Aston Villa v Manchester City Pre-Match Thread

[damon loves JT]

Aston Villa 3-0 Manchester City.

I'll have what you're drinking!

Anti freeze.

I think in the book it was cherry cough syrup.

[DBTW]

Lets try and be brave: -

                                                 Guzan

                Richards          Crespo          Lescott           Amavi

                                                Sanchez

                              Gana                              Veretout

                                                    Gil

                                     Traore              Ayew

[Toronto Villa]

Traore up front is interesting though I would play him a little deeper so he can run at defenders and cut in from the right. I don't know if he's instinctive enough to be a striker though having said that he certainly took his goal vs Notts County well.

Maybe Gil on one side and Traore on the other day behind Ayew.

[Stirchley Villain]

I can't see anything other than a convincing defeat here. Get it over with and move on.

[Lobsterboy]

They're the best side in the country, have a squad worth about a squillion pounds and buy our best players off us for fun.

We'll get beaten and probably quite convincingly but would be happy to simply see us play our best players in their best positions and take it from there

Would like to see Guzan, Hutton, Richards, Lescott, Amavi, Gana, Sanchez, Veretout, Gil, Sinclair, Ayew with subs: Bunn, Clark, Okore, Grealish, Gestede, Traore, Westwood

Not looking forward to this one to be honest...

[Alex77]

Not looking forward to this one to be honest...

I am quite looking forward to this one and it is the first game I've looked forward to in a long time. The result is immaterial, even if we get spanked 3/4/5 - 0, what I want to see is a little bit of progress in the way we set up and react to the changes in the game. That alone will give me some hope and let me actually look forward to the next game for a change!

[Bad English]

It's been a while but I can't wait until Saturday comes now.

[Richard E]

It's been a while but I can't wait until Saturday comes now.

Sunday!

[tomd2103]

I might be wrong but I think Ayew played most of his football out wide for his previous club and it's where he looks most effective. Same goes for Sinclair really.

Sure, but the point is about our alternatives - would he look more or less effective than Gabby, Sinclair or Gestede through the middle? I think he's our best bet.

Not so sure Monty.  The worst part of Ayew's game is his hold up play, so playing him up front on his own could see him struggle.  Also, when he played up front against Notts County, I lost number of the times he got caught offside.  I think he has shown flashes out wide and that is where I would play him for now. 

[john e]

It's been a while but I can't wait until Saturday comes now.

Ha ha, you on promise mate

[Monty]

I might be wrong but I think Ayew played most of his football out wide for his previous club and it's where he looks most effective. Same goes for Sinclair really.

Sure, but the point is about our alternatives - would he look more or less effective than Gabby, Sinclair or Gestede through the middle? I think he's our best bet.

Not so sure Monty.  The worst part of Ayew's game is his hold up play, so playing him up front on his own could see him struggle.  Also, when he played up front against Notts County, I lost number of the times he got caught offside.  I think he has shown flashes out wide and that is where I would play him for now. 

You're still faced with the problem of who to play through the middle though. Assuming no Kozak, the only other option to play as the main striker is Scott Sinclair (given the soul-crushing poorness of Gabby and Gestede), and I'm not convinced he's much better in the role either.

[tomd2103]

I might be wrong but I think Ayew played most of his football out wide for his previous club and it's where he looks most effective. Same goes for Sinclair really.

Sure, but the point is about our alternatives - would he look more or less effective than Gabby, Sinclair or Gestede through the middle? I think he's our best bet.

Not so sure Monty.  The worst part of Ayew's game is his hold up play, so playing him up front on his own could see him struggle.  Also, when he played up front against Notts County, I lost number of the times he got caught offside.  I think he has shown flashes out wide and that is where I would play him for now. 

You're still faced with the problem of who to play through the middle though. Assuming no Kozak, the only other option to play as the main striker is Scott Sinclair (given the soul-crushing poorness of Gabby and Gestede), and I'm not convinced he's much better in the role either.

I honsetly think we are stuck with having to play Gestede until January.  Unless he has been genuinely awful in training ior has a terrible attitude, Kozak has surely got to be given a chance at some point. 

[Monty]

See, Ayew might have his problems up front, but I'd still play him there instead of Gestede, who doesn't so much have flaws, but is more an actively detrimental influence on the team.

[Gareth]

1-2 - Delph to get a red card to give crowd a chance to vent the spleen

[garyshawsknee]

For how limited Gestede is, I'd have him upfront in preference to Ayew. Would play him left and Gil right of Gestede, who for me just doesnt seem fit. The game he played against Liverpool for Blackburn last, he was athletic and dynamic, albit one game. For us he looks like he's got his boots on the wrong feet.