Aston Villa vs West Ham Pre-Match Thread

[Toronto Villa]

Sendo reckons this one's hard to predict. It isn't

West Ham will win comfortably.

Yep. They will completely dominate the midfield. Our entire game plan will be allowing them to have 70% possession by pumping long balls up the wing for them to recover and attack us time and again.

[pauliewalnuts]

We'll lose, and we will lose more than most until we finally stop conceding the entire midfield week in, week out

[Stu]

We’re losing this by a few goals.

*checks West Ham's 'goals for' column*

Hmmmm

You’ve seen us play right

We’re losing this by at least 2 goals.

[dave.woodhall]

Sendo has explained his past actions, and in fairness I'd expect him to slag-off every team under the sun apart from WHAM on Knees Up Mother Brown. He gives good content on here. I'm in favour of his loan spell being extended.

We've lost decent Newcastle and Stoke visitors along the way, the Cardiff chap is always very polite etc. And it's always interesting to get an opposition viewpoint if they are respectfu on here.

You're happy with someone calling us a cringey, cheating, shithouse of a club and being gutted that his team didn't relegate us? Top bantz, that.

[eamonn]

Initially I thought it was cheeky/rude of him but it made me realise that the tribal nature of football and supporters/men giving strong opinions to impress each other lends itself well to that sort of easily-said/written stuff. Plus, if we all earwigged on what acquaintances say about us when we're not there in "real-life", we'd probably stay sensitive forever.

His posts on here are generally of interest, respectful and he has a good understanding of football.

[Brazilian Villain]

Initially I thought it was cheeky/rude of him but it made me realise that the tribal nature of football and supporters/men giving strong opinions to impress each other lends itself well to that sort of easily-said/written stuff. Plus, if we all earwigged on what acquaintances say about us when we're not there in "real-life", we'd probably stay sensitive forever.

His posts on here are generally of interest, respectful and he has a good understanding of football.

Well said.

[dave.woodhall]

A cringey, cheating, shithouse of a club. That's what he really thinks of us. That's his understanding of football.

[Smithy]

It feels ridiculous to have this much riding on a game and we're still in August, but the reality is, if we don't take something from this game, with Arsenal and Man City over the following 6 days, we could be in the relegation places next weekend after 6 games.

Unfortunately, I feel this result will be determined as much by which West Ham team turns up as which Villa side.  If their midfield turns and plays well, we're in trouble.  But if we can get an early-ish goal, I think we'll win comfortably.

[cdward]

I voted in the poll for a draw, only because i can't stand betting against my own team.
But in reality i know we won't win, so the best i can muster is us somehow getting a draw.

[Paul.S]

With what we have at the moment would Chambers work in midfield? Perhaps sitting alongside Kamara protecting the back 4. He’s played there before and didn’t do a bad job and at least that would allow our many attacking options to go and play.

[sendō WHU]

You're happy with someone calling us a cringey, cheating, shithouse of a club and being gutted that his team didn't relegate us? Top bantz, that.

The "cheating" was mostly linked to Grealish falling over every five minutes - I was hardly alone in the world of football of criticising that at the time - and I stand firmly by being gutted we didn't relegate you. It was a great opportunity to set back a rival. It was Bournemouth who went down in your place, who will never be a proper rival to West Ham for challenging the top places, whereas Villa very much could (and tbh should) be up in that group, and I'm surprised you've not made a better fist of it in all honesty.

If I remember rightly, what I said was cringe is calling us "kit stealers", which I've always seen as on a similar level as people calling us Wet Spam or us calling Spurs "Spuds" or Man Utd "Manure" and so on. Maybe I was overly harsh there.

I'm still surprised by how much you continue to be offended by this tbh. I've said far, far worse things about West Ham.

[N'ZMAV]

sensitive bunch on here at times

[LeeB]

You can say what you like now mate, but it was a right snidey hatchet job from where I sit, it wasn't a few mild digs. You'd always been civil on here and afforded plenty of respect, so I was quite surprised.

[astonvilla82]

If you go on other football fans forums, you show respect,if you wish to talk sensibly about football I will gladly listen,I can go to my local pub and listen to a Birmingham fan talking crap

[astonvilla82]

And the only reason I want West Ham religated,is because of Sullivan and Brady