Aston Villa (A) - Sat 21st Dec, 12:30 | PL | Pre-Match Thread

[r.soleofsalford]

Our last six goals have come from six different players. There are plenty capable of scoring, they’re just not doing it enough! Or assuming that Erling will score six for every one of theirs.

Prem goal
Foden 0
Grealish 0
Savio 0
De Bruyne 2
Silva 1
Gundogan 0
Nunes 0

3 goals from 7 players who play in forward positions and Erling who looks more and more isolated, add to that defensive frailties. And the midfield is a mess.

1	Erling Haaland	16	13
2	Josko Gvardiol	15	4
3	Mateo Kovacic	12	3
4	Jérémy Doku	12	2
	Kevin De Bruyne	10	2
	John Stones	7	2
7	Bernardo Silva	16	1
	Rico Lewis	14	1
9	Ilkay Gündogan	15	0
	Ederson	13	0
	Rúben Dias	13	0
	Savinho	13	0
	Manuel Akanji	12	0
	Kyle Walker	12	0
	Matheus Nunes	12	0
	Jack Grealish	12	0
	Phil Foden	11	0
	Nathan Aké	5	0
	Stefan Ortega	3	0
	Rodri	2	0
	James McAtee	2	0
	Jahmai Simpson-Pusey	1	0
	Jacob Wright	0	0
	Divin Mubama	0	0

Would like to see a midfield of Kova - Grealish with KDB just in front but I'm terrified Pep will somehow find a way to include Gundogan and Lewis in there.

Resigned to us getting nothing out of this game after the performance last week which in my opinion was the worst of this dreadful run of form. Despite leading for the majority the lack of hunger and drive shown to kill off and win the game against an awful united side was most damming. We didn't look remotely interested in whatever the outcome of the game was going to be.

If we're not prepared to put up a proper fight at home to united we're hardly going to turn it on at villa park. Of course I hope I'm proven completely wrong and we can somehow scrape a win - by any means necessary.

As much as I’d like to see Grealish playing through the middle Pep is, if nothing else stubborn. I think Grealish will be on the wing again. Keeping the ball but achieving very little.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Defence looks much better than anticipated. I was really considering weighing in on that 11/5 on Villa glad I didn't now think we can get something here. Great to see Kova and Akanji back playing. Hopefully we can get 90 minutes at least out of Stones.

 

[City64!]

Wonder why Pep just won't ever play O'Reilly or Mcatee. Can't be any worse than Gundogan and Bernie right now

Saw an interview with Palmer recently and he said he’d asked to go out on loan because he’d meet up with England U21s and most of them were playing league games for their clubs and he wanted to.

McAtee had assurances this summer from Pep, none of which has happened.

 

[handsofstone]

Kamara
Onana - Tielemans
Rodgers

Omg that is gonna tear through us, each one of those is stronger and quicker than our entire midfield 5

 

[Fordyboy46]

Lol, Gundogan again

 

[discopop]

Bookies making us even’s favourites can be classed as wumming

Come you blue bastards let’s fucking have it!

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

Yet here you are…

Your point?

 

[Sky Blue]

Kamara
Onana - Tielemans
Rodgers

Omg that is gonna tear through us, each one of those is stronger and quicker than our entire midfield 5

Well don't fucking watch then. FFS.

 

[BamberBridgeBlue]

so what was the post about us fuming about

Perhaps he expected Pep to play Muisala, Wirtz and Vini Jr.

 

[Ric]

I still think we're going to lose, but I'm not really sure what people complaining about the line-up expect Pep to do? We have extremely limited options available to us at the moment, so this is about as good an XI as we can muster at the moment.