Aston Villa v Chelsea - Pre Match Thread

[RamboandBruno]

Well I tested positive yesterday for the second time in 3 months, only a week or so after having my booster as well. Completely snookers xmas including going to the villa on boxing day. On the flip side, unlike the first time i had it and felt like a severe bout of flu, this just feels like a bit of man flu, compared to people getting proper ill its nothing. All a bit shit though.
Anyway, i think the TV money pressure means this game will happen and ill probably sell my soul and pay for a one day sky pass. I have limited sympathy with Tuchel when one of the players he’s on about bringing back for this game is Lukaku.
3-1 us (complete guess work here but Watkins(2), Ramsey).

[Toronto Villa]

We could just get relegated to league two and this reduce the chance of having any of players represent their country.

[adrenachrome]

While on the subject of players availability, I read that following the injury that Traore picked up while on international duty and, after about three months of recovery, he is now fit again to go off and play in the ACON thus being again unavailable to us and risking further injury. Is there any actual benefit to us as a club signing such players and paying their no doubt generous wages if they never seem to turn out for us occasionally?

There are lots of benefits to signing players who don't play international football.  But the obvious downside is that they're often not as good as the ones who do.

"It is nearly an insoluble pancake, a conundrum of inscrutable potentialities, a snorter.”

― Flann O'Brien , The Third Policeman

[Risso]

Although it kind of shamefully exposes the way we see players as commodities, I liked what I saw on Twitter when the team v Norwich was announced. Something like…

“So it looks like it’s Steer, Sanson and El Ghazi with Covid.

I’ll take that.”

It's no different to any other injury really, players are off with injuries or illness a lot of the time and nobody bats an eyelid. I'd happily be thought of as a commodity for £100K a week quite honestly.

[olaftab]

We could just get relegated to league two and this reduce the chance of having any of players represent their country.

Yes and we could also save money on buying shoes by chopping off our feet.

[spangley1812]

While on the subject of players availability, I read that following the injury that Traore picked up while on international duty and, after about three months of recovery, he is now fit again to go off and play in the ACON thus being again unavailable to us and risking further injury. Is there any actual benefit to us as a club signing such players and paying their no doubt generous wages if they never seem to turn out for us occasionally?

Anyone know if Trez has been called up, that would be a bit of a p take given he hasn't even come on yet in any of the games and he's at least fresh from not playing for 8 months so would be useful if we have any sort of xmas period.

He was named in the preliminary squad yes

[john e]

While on the subject of players availability, I read that following the injury that Traore picked up while on international duty and, after about three months of recovery, he is now fit again to go off and play in the ACON thus being again unavailable to us and risking further injury. Is there any actual benefit to us as a club signing such players and paying their no doubt generous wages if they never seem to turn out for us occasionally?

Anyone know if Trez has been called up, that would be a bit of a p take given he hasn't even come on yet in any of the games and he's at least fresh from not playing for 8 months so would be useful if we have any sort of xmas period.

He was named in the preliminary squad yes

I think people thought this might be a good thing if he got some useful game time

[Villafirst]

Ministers are meeting now in Downing Steet and are said to be considering three options.
These are thought to be Stilton, Wenslydale, and Brie.

Washed down with a nice Malbec....

[martin o`who??]

Situations like this just play into the hands of clubs like Chelski and Manchester citeh with massive squads and all-star subs-benches.
Reason #439 to fucking hate Manchester City.

[UK Redsox]

Situations like this just play into the hands of clubs like Chelski and Manchester citeh with massive squads and all-star subs-benches.
Reason #439 to fucking hate Manchester City.

Which is why they’re angling for 5 subs again

[ChicagoLion]

Situations like this just play into the hands of clubs like Chelski and Manchester citeh with massive squads and all-star subs-benches.
Reason #439 to fucking hate Manchester City.

Which is why they’re angling for 5 subs again

f course they bare because whatever happens they will put 11 superstars on the pitch and every one else will be relying on squad and youth.
I do have some sympathy with the over playing argument, but the players sign contracts with clubs who contract through the league with TV and advertisers.
So why don’t the players insist on limiting the number of games they are prepared to play in a calendar year ?

[sid1964]

If the top players are worried about the games they are playing each season, they should consider joining a club like ours, we only play 40 games a season

38 in the league and 2 in the cup

[wittonwarrior]

It will be on (probably due to TV) and we will not beat them, you don't beat Chelsea two years in a row at Villa Park not these days

[Drummond]

Although it kind of shamefully exposes the way we see players as commodities, I liked what I saw on Twitter when the team v Norwich was announced. Something like…

“So it looks like it’s Steer, Sanson and El Ghazi with Covid.

I’ll take that.”

It's no different to any other injury really, players are off with injuries or illness a lot of the time and nobody bats an eyelid. I'd happily be thought of as a commodity for £100K a week quite honestly.

Really? For a pay cut? 😉

To be honest, it's the players and agents that have turned themselves into a commodity. Instagram, image rights, sponsorship deals, the lot. If they just focused on playing bloody football, and doing some training, they'd be fine.

Fuck me, the amount of actual work they have to do for what they get for it is a bloody joke; and Henderson, holding out as he did for a fuck-off big contract can do one.

Klopp and Henderson feel they should have the right to perform at 100% all the time, it's never been like that. Players need to adjust to busy times xas we all do. The rest of the world of work out up with busy and quiet periods, and going to work not being in peak condition, they need to just get on with it.

[Baldy]

The Premier League season is like running the Grand National.

Christmas is our Becher's Brook.

Just get over it.

Villa to beat Tuchers Moaning F*ckers 1-0.