Aston Villa (H) - Wed 3rd April, 20:15 | PL | Pre-Match Thread

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

Haaland is a wounded beast and will all over this game like Prince Andrew at a threshers night. Don't be surprised if he bangs in a hatrick. 8s with bet365.

 

[Jam Tomorrow]

The problem for Haaland this season is not so much poor form but it's all the other teams defenders have sussed him out and worked out ways to stop him!!

Indeed, put him in a headlock whilst grabbing a fist full of his shirt whilst the officials do nothing, seems to be the way to stop him.

 

[LesBleuMiserable]

Haaland is a wounded beast and will all over this game like Prince Andrew at a threshers night. Don't be surprised if he bangs in a hatrick. 8s with bet365.

Freshers’ night? If only they had phone with cameras back then would look messy.

Not been invited to a Threshers night, must be a royalty thing.

 

[Worsleyweb]

8.15 Kick off - i am turning into a moaning old bastad but fuck that i will watch from home. Really cant be arced stuck in Traffic on the Mancunian Way at 10.45 on a school night when up at 6.

 

[Blue Smarties]

8.15 Kick off - i am turning into a moaning old bastad but fuck that i will watch from home. Really cant be arced stuck in Traffic on the Mancunian Way at 10.45 on a school night when up at 6.

Was just looking at the trains back. One at 22:47 from Oxford Road or the next one after that is 23:28. Absolute joke of a kick off time, especially if there’s a long stoppage.

 

[LesBleuMiserable]

I like this team.

Is Stones fit?

 

[Stevieatlasblue]

We are the team to beat make no mistake. Haaland not bad for a second division player who helped us do a clean sweep of trophies last year. Our midfield will be working wonder’s tonight to help him to score again. Don’t buy into the media drivel they throw at us. This is a world class team and a very dangerous wounded animal. The fans..get behind them and back them to the hilt. They need us more than ever to get them over the line.

 

[Bournemouth Blue]

Face it, anything but a win will be a real blow, but with so many injured defenders this game worries me more than it normally would, especially because Villa have improved so much this season. I can’t be there but I am banking on our fans to make it a daunting atmosphere and give our boys the encouragement to bag the points. We can’t do anything to stop Liverpool or Arsenal now, we just have to keep plugging away and get as many points as we can from here

 

[chickaroon]

He has to start if fit IMO. The team plays better when he's in it, whatever you think of him as an individual.

Agreed. We look more stable, more controlled with Jack playing.

 

[supercity88]

Villa are going to sit back and counter attack. Without McGinn, Watkins and Ramsay they're weaker but they still have the players to play intricate football and then release Diaby/Bailey in behind. I think if we play Kovacic and Rodri we risk having the same lack of goal threat as we did at the weekend through a lack of numbers in the box.

Have a back three of Gvardiol-Dias-Akanji (if Stones isn't fit) when is possession with Lewis tucked in alongside Rodri. Foden operating in the style of Gundo picking up space off Haaland and Grealish-De Bruyne-Bernardo.

That way we'll keep the ball and pin them in still, but have extra numbers in the box.

Villa's form away from home is okay. 7 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses. It's their home form that has seen them have such a great season. But they have the gameplan and players that usually cause us problems.

We can't be any worse than we were at Villa Park though - that was one of the worst games we've played under Pep.