Aston Villa vs Stoke City Match Thread

[Rudy Can't Fail]

The man's an arse.

[Randy Gurner]

Very very strange line up. I can't see Timmeh lasting long

[aj2k77]

It's disappointingly a very conservative approach. We all hope we are wrong but the recent defeats appear to have scared Sherwood into behaving like McLeish or Lambert. I can see a fist pump at the end of this when we finish 0-0.

A run on to the pitch at full time and fist pump towards Lerner... oh wait, he's the other side of the world having a breakdown. Well the least I expect is a Lerner statement commenting on how great the 0-0 was like Southampton the other season.

[clash city rocker]

Can't quite see what Sherwoods thinking is with that team ? Bet he has confused Hughes as well !

[aj2k77]

So 8 matches in to the season after Tim's first pre season as a manager and he hasn't a clue what his best team is, best formation or best tactics. Sounds good.

[Toronto Villa]

What's most disappointing is that he's once again playing to stifle the opponent. Add in that he's gone with the attacking approach that is working and while there is merit to that it is very one dimensional. If Stoke nullify it the football will reveal itself to be turgid. We do have options off the bench but why not start those options? He's a scared man.

[Chris Jameson]

Is this a League Cup match?

Uninspiring line up.

[Jimbo]

Tactics: defend, hope Amavi can cross a few to Rudi, just hope.

[Chris_Jephcott]

This looks like a no score bore today.

[curiousorange]

It's obvious to me that Sherwood is shit scared of losing his job. If he had eleven defenders, he'd be playing them all.

[Ger Regan]

Maybe it's part of a cunning plan to be really shit in the first half and then beat them in the second?

[aj2k77]

It's the usual, we've seen it all before too many times now. Managers come in to this job, get overwhelmed by the size and difficulty of it, don't have the experience or nous for it and get scared and try to shut up shop and grind out results. These clowns we keep employing are going to get us relegated. We need experience and personality, this is a huge job, trying to stop a juggernaut crash is no job for beginners, it breaks them.

[Ormy Droid]

Baffled as to how we're exactly going to line up.

Let's just hope it's all part of Timmeh's cunning tactical master plan!

[Chris_Jephcott]

All I can hope is that we stifle the living shit out of everything in the first half, and then in the second half, bring on 2 powerful and creative players as Stoke are starting to tire.

In reality, I thoroughly expect that not to happen. And for an even stranger change at 70 minutes.

[aj2k77]

Ayew on for Crespo and Grealish for Veretout on 65 minutes when we are 2-0 down. That's my prediction.