Team for Villa

[PEARCEY]

Villa are there for the taking, immobile defence, average attack, superb midfield. Long ball maybe....

really?? theryre 10x the side liverpool and burnley are and we didnt exactly make light work of those games [/quote]


Which hardly explains why they lost to Liverpool and are neck for neck with them in the League.

[sandman]

Federici
Griffin
Mills
Ingimarsson
Berty
Kebe
Gunnarsson
Tabb
Howard
Sigurdsson
Church

HRK and Henry aren't even championship quality (yet) so I doubt either will start against one of the best teams in the country. Although if one of them did play I'd be inclined to go for Henry because, unlike Kanu, he does at least have some idea of what to do once he gets into the final third.

[Ian Royal]

Villa are there for the taking, immobile defence, average attack, superb midfield. Long ball maybe....

really?? theryre 10x the side liverpool and burnley are and we didnt exactly make light work of those games

Which hardly explains why they lost to Liverpool and are neck for neck with them in the League.[/quote]

Torres, Kuyt & Gerrard (complacent, not in great form and early stage)
vs
Agbonlahor, Milner, Young, Carew, Downing, Heskey (you know he'll score against us if he plays) later stage of the tournament, desperate to make up for losing to Utd.

I'd say Villa are a bigger threat than Liverpool were.

[Ian Royal]

Federici
Griffin
Mills
Ingimarsson
Berty
Kebe
Gunnarsson
Tabb
Howard
Sigurdsson
Church

HRK and Henry aren't even championship quality (yet) so I doubt either will start against one of the best teams in the country. Although if one of them did play I'd be inclined to go for Henry because, unlike Kanu, he does at least have some idea of what to do once he gets into the final third.

Would that be the Kanu who has two or three assists this season iirc?

[UpNorth]

OS says Griffin is a doubt for the game after coming off with a hamstring problem.

Poor old Tabby could be in for a torrid time if he has to cover and it would leave a gap in midfield.

[Ian Royal]

OS says Griffin is a doubt for the game after coming off with a hamstring problem.

Poor old Tabby could be in for a torrid time if he has to cover and it would leave a gap in midfield.

I suspect more likely to see Gunnar there. He's a more like for like replacement for Griffin. You never know, Cummings may get another chance and shine.

[brendywendy]

no way we'll play brynn Vs their wingers surely?! shirley?!


this is the worst possible news. without griffa, im very worried about our chances

[Wycombe Royal]

It's all set up for Cummings to play a blinder (or is that play like he is blind?)

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Dont doubt Gunnar at RB. Why would you?

He'll be back off a break which always suits him and he loves the big games.

If he can do a job on Ronaldo at Old Trafford he can do a job on anyone.

[Sarah Star]

Dont doubt Gunnar at RB. Why would you?

He'll be back off a break which always suits him and he loves the big games.

If he can do a job on Ronaldo at Old Trafford he can do a job on anyone.

Did the job against Liverpool too. Had an outstanding match at Anfield. I'd trust him with my life!

[RobRoyal]

Dont doubt Gunnar at RB. Why would you?

He'll be back off a break which always suits him and he loves the big games.

If he can do a job on Ronaldo at Old Trafford he can do a job on anyone.

Did the job against Liverpool too. Had an outstanding match at Anfield. I'd trust him with my life!

+1 to both. He arguably gives as much as Griffin going forward from right-back as well.

The major downside would be losing him from central midfield, where we'd have to go with Howard, Tabb, and....?

[Scarface]

After the way Moses ripped Tabb apart, I don't think he can be risked against Young or Downing. We've got nothing to lose, so Gunner at right back and 4-4-2. Lets take the game to them.

[fester_royal]

It's all set up for Cummings to play a blinder (or is that play like he is blind?)

(my boss now suspects im not working after laughing inexplicably in the office!! )

[Elmer Park]

I hope Griffin is fit for Sunday but although he has done extremely well since he joined us I think the fact that he is here at all suggests he might find it hard going against Premiership wingers especially as Villa have two of the best. We will need our wide players to push Young and Downing back as much as possible.

[Royal_Delight]

I hope Griffin is fit for Sunday but although he has done extremely well since he joined us I think the fact that he is here at all suggests he might find it hard going against Premiership wingers especially as Villa have two of the best. We will need our wide players to push Young and Downing back as much as possible.

Hope Sig is fit too. Seriously need his creativity and long shots against Villa. Without him, we may lose the match. Plus, he IS a cup specialist.

[sandman]

Federici
Griffin
Mills
Ingimarsson
Berty
Kebe
Gunnarsson
Tabb
Howard
Sigurdsson
Church

HRK and Henry aren't even championship quality (yet) so I doubt either will start against one of the best teams in the country. Although if one of them did play I'd be inclined to go for Henry because, unlike Kanu, he does at least have some idea of what to do once he gets into the final third.

Would that be the Kanu who has two or three assists this season iirc?

Yep and the same HRK who crossed the ball straight into the arms of Grant last week when the aforementioned Henry would've had a tap in. The same HRK who chose to shoot into row Z last week when he had a queue of players lining up to score. Whereas Henry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JaRc1zP7F8

[Ian Royal]

congratulations you've found a clip of Henry doing some stuff.

Well done. I couldn't give a monkey's. HRK has performed here THIS season, at THIS level. Henry has not. Plucking random examples of a player not finishing well is meaningless. I could do half a dozen for Kebe, not 2 or 3, yet he's still way way ahead of either in the pecking order.

[sandman]

Which goes back to my original point.NEITHER have performed CONSISTENTLY well enough at THIS level to be considered good enough to play against Villa. The clip was merely a way of reinforcing the point that Henry has the potential to produce something special whereas on the evidence so far Kanu does not.

Coincidentally guess who played for the Swine in the same game and didn't score a 35 yard wonder goal.

[Mr Angry]

I would hope that we go into the game playing a 451, Fed in goal, Mills/Ingi in central defence with Ryan and Griffin (Or Bryn if Griffin isn't fit) as fullbacks, with Church up front (for his pace against Dunne), Sigi and Kebe wide, Tabb, Howard and Gem (if fit) in the middle, with either Tabb of Gem going man to man on Petrov; don't give that guy any time on the ball cos he is the player who creates everything for Villa. Also, the defensive midfielders HAVE to track the forward runs of the Villa midfield as they link up with the main forward (probably Heskey) very intelligently.

Both Kebe and Sigi will have to do a lot of defensive cover work as well, as we can't afford either fullback to be isolated against the Villa wingers.

As for going forward, Church (with Long on the bench to come on for the last 15/20) will have to do a lot of work.

[Ark Royal]

OS says Griffin is a doubt for the game after coming off with a hamstring problem.

Poor old Tabby could be in for a torrid time if he has to cover and it would leave a gap in midfield.

I suspect more likely to see Gunnar there. He's a more like for like replacement for Griffin. You never know, Cummings may get another chance and shine.

Cumming could not shine his own fu cking shoes.

(NOT racist)