Our Heroes v Bristol City Pre-Match Thread

[AVH87]

We really need to win this, should not be looking over our shoulders in the last couple of months of the season.

[VancouverLion]

2-1
Lansbury and Kodjia to score.

What should've been a routine win turns into squeeky bum time when they score in the 83rd min.

[cheltenhamlion]

A shit game but another win is my prediction. 2-0 to Villa.

[West Derby Villan]

2-0. Kodjia with both

[Nelly]

We don't tend to create much, so it'll probably be a scrappy, arse-clenching 1-0. I'd fucking love it though - two wins on the bounce?! Unheard of.

[gpbarr]

2-0 and the tide slowly starts to turn. We are better then them, individually and eventually as a team. Off back of a win, albeit a scrappy one.

[Goldie.7]

0-1 or 1-2.

Not confident at all.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

A shit game but another win is my prediction. 2-0 to Villa.

I'll go along with that but think we'll smash them and they'll feel delighted to have go off so lightly. We just need to match them with hard work. After that, the class will shine through.

[tomd2103]

We really need to win this, should not be looking over our shoulders in the last couple of months of the season.

We really do.  Two wins on the bounce and we've got something to build on.  Another setback after winning Saturday would be a blow. 

[brontebilly]

Always tricky trying to second guess Bruce when it comes to team selections.  Something out of left field seems to happen most games.  If he suddenly and randomly reverted to 352 and had Elphick back in I wouldn't be surprised any more.  However, on the basis that our heroes finally won a game on Saturday I suspect he will show faith with most and start with something resembling the Derby starting line up.  Hourihane back in after recovering from his dead leg, and Jack back in for either Adomah or Green, neither of whom shone v Derby.  I'll go for Green standing down, so:

              Johnstone

Hutton  Chester  Baker  Taylor
         
               Jedinak

    Hourihane    Lansbury

Adomah    Kodjia      Grealish

Subs Bree Gardner Elphick Green Amavi + 2

Surely enough there to find a way past Bristol City

In terms of a left field suggestion, I think Gardner could come back in. Has picked up some minutes lately. Maybe a diamond 4 in midfield with Lansbury advanced and Grealish up with Kodjia.

Adamoah is likely to be dropped but to be fair it's difficult for our wide men at the moment with Kodjia in the form he is in and our fundamental weakness persisting in the middle of the park forcing them inside a lot.

Ideal game for the opposition mind, we have a number of likely starters that will struggle to see out the game given the lack of posession on Saturday. We will need early positive substitutions.

[tomd2103]

Always tricky trying to second guess Bruce when it comes to team selections.  Something out of left field seems to happen most games.  If he suddenly and randomly reverted to 352 and had Elphick back in I wouldn't be surprised any more.  However, on the basis that our heroes finally won a game on Saturday I suspect he will show faith with most and start with something resembling the Derby starting line up.  Hourihane back in after recovering from his dead leg, and Jack back in for either Adomah or Green, neither of whom shone v Derby.  I'll go for Green standing down, so:

              Johnstone

Hutton  Chester  Baker  Taylor
         
               Jedinak

    Hourihane    Lansbury

Adomah    Kodjia      Grealish

Subs Bree Gardner Elphick Green Amavi + 2

Surely enough there to find a way past Bristol City

In terms of a left field suggestion, I think Gardner could come back in. Has picked up some minutes lately. Maybe a diamond 4 in midfield with Lansbury advanced and Grealish up with Kodjia.

Adamoah is likely to be dropped but to be fair it's difficult for our wide men at the moment with Kodjia in the form he is in and our fundamental weakness persisting in the middle of the park forcing them inside a lot.

Ideal game for the opposition mind, we have a number of likely starters that will struggle to see out the game given the lack of posession on Saturday. We will need early positive substitutions.

I would stick with the formation in the OP and the only change I would make is Green for Grealish.  We need a bit of pace on the attack and I think Green needs to be given a run. 

[avfcpg]

A grinding win Saturday was of course just what we needed, but I'm still not convinced after seeing us have 29% possession, a stone wall pen decision go our way for a change and a pretty mediocre display all in all.
Just getting ever more frustrated that with the set of players we have, he can't get us set up to take some of these teams apart... it'll be much the same set up tonight and every game. Solid, deny space, try and nick a goal, then defend the lead. We really should be better than this after the investment made and the amount of attacking options to hand.

[DeKuip]

Ideal game for the opposition mind, we have a number of likely starters that will struggle to see out the game given the lack of posession on Saturday. We will need early positive substitutions.

Are you suggesting we'll be more tired than a Bristol City side had only 7% more possession than us and had to travel to Newcastle and now Brum? I bet Newcastle put them under the cosh a bit more than Derby did us too. Our game was like a training session most if the time.

[Ads]

Bristol were under the cosh pretty much all game according to their supporters. I'm not sure how tired you can get watching a magician like Hughes play lovely square balls.

[robbo1874]

In the spirit of things, I've had a punt on a home win. Fuck knows what will happen.

Come on Villa- believe and get the win.