Sunderland v 'The Mighty' Aston Villa Match Pre-Match Thread

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

Just realised I've now gone past 1000 posts (14 years in the making).

If I don't get to 1000 posts before the semi final, we will lose.

I'm only averaging 0.441 posts per day

Got to pull my finger out

18 to go.

[Monty]

I don't know - 5-0 Villa? Gabby and Cleverley with one each, Gil hattrick having come on in the 89th minute.

[JG]

I've got 2 schools of thought on this game:

1) the last week has been so hyped that we've lost sight of the fact that we're still in a huge relegation fight. This game is absolutely massive & a huge reality check will follow if we lose & can't replicate the level of performance against he Baggies.

Or.....

2) we've got the break we needed, confidence has soured, we have a great record against Sunderland & standards have been raised so the players now have to perform if they want to be in the team that plays at Wembley

Option #1 feels like Lambert's Villa, Option #2 feels like Sherwood's Villa

[pooligan]

That little shite Defoe worries me,always seems to score against us. I am going for a 1-1 draw

[CJ]

Desperately need some points from the next 2 games. With the QPR game being moved April is now horrible league-wise - Yanited, Spuds and Citeh all away. Fail to get points from Sunderland and Swansea and we could be right back in it. Sherwood has got us playing better and - shock horror - scoring goals. Hope Benteke is fit. Tight game - 2-1 to us

[Jon Crofts]

Stripey Bastards - 0 Tim Nice & his Claret & Blue Army - 2

[supertom]

If we dish out one tonking this season I think this might be the game. Winning this will be massive for us. Poyet looks like a dead man walking right now and though Defoe is a danger, he's also past his best.

[andyh]

Villa never backup good displays with more good displays.............

Hopefully, that was the 'old' Villa.
Let's hope the new Villa takes heart and confidence from our last 2 games.

[supertom]

When was the last time we won three on the bounce? I don't recall Lambert managing it. McLeish certainly didn't. Houllier probably didn't. We must be talking O Neill era.

[JG]

When was the last time we won three on the bounce? I don't recall Lambert managing it. McLeish certainly didn't. Houllier probably didn't. We must be talking O Neill era.

It's a huge ask isn't it, when you look at it like that

[rob_bridge]

Sunderland 1.3 Villa

Gabbiadinni
Platt x 2. Daley

[paul_e]

When was the last time we won three on the bounce? I don't recall Lambert managing it. McLeish certainly didn't. Houllier probably didn't. We must be talking O Neill era.

Man City, Wigan, Blackburn (FA cup) - Jan 2011 just after signing Bent under Houllier.

[jeowje]

In my head this week I have been trying not to draw a horrible parralel with the setting for our 6-1 win over them. They had just taken on Di Canio at the time, and were a poor side but riding the crest of a wave of optmism having won a couple of games, notably against newcastle in their scottish derby. And we brought them crashing back down to earth. Praying that we don't see a reverse of this. I hope that just by putting it out there, I have 'jinxed' it, and it will now not come true!

[JG]

In my head this week I have been trying not to draw a horrible parralel with the setting for our 6-1 win over them. They had just taken on Di Canio at the time, and were a poor side but riding the crest of a wave of optmism having won a couple of games, notably against newcastle in their scottish derby. And we brought them crashing back down to earth. Praying that we don't see a reverse of this. I hope that just by putting it out there, I have 'jinxed' it, and it will now not come true!

Superb jinxing, job done, it's science

[mrastonvilla]

In my head this week I have been trying not to draw a horrible parralel with the setting for our 6-1 win over them. They had just taken on Di Canio at the time, and were a poor side but riding the crest of a wave of optmism having won a couple of games, notably against newcastle in their scottish derby. And we brought them crashing back down to earth. Praying that we don't see a reverse of this. I hope that just by putting it out there, I have 'jinxed' it, and it will now not come true!

Superb jinxing, job done, it's science

As long as Sherwood doesn't take the same attitude as DiCanio did before that match and come out with "Its only Sunderland" I think we will be OK!

This is a critical game in our season, even more so than the WBA league game last week. Fortunately, Sherwood can tell the players they are competing for a place in his Wembley line-up. Perform over the next few weeks, play at Wembley. Not much more motivation needed really.