Villa...

[therosk]

McGinn's been a predictably brilliant signing. Signing of the season in the Championship after Pukki..... and McGoldrick.

He better play against Leeds. He's the last one I'd want missing for that game.

I can see us getting something there with the way we’ve been playing for sure. The only thing that screwed it for us last game against them was losing our testes at 2-0 up. Nowadays, the team seems a lot more determined and playing together so we should give them a real go.

Millwall tmrw and I’m going - if we can get ten on the trot then that’d be the perfect setting to face them. No more records to break!

 

[therosk]

Sorry but that’s confidential.

Loose lips sink ships...and all that

Ha, my arse.

It’s actually for a football fantasy thing I’ve got going and there’s two weeks left. Sharp has been in my squad for a while (it’s only based on goals scored) and his lack of goals recently has really round my bloody gears. Was hoping he’d get a start vs Ipswich next week.

 

[Eddiecolquhounsleg]

How’s Sharp looking for you? How long will he be out do you know?

Are you Dean Smith?

 

[therosk]

Are you Dean Smith?

I’m sure Smith has Hogan on speed dial.

 

[Guesty]

I’m sure Smith has Hogan on speed dial.

Which is fair enough, given how invested Leon appears to be in our promotion campaign.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Won't Villa want the psychological advantage of spanking Leeds knowing they may get them again in a play off final. If they can beat leeds on their own patch comfortably they will be happier about doing it at Wembley.

No they will want Grealish & Abraham rested and fully fit for the play offs. It would be suicide to risk them two when already qualified.

 

[JohnDenver]

McGinn's been a predictably brilliant signing. Signing of the season in the Championship after Pukki..... and McGoldrick.

He better play against Leeds. He's the last one I'd want missing for that game.

Grealish is the player I’d want on the pitch. Stats scream it. And plain old talent demands it.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

How would that work then - you saying Leedswill catch up 6 goals difference as well ?

If we won all three that 6 would become a minimum of 9 btw.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

McGinn's been a predictably brilliant signing. Signing of the season in the Championship after Pukki..... and McGoldrick.

He better play against Leeds. He's the last one I'd want missing for that game.

He’s better than his Bro int he?

Always liked him ever since he turned up at Wembley supporting us in one of those many failed play off finals.

 

[metalblade]

It all depends on if Villa want to be at home first or at the Hawthorns, by that will be a tasty affair me thinks.

 

[CarlMcBlade]

Let’s beat Dull first.......eh?

 

[Hodgesleftpeg]

This. Also on a personal note, IF we finsh 2nd and get autos, I'd love nothing more than for that odious little twat Grealish to score an OG in the final that means they lose. Ideally in the 8th minute of 5 mins added time. I'd love to put the tin lid on our season watching him sob his twatty little eyes out on the pitch at Wembley.

I’m the other way regarding Grealish.
I want him to score the winner in the 97th minute of the final against Leeds

I prefer Grealish to Leeds, at least their fans anyway

 

[JayGreen17]

Let’s beat Dull first.......eh?

Which isn’t going to be easy...

 

[blade too long]

They could put 6 past Ipswich.

What and we cant

 

[blade too long]

Hull 0 United 1
Brentford 0 Leeds 3

United 2 Ipswich 1
Leeds 2 Villa 0

Stoke 0 United 1
Ipswich 0 Leeds 4

Just saying

I'll give you any bet you want that Leeds won't win 3-0 at Brentford, a ground they haven't won at since 1950
So we will struggle to beat Ipswich by 1 goal at home and Ipswich will let their fans down by getting thumped in their last at home ......nah
More likely results reversed

 

[Champagneblade]

Funny how Villa seem to have been confirmed as the first team to promotion despite being 5th.

They are on a decent run but they also conceded 7 against the mighty Blades.

It's going to be a massive disappointment for the media if someone bursts their bubble in the playoffs! Not the last two games though

 

[blade too long]

Villa were hot favourites last season
But as we all know its a cup.competition the play offs and villa lost their last cup game

 

[wizadry]

Am I being overly pessimistic in saying that we could win all three and still finish third

I’d rather look at it and say if we win all 3 then we could be champions.

