Clarets v Villains Match Preview.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Clarets Mad - Clarets v Villains, English Premier League Match Preview.
Venue: Villa Park, Trinity Road, Birmingham B6 6HE.
Kick-off – 15.00 - 30th December 2023.

Burnley travel to Villa Park on Saturday to take on an Aston Villa team that is on course for a top four finish in the English Premier League. Villa manager Unai Emery has sprung the shock team of the season who are seriously challenging to earn a place in Champions League football next season.

Burnley having won away at Craven Cottage and lost at home to Liverpool in their last two games are steadily improving but a backlash seems inevitable from a Villa side who blew a two-goal lead at Old Trafford to lose 3-2 against Manchester United last time out.

VAR once again sparked enormous controversy over the Christmas EPL fixture schedule and Burnley boss Vincent Kompany asks for a ‘bigger-picture discussion’ by the PGMOL, who really do need to get their house in order and quickly implant a significant improvement in the performance of their referees.

It is worth a mention that Rebecca Welch the first female referee to officiate an EPL game in Burnley’s win at Craven Cottage, needed no VAR appraisals nor drew any criticism over her match officiating. The obvious conclusion to me is that the PGMOL need to widen the talent pool from where they draw their match officials.

One’s to watch: Zeki Amdouni, Lyle Foster and Wilson Odobert are the obvious threats to the Villa defence. Scoring goals at this level is a problem for Vincent Kompany and unless urgent recruitment is forthwith the conundrum will undoubtedly continue.

For the Villains, Ollie Watkins, Matty Cash and John McGinn undid Burnley at Turf Moor in the reverse fixture. The Villains have netted 40 times this season and have amassed 39 points already, Burnley have in comparison scored 19 times and have got 11 points on the board.

Verdict: It’s hard to see the Clarets getting anything out of this game but I predicted the same gloomy scenario when we recently visited Brighton and Fulham. One thing is for sure the Clarets have now acquired a never-say-die attitude but a repeat of the 3-1 score-line played out at Turf Moor in August seems the likeliest outcome to me.

Footnote: Vincent Kompany has acquired a bevy of wingers since he took over from Sean Dyche at Burnley, none of them yet look to me to be in the same class as Tony Morley who the Clarets sold to Saturday’s opponents.

Capped 6 times for England, Morley went on to become a ***** part of the Villa side that won the League Championship in 1980–81 and the European Cup the following season.

I can clearly recall his brilliant dribble and subsequent cross to set up Peter Withe to score the winning goal against Bayern Munich in the final. Can the likes of Mike Tresor and Wilson Odobert go on to become the “New Tony Morley?” I hope so. (TEC).

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[sinkov]

Besides, it's our bogy ground Villa Park innit, at least it was when I was a lad, we might have had the best team in the country, but a win at Villa Park was always a step too far, Jimmy Mac or no Jimmy Mac.

[Supersub6]

Besides, it's our bogy ground Villa Park innit, at least it was when I was a lad, we might have had the best team in the country, but a win at Villa Park was always a step too far, Jimmy Mac or no Jimmy Mac.

A fact firmly etched into my mind too, sinkov. Absolutely anything at Villa Park will be a bonus.

[WillPark]

Vincent is a man who likes to break records... have we not won at Villa Park?

[Supersub6]

Vincent is a man who likes to break records... have we not won at Villa Park?

We have beaten Villa 9 times in 61 visits to Villa Park. The last win was May 2015 by 1-0 with Danny Ings scoring in the 6th minute.

[sinkov]

A fact firmly etched into my mind too, sinkov. Absolutely anything at Villa Park will be a bonus.

Two Cup Semi-Finals there as well Sub, against Spurs and Fulham, didn't win those two either, one draw, one defeat.

[Supersub6]

Two Cup Semi-Finals there as well Sub, against Spurs and Fulham, didn't win those two either, one draw, one defeat.

Yes, I was there for both of them and at Leicester for the replay which Jimmy Robson won for us.

[sinkov]

I was at Villa Park for both games, I have this abiding memory of a perfectly good Jimmy Robson goal against Spurs being ruled out for a non existent push on a Spurs defender and the goal in front of the Burnley fans being festooned with toilet rolls, simple pleasures in those days.

I didn't go to Leicester, I think I was at school that day and just couldn't make it. Did you skive off Sub ?

[Supersub6]

I was at Villa Park for both games, I have this abiding memory of a perfectly good Jimmy Robson goal against Spurs being ruled out for a non existent push on a Spurs defender and the goal in front of the Burnley fans being festooned with toilet rolls, simple pleasures in those days.

I didn't go to Leicester, I think I was at school that day and just couldn't make it. Did you skive off Sub ?

SKive off? Certainly not! As a brass player I sometimes used to suffer from minor throat infections (not helped by shouting at football matches) and, conveniently, I had a minor infection when the semi replay was played and a lift from home to the match and back ---I wasn't going to miss it lol.
If I'm honest though ---yes ----I skived off!

[Tap in MN]

SKive off? Certainly not! As a brass player I sometimes used to suffer from minor throat infections (not helped by shouting at football matches) and, conveniently, I had a minor infection when the semi replay was played and a lift from home to the match and back ---I wasn't going to miss it lol.
If I'm honest though ---yes ----I skived off!

I was at both games and remember details of the Fulham game clearly but have no recollection of the play at Villa Park. Maybe this was because I was standing safely in the middle of a bunch of Spurs supporters as was possible in those days. I thought they looked a bit different but was too dumb to know they were Jews as many Spurs fans are. Nothing anti-semetic here I assure you.