Stoke City vs Aston Villa pre-match thread

[PGW]

Flippin' love the Villa! What a club we follow. Nothing lifts my spirits like a flash of Villa's Claret and blue. I don't care who the current flavour of the month clubs are, our class, history and exploits are what separate us as a Football Club. Just for this odd bout of optimistic, blind love, I'll go with 2-1 Villa!

Can i have some of what you are on???

Oh and i agree about Okore.

[pooligan]

Same manager means same negative approach to me i'm afraid,so stoke 2 villa 1

[Matt Collins]

-----------Guzan---------------

Hutton--Okore--Senderos--Cissokho

------Westwood--El Ahmadi--------

-------------Delph----------------

N'Zogbia--------------Richardson

---------Agbonlahor------------

That's how I think he'll go.

Me too, except vlaar for Okore

[damon loves JT]

No idea what to expect. Literally any result possible.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Like to think we'll get something here - it's Stoke ffs!

I want the same first day feeling I had last season...please!

[walsall villain]

Stoke are very optimistic about the season and, having done the double over us last season, confident this is an easy home win. For that reason I am going for an away win, 0-1 because that's football for you.
We seem to generally perform better away opening day so fingers crossed.

[PeterWithesShin]

Our last away win was New Year's Day. We must be due another.

[Matt Collins]

Yeah looking at the match stats a draw would be a very good result.

Only last season's top five clubs had a better home record than Stoke (W10, D6, L3).

They have earned 19 points out of a possible 24 in their last eight matches at the Britannia Stadium, with their only defeat in that period coming against Tottenham.

Aston Villa lost their final six away matches last season, conceding 17 goals and scoring two. They have not lost seven consecutive away matches in the top flight since an eight-match losing streak in 1964.
They are winless in their last nine Premier League away fixtures since beating Sunderland on New Year's Day.

I hadn't realised their form was quite so good and had forgotten ours was quite so bad

With very little goal threat it will be a lovely surprise if we get a good result here

[tomd2103]

Almost impossible to pick the team or know what will happen tomorrow.

I would have thought it will be close to;

4-5-1 [or pretending to be 4-3-3]

Guzan
Hutton
Cissokho
Senderos
Vlaar

Westwood
Delph
El Ahmadi

Richardson
Agbonlahor
Weimann

But it's anyone's guess.

I too think that could well be the line up tomorrow, set up something like:

                       Guzan

Hutton    Vlaar     Senderos        Cissokho

                  Westwood

        El Ahmadi            Delph

Weimann        Gabby               Richardson

Bench (assuming Sanchez won't be available):  Given, Okore, Clark, Gardner, Cole, N'Zogbia, Bent 

Without looking up our record, I can't recall us losing there too many times, so I'm going for 1-1. 

[*shellac*]

Them 2 - 1 Us

Bojan & Crouch for them.  Delph for us.

[Steve67]

Hopefully Sidwell and Bardsley are up to their usual standard and we take full advantage to earn a draw. 1-1 for me. Stoke's signings are a bit meh IMO.

[Matt Collins]

I have to say I was starting to make myself feel a bit more confident

But looking at things in the cold light of day I'm pretty pessimistic still

Our form was appalling at the back of last season. We may have improved on paper in some key respects, but I think we severely lack a goal threat - we don't have anyone who has scored or assisted consistently in recent years (joe cole last got an assist in the premier league in 2010 and that seems to be what he's been brought in for).

It's hard to think the defence will be settled. And I'm not sure we have any kind of settled shape or system.

I just hope they really battle, keep their shape, concentration. I think we'll need gabby and n'zogbia to really step up to pose a goal threat

[Des Little]

Would Okore sitting in front of the back two (Vlaar/Senderos) not be worth a thought? I'm just worried that until Sanchez gets going our traditionally soft midfield need some help in protecting the defence a bit?

[Tony Erdington]

first match of the season, the lovely stokies will be up for it, so first rule shut them up.

im sure were going to be more solid at the back, but need it going on up front, so im going stokie F/A the mighty ASTON VILLA LOADS or maybe 2

back to me cider, F%CK REALITY

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

No idea what to expect, except it'll be tough against these buggers!

The ways things are I'd be happy with a point!