Aston Villa vs Sheffield United Pre-Match Thread

[SteveN]

Doc Pace? Who the heck was he?

One for the teenagers, I'm going back to the early 60s. Not very tall but as hard as nails centre/inside forward.

[eamonn]

Great name, was he an apache?

[footyskillz]

Abraham said it’s his favourite position, I’m confident he’d be just as dangerous.

I still think he'd get goals drifting in from the left, just like Albert did last season, but i'd only play him on the left with Davis, not Kodjia, who'd lose it too much to bring others in.

Not only that just Jimmy don't pass !

[cdbearsfan]

Don't suppose there is any chance Grealish might be fit for us? We've already had some bad luck as, apparently, Hogan can't play.

[itmustbe_it is!]

Don't suppose there is any chance Grealish might be fit for us? We've already had some bad luck as, apparently, Hogan can't play.

Hogan would have been nailed on for at least two goals....

[Risso]

Can't see us winning this at all, but hopefully we'll do enough to scrape a draw. 1-1.

[itmustbe_it is!]

Can't see us winning this at all, but hopefully we'll do enough to scrape a draw. 1-1.

Going into a game I always, always think we're going to win.

I remember the very first time when I came down to Earth with a bump.... Paolo Rossi after about 2 minutes v Juve at home, while defending our title.

[Russ aka Big Nose]

Chester was clearly playing when injured and his form suffered, so taking him out of the side was important.

But has anyone heard how long he needs in terms of his knee injury? His form and that of the other options aside, I would be interested to know how soon before he might be, sensibly, considered for selection again.

The subtext being that Elphick worries the hell out of me. UTV.

[wittonwarrior]

Heart says 2-0. Head says something completely different. They’re be thinking we’re there for the taking

[Drummond]

I've got a bad feeling about this.

Cos you live there?

Yep. They are in form too.

Still, our good run has to start again.

[PeterWithe]

We’ll win this

[SoccerHQ]

Kallinic

Taylor
Mings
Elphick
Hutton

Carroll

Hourihane
McGinn

El Ghazi
Tammy
Kodjia

Midfield too lightweight imo for this type of opposition, Sheffield United also like crossing into the box so I have a feeling Jedinak might be getting a rare start.

Shame Green is injured (again) as he's another I'd throw in and see how he looks after his loan, had enough fill of El  Ghazi to last a season.

Stuff it if Tammy fancies being a wide boy bring in Davis as central striker and have him and Kodj either side. Might not work but at least thinking outside the box a little bit more with the selection.

[SoccerHQ]

Chester was clearly playing when injured and his form suffered, so taking him out of the side was important.

But has anyone heard how long he needs in terms of his knee injury? His form and that of the other options aside, I would be interested to know how soon before he might be, sensibly, considered for selection again.

The subtext being that Elphick worries the hell out of me. UTV.

I'd give him a few weeks off personally, he's been way below the standard he's set last two seasons.

Keep same defence. It did keep a clean sheet at last so deserves chance to see if we can build on it against a much better team going forward than Reading.

[Rory]

My first game this season. Money has been very tight for us and as my mrs doesn't give a toss about football and is from a family of West Brom fans, it's been tough to convince her that Villa is a financial priority.

Please win, Villa. Though I can see a tight 1-2 loss, with their winner coming in the 87th.

I tend not to watch matches on tv or internet, so I think I'd settle for some signs that we're at least improving from the largely turgid Bruceball, which is all I remember seeing from us for what feels like about a decade.

But failing that, a scrappy 9-0 win will do!

[Mister E]

... Stuff it if Tammy fancies being a wide boy bring in Davis as central striker and have him and Kodj either side. Might not work but at least thinking outside the box a little bit more with the selection.

Yes, i’d agree that this is worth trying out.

SU are in a rich vein of form which will  do for us unless we take a really positive approach and play the sort of winning game we saw pre Christmas.