Aston Villa vs Manchester United pre-match thread

[Ads]

The smart money would be on us getting a right mauling on Sunday but I think that somehow Unai will devise a Plan B and we’ll grind out a narrow victory. I’m going 2-1.

We're through the looking glass and frankly, I just don't know what to believe in anymore.

[PaulWinch again]

The last two home games it’s almost been like playing with 7/8 men, because the midfield have been so bypassed and that’s what the games have felt like - wave after wave of opposition attack and very little offered back. Hopefully Unai’s post match comments are just for public consumption, and he’s very clear on the reality of those two performances and where the problems are.

[AlexAlexCropley]

I know it's still raw after last night, but I'm quite shocked at the poll. Maybe it's rose tinted glasses,but I think we'll see a different Villa Sunday.

[Brazilian Villain]

I know it's still raw after last night, but I'm quite shocked at the poll. Maybe it's rose tinted glasses,but I think we'll see a different Villa Sunday.

Same here. Lose though, and I might hold off on booking my tickets to Athens for a few more weeks.

[Risso]

I know it's still raw after last night, but I'm quite shocked at the poll. Maybe it's rose tinted glasses,but I think we'll see a different Villa Sunday.

Unfortunately, I don't even think it will be close.

[ChicagoLion]

If Konsa and Torres were fit it would be a very different poll and outcome.

[boozey182]

Last night was awful. I think it hit me harder than last week because I took my six-year-old for his first ‘proper’ night game. It wasn’t supposed to go like that…

However, I think we need to collectively hold our nerve. This is a (pretty major) wobble, but it doesn’t have to mean that everything is about to fall apart. We have a say in that, and now is not the time to resign ourselves to loss after loss. Anyone can have faith in something when things are going well - that’s not impressive. When things start to go wrong is when you get tested, and as a club I think we need to be a bit braver in how we cope with things.

I think it’s obvious where things are starting to slip - our entire game plan is based around playing out from the back, and the back four that we had to play last night just aren’t up to it. At least, they’re not currently playing well enough to move us up the pitch quickly, which is what we need to do to be successful.

There was a moment in the first half last night when Lenglet had the ball, and Watkins dropped off into our half, so he was in space to receive it. Lenglet hesitated, turned, and played it back to Martinez. He either didn’t see the pass, or didn’t have the confidence in himself to pull it off.

Those few seconds, for me, summed up what is going wrong at the moment - and it is actually quite a minor thing, but has a huge impact on a game. Go back and look at our goal against Arsenal - it’s almost the exact same situation, but in that instance, Torres was able to clip it to Ollie’s feet, who played it into the midfielders who were facing up the pitch, and we could progress.

Without that first pass though, we can’t control the game.

So why are we persevering with a tactic that our (fit) players can’t carry out? They can’t play that way, so we need to modify the tactics to suit the players. I think we all said the same at almost exactly this point last year. But we held our nerve, and kept going. Then it all clicked.

It should be easier this time around - we’re not waiting on an entire squad to get to grips with it, we just need a few, or, even better, we need players that are more comfortable playing that way (Torres, Konsa, Digne) to get fit again.

There are other issues at the moment, I’ll grant you. We seem to be getting outfought by the more physical opposition that we play against. And our back line is far too open when we lose the ball (although I would suggest that most teams in the league would really be struggling with their best three centre backs out). There are no excuses for that, but I think it all comes down to losing that initial control. If we get that back, suddenly we’re a bit braver on the ball and off it. We press with more intensity, we hit the pass first time rather than taking the touch, we fight that little bit harder.

Sunday is a massive game. If we play anything like we did last night, or last week, we will get battered - I’m sure of that. So we need to make sure we’re much better - we used to just lie down and accept that we’re probably going to lose, and we usually did. This time we need to hold our nerve.

My boy said he wants to go to another match next week (he assumed that, like his swimming lessons, the matches were every Wednesday after school). I can’t help but feed off his enthusiasm, so I can’t wait for Sunday.

[Nii Lamptey]

We need a fast start and to get in front early, otherwise we're fucked.

Even that won't work against that lot. Lost count of how many times we've been on top and blown 2-0 leads. 

[Nii Lamptey]

          Martinez
Cash Carlos Torres Moreno
McGinn Kamara Luiz Ramsey
            Bailey
           Watkins

I'd go with this 11 on Sunday. Sit the defense deep, and don't allow Cash or Moreno to leave their neighbouring centerback's side.
McGinn and Ramsey double up with their fullback during any Man United attack, Torres pings the ball to Bailey/Watkins to do the damage at the other end against slabhead and co.

Only way we stand even a remote chance against this lot is to get tighter than a gnat's chuff at the back. Leave no space for their forwards to expose us.

Still think we'll lose this. We don't beat them when we play well - On current form, they'll win it at a canter.
           

[Risso]

We need to get control of midfield, or we'll be smashed. And considering their midfield at Old Trafford wasn't any great shakes, it's a big worry. I'd go.

Martinez
Cash Carlos Torres (hopefully) Moreno
Bailey McGinn Kamara Luiz Ramsey
Watkins

[villa `cross the mersey]

Even putting out our "strongest" team possible at this time I  cant see anything other than a defeat  - another 1-3 with Watkins scoring late second half

[frank black]

Sadly, this is a poorly timed fixture for us and I expect us to lose

[Clark W Griswold]

3-0
Gage, Platt and Olney

Seriously though 1-3, our home form going to shit just in time for these fuckers.

[Clampy]

The only one I'm worried about is Ganarcho. We usually bounce back quickly so I'm a little more optimistic than others but we need to be at it a lot better than last night.

[pauliewalnuts]

The only one I'm worried about is Ganarcho. We usually bounce back quickly so I'm a little more optimistic than others but we need to be at it a lot better than last night.

Yeah, but the Sheffield United result was the bounce back from the Newcastle one, and that was only at the weekend. It's not bouncing back if you're at it one match, then play like Small Heath the next.