Stoke City v Aston Villa Pre-Match Thread

[levico]

Interesting game. The first of four that could be pivotal for our season - mid table safety or another relegation scrap. Also maybe informing whether Lambert stays or goes.

Doubt whether this will have sunk into our players minds though so a draw at best.

[Meanwood Villa]

A goal would be nice but not too optimistic

[CJ]

btw - my son lives in Holland and apparently the way we pronounce 'Vlaar' (as opposed to the Dutch 'Vlach', with the throat-clearing noise at the end) sounds like the Dutch for custard (vla). So technically we are calling him custard Ron rather than concrete Ron. Or concrete custard

[brontebilly]

Very hard side to pick considering all that are out of form. Delph will have to play left back. I'd bring Herd back into midfield, should help Westwood out if he can keep his head. I'd also have Hutton back involved but that seems a no-go.
Guzan
Lowton, Clark, Baker, Delph
Bacuna, Herd, Westwood, Albrighton
Kozak, Benteke

A mike bassett 44facking2. Beat them at their own game

Goes without saying but it ain't going to be pretty. If they get first goal then I can't see us getting back into it

[SashasGrandad]

If Bowery starts, I'll be really annoyed. He doesn't even look good enough for Championship level FFS.

1-0 us, Delph with the goal.

Match prediction - Villa line up in an old fashioned 3-5-2 formation, but this time Jordan Bowery plays behind the two Centre Backs as a Libero, like in the great Italian teams of old.  He plays like a rock at the back and a dynamo going forward, driving the team on with his runs from deep, defence splitting through balls and 40-yard thunderbolt shots.  Thus Lambert's tactical genius is revealed to the world - 'J-Bowz' is in fact the bastard offspring of Franz Beckenbauer and Franco Baresi, transformed from a League 2 bench-warmer to a footballing collossus by the whiskey and haggis soaked hands of a mumbling Glaswegian.  Everyone feels bloody silly for wondering why we signed him.

Somebody's been on the Christmas Sherry a bit early!

[eastie]

Would it be worth donacien on the bench as although raw he is a natural central defender and couldn't do much worse than baker recently?

[Pete3206]

"And finally on this week's Match Of The Day......................."

[john e]

lump on the 0-0 and it'l pay for christmas

[dekko]

If Bowery starts, I'll be really annoyed. He doesn't even look good enough for Championship level FFS.

1-0 us, Delph with the goal.

Match prediction - Villa line up in an old fashioned 3-5-2 formation, but this time Jordan Bowery plays behind the two Centre Backs as a Libero, like in the great Italian teams of old.  He plays like a rock at the back and a dynamo going forward, driving the team on with his runs from deep, defence splitting through balls and 40-yard thunderbolt shots.  Thus Lambert's tactical genius is revealed to the world - 'J-Bowz' is in fact the bastard offspring of Franz Beckenbauer and Franco Baresi, transformed from a League 2 bench-warmer to a footballing collossus by the whiskey and haggis soaked hands of a mumbling Glaswegian.  Everyone feels bloody silly for wondering why we signed him.

Somebody's been on the Christmas Sherry a bit early!

Bathams

[paul_e]

1-3 win with Benteke getting 2.

[silhillvilla]

Dreamt it ended 0-0 last night 

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm guessing this match is not going to be the high point of the pre-Christmas television viewing schedule.

[Des Little]

It finishes 0-0.  Everyone can save themselves half a day of their lives and not bother turning up.  That is my Xmas gift to you all.

[rob_bridge]

0-2

[Chris Jameson]

Can you all have your ID ready please?

Just checking we haven't any Stoke supporters on here.