Aston Villa vs Burnley Pre-Match

[AV84]

Could be, you come second by a point and failed to beat Sheffield United at home in December, you could say that defined your season.

If we miss out on something by a point we could single out any number of games as the one to blame. Unless there's a really contentious decision or incident that directly leads to us dropping points, or there's literally only one game that we don't win all season, I don't think you can single out that's the specific game that lost us the league, or cost us CL, or whatever it is.

Liverpool, for example, might be pointing to that Spurs game if they end up 2nd by a point.

If we don't beat Burnley and have a bad run of results after that too, then maybe we'll look back on the Man U game and say that's the point things turned for us, but at this stage in proceedings it might mean nothing, it might push us on and be the last game we drop points in all season. We'll have to wait and see.

[Risso]

Of him playing long term as the cornerstone of a midfield at the age of 18, no. But Unai brought him on when chasing a goal at Old Trafford, which for my money counts as an endorsement of sorts. And I think he knows a bit more about football than your average dyspeptic Rs fan moping about the internet.

I'd be surprised to see him start, but equally surprised to not see him play more and more of a role as the season goes on, even if for someone else on loan.

All of that is very fair, but people are calling for him to start a game that is vital to us regaining confidence and getting back on track, based on the most flimsy of evidence.

[Monty]

Indeed, I think that was mostly in the frantic feeling after the loss, the obvious need to plug a gap in midfield, and Tim looking tidier on the ball than Donk in his cameo (which isn't surprising as he is clearly more technically gifted, however his career actually turns out). Maybe a start is fanciful - McGinn could go central and Ramsey or Diaby could get one more go with Zaniolo the other side - but I think we may well see Tim at some point.

AV84 - sure, any given game would be The One, but failing to beat a relegated side at home would surely be the biggest missed opportunity.

[tony scott]

It’s now time for this team to show some resolve, the confidence has been rattled time to build again I think we will win 1:0

[AV84]

AV84 - sure, any given game would be The One, but failing to beat a relegated side at home would surely be the biggest missed opportunity.

Yeah, fair point, but realistically we've dropped 3 points to Liverpool, a team were in direct competition with. We've dropped 3 points to Forrest, a team that might get relegated. We've dropped 15 points over the season so far. That's what will have cost us whatever we lose out on in this hypothetical final table.

Clawing back a point against Sheffield Utd might he the thing that gets us 4th instead of 5th, and then it looks like a more positive defining point of the season. I guess it just depends on how you look at these things, and where we finish. Hopefully, wherever it is, it's by 4 points or more.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Of him playing long term as the cornerstone of a midfield at the age of 18, no. But Unai brought him on when chasing a goal at Old Trafford, which for my money counts as an endorsement of sorts. And I think he knows a bit more about football than your average dyspeptic Rs fan moping about the internet.

I'd be surprised to see him start, but equally surprised to not see him play more and more of a role as the season goes on, even if for someone else on loan.

All of that is very fair, but people are calling for him to start a game that is vital to us regaining confidence and getting back on track, based on the most flimsy of evidence.

Oh ye of little faith.

I guess we'll stick with the Donk until Kamara is available again which is fine if Dougie decides to turn up. It's a shame Ramsey is still struggling to regain his form, we need somebody to carry the ball and run at the opposition creating panic. Maybe Moreno can do it, Bailey at Villa Park can do it too. Not sure if Diaby will start but ideally we can stretch Burnley by using both flanks. No doubt Unai has a plan.

[pablo_picasso]

This is a "must win" game.

Not for the fact that we have had a little hiccup in the last game, or for the league placing, etc.

But its "must win", because they are so shit that if we don't win, I will throw a tea-cup & upset my cat.

And nobody wants that...

[PaulWinch again]

Results last night were helpful - we need to turn up now.

[Martyn Smith]

I just have a feeling that Burnley are the sort of side that will allow us to play to our strengths. They won't kettle or park the bus like SUFC did. They will try to go at us man to man and surely we have the chops to overcome that

[SamTheMouse]

I've already placed my bets, just to take a bit of the sting off in the event we don't win.

I'll be doing it until the end of the season now. Hopefully I'll lose all my money. I'm pretty good at that usually.

[RamboandBruno]

Just looked at their away results so far earlier and although they have lost more than they have won, only really Brentford (3-0) and given what you’d call a spanking. The other defeats have been by one or two goals.
So, my uneducated analysis is, we have to be on the front foot from the 1st minute like the Fulham game.

[john e]

Against the teams lower down in the league the most important thing is to score early on, if we can do that we can dominate and go on to win comfortably
If not The longer it goes on the worse it becomes i.e. Sheffield United

[wince]

Whatever the result 2023 has been fantastic

[Bad English]

Whatever the result 2023 has been fantastic

Except for Boxing Day. ;-)

[Tony Daleys Shorts]

Last little wobble we had was back to back defeats against May Ure then Wolves last April, we followed that with 3 really good performances to finish the season.

I’m confident Emery will nip this mini wobble in the bud, it won’t be easy but a 1-0 win would be lovely, then we can put the PL on the back burner for two weeks while we begin our journey to FA Cup glory.