Aston Villa v Newton Heath LYR Pre-Match Thread

[Toronto Villa]

There's nothing at all easy about Sunday, but them having key players out obviously helps. We've come very close to doing them a few times in recent years at VP, but between finding ways to shoot ourselves in the foot and the Ferguson "never say die factor" they've managed to beat us more often than not. They don't have that now and Moyes on the sidelines is a world apart from Ferguson. Biggest issue for us we simply cannot give them the ball because if we do they will beat us. And that has been our major flaw in the last few games especially. We gave Fulham the ball and they beat us and they're at the arse end of the table. A good side like Man U will know exactly how to punish us, whether they are going through a bad spell by their standards or not.

We gave Saints the ball more than any other side yet it worked out. Somehow.

We did, but I would consider that a very limited approach and probably works better away from home anyway. It's something that will catch up with us in the end if it isn't addressed.

[SoccerHQ]

Man. United injuries:

RVP, Fellani, Smalling, Evra, Vidic all injured.

Predicted back 4 of:

Rafael...............Ferdinand.........Jones....Buttner.

Buttner is average, Rafael is a good player I think but will leave gaps flying forward and Ferdinand is a liability against pace nowadays. It would be nice for our forward players to actually turn up for this one as there's a goal or two to be scored against this mob.

I think Weimann will be left out and we'll go with a front two of Gabby and Benteke and flood the midfield. Think that's the way to go as we have more chance of getting a result than sitting back and trying to grind out a 1-0.

I'd keep Kozak back for the Stoke game, I imagine he's in line to start that one given his strength.

[SoccerHQ]

Two years out of the past three we've been 2-0 up against them but there was always the feeling that they'd get back into it. That fear factor's gone now.

Hmmm let's see that in a match scenario when they're pouring forward at our backline.

I'd certainly taking winning 1 nil going into injury time on sunday but the 5-6 minutes would be horrendous to watch, we'd certainly miss Vlaar in those moments.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

No RVP is a blessing, even if he's not really got going this season. You still have to worry about Wazza because he loves playing us.
I think if we can frustrate the Roon we'll get a draw.

Wazza? The Roon?

What the fuck?

How bout Shrek? Can I call him Shrek?

Fine. I'll allow you to call him Shrek.

[Smirker]

No RVP is a blessing, even if he's not really got going this season. You still have to worry about Wazza because he loves playing us.
I think if we can frustrate the Roon we'll get a draw.

Wazza? The Roon?

What the fuck?

 

The Roon ffs  .

[silhillvilla]

I can't attend so this gives us a great chance of winning.

[Toronto Villa]

I hate Sunday games. It ruins Saturday because you now have to wait nervously until Sunday. Also especially if the teams around do well it now adds extra pressure to perform. And if Saturday goes well then Sunday ruins your weekend if we lose

[Legion]

From Auntie

Manchester United forward Robin van Persie has been ruled out for a month with a thigh injury.
Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick have back and Achilles injuries respectively and are unavailable.
Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph serves a one-match ban for accumulating five bookings this season.
Ron Vlaar is likely to miss out again with a calf injury, but Libor Kozak and Antonio Luna could be fit to return.
MATCH PREVIEW

Victory over Shakhtar Donetsk was neither particularly convincing nor particularly comforting for the Red Devils, so the warm glow of contentment that usually embraces a Manchester United team as their bus is driven through the ornate gates of Villa Park will be more than welcome.
Yes, West Brom, Everton and Newcastle have all ended long sequences without success at Old Trafford this season, but Aston Villa's home record against Manchester United is surely one of the most miserable, barren, fruitless, fallow and literally almost pointless sequences in football.

"I think we will see steady improvement from United over the next few weeks but that does not change the fact they need to buy some new players.

"But needing players in January and being able to get the players you ones you want are completely different things."


