Aston Villa (H) Predictions

[SPARTA]

Easy 3 points for Villa.

Our defence is terrible, and they will bombard us with crosses. Benteke will think it's Christmas, and the fans will turn!

[Divvy]

I can't see us getting anything from the game, not with McDermott's tactics. Defence is a huge worry. Strikers is a huge worry. The midfield creates so little that Villa, if they've done their homework, will have the easiest job of the season in keeping us quiet.

Reading 0 Villa 3

The fans give McDermott some stick from the stands for the first time, as relegation looks all but guaranteed after this shower of a result, and his reply to that will be to remind us all once again how far we've come, how lucky we are, and we move onto the next game. We're in this together, spirits are high, and we'll keep on (keep...) fighting.

[andrew1957]

This could either be the start of a run that will secure PL status or realistically the end of PL status. Wigan was not a "must win" game but defeat against Wigan means that this one is. Or else we are going to need a win at either Man U or Arsenal - which with this squad looks unrealistic.

We also need a captain’s performance form Jobi. Come on Jobi prove your doubters wrong and lead us to victory.

I am backing the boys to step up and assuming Kebe and Fed are injured I would play.

Taylor
Kelly
Pearce
Mariappa
Shorey (Don’t think Harte has looked great in the last two)
McCleary
Legs
Guthrie (he was involved during our good run during January)
Akpan
McAnuff
Blackman (probably the best option we have in a 4-5-1)

and bring on ALF and Hunt between 65-70 minutes and go 4-4-2 against a tiring Villa. A tense 2-1 win as ALF scores the winner in the 94th minute.

The crowd erupt in rapture at the final whistle and Brian is carried shoulder high on a sea of blue and white clad fans around the ground.

[E&5]

3-3

[AirRaidSiren]

It will be a terrible game, 2-1 to Villa.

[Ian Royal]

We won't win because he doesn't pick our best 11!

I predicted McDermott's formation and bench against Everton with the exception of Federici, which shows how predictable McDermott is.

I don't understand what McDermott does on that training ground, because the amount of chances we present to the opposition when they cut it back from crosses is just agonising. All our players just end up in one straight all moving towards the goal, not even considering the idea there are late runners into the box. Which by the way none of our players do.

I'm just hoping McAnuff tears a hamstring and is out for the season and Kebe's groin is not that bad!
L,wood is just hopeless I'm sure it was his job to pick up Fellaini against Everton. But of course he just let him wonder into the box unmarked.

How many teams in the Prem actually play with a big CDM?? West Ham and Stoke? I don't rate Karacan but surely he's better than L,wood. His tackling is no worse but has the energy to close people down.

My team for Villa would be assuming Federici and Kebe are both injured.

=============Taylor===============

Kelly===Pearce===Mariappa===Shorey

============Karacan=============

McCleary==Guthrie===Akpan====HRK

===========Le Fondre===========

Anderson, Morrison, Harte, L,wood, McAnuff, Blackman, Hunt (unfortunately)

All this Le Fondre can't play up top on his is own is crap. He can if our players don't just bang it into his head. Fizz it along the ground!

Stop Benteke you stop Villa but I can't see us stopping him.

Benteke brace! 2-1 Villa

You were talking good sense until you badmouthed McAnuff who was by far and away our biggest threat in the last game and has been about as consistently fine as our players have got this season.

[Divvy]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?? McAnuff has had more bad/anonymous games than he has had good games!! Even in a very below par side, he still rarely stands out for the right reasons, and I like that guy!

[Man Friday]

1-1.

A more painful result than losing in so much as it would give us (forlorn) hope of staying up whereas a loss would effectively seal our departure from the PL.

Thus, I would rather we lost than drew.

[Arch]

1-3

[Royals-lad14]

2-2, ALF saves us

[Divvy]

2-2, ALF saves us

Saves us? A point is no good to us on Saturday. It's all three or fcuk all.

[Biscuit_Boy]

Villa players are told it's a six-pointer, our players are told 'it's just another game'. 3-1 Villa.

