Aston Villa v Stoke City - Pre Match Thread

[aj2k77]

Desperately need a win here. Seems like Stoke fans are actually up for it for once with 2.5k tickets sold so far, can't ever remember them actually needing both tiers before.

They probably see us as a nice away day. Good ground, easy to get to, big allocation, plenty to do if you stay over, shit team and a good chance of a victory.

[yammers]

Going for a nervy 2-1 win, Gestede and Ayew the scorers!

[rob_bridge]

1-1

[manic-road]

Lose 1-2 bah humbug.

[Ads]

Stoke appear to have lost quite a bit out of the side with the loss of N’Zonzi and also the absence of their best centre half Shawcross.

I would very much like to see the delivery into Gestede being ten to fifteen yards higher up the pitch where he can really attack the ball. With that in mind I think Traore and Ayew should start, with Ayew playing closer to Gestede.

Solidarity is an issue, but a midfield two of Gana and Sanchez, daft positioning for the first Liverpool goal aside would, bizarrely, gives us a real physical presence that Stoke lack. It is then a question of whether you play Jack centrally or Veretout.

[Lobsterboy]

I'll go for a frustrating 2-2

[simon ward 50]

A win please Villa!

[YamYamVilla]

its a must win, have we beaten Stoke at VP since they got promoted? 3-1 Villa !

Forgive me being really leftfield, but I predict we will take one decent corner too !

[Richard E]

its a must win, have we beaten Stoke at VP since they got promoted? 3-1 Villa !

Forgive me being really leftfield, but I predict we will take one decent corner too !

We beat them 1-0 one year when MO'N was in charge, they had a goal wrongly disallowed.

[oldhill_avfc]

Cant see us winning a game at the minute. 1-3 Stoke.

+1

[conman]

looking forward to the bongos at half time for this match
hope to get myself on cam

[PeterWithesShin]

looking forward to the bongos at half time for this match
hope to get myself on cam

Welcome back Ashley Young.

[Tony Erdington]

looking forward to the bongos at half time for this match
hope to get myself on cam

Welcome back Ashley Young.

oh the old ASH free kick, loved it when the upper Holte to a man used to stand to catch the Ball. No idea why he left. lol

[CJ]

Shit. I just realised I'd managed to expunge the bongo cam image from my mind completely, and now you've gone and stuck it back in there. Probably the most cringeworthy thing I've ever seen at a football match. Surely they won't do it again. Will they?

[adrenachrome]

looking forward to the bongos at half time for this match
hope to get myself on cam

Welcome back Ashley Young.

Is the expression "give it the full Ashley" synonymous with "doing the Dirty Den"?