Aston Villa v Fulham pre-match thread

[Trotters]

Will lowly Fulham be able to do the double over us?
Will Lambert finally give up on Weimann?
Will he restore Lowton to the right back slot and let Leandro Bacuna back into the midfield?
Will Clark be dropped after his disastrous game at Old Trafford.

A loss here and it could put such a dent whatever remains of Villa's fragile confidence and see us get dragged once again into a relegation scrap. Could such a loss be the final nail in Lambert's coffin? Has a coffin even been ordered?

[Guest]

Another dour crap game at home like palace was with Fulham sneaking a 1-0 win - will the home crowd finally turn on lambert ?

[Guest]

A massive game for us this one. It could get very nasty if we do not win.
I have gone for a rampaging Villa win but i am not holding my breath.
Probably the lowest crowd of the Prem season for this one at VP.

[Guest]

Well, fail to take anything from this game and we are back in the relegation mixer as far as I am concerned.

Sick of what should be routine home wins against awful opposition becoming such 'must win' games year after year.

[Guest]

This game is not on tv over here so i will be trying to get it on a dodgy stream instead of watching it down the local.
I am not looking forward to it to be honest. It could well turn into the worst possible game of our shitty season.
Fulham at home should be a nailed on 3 points and here we are dreading the bloody fixture.
This is beyond bad, this is just bloody awful.

[Guest]

I am as sure of us losing this as I was that we were going to beat United.

God knows what the means the result will be.

[Guest]

This game is not on tv over here so i will be trying to get it on a dodgy stream instead of watching it down the local.
I am not looking forward to it to be honest. It could well turn into the worst possible game of our shitty season.
Fulham at home should be a nailed on 3 points and here we are dreading the bloody fixture.
This is beyond bad, this is just bloody awful.

Glad I will be missing it   

[Guest]

This game is not on tv over here so i will be trying to get it on a dodgy stream instead of watching it down the local.
I am not looking forward to it to be honest. It could well turn into the worst possible game of our shitty season.
Fulham at home should be a nailed on 3 points and here we are dreading the bloody fixture.
This is beyond bad, this is just bloody awful.

Glad I will be missing it   

I am giving serious thought to not watching it either. Just go to SSN at 5ish to check the score.

[Guest]

Two years ago I was in Brussels on a research trip and we were starting to look like relegation candidates. Anyway, that day (10 March) we beat Fulham courtesy of a really fluky Weimann goal in injury time.

never thought we'd be facing such a crucial fixture two years later.

[Guest]

I am usually positive about Villa pre-match.
I am finding it hard to raise a grunt for this game for some reason.
  

[Guest]

Two years ago I was in Brussels on a research trip and we were starting to look like relegation candidates. Anyway, that day (10 March) we beat Fulham courtesy of a really fluky Weimann goal in injury time.

never thought we'd be facing such a crucial fixture two years later.

That same day I was sat in an internet cafe in Times Square, New York, frantically hitting the refresh button on the BBC websites update of the games stats (having failed to find a bar showing the game itself). I got a few weird looks when an audible but stiffled "yes" faintly rang out as the score went to 1-0 very late on (it wasn't even midday there) but it set me up for a cracking rest of the day. I eventually saw the goal in one of the city's many fake Irish bars later that night.

Anyway, I think Saturday's game will be equally as fraught.

[Guest]

3-1 villa.

[Guest]

I voted a win, because we must. There is often one team that seems safe that gets dragged in, it could be us this year.

[Guest]

Two years ago I was in Brussels on a research trip and we were starting to look like relegation candidates. Anyway, that day (10 March) we beat Fulham courtesy of a really fluky Weimann goal in injury time.

never thought we'd be facing such a crucial fixture two years later.

That same day I was sat in an internet cafe in Times Square, New York, frantically hitting the refresh button on the BBC websites update of the games stats (having failed to find a bar showing the game itself). I got a few weird looks when an audible but stiffled "yes" faintly rang out as the score went to 1-0 very late on (it wasn't even midday there) but it set me up for a cracking rest of the day. I eventually saw the goal in one of the city's many fake Irish bars later that night.

Anyway, I think Saturday's game will be equally as fraught.

It's a game that will always stand out for me because of where I was and how relieved I was. It's probably the same for you?

I bet neither of us thought it was the sort of day that would become a yearly occurrence. Relying on a plucky win or a slice of fortune to preserve villa's Premier League status.

[Guest]

It does stand out for me.

Also, having been in Lanzarote about four months earlier for a win against Norwich, I was in the middle of a personal run of having not seen the Villa win in the flesh at home that extended to almost a calendar year. We'd beaten Wigan in the late-September/early-October time and I never saw another live win until early the next season.

Baring in mind I have/had a season ticket and those were the only two games I missed it just sums up our home form in recent seasons.

[Guest]

I voted a win, because we must.  There is often one team that seems safe that gets dragged in, it could be us this year.

I think sunderlands defeat last night may have been the death knell for them - they have an awful run in and at the best I can see thenm only making 35 points and that's being hugely optimistic for them .

Another lowly finish in the bottom 6 for is surely must see lambert shown the door.

[Richard E]

Even we can't fail to beat this lot. But we'll make heavy work of it. 2-1 Villa.

[Guest]

Even we can't fail to beat this lot. But we'll make heavy work of it. 2-1 Villa.

Richard, welcome.

[Guest]

Even we can't fail to beat this lot. But we'll make heavy work of it. 2-1 Villa.

I am Fergal :) and we will win :)

[Guest]

Even we can't fail to beat this lot. But we'll make heavy work of it. 2-1 Villa.

Welcome Richard, make yourself at home :)

[Guest]

Greetings Richard :) In a previous incarnation on H & V I was RogerS. I still am, it being my name and all. Wilkommen.

[Trotters]

Welcome, Richard.

I should have made the poll multiple choice. I'll bet my bottom dollar everyone would have picked all four, we're that unpredictable a team.

[Guest]

Welcome, Richard.

I should have made the poll multiple choice. I'll bet my bottom dollar everyone would have picked all four, we're that unpredictable a team.

I know. I never know which villa will show up. The utterly shit or the thrilling world-beaters.

[Guest]

In some of the games that the utterly shit one have played the most entertaining feature for our supporters has been that very uncertainty.

[Guest]

In some of the games that the utterly shit one have played the most entertaining feature for our supporters has been that very uncertainty.

Remember last season it got so bad around January people used to nearly laugh at how bad we were at defending corners and taking throw ins etc.

Even this season, around November, I can't remember if it was the Sunderland draw or the Cardiff win but there were spells in the game where I found myself tittering at some atrocious villa throw ins and some of our players' efforts to control the ball.

I know that's really bad, but it just looked like (Luna I think it was) had auditioned to be a footballer for a day.

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