Aston Villa v Chelsea

You know that feeling when you don't want to do something but you have to do it, well that's how I'm going to feel about waking up on Saturday morning.

It will be like going to the dentist, with that "come on 3 o'clock let's get it over with feeling!"

What are your thoughts guys? (and no you can't use those kind of words on TBAR)

I'll be watching from the comfort of my living room. Probably whilst doing a jigsaw puzzle or something, just so I have a relaxing task to help me out.

I think we'll get comfortably beaten. Maybe not another drubbing but it'll be 3-0

In much the same way that Lambert tried to beat Bradford a year or two ago by playing something like five forwards to stand around waiting for someone (Ireland?) to punt the ball to them, I wonder if we'll see a repeat of the 4-2-4 formation Lambert tried out once 3-0 down at Arsenal.

If we're lucky Cissokho will be back (what's he done, btw? Can't he borrow Cleverley's pictures of Lambert in a lay-by late at night?) and Lambert will revert to 4-3-3 and long balls down to Benteke. While it's utterly depressing it's the tactic of Lambert's most likely to work, or at the very least result in a single-figure defeat and in an act of sheer desperation it's what he might revert to.

What will probably happen is the same 4-3-3, with Richardson at LB, Delph, a wildly misfiring Sanchez and Cleverley packing out the midfield and Benteke up front with Gil and Sinclair.

Can see it being even worse than the Arsenal game, heads have dropped and i don't see anything Lambert says making a difference to that. Add in his clueless tactics and the fact that Chelsea on their day can beat just about anyone and i see and absolute drubbing.

For some reason i was informed that rather than an air of desperation around BMH today it was infact very positive.
Now i am sure there is some sort of mind altering experiment going on at Villa. Must be something in the water or food that is keeping them smiling.
I am not going to predict any score this week as i always fuck up.
I just want a committed, skilfull, better performance and from some where a more confident performance.
If it does not happen in this game then we are done for.
Gil and Sinclair need to start and play very well.
Lets see what happens.
UTV.

0-2 Chelsea, The Chosen One will break his Villa Park hoodoo, but you never know, i arrived at this game last year more in hope than expectation ! UTV !

VillaBill wrote:0-2 Chelsea, The Chosen One will break his Villa Park hoodoo, but you never know, i arrived at this game last year more in hope than expectation ! UTV !

If a record needs to be broken on the negative side then Lambert is 100000000000000000% your man, sick of typing about the clown, just piss off Lambert, talk about a clown not taking the hint.

100% certain we will lose (I've put my money where my mouth is)

90% certain it will be by 2 clear goals

95% certain we won't score

85% certain we will get a real drubbing

110% certain Lambert will remain in position whatever the score

If Mourinho as good as manager as i think he is, he will play Remy on Saturday with Villa high line against Arsenal! Lambert ffs please dont play the high line on Saturday!

I think they might take it easy on us and after being 0-3 up after 30 minutes coast the rest of the game!

Remy will be out to prove a point with Costa still suspended.
They have exchanged one world class player in Schurrle with another one in Juan Cuadrado who will want to make an impression on his debut, probably off the bench. Fabregas could also be back for this game, all in all they have far too much for us.

Will Villa make a game of it, probably not judged on current performances, so we go again!

[quote="achilles"]I think they might take it easy on us and after being 0-3 up after 30 minutes coast the rest of the game!

Possibly, but they may need goal difference to clinch the League.

No pride in this team, unless the new signings get them going???
Heads will drop after the first goal, 4 - 0 to them.

19-0 to Chelsea is my prediction.

Reminds of that old joke: - so Loic Remy says to Mourinho "look boss, Villa are shit, why don't you and the rest of the team go off and enjoy your Saturday, I'll play them on my own, we'll still win" "Ok" says Mourinho "we'll go out on the piss and I'll ring you later to see how many you scored".
So Jose and the rest of the squad go out on the piss and leave Remy to play Villa on his own. They had such a mad night and got wrecked that Jose woke up the next morning, realising he hadn't checked the result. He switches on Sky Sports and saw Villa 0, Chelsea 1.
So he phones up Remy and when he answers says "Fucking hell Loic, that was a bit close, I thought you'd win by way more than that?"
"Yeah, sorry boss" says Remy, "I got sent off at half time........."

Coat/get/I'll etc.

God help me, I'm having to watch this game sober! Has anyone else watched the Villa sober this season, is it as bad as I am fearing?

(On high dose antibiotics, cellulitis in my elbow. Badly infected so it was this or getting admitted for IV antibiotics. Anything to avoid it getting septic seeing as I ignored it getting worse and worse for the past 4 days...)

I hope Lambert isn't thinking the same as the Arsenal game that if we sit back we'll get beaten anyway so might as wqell go for it.

I'm expecting to see Benteke, Weimann, Agbonlahor, Gil and Sinclair all in the line up because with all those forwards on the pitch then surely we must score?

I'm sure I've seen a manager try that before ...

Villa_Dan wrote:God help me, I'm having to watch this game sober! Has anyone else watched the Villa sober this season, is it as bad as I am fearing?

(On high dose antibiotics, cellulitis in my elbow. Badly infected so it was this or getting admitted for IV antibiotics. Anything to avoid it getting septic seeing as I ignored it getting worse and worse for the past 4 days...)

