Aston Villa v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Pre match thread

[Jimbo]

I'm there Saturday, AND I will support my team win lose or draw, and I will be on the piss Saturday night, and it will be celebration, or planning our next phase of the rebirth of Aston Villa, with the best manager weve had since Houllier

I hope he's somewhat better than Houllier, who was truly gash.

this is not the time to dis Houllier, but Houllier was getting a team together and would have took us up the league imo.

Yeah, best not to go over all that again, but it was a certain match against the dogheads under Houllier that made me remember just how terrible he was. We were saved that season by Bent's goals and McAllister's cameo following Houllier's illness.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

I'm there Saturday, AND I will support my team win lose or draw, and I will be on the piss Saturday night, and it will be celebration, or planning our next phase of the rebirth of Aston Villa, with the best manager weve had since Houllier

I hope he's somewhat better than Houllier, who was truly gash.

this is not the time to dis Houllier, but Houllier was getting a team together and would have took us up the league imo.

funny that, i remember just before he fell ill losing at home to sunderland on a freezing cold night and chants of your getting sacked in the morning

[Witton Warrior]

I'm there Saturday, AND I will support my team win lose or draw, and I will be on the piss Saturday night, and it will be celebration, or planning our next phase of the rebirth of Aston Villa, with the best manager weve had since Houllier

I hope he's somewhat better than Houllier, who was truly gash.

this is not the time to dis Houllier, but Houllier was getting a team together and would have took us up the league imo.

funny that, i remember just before he fell ill losing at home to sunderland on a freezing cold night and chants of your getting sacked in the morning

That was the last match my Godfather went to at VP - he said he couldn't stand the terrible language in the Upper Trinity any more - True!

[PeterWithesShin]

Just before? That game was 3 months before he fell ill. And after the Sunderland game we lost 3 of the next 13. One of the main reasons we struggled is that even by our standards we had a horrific spell of injures. So bad that Hogg started 5 out of 6 games as we had no other fit midfielders.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

I'm there Saturday, AND I will support my team win lose or draw, and I will be on the piss Saturday night, and it will be celebration, or planning our next phase of the rebirth of Aston Villa, with the best manager weve had since Houllier

I hope he's somewhat better than Houllier, who was truly gash.

this is not the time to dis Houllier, but Houllier was getting a team together and would have took us up the league imo.

funny that, i remember just before he fell ill losing at home to sunderland on a freezing cold night and chants of your getting sacked in the morning

That was the last match my Godfather went to at VP - he said he couldn't stand the terrible language in the Upper Trinity any more - True!

it must have been bad for bad language in the upper trinity!

[devilla]

A Brucie Bonus, 2 - 1 win.

[damon loves JT]

This the one where everything finally clicks and we draw 0-0

[seanthevillan]

I'm there Saturday, AND I will support my team win lose or draw, and I will be on the piss Saturday night, and it will be celebration, or planning our next phase of the rebirth of Aston Villa, with the best manager weve had since Houllier

I hope he's somewhat better than Houllier, who was truly gash.

this is not the time to dis Houllier, but Houllier was getting a team together and would have took us up the league imo.

Yeah, best not to go over all that again, but it was a certain match against the dogheads under Houllier that made me remember just how terrible he was. We were saved that season by Bent's goals and McAllister's cameo following Houllier's illness.

By Bent's goals yes, but we were basically safe after we won at West Ham - McAllister's wins at the end of the season just put a gloss on the campaign rather than turn it round.

I;ve got no idea how Wolves have been playing, looking forward to seeing which team we put out as well.

[Duncan Shaw]

The galling thing is, we have another new manager, and due to injuries/jet lag etc. etc. He's going to be another one picking Ashley Fucking Westwood in midfield.  Not for long I feel, but at least for this game....sighs.

[Jimbo]

But we weren't assured safety after the West Ham game. Our safety only became apparent nearer the end of the season. If I recall correctly a few clubs had everything to play for as far as we knew, and we were one of them. I find the Houllier revisionism annoying. He wasn't as bad as the abysmal standards of the last few years, granted, but he was awful nonetheless.

Anyway, I hope this Wolves game isn't as bad as the one under him, but I have my doubts.

[PeterWithesShin]

We were 10th and 7 points from the drop with 5 to go after beating West Ham. That's all but safe.

[Jimbo]

Not mathematically safe with five games to go then. And playing dour football all the way. I don't recall many being too gutted at Houllier's departure, to be honest. But some did get a bit misty eyed after TSM. Be honest, Houllier was a terrible appointment.

[PeterWithesShin]

No one has said we were mathematically safe then have they, but everyone knew we wouldn't be dropping.

[canuckvillan]

This is the game I've travelled for this season, so I'm expecting us to smash Wolves.  3-0.

[Jimbo]

That's not how I remember it at all. There were a fair few jitters going into those games. But of course, back then relegation seemed unthinkable. It was before our expectations had been sufficiently managed, after all. And still, very few of us were sad to see Houllier go.