Looking ahead - A.Villa vs Chelsea FC

[cyberworm314]

Previous form guide:

Villa won their Saturday game at home against Fulham through a last-minute Maloney goal. Their job was made easier after Baird was sent off in the 68th minute.

Manager Martin O'Neill was banished from the dugout after lambasting Steve Bennett.

Villa now sit 10th in the Premier League excluding Sunday's matches but with a game in hand, just about bettering their form of the previous season.

Previous results: LDW

Villa 1 - 2 Liverpool

Villa were unlucky to lose a hard-earned draw after Gerard snatched his 88th minute winner.

Newcastle 0 - 0 Aston Villa

A defensive display by Villa managed to keep out the Newcastle attack, a wise plan after Newcastle had scored 3 in the opening 30 minutes at Bolton.

Villa 2 - 1 Fulham

Captain Gareth Barry's work rate was excellent and Villa's hardworking tactics will be put to the test against Les Bleus..

Blues Form Guide: WWDW

3-2 Birmingham

1-2 Reading

1-1 Liverpool

1-0 Porstmouth

Probable Villa line-up (barring midweek injuries:)

22 Scott Carson

3 Wilfred Bouma

5 Martin Laursen

4 Olof Mellberg

20 Nigel Reo-Coker

6 Gareth Barry

26 Craig Gardner

19 Stiliyan Petrov

11 Gabriel Agbonlahor

10 John Carew

7 Ashley Young

This is a 4-3-3 with Agbonlahor and Young supporting the strong central striker (similar to Drogba) John Carew.

Possible Chelsea team:

4-4-2

Cech

Terry Carvalho/BenHaim (Carvalho if he recovers) A.Cole (definitely, since Bridge will be out for a month), rightback is anyone's guess.

Possibilities at rightback include Ferreira, Belleti, Glen Johnson and Essien, who did play RB against Pompey.

In midfield, Mourinho could adapt a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2.

For the 4-3-3:

Lampard (centre) Malouda (left) W.Philips or J.Cole (right)

Pizarro (right) Drogba (centre) Shevchekno (left)

Unlikely as this line-up seems, it is certainly possible.

The more plausible lineup would have Lampard and Mikel in the centre, with Joe Cole on the right and Malouda on the left,

and Drogba + ? in the centre.

Mourinho would be wel placed to hand Shevchenko his first start this season.

Villa Park has never really been a fearsome ground. This fixture should see us emerging victorious. It would be a bonus to keep a clean sheet.

An open affair should be expected, as is common with 4-3-3 formations.

Comments?

This is my 2nd post

[Plavi26]

I'll say same line-up as for Pompey on the exception of Belleti (or Paulo) sarting at RB and Essien playing in the middle (Mikel on the bench). Also I predict a similar score, but I think they will be less attacking then Pompey.

[loz]

What Villa do possess is a lot of pace on the flank and also through the middle with Agbonlahor, added to that is the fact that Carew is more mountain than man (though a decidedly average striker).

As such we must play orthodox right back (and it will probably be Belletti) and Terry has to dominate the high balls.

I see us getting a 1-0 and I have a bad feeling it is going to be a horrible game of football to watch - away at Villa is rarely pretty.

[Guest Brian M]

What Villa do possess is a lot of pace on the flank and also through the middle with Agbonlahor, added to that is the fact that Carew is more mountain than man (though a decidedly average striker).

As such we must play orthodox right back (and it will probably be Belletti) and Terry has to dominate the high balls.

JM give Alex his first start against Villa mate (along side JT). For the very reasons you've pointed out.

[High Street Ken]

What Villa do possess is a lot of pace on the flank and also through the middle with Agbonlahor, added to that is the fact that Carew is more mountain than man (though a decidedly average striker).

As such we must play orthodox right back (and it will probably be Belletti) and Terry has to dominate the high balls.

JM give Alex his first start against Villa mate (along side JT). For the very reasons you've pointed out.

I got the impression from previous posts that Alex isn't that quick and agile (maybe a Brazilian Huth), which may be a problem with Agbonlahor running at him in his first game. It's not as if we've got the swift Riccy to cover either.

[Gem]

This is the fixture I dread most... Liverpool away? Mancs away? N0 - Aston poxy Villa away.

A win please

[Guest Brian M]

(maybe a Brazilian Huth)

Is a Brazilian Huth code for when a German gets his privates waxed?!

Still, that could explain why Mein Fuhrer gets grumpy all the time. All that re-growth must be a b*tch...

[Valerie]

That's 2 polls for gentlemen only from Cyberworm, in THIS forum?

