteke, Bowery.

[supertom]

I'd play Delph, Sylla and Westy in the middle. We'll need the energy of Delph and Sylla to try and stifle their midfield.
I'd play either Tonev or Albrighton to provide some width, with Gabby playing the other side of the Beast.
As poorly as Benteke has played in recent weeks, in a game like this I think he needs to start. It just takes one moment of magic and he could look a different player. Harsh on Kozak who always works hard, but if it's not happening on 50 mins, then make the change.

[l_mckay]

Can't see us getting much here the way they have been playing so far this season. 3-1 loss

[Marlon From Bearwood]

It will be a good game. Is it on Sky ?

It is not on Sky.  Mooch (Ex Rococco Lounge) on Broad Street are showing it as are Apres', Summer Row in the City Centre. 

I dare say several other pubs around various suburbs have it too through an "alternative" source.

Be careful with Apres on Summer Row. I went there last season to watch an away game that they were advertising as being shown. At about 3.05pm we enquired why it wasn't on yet and got the reply, "Oh we can't get it on". Cue a quick dash to Rococo.

[eastie]

I'm tempted to avoid watching the game on my laptop and avoid match threads and radio and watch extended coverage on sky at 10pm - i doubt I will have the willpower though

[Ads]

One thing I cannot understand about Southampton is where did they get fans from?

Back when they used to be in the top flight, they’d have thousands of empty seats in their new ground and would bring about 300 to Villa Park on a Saturday. Now they sell out allocations and get better numbers at home than the Pride of the Midlands.

Odd.

[ciggiesnbeer]

One thing I cannot understand about Southampton is where did they get fans from?

Back when they used to be in the top flight, they’d have thousands of empty seats in their new ground and would bring about 300 to Villa Park on a Saturday. Now they sell out allocations and get better numbers at home than the Pride of the Midlands.

Odd.

Glory hunters.

[DrGonzo]

One small ray of sunshine is that Schneiderlin will not be fit, which considering his bright start to the season is something if a relief, also they will be featuring 3rd choice keeper Gazzaniga (sp?) so lots of speculative punts from Vlaar, Bacuna et al please.

[howla74]

Hi

Hope ok to post this. Ive got 4 tickets for the Saints game in our end but unfortunately due to last ditch work commitments, we're not going to make it (and apparently too late to return to VP)

Shame to see them go to waste ideally would like to recoup something - say £60 for the 4

PM me if you are interested. I live Sutton Coldfield but can meet up tonight or tomorrow morning

ATB
Howla

[Matt Collins]

Hmm. We've not scored in five of our last seven games. Southampton have conceded two at home all season

3-0 to us then?

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Hmm. We've not scored in five of our last seven games. Southampton have conceded two at home all season

3-0 to us then?

Doc reckons 6 could be a possibility.
Which will be nice on the long journey home.