Dan, as your attorney, I don't advocate that you do anything sober. Ever.

De Kuip wrote:

Villa_Dan wrote:God help me, I'm having to watch this game sober! Has anyone else watched the Villa sober this season, is it as bad as I am fearing?

(On high dose antibiotics, cellulitis in my elbow. Badly infected so it was this or getting admitted for IV antibiotics. Anything to avoid it getting septic seeing as I ignored it getting worse and worse for the past 4 days...)

Dan, as your attorney, I don't advocate that you do anything sober. Ever.

I rarely do, I'm at a loss for this weekend!

Is Vlaar available for Saturday does anybody know?

If he is...then he will start, which means in my opinion we will go with 3 at the back, as we did last season at home against Man City (have a look at our starting XI for that game by the way....we are so much stronger now on paper, it really beggars belief to see us now)!!

Anyway, with 3 at the back the question will be does he play orthodox full backs as wing backs, or gamble?
I think Richardson would be a better WB than Cissoko, but he was poor last week so may get the boot. Cissoko is better defensively. Question is I suppose, will Lambert go defensive...or will it be shit or bust?
I think Hutton will play but his delivery is poor at times, Lowton is probably a better WB but seems to have disappeared from the scene. Bringing him back may be an idea to try and change things.

Benteke will obviously play, and hopefully some of the negativity around him from various commentators this week may have given him a kick up the arse.
I would love to see Sinclair start, as well as Gil obviously, but that would leave room for only 2 CM's, and we may get exposed in the middle of the park....but hey, we do anyway, so I would go with the greater attacking threat at home. If Gil and Sinclair 'sit in' when we don't have the ball, and the WB's for a 5 man defence, we may be able to stifle Chelsea enough to stay in the game. Going forward, this team should be capable of finding the net....it really should!

So this would be my starting XI versus Chelsea....the system would really need Benteke to put a shift in...he needs to drag Terry and Cahill/Zouma out of central areas, for Gil, Sinclair and Delph to exploit. If he continues to be static, it won't work...Weimann may do a better job to be honest!

Villa_Dan wrote:God help me, I'm having to watch this game sober! Has anyone else watched the Villa sober this season, is it as bad as I am fearing?

(On high dose antibiotics, cellulitis in my elbow. Badly infected so it was this or getting admitted for IV antibiotics. Anything to avoid it getting septic seeing as I ignored it getting worse and worse for the past 4 days...)

A couple of beers with high dose antibiotics and you'll be in a happy little bubble.

Um, not that, er, I'd know, because, er, it's not like, um, I've ever, er, done that.... 

Mardybum72 wrote:Is Vlaar available for Saturday does anybody know?

If he is...then he will start, which means in my opinion we will go with 3 at the back, as we did last season at home against Man City (have a look at our starting XI for that game by the way....we are so much stronger now on paper, it really beggars belief to see us now)!!

Anyway, with 3 at the back the question will be does he play orthodox full backs as wing backs, or gamble?
I think Richardson would be a better WB than Cissoko, but he was poor last week so may get the boot. Cissoko is better defensively. Question is I suppose, will Lambert go defensive...or will it be shit or bust?
I think Hutton will play but his delivery is poor at times, Lowton is probably a better WB but seems to have disappeared from the scene. Bringing him back may be an idea to try and change things.

Benteke will obviously play, and hopefully some of the negativity around him from various commentators this week may have given him a kick up the arse.
I would love to see Sinclair start, as well as Gil obviously, but that would leave room for only 2 CM's, and we may get exposed in the middle of the park....but hey, we do anyway, so I would go with the greater attacking threat at home. If Gil and Sinclair 'sit in' when we don't have the ball, and the WB's for a 5 man defence, we may be able to stifle Chelsea enough to stay in the game. Going forward, this team should be capable of finding the net....it really should!

So this would be my starting XI versus Chelsea....the system would really need Benteke to put a shift in...he needs to drag Terry and Cahill/Zouma out of central areas, for Gil, Sinclair and Delph to exploit. If he continues to be static, it won't work...Weimann may do a better job to be honest!

No Cleverley? Oh Mardy, you so craaaazy!


I'm not sure Sinclair will start actually, simply because it's been so long since he played football that we won't be looking to play him twice in 4 days, so I suspect it will be another cameo sub (possibly again when it's too late to do anything about it) but he'll start in the more 'winnable' game against Hull.

You could be right Mr Kimbo....I suppose Weimann and Cleverley will play, and he could well drop Okore for Vlaar again if Vlaar is fit

I dared to dream before the Arsenal match, and again when the 5th goal went in, at last Lambert will never survive this new humiliation. It seems he's inviolable (is that the right word?) and this means that all we've realistically got to look forward to in the Chelsea match is more misery. Just how much remains to be seen.

What on earth goes through Tom Fox's head?

Any decent person ( manager ) would have left, put his hands up and admitted that he cannot manage our football club.
How can the players play for Lambert , he has lost the dressing room,
I cannot understand why Tom Fox has not done anything to sort out the mess.
Lambert is in zombie land, and he has the players playing like zombies, it's just another horror story.

Don't give up hope everybody ... Joe Cole is fit and in contention!