Villa is fast developing into our hoodoo opponent, we always seem to drop points when we play them. I wonder why that is, they're not much better than average IMO, but on their day they can close us down fast and interrupt our passing play. And on come the long balls.... How about we get more robust against them, run them down more. We need to dominate midfield more than we have done in the last 4 matches. Essien to midfield, give a start to Belletti.

Prediction: 1-1

[High Street Ken]

That's 2 polls for gentlemen only from Cyberworm, in THIS forum?

Don't worry, Valerie. I have it on good authority that he has a poll in the pipeline on the relative merits of popular hair products.

Brian has a pole in his pipeline too but that's another story altogether!

[cyberworm314]

Sorry about the sexist demeaning-isms.

The reason why I've grown used to that is by watching lots of John Dykes and his panellists, Steve McMahon, Shebby Singh (this is the ESPN StarSports package which is available in Asia.) And on most football discussion channels, the leading panellist will ask the others for their opinions on the scoreline.

Unfortunatey the poll question can't be changed.

I would like to add that I forgot one of the more common scorelines - 0-0.

If you expect Chelsea to fire blanks and Villa to play like Reading (when they faced Man U, Reading threw 10 men behind the ball) you'll have to post your qualititative comment.

[High Street Ken]

The reason why I've grown used to that is by watching lots of John Dykes

Too many jokes!

Sorry, I'm being infantile, but my excuse is it's Sunday.

[Sofa Manager]

I agree with loz here. Mr. "super tactician" O?Neill is a #1 disciple of goat beard Benitez and loves to stiffle the oposition.

I predict an awfull match with a 3-0 to us, and Carew scoring an own goal.

[mbh]

2-0 Chelsea, it's always 2-0, just ask Lawro.

[Loud and Proud]

I don't normally do predictions but as the last two away games at Villa have been 1-1 and 0-0, i'll go for a low scoring draw.

[Valerie]

Sorry about the sexist demeaning-isms.

And the men who don't consider themselves gentlemen might feel aggrieved too.

[Gem]

The Mancs are playing on Saturday and us on Sunday, meaning they can go two points behind. Why don't we just play on the same bloody day, it seems last season they kept on playing before us meaning phycologically they were better off and I think affected us in the end.

[g3.7]

didn't we JUST play the day before them?

[Gem]

Hmm...

I don't think I said anything about us playing before them this season. I said last season they constantly had that mental advantage over us because they played first and had the chance to expand the gap. I hope that doesn't happen again.

[g3.7]

yes- so you did. sorry- can you tell I'm beginning to see conspiracy theorists everywhere?

aston villa- I saw them against newcastle and against liverpool. they're rubbish (notable exceptions are ashley young and gareth barry). they do two things- long ball to carew, and get the ball to young. stupid, overrated manager, dull, dull football. for once, let's take 3 pointd from them.

[mad_mac]

I cans ee this being an ugly game of football, but would love for us to go up there and put on a class and walk out with a 0-2 win. I always fear Villa away, a few to many 1-0 loses I can remember.

I like Gareth Barry, adn think that he is a standout player for Villa, and he can be dangerous.

I think this could be a squeeked 1-2

Scott

[TomP]

I think we will see another 4-4-2 as we are away against a reasonable-quality defensive-minded mid-table side.

............................Cech............................

Belletti.......Ben Haim.....Terry.............Cole

SWP...........Essien........Lamps.........Malouda

.................Drogba.......Pizzaro...................

I think the team more or less picks itself.

I think Belletti will be given the nod at right back after he was blooded against Pompey, and now has a week of training under his belt.

I think Ben Haim is Carvalho's replacement, and Alex is JT's - so for that reason, I think TBH will keep his place. He's been pretty solid really. His only fault I can remember is for the Torres goal, and he wasn't really hugely at fault for that - he was just done for pace and movement by a quality striker. He won't be the last quality defender that Torres does that to this season.

[cyberworm314]

I notice Villa have a preference for penalties, all penalties are inevitably taken by their captain Barry.

Barry is a hard worker and was the Man of the Match last week.

Me, I'd like to see shevchenko at least on the tench.

[abramovich]

(maybe a Brazilian Huth)

Is a Brazilian Huth code for when a German gets his privates waxed?!

No Brian, i believe this particular process is called Waxing Zee Ballacks.

[Alan]

2-0 Chelsea win for me.

[callista]

Aren't Aston Villa a bit of a bogey team for Jose?

Ashley Young apparently played very well in their last match and gave the Fulham defence a torrid time - don't much like the sound of that with our defence comings and goings.

It would be lovely to win but I think it will be a draw.

And of course the media will want us to lose because they just adore Martin O'Neil for some reason.