Aston Villa v Manchester City Pre-Match Thread

[HK Villan]

Is it ever acceptable to dream about recurrent hamstring injuries for opposing players?  Just wondering.

Villa to win 2-1.  Traore to score the winner.

[Ads]

Is it acceptable to dream about a saltwater crocodile injury to opposition players?

[Rigadon]

Is it acceptable to dream about a saltwater crocodile injury to opposition players?

Only in ssssssssssssssssssssome casesssssssss

[The Edge]

Even if we were playing well I'd still think we would lose this one, 1-3 City, however I just hope that after 10/15 minutes or so I can think aaaaagh yes so that's what we're trying to do, because I haven't had a bloody clue for the past couple of months.

I  agree but make that the last couple of years

[Villa in Denmark]

Is it acceptable to dream about a saltwater crocodile injury to opposition players?

Depends on whether you're crying crocodile tears afterwards!

[TaxDodger]

I dreamt that he walked accross a very sharp cattle grid in an extremely heavy hat.

[LeeB]

how do you say " we got torn a new one " in French?

L' Ambert.

Oui. Nous allons à nouveau.

[Monty]

The team will be really interesting. It's possible that he might not start Grealish or Amavi, but I look at our squad and think that our cautious option at left back isn't Richardson, but Crespo. Likewise, if Grealish isn't the player or type of player to pick (presumably with Gil in the team), why does that mean we pick Gabby? Sinclair and Ayew are much better counter-attacking alternatives. I would like to think that Remi will have no patience for the coasting dross that was guaranteed to start in the team under Sherwood.

[aj2k77]

Something from the last few games, as we continued to remove our better players we signed in the summer from the squad and re-introduce the Brits we could trust our passing success rate dropped from an average of around 77-78% down to 72% and then 64%. I'm in no doubt that Garde has already seen Richardson, Bacuna, Gabby, Lescott are fucking crap and remove them from the team.

[ktvillan]

I honestly think it would be the most Aston Villa thing ever for us to actually win this game. It really is the sort of thing I can imagine happening, we're that much of a bewildering club in recent years.

Anyway, 0-3 defeat.

Actually I don't think that would be typical of us at all. I can't remember us winning against the odds very often in my near 50 years of supporting.  We tend to have periods where we are consistently good, consistently mediocre,  or consistently bad.  When we are bad we tend to be depressingly, predictably so,  to the extent that any struggling team identifies us as a chance to get themselves back on track, and any team doing well chalks it up as an easy 3 points.  There have been exceptions, Bent's home debut for example,  maybe the semi last year, but very rare in my experience.  Sadly I can't see it being much different this weekend unless Remi has a magic wand.

[The Laughing Policeman]

Predictable loss. However there's always the pundits " New manager bounce" to cling to.

[PeterWithesShin]

Last year we won at Anfield and Spurs. Year before we won at Arsenal and beat Chelsea & Man City at home.

[The Edge]

Last year we won at Anfield and Spurs. Year before we won at Arsenal and beat Chelsea & Man City at home.

I like your style. You've renewed my optimism.
So its got to be 2-1 to The Villa

[ktvillan]

Last year we won at Anfield and Spurs. Year before we won at Arsenal and beat Chelsea & Man City at home.

Not sure we won those when we were on the crest of a complete slump though - certainly Anfield was at the start of the season when we were on our only decent run of the season until Sherwood's mini (3-4 game) revival, during which we beat Spuds.

[Hookeysmith]

It would be nice to look at a team sheet and think it hasn't been chosen with any hidden agendas or points to prove. Everyone given a fair shot.

Or with a dart board