[higher]

This one has 4-2 Urz written all over it.

[RoyallyFcuked]

I would like to be optimistic, but I'm afraid I just can't be.

Reading 0-2 Aston Villa (Weimann, Benteke)

[seahawk10]

A clean sheet and a win for the Reading.

[Royal With Cheese]

If we win we won't be safe.
If we lose we're not necessarily relegated.

Hope for a win. Church back heel 89th minute for a 1-0.

[RoyallyFcuked]

We won't win because he doesn't pick our best 11!

I predicted McDermott's formation and bench against Everton with the exception of Federici, which shows how predictable McDermott is.

I don't understand what McDermott does on that training ground, because the amount of chances we present to the opposition when they cut it back from crosses is just agonising. All our players just end up in one straight all moving towards the goal, not even considering the idea there are late runners into the box. Which by the way none of our players do.

I'm just hoping McAnuff tears a hamstring and is out for the season and Kebe's groin is not that bad!
L,wood is just hopeless I'm sure it was his job to pick up Fellaini against Everton. But of course he just let him wonder into the box unmarked.

How many teams in the Prem actually play with a big CDM?? West Ham and Stoke? I don't rate Karacan but surely he's better than L,wood. His tackling is no worse but has the energy to close people down.

My team for Villa would be assuming Federici and Kebe are both injured.

=============Taylor===============

Kelly===Pearce===Mariappa===Shorey

============Karacan=============

McCleary==Guthrie===Akpan====HRK

===========Le Fondre===========

Anderson, Morrison, Harte, L,wood, McAnuff, Blackman, Hunt (unfortunately)

All this Le Fondre can't play up top on his is own is crap. He can if our players don't just bang it into his head. Fizz it along the ground!

Stop Benteke you stop Villa but I can't see us stopping him.

Benteke brace! 2-1 Villa

You were talking good sense until you badmouthed McAnuff who was by far and away our biggest threat in the last game and has been about as consistently fine as our players have got this season.

Completely agree with the first post but not the second. McAnuff was actually not that much of a threat, like usual. Coleman had him in his pocket and had the freedom of that side, particularly second half. I dont think I remember him going past Coleman at all, except for once in the first minute or two. I was hoping after that he would play well but he wasnt much better than normal. All he does is run as close to the corner as he can get, cut back and dawdle with the ball. He rarely looks like beating his man, he will either stop and pass it backwards or eventually put a cross in. But his crossing was dreadful all game on Saturday, he had one shot that worked the goalkeeper and another wayward attempt. Our fans were getting on his back because he was having a fairly poor game.

[Big Ern]

Can see us losing this one by a single goal scored in the last 10 minutes.

[RoyalBlue]

This thread is thoroughly depressing as even those who were previously optimistic unsurprisingly predicting a win for Villa. To be honest, anyone using their head rather than their heart has to go with that outcome.

We are now left with a depressingly threadbare squad ridiculously lacking in the level of true quality required for the PL. Both transfer windows were wasted signing misfits, journeymen and possible hopes for the future. The benefits of a good run at the turn of the year were wasted as McDermott and Hammond failed to build on it by adding high quality signings who could make an immediate impact at this level. Carrico epitomises the January debacle. Meanwhile McDermott's insistence on treating every game as being nothing special has backfired spectacularly and led to the Wigan capitulation that sent us crashing deep into trouble, rather than giving us a significant push in the right direction.

So for f*cks sake McDermott recognise that the Villa game is our cup final and is a six pointer. A loss and we will move on - to the Championship. Then people will begin to realise that we are not better off and times aren't good.

If the players do play like their lives depend on the result and fight like they have never fought before, then maybe we can sneak a win (although my head still says Villa will win 1-0). Anything less and we will be on the wrong end of another hammering and quite frankly McDermott will deserve all the stick he gets for his accumulated failings since June 2012.

[Wimb]

Reading 2-4 Villa

Long x2

Young
Carew x3

Or Reading 0-2 Aston Villa.