Expecting a pretty dull and standard win here.
Despite their stuff against the scousers (and well done for that Villa), they aren't really world beaters and Tim Sherwood should be carrying a big NEW MANAGER BOUNCE sign around his neck. The teams who beat us are the ones who sit back defensively, press us until their legs drop off, then pounce forward with a long ball. Not really Villa's style despite a few quick players in their team.
Not super concerned about this one really and don't think it will be a particularly fine match for the neutral.
Also, never forget these pricks:
A move to a club who have qualified for the Champions League would have shown he did want to move to play in that competition as he had claimed. Had he delayed signing for Manchester City for a day or two in a bid to flush out interest from the likes of Liverpool then he might have still got away with claiming that football reasons were the driving force behind his move from us. But, his hurried signing for a team that ended the season below us and out of Europe shows him for what he is a mercenary who has moved for money and for money alone.
He contributed a lot to the club during his years with us and we gave him a lot back by making him into an England regular. His actions last summer were hard to take and the reaction he got from the fans this season after that say a lot for how much we thought of him. Those feelings were clearly not reciprocated and he will not be such a hero in Manchester as he was at Villa Park. Sadly he chose money ahead of our bright future and loyalty. He now has his "dream move" and we have a decent fee for him but for me he is no longer entitled to the term "Villa great" he is a player who moved for money unlike the likes of Bruce Rioch who moved for football reasons or Kaka who turned down Manchester City's millions for the same reason. His decision to move does not say a lot about the man we once thought so much of. :(
Really hoped he would sign a new contract but after last summer's song and dance with the sly Rafa, it was a foregone conclusion that he'd waltz off either now or on a Bosman next summer. I am very happy that neither Liverpool or Arsenal got him, but pretty peeved by his decision.
Give or take, if I am generous, I can suggest that City and Villa have equal ambition and equal managers. Neither team is in the Champions League (although we are in the Europa League). Both teams are outside the Big 4. Both teams have decent support and similar profile. We have a better long-term history, recent-history and current form. We have the best owner, they have the richest owner. If you take all those points into consideration there can only be one reason that Barry chose to join Manchester City: money.
He can't claim Champions League and he can't claim ambition. He could have claimed he wanted a change. We gave classy Mellberg a classy send-off when he expressed a desire to play in Italy. If Barry had been honest and stated he simply wanted a change, we may have been more understanding, but for me there will always be the lingering truth that it was even more money than the respectable pay wages we paid him that took him away from the team that groomed him to be a star and which gave him a regular England place.
I can't wait to finish ahead of City again next season.
