Will Cork get the nod over Brownhill do you reckon?
After the stunning win at Anfield and an FA Cup victory over Fulham the tantalising prospect for Clarets is can we go 3 in a row? If we beat Villa and other results go our way we can push 10 clear of the drop zone. Charlie Taylor is unlikely to be fit but Pope, Mee and Westwood will all return to face the Villans. Up front Rodriguez is knocking on the door for a start after his Cup brace but I still expect Wood and Barnes to get the nod. Chris Wood has a good record against Villa and scored home and away against them last season. For Villa I would not expect many changes from the side that easily brushed aside Newcastle last time out. Ollie Watkins ended his goal drought and they pose a threat with Grealish and Traore in fine form. McGinn may well return to the fray at the expense of the wonderfully named Marvelous Nakamba. A win for us would be superb. COYC!
Will Cork get the nod over Brownhill do you reckon?
This will be a tough game for us I think , I’m reading Brownhill not fit ( he’d be a loss as he gets through some work quietly away).
I think it would’ve a mistake not to start Jay tbh as he’s got that bit of momentum and I fancy him to carry it forward if he gets the opportunity- more likely we’ll be back to hoof ball to wood.
I think if we can get something from this game it will feel like we’ve turned a corner.
Always a bit of a bogey team when we play them in the League and we have only beat them once in the PL and that was at their place in May 2015.
The last time we beat them at home in the League was 11 games ago when we won 4-1 in August 1972 in the old League Division Two. This was the season that we finished top and were promoted and Villa finished 3rd and just missed out, although they had just returned into the Second Division having been promoted at the end of the previous season.
Villa bookies odds on favourites but Lawrenson figures us for a draw.
Had a quick visit to the Villa Chat messageboard to find a thoughtful (NOT) analysis of our style of play from TrianonDave.
Like the majority of the Premier League teams they don't like to compete against teams which are physical and don't just stand and let them play.
There were some good cup ties this weekend with teams like Chorley giving Wolves a real test, Wycombe last night made Spurs work really hard and they knew that they had been in a game. Add to those Luton, Blackpool and Cheltenham who all gave PL opposition much harder games than they like to play.
Enjoy it while you can because the physicality will be disappearing from the game in the next 10 years, if not sooner. We are seeing many instances of minor contact being penalised and the more players of the ilk of Grealish and McGinn throw themselves down after any contact the worse it will become.
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they dropped a couple - united and city - beat a poor Newcastle...not conceded many goals and are a very capable team...but if we can fluke it against Liverpool - then it shouldn't but then - just maybe.
Crystal Palace, Newcastle and West Brom all losing at home. We can really steal a march by beating the Villa.