Burnley v Aston Villa: Pre-Match Thread

[SoccerHQ]

Can't see anything but a 2-0 defeat. Burnley will play a low block so we won't have the nous to break that down and Wood and Barnes upfront will bully our CBs like Deeney did yesterday.

Westwood and Phil Bardsley the goalscorers just to add to the tragic nature of it all.

[KRS]

What is actually our best team?

Defence:
We’ll obviously need to shuffle the back 4 again, so Elmo, Taylor or Hause at LB? Hause has actually looked solid so I’d keep him as CB with Konsa or Engels...or switch to a 352 and play all three of them?

Midfield:
Play both Luiz and Marv (who have both been average at best all season) with Jack and Conor?
Do either Trez or AEG make the starting lineup to try and get some width despite how poor they have both been?
If we switch to 352, then Fred and Elmo occupy the wing back positions by default, leaving Luiz, Marv and Jack with no room for Conor.

Forwards:
Play JK alongside Wes with Jack supporting behind?

Edit:
My 352 is similarly to Ads in first post, but I don’t think Mings will be back and I’d have Elmo over Taylor.

[Steve67]

They will kick the crap out of us, play the long ball, out 'game manage' us, which is what Sean Dyche teams do.  Win or bust for me where Dean is concerned.  I never make score predictions generally as I like to say we lose every time and therefore, I'm always happy to be proven wrong.  But this one is a must win.  Dean has to pick a side that will go toe to toe with Burnley.  This is not a game for pansies or show ponies.  Pick a tough side, if we have one.  No Grealish, thanks to his stupidity, at a time when we need him most, certainly Dean does.

[Risso]

Jack's not banned apparently.

[KRS]

It’s 5 yellow cards before game 19 that gets you a one game ban, and yesterday was game 20 so he can’t be banned unless he reaches 10 yellow cards before the next deadline. Also worth noting that 3 of Jacks 5 yellow cards have been in the 90+ minutes.

[Lastfootstamper]

They will kick the crap out of us, play the long ball, out 'game manage' us, which is what Sean Dyche teams do.  Win or bust for me where Dean is concerned.  I never make score predictions generally as I like to say we lose every time and therefore, I'm always happy to be proven wrong.  But this one is a must win.  Dean has to pick a side that will go toe to toe with Burnley.  This is not a game for pansies or show ponies.  Pick a tough side, if we have one.  No Grealish, thanks to his stupidity, at a time when we need him most, certainly Dean does.

We have a worse disciplinary record than them, so I do doubt this bit. Nobody plays like that in the PL these days, do they?

[Behind Bluenose Lines]

Abandon the fixture altogether: it's our only hope!

[RamboandBruno]

I’ve been saying for a couple of weeks that 352 would suit the new full backs we bought, who in turn both look better going forward at the moment than El Ghazi and Trez. Saying that if Targetts done his hamstring he’ll be out.

I don’t want Smith sacked and I doubt any big name manager, e.g Poch or Benitez would fancy picking up a relegation scrap more than halfway through the season, granted Benitez did it at Newcastle but may not want to get his fingers burned again.

Anyway, digressing, I want Deano to succeed, but sticking to a failing formation every week with no flexibility is killing us. 352 would make us potentially more solid.

If he doesn’t do this, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Engels back for Konsa to try and combat Burnley’s aerial threat. Hause then moving to left back to replace Targett and hopefully Mings back. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Guilbert back but Elmo staying in the team wide right as extra protection. I think El Ghazi will have to come back in and if he doesn’t move jack back to the centre he’s lost the plot. Even if Kodjia is out of the club in the next week it’s now mad not to give him a game. After Saturday, Lansbury and Jota shouldn’t even be on the bench.

If he sticks with his formation, I wouldn’t be surprised to see;
Heaton
Guilbert
Engels
Mings
Hause
Nakamba
Elmo
Luiz
Wesley (should be Kodjia)
Grealish
El Ghazi

Form suggests we’ll lose comfortably, we just need a performance with a bit of heart and passion....and a bit of luck

[PeterWithesShin]

This is a game where we definitely need to try the Christmas tree.









It's gotta be a better option having a tree up front instead of Wes.

/baddumtish

[ez]

Apparantly Burnley have only had 1 shot on target in 3.5 hours of premier football. Anyone else think that will all change on New Year’s Day

[hilts_coolerking]

4-4-2 and tell Wes to go out there and monster their defenders.

[wittonwarrior]

Football can be funny but not this funny - an other wasted awayday

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

The last time we beat them at theirs was on 12/09/1936, the same day that Fred Perry beat Don Budge to become the first foreigner to win the US National Tennis Championships. 

28 visits to Turf Moor in league and cup without a single victory.

https://www.11v11.com/teams/aston-villa/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Burnley/

https://www.11v11.com/matches/burnley-v-aston-villa-12-september-1936-102319/

[villa `cross the mersey]

The last time we beat them at theirs was on 12/09/1936, the same day that Fred Perry beat Don Budge to become the first foreigner to win the US National Tennis Championships. 

28 visits to Turf Moor in league and cup without a single victory.

That is an incredible stat .......and posted by a former Burnley legend ?

[LukeJames]

Ive only been there once, 3-1 cup defeat. Its grim.