Newcastle V Aston Villa

Yonks ago :shock:

Was it the day the two Newcastle players started fighting , Bowyer & ????

VillaBill wrote:Was it the day the two Newcastle players started fighting , Bowyer & ????

kieran dyer
na we won that 3-0. i think!

I'm trying to find the positivity that I felt a week ago, but I just can't find it as hard as I try..

villabromsgrove wrote:I'm trying to find the positivity that I felt a week ago, but I just can't find it as hard as I try..

I'm the same, I believe it's because Stoke were primed for a Villa win.

1) Nothing to play for;
2) Depleted team;
3) They'd just had two consecutive 4-1 defeats including one against Blackburn;
4) First game at Villa Park for a new Villa manager; which
5) Came off the back of a win against Leicester that was inspired by his half-time team talk.

Yet we didn't just not win, we lost, and in farcical fashion.

The fact that Stoke didn't particularly deserve to win makes it even worse in a way; it's almost like, well, we deserved something out of it, but we're that crap that we'll still find a way to lose.

The second half performance was... alarming. But I figured, "Well, okay, we've been on our knees so while it's frustrating, we haven't been beaten and we're out of the bottom thr- VLAAR WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

I've struggled to regain any positive thoughts since then.

kimbo wrote:VLAAR WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

I've struggled to regain any positive thoughts since then.

Well, for a start Vlaar won't be playing on Saturday!

kimbo wrote:

villabromsgrove wrote:I'm trying to find the positivity that I felt a week ago, but I just can't find it as hard as I try..

I'm the same, I believe it's because Stoke were primed for a Villa win.

1) Nothing to play for;
2) Depleted team;
3) They'd just had two consecutive 4-1 defeats including one against Blackburn;
4) First game at Villa Park for a new Villa manager; which
5) Came off the back of a win against Leicester that was inspired by his half-time team talk.

Yet we didn't just not win, we lost, and in farcical fashion.

The fact that Stoke didn't particularly deserve to win makes it even worse in a way; it's almost like, well, we deserved something out of it, but we're that crap that we'll still find a way to lose.

The second half performance was... alarming. But I figured, "Well, okay, we've been on our knees so while it's frustrating, we haven't been beaten and we're out of the bottom thr- VLAAR WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

I've struggled to regain any positive thoughts since then.

At the moment we don't have the guts to win league matches. As you say, we found a way to lose against Stoke even though it looked unlikely. Worrying isn't it.

Clark said in his blog piece that Stokes equaliser was down to a momentary lack of concentration.

But this is the very highest level of football where a moment like that can and will finish you. And I feel it's a hangover from Lambert who never seemed to instill any kind of guts and steel into this side. No determination, no will, no vision, no nothing!

And that's going to be harder to turn around than the lack of pass-and-move football.

But Sherwood is supposed to be an enthusiastic chap. And whilst that will only get you so far for so long before you actually have to start getting better at football, as long as it gets us over the line (I mean, above the line) come the end of the season, that's good enough for me....

....for now.

Good news is Richardsons injured, but unfortunately Cissokho is an injury doubt too as is Hutton so god knows what we are going to end up with in defence, Zog at left back and Lowton at right back at this rate.

He'll go with Baker and Lowton or Bacuna if the full backs don't make it.

The worrying news is that Sherwood said Benteke is breaking the net in training so looks like a poor performance is waiting for us on Saturday!

Seen that Carver is still bitter about that day we stuck the final nail in their relegation coffin...a reason to have them all fired up??

thegaffer6 wrote:Seen that Carver is still bitter about that day we stuck the final nail in their relegation coffin...a reason to have them all fired up??

Yeah, I found that to be really petty. I can understand it a bit with the fans (it's not like we don't mention Bradford) but for someone at the club to do it, that's poor.

24 hours from now I'm going to be sh*tting myself.

Sherwood will go with the ones that are responding in training. Who that is remains to be seen.

But I'd guess at Guzan, Hutton, Baker, Clark, Okore, Sanchez, Westwood, Delph, Sinclair, Gil, Benteke.

villabromsgrove wrote:24 hours from now I'm going to be sh*tting myself.

Big night tonight?

villabromsgrove wrote:24 hours from now I'm going to be sh*tting myself.

I won't, I'll be pissed and at St James' Park full of hope!!

kimbo wrote:

villabromsgrove wrote:24 hours from now I'm going to be sh*tting myself.

Big night tonight?

A home cooked curry and a few beers, but I'll be fine . It'll be Villa supplying the laxative at 3pm tomorrow!

Its imperative that we get something from this game, if only to try and get some confidence back into the side.
Unfortunately I am beginning to fear the worse, we have to stop losing and be difficult to beat but above everything else we have to SCORE goals!

I am going for a draw, if we lose it won't be the end but it will be another nail in the coffin and there are already too many nails in it for comfort!

We have to man up lets go for the win ffs. Ok short on confidence get the first tackle in and make it count. Start winning the second ball, have the shot even if it over or wide. Lets make the day count. VVTID. 
I am cacking myself i want us to win but take a draw. This could be the chance to start the season. Come on you Villa  boys. 

The nerves are going to be a big part of this game, and conferdence.
We cannot switch off and start looking to get into the dressing room after 45 minutes, play to the whistle.
It's a big game draw or win this game will give the team conferdence and that is what we are lacking at the moment.
I just hope Tim can get this team up for this game come on the villa.

Lewis Kinsella, a 20-year-old left back from the reserves, could start. I wonder if he's in reserve? As much as I would prefer to see Clark and Okore in the middle, I think I'd rather Baker started with them and Lowton (who has something to prove and who has a wicked cross) unless Kinsella is particularly good and has been training with the first team.

I think on the plus side we have Sinclair and Gil in the team, they're both in form and an actual threat, much more so than Weimann and Gabby have been all season. I'd still like to see Weimann and Benteke playing together up front but I have faith in Sherwood. He doesn't have any time to work out his preferred starting line up though, remember it took Lambert a whole season to work out who went where?

FoxyAV wrote:Lewis Kinsella, a 20-year-old left back from the reserves, could start. I wonder if he's in reserve? As much as I would prefer to see Clark and Okore in the middle, I think I'd rather Baker started with them and Lowton (who has something to prove and who has a wicked cross) unless Kinsella is particularly good and has been training with the first team.

I think on the plus side we have Sinclair and Gil in the team, they're both in form and an actual threat, much more so than Weimann and Gabby have been all season. I'd still like to see Weimann and Benteke playing together up front but I have faith in Sherwood. He doesn't have any time to work out his preferred starting line up though, remember it took Lambert a whole season to work out who went where?

I would argue it took Lambert 3 seasons and he still didn't have a clue!

Sherwood has moved the reserve team training onto the pitch next to the first team so he can watch them as well as the first team whilst they're training. Isn't it nice to talk about a manager who has good ideas!?

Just be aware of this if traveling to Newcastle and keep out of trouble:

http://www.fsf.org.uk/blog/view/nufc-villa-pegida-rally

Lowton: I don't know whether he doesn't like the Villa or just didn't like Lambert. Either way, I've seen nothing from him in a long time that makes me think he's worth a shot. But if he IS given a go and disappoints, then for me that's him done.

No time for kids now, either. Best players, best positions, well drilled, disciplined and concentrating for the full 90+ minutes. That's what's needed.

Think I would give Clark the captains armband as he epitomises what is required from the whole team, one of the few who leads by example (i.e. his tackle against Leicester)!