Aston Villa v Southampton Pre Match

[RamboandBruno]

Nice to see the 10 day enforced break has quashed any semblence of enthusiasm that built up after man city.
I had turned to Gerard out after West Ham, but he deserves his chance of the next couple of games after the Man City selection and performance.
Reading this thread if he sticks with a defensive line up he’s making a mistake given the opposition, but if he reverts to type with Ings, Watkins etc he’s stubborn and deserves to be sacked. Difficult for him to win really.
Im more in the camp of despite the opposition playing it safe with a similar formation but to drop McGinn, bringing more creative players on as the game goes on. My big fear is that he might of dropped McGinn for Leicester but the gap dulls the memory of how bad he was or has been.

[Beard82]

Thing is - he needs to start getting results - Man City bought him a little bit of credit and probably a more positive home crowd

But realistically this is the kind of game that we and he needs to win

[Steve67]

Need a win. Play Dendonker next to Kamara and not McGinn. Get into them, fuck them off.

[paul_e]

If Gerrard reverts to type then he thoroughly deserves the inevitable P45 when we lose.

I can’t believe he’d be that stupid. Or stubborn. Or both.

But what does that mean?  We set up to be solid against City for a defensive performance and it worked well.  But a tub thumping backs to the wall performamce isn't a model that can be rolled out against teams like Southampton who aren't going to come at us in the same way.  So we need to find ways to break them down other than than counter attack and for that I would think we really need the more creative players like Buendia or Coutinho.

So I don't really see how we can base our performance on the City game (which was a 4-3-3 set up anyway) and so to some extent, assuming we go 4-3-3 again it's almost certainly going to go to be 'back to type' to some extent.  Obviously he can keep the fullbacks deeper and ask the front 3 and 8's to do the heavy lifting up front, but if he's not carful he'll be accused of being far too negative against a very average team.

Luiz should 100% start, but he'll want to include Ramsey and I can't see him leaving McGinn out, so I'd expect a similar line up to the pre City games. 

He may have picked the same formation but our shape was completely different and meant we were competitive in central midfield for the first time this season. When people talk about reverting to type they mean 2 of the midfielders playing as auxillery fullbacks.

[cdbearsfan]

Need to win so that we have the record as the only team to have the most top flight wins under two different monarchs.

[eamonn]

Shit, just realised I'm going to miss this as I have tickets to see Moonage Daydream at the Imax.

Hope we don't win now. Only messin'! Though I wonder are there fans amongst us who fear missing out so much on a Villa game due to other commitments that a crappy result fills them with relief. It's very selfish if so.

[VinnieChase84]

Shit or bust

Not like we’ve sacked a manager before after losing to Southampton on a Friday night right before an international break

[cdbearsfan]

We aren't sacking the media's most beloved manager during a period of official mourning.

[Drummond]

No, Tuesday should do it.

[cdbearsfan]

He's staying till the World Cup now. The Queen has saved him.

[coreyfeldman]

He might still save himself yknow

[ChicagoLion]

He's staying till the World Cup now. The Queen has saved him.

Queen saves the “god”

[cdbearsfan]

He might still save himself yknow

Yes maybe, you never know.

[OCD]

Nice to see the 10 day enforced break has quashed any semblence of enthusiasm that built up after man city.

And if we do win, we’ve then got a 2-week break to kill any momentum that creates.

He may have picked the same formation but our shape was completely different and meant we were competitive in central midfield for the first time this season. When people talk about reverting to type they mean 2 of the midfielders playing as auxillery fullbacks.

He’s got to learn from that. If he goes back to emptying the midfield so they can cover for the fullbacks, he deserves to be sacked. If he recognises that 4-3-3 or a variation thereof suits these players, he’s got a chance. There’s ability in that squad and if he doesn’t set-up in a way that suits them, we’ll bring in someone that will.

[steamer]

Need to win so that we have the record as the only team to have the most top flight wins under two different monarchs.

Reminds me of a joke I heard during the 70,s
The pope died, his replacement only lasted a short time so in quick period there were three popes
Birmingham City, the only football club to not win a match in the Reign of three popes