Manchester United v Aston Villa Pre-Match Thread January 1st 8pm

[Ads]

Manyoo don't have a left back anywhere near as good as Chilwell.

Nailed on to score now, but Luke Shaw always looks two stone overweight.

[Villa Lew]

Can't remember the last time I was so optimistic that we could beat United, despite their recent form, yes they're good going forward, but this is the weakest back 4 plus goalie, they've had for a while. Hopefully Barkley starts, or at least gets some game time and McGinn is on top form and Jack is his usual brilliant self, going 1 -2 Villa, Ollie to get the winner.

[The Edge]

Barkley was out on the 21st November, so its not as long as it appears.

He played grand total of one minute of that game so it's two days off eight weeks really from Arsenal away. That's a long time to be out and we don't want him starting just to pull up again after 20 minutes. Rather ease him in and start him v Liverpool to get him properly match fit for Spurs and Everton.

Anyone know how far off Trez is as he'd be another useful sub option for last 20 minutes given his workrate.

I think he will start.

As an aside Redcafe appears to have some catastrophically archetypal Yanited fans on it;

This is still a villa team that survived relegation by the skin of their teeth last year.

Keep Grealish out of the game and they don’t offer a huge amount.

We shouldn’t fear them, play to our strengths and we should win.

There's not a lot wrong with that tbf. I wouldn't exactly call that arrogance and besides it's one thing to say "stop Grealish" but it's not that simple. Even when he's been tightly marked and roughed up he still finds a way to damage the opposition. But if they think we're just entirely about Grealish they will have a rude awakening tonight.

[Risso]

Stop Grealish and they still have Watkins, Luiz,  McGinn and El Ghazi to concern themselves with.

[Pat Mustard]

Whatever happens after today we have already come on leaps and bounds since September, but today really could be season defining. Lose and I think we will end up roughly mid table (which is still a huge achievement after last season), but win and we really could start looking at a realistic push for top 6.

Up to now we’ve still gone under the radar somewhat as a team that look capable of picking up a result on our day, but equally capable of losing or dropping points where we shouldn’t. The confidence a win at Old Trafford would give to a team on the up and challenging would be massive - I’d love to see us do it.

[AlexAlexCropley]

What a wank kick off time. Feels like forever waiting.

[ktvillan]

It's nowhere near the same Villa team that barely escaped relegation.  If their only plan is to keep Grealish out of the game there are now other players who can do them damage - Traore, Watkins, Barkley, McGinn, AEG - who are either new or massively improved on last season's model.

And in any case, even when we were shite last season we still drew 2-2 with them and should arguably have won.

[Mellin]

FWIW I think Barkley's probably fit now. All the noises were that he was ready. Maybe left out against Palace as the next game was Chelsea in which he can't play(?). Have a feeling he'll start tonight.

[Lastfootstamper]

What a wank kick off time. Feels like forever waiting.

It kicks off as Doctor Who finishes, if that helps.

[not3bad]

Dean Smith said Barkley would be ready for the Palace game so I would hope he's available now.

FWIW I think Barkley's probably fit now. All the noises were that he was ready. Maybe left out against Palace as the next game was Chelsea in which he can't play(?). Have a feeling he'll start tonight.

According to the beeb:

Ross Barkley is expected to be fit for the first time since he sustained a hamstring injury early in the home defeat against Brighton on 21 November.

[Ads]

Some more plastic Yanited gold:

Lads...it's Villa! Freak VAR error away from being in the Championship. Yes they've started very well but they're nothing we can't handle if we turn up. Let's put them in their place...

Why? It’s Villa. We are better then them. By a lot. They will actually play football, unlike Wolves. That suits us.

[Lastfootstamper]

I hope their team are of a similar casual mindset to their support.

[Ads]

They'll probably wallop us now, but I have seen them against Wolves, Leicester, West Ham, Man City and Leeds and with that solitary exception, they've been turgid shite.

[Le Lapin]

Oh please let us beat these. Their fans have turned up their collective asshole-atron to 12 in the last few days.

[manic-road]

They'll probably wallop us now, but I have seen them against Wolves, Leicester, West Ham, Man City and Leeds and with that solitary exception, they've been turgid shite.

Agreed, it's the pace of Rashford that has usually been the difference. They have looked bang average to me.