Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa Pre-Match Thread

[Ron Manager]

5-5

If only Alan Deakin had put that chance in at the end we would still be celebrating a 6-5 away win! 49yrs later!

Well I would!

[selly park trinity]

Bugger! Due to other commitments on Saturday night I've got 2 tickets going spare. If anyone wants them then send me a message

[BlackCountryVilla]

I am going to go for a point here - 1-1.
We need a result from somewhere and this could be an unexpected draw.

[Boz]

Would bite your hands off at the chance of a draw

Really hope we don't play a flat 442

Guzan - okore vlaar clark lowton - Cleverley Sanchez delph - nzogbia - benteke gabby

No room for Grealish?

[Dave]

I wish Sherwood would stop bloody talking about Spurs...

I'm far from his biggest fan, but this is a bit harsh.

He's not sending out press releases with his thoughts on Spurs, he's contracted to hold pre-match press conferences and he'll answer the questions that are posed to him.

Against any other opponent I would hope that he goes with the standard "I'm here to talk about Villa, not Spurs" approach, but when we're playing Spurs it's to be expected that he'll be asked questions about them, he'll answer them and those are the bits that will be most-widely reported.

[simon ward 50]

We might scrape a draw I suppose?

[skerra52]

I was living in Rushden, Northamptonshire when I attended my first Villa match v Spurs away on 19th March, 1966 - It so happened that one of the teachers at our school had moved to Enfield. At this time I was 14 years old. So, he arranged for us to go down in the morning to play his new school team and then to go to the match at Spurs in the afternoon. The vast majority of my team mates decided that Spurs was their team but, I just loved the name - ASTON VILLA so, I was about the only one to cheer on the side. Of course, I thought I'd made a bad mistake as we were 5-1 down at half time and, you can all imagine the ribbing I was taking. By the end of the match, I was the one that was smiling as we pulled it back to 5-5 by full time and had Mr Deakin scored, when presented with a great chance a couple of minutes from the end we would have pulled off a real miracle .... I was totally hooked and, imagine my pleasure when my job enabled me to come to live in Brum 6 years later and, have lived here ever since.
So, come on you Villa boys - you can do it!!

[Des Little]

as the game draws closer, I'm feeling strangely optimistic.  I think we can win the toss.

Seriously though, a think a draw isn't beyond the realms.  We can do this.

[VicMackey]

I wish Sherwood would stop bloody talking about Spurs...

I'm far from his biggest fan, but this is a bit harsh.

He's not sending out press releases with his thoughts on Spurs, he's contracted to hold pre-match press conferences and he'll answer the questions that are posed to him.

Against any other opponent I would hope that he goes with the standard "I'm here to talk about Villa, not Spurs" approach, but when we're playing Spurs it's to be expected that he'll be asked questions about them, he'll answer them and those are the bits that will be most-widely reported.

I take your point - it just seems that hardly a week goes by without a mention of Spurs, Kane etc etc.  I think he could have nipped it in the bud earlier...  Hopefully on Saturday evening he'll be talking about Benteke and a fantastic away win.

[supertom]

I would go:

Guzan

Lowton
Okore
Clark
Cissokho (if fit).

Delph
Sanchez (only as we need to play 3 in mid, and we've got nobody else)
Cleverley

Grealish
Benteke
Gabby

Spurs backline are quite clumsy so I'd stick with Grealish. Those weaving runs might win us a few freekicks.

[paul_e]

Nope. A team that lets QPR put three past them at home in in for a whupping.

Probably about as shit as a team that concedes 3 at home to Leicester.

[silhillvilla]

Lose this and sherwoods stats will start to look a bit scruffy

[TimTheVillain]

Score draw me thinks.

Me hopes !

[Goldie.7]

Lose this and sherwoods stats will start to look a bit scruffy

They already are, 7 from 21 and if we don't put in a hard shift tomorrow it could be 7 from 24 which would be very poor.

Just heard they've scored more goals at home than anyone......not good!

[supertom]

Our defence is so hideously cobbled together right now. That's been the biggest issue for Timmy since he got here. I don't think he's a defence minded manager by any stretch. But he certainly could do with our best 4 at the back, fit and playing. At least to keep the scores down.
At the other end he's made significant improvements.