Villa's last home win over United came a little over 14 years ago in a League Cup tie, their last league win was more than 18 years ago, after which Alan Hansen proclaimed that United would "win nothing with kids."
That's so long ago that those United kids of 1995 could now represent the Salford Dad's Club; with creaky knees, grey hair and mostly retired, but still having to argue with their cantankerous old Irish pal over who did what and when back in the day. As Morrissey nearly said: "There is a fight that never goes out."
At least Villa did make a better job of it last season, taking a 2-0 lead before succumbing to the inevitable.
Paul Lambert's side were quietly putting together a handy little run before last Sunday's loss at Fulham, which was their first defeat in six, and they have managed consecutive clean sheets at Villa Park for the first time in 12 months.
Scoring goals continues to be a problem and it goes without saying that Christian Benteke's second season is proving to be a major disappointment so far.
The Belgian has gone more than 10 and a half hours without a goal, but is still Villa's top scorer with four. That alone speaks volumes.
MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Aston Villa's only win in their last 35 league games against Manchester United came courtesy of Gabby Agbonlahor's headed goal at Old Trafford in December 2009.
In all competitions, United have lost just one of the last 33 meetings (W27, D5, L1) since a 3-0 League Cup away defeat in October 1999.
United's last Premier League defeat at Villa Park came on the opening day of the 1995-96 season. They are unbeaten in 17 subsequent visits (W11, D6).
Aston Villa
Defeat by Fulham last Sunday ended a run of five unbeaten games for Villa.
They have only won 11 of their last 45 Premier League matches at Villa Park, averaging exactly a point per game during that period.
Paul Lambert has won more away league games (eight) as manager of Aston Villa than he has at home (seven).
The Villans have failed to score in six of their last nine league fixtures.
Christian Benteke has now gone 10 hours and 40 minutes without scoring a Premier League goal.
Manchester United
United have already lost as many Premier League games as they did in the whole of last season (5).
They are the first reigning champions to lose five of their first 15 matches since they did so in 2001-02.
The last team to win the title after losing five of their opening 15 games was Manchester City in 1967-68.
The Red Devils have not lost three league games in a row since November-December 2001.
Manchester United's tally of 22 points is their lowest after 15 games since that season. They ended the campaign in third place.
They are attempting to avoid going three successive league games without a goal for the first time since May-August 2007. They last suffered that fate within a single season in April 2005.
Wayne Rooney, who has 149 Premier League goals for United, has been directly involved in 59% of their league goals this season - scoring eight and assisting five. He has scored 10 times against Villa in the league for Everton and United.

[Dave Clark Five]

John Deehan, Bobby Thomson and Garry Thompson to visit the Lions Club before the game.

[peter w]

Should have kept Baker and Clark as CB's and played lowton and Bacuna as FB's.
Lambert seems to have caught the MON disease of playing CB's as FB's. Stupid. And worrying.

I thought it made sense. Berbatov does, and has, tended to drift left to get a strike on goal. PuttingBaker out there was designed to stop the one ball they seemingly had. The long diagonal ball to berbatov. Problem is they sacked their manager and a different Fulham, and Berbatov, showed up.

[pooligan]

United have not lost at Villa Park in their last 17 visits .Don't we know it !!! Would love to see us win this but sorry the way this manager approaches home matches ,no chance .Like most matches under Lambert ,the opposition will have most of the ball and i expect United as bad as they are at the moment to take full advantage .2--1 to United .

[ciggiesnbeer]

Big Ron on AVTV for this game. Damn, I miss those times, I miss that guy.

[Matt Collins]

We'll miss Delph but vlaar being out is the real problem. I've got a nasty feeling he's going to be out for a while and I think that's very worrying.

When we've done well against Man U at home in recent years it's always been when we're really up and at them, playing 4231. The wide players and the player in the hole have caused the problems backed up by tenacious player in midfield.

Guzan - Lowton Clark baker luna - Westwood sylla - bacuna KEA gabby - benteke

I really think Weimann needs to be dropped. He's doing nothing. The team above doesn't look strong to me but we've just not got the players in form.

[Dave Clark Five]

Away fans in home areas

Villa welcomes all football supporters to Villa Park.

Away team support brings atmosphere and vibrancy to the stadium on a matchday and is an important part of the whole football supporting experience.

However, we must acknowledge the reality that emotions run high between the fans of the opposing teams, which can lead to unpleasant incidents which tarnish the reputations of all clubs and individuals.

It is for this reason that a particular area of the stadium is reserved for away supporters and it follows that expressions or the appearance of support for the away team are not welcome in the remainder of the stadium occupied by home fans.

If you have purchased a ticket for a home area of Villa Park then you are expected to be a home supporter.

If this is not the case, then you will very likely be ejected from the stadium.

You will not be relocated. You will be ejected without compensation.

[Dave Clark Five]

I really think Weimann needs to be dropped. He's doing nothing. The team above doesn't look strong to me but we've just not got the players in form.

A place on the bench for Weimann. We know he can do it but he needs to get his game back. An explosive 60th minute entry could spark Benteke into returning to the unstoppable rampaging monster that could prove the undoing of Utd. A baying Villa Park to see a return from 0-2 down at half time to return a 3-2 victory.