 

[Pinchy]

Villa fan here. I wouldn’t question our effort going into Leeds/Norwich. The only concerns are over Tammy (but Kodjia will take his place), and possibly resting McGinn (who has been immense, but if he gets two yellows he’s out of the playoffs). We will give it our all in each game and we certainly will want to put one over Leeds after they beat us earlier this season.

How’s Sharp looking for you? How long will he be out do you know?

Thanks for that. Apologies for the limited intellectual function in S2.

Aston Villa are a professional football team. Professional footballers want to win games. It’s in their DNA. It doesn’t switch on and off at will. It helps that Villa have some very talented individuals but the major premise applies to all players in all teams in any event. Those few who don’t have that mindset don’t stay in the game very long.

Once the whistle goes, players want to win. All the fans fallacies and Machiavellian theorising go out of the window.

Does anyone think Leeds lost to Wigan because they weren’t trying or because it didn’t matter all that much?

Sometimes, I despair.

 

[FallowfieldBlade]

They could put 6 past Ipswich.

So could we

 

[Pinchy]

So could we

Defective thinking, I’m afraid. Only other clubs do things like that.

We Other Clubs.

 

[Chali 2na]

Thanks for that. Apologies for the limited intellectual function in S2.

Aston Villa are a professional football team. Professional footballers want to win games. It’s in their DNA. It doesn’t switch on and off at will. It helps that Villa have some very talented individuals but the major premise applies to all players in all teams in any event. Those few who don’t have that mindset don’t stay in the game very long.

Once the whistle goes, players want to win. All the fans fallacies and Machiavellian theorising go out of the window.

Does anyone think Leeds lost to Wigan because they weren’t trying or because it didn’t matter all that much?

Sometimes, I despair.

Generally agree Pinchy, and I've no doubt Villa will want to win as it would still benefit them in terms of the play-offs.

Only issue is that your assertion that all footballers always want to win as it's in their DNA. I knew a player who used to play for a perennial championship side (never looked in danger of relegation but play-offs were very much an outside chance too.)
He said that part of the reason he left was that once it became clear that a potential play off push was off the cards, a minority of the players threw in the towel.

Not saying they didn't want to win, but according to him their motivation waned once the incentives were off the table. Apparently focus switched from football to the destination of summer holidays, at least for the players he mentioned.

 

[Pinchy]

Generally agree Pinchy, and I've no doubt Villa will want to win as it would still benefit them in terms of the play-offs.

Only issue is that your assertion that all footballers always want to win as it's in their DNA. I knew a player who used to play for a perennial championship side (never looked in danger of relegation but play-offs were very much an outside chance too.)
He said that part of the reason he left was that once it became clear that a potential play off push was off the cards, a minority of the players threw in the towel.

Not saying they didn't want to win, but according to him their motivation waned once the incentives were off the table. Apparently focus switched from football to the destination of summer holidays, at least for the players he mentioned.

Yes. I did cover such players, though. I doubt they’d get in the current Aston Villa team.

Some purported ‘Blades’ can’t wait to find reasons for us to fail, no matter how risible. Reasons they wouldn’t dream of advancing in our favour. The goal difference discussion is a paradigm example.

 

[super_pig]

I'll give you any bet you want that Leeds won't win 3-0 at Brentford, a ground they haven't won at since 1950
So we will struggle to beat Ipswich by 1 goal at home and Ipswich will let their fans down by getting thumped in their last at home ......nah
More likely results reversed

ha ha .. tbf they probably haven’t played there since 1950! but i agree beating brentford 3-0 on their own patch would be some result.. they’d do well to get a draw imho

 

[Chali 2na]

Yes. I did cover such players, though. I doubt they’d get in the current Aston Villa team.

Some purported ‘Blades’ can’t wait to find reasons for us to fail, no matter how risible. Reasons they wouldn’t dream of advancing in our favour. The goal difference discussion is a paradigm example.

I can half understand being a touch pessimistic after what seems like decades of us snatching defeat from the jaws of victory but you have to wonder though if said negativity eventually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[super_pig]

Yes. I did cover such players, though. I doubt they’d get in the current Aston Villa team.

Some purported ‘Blades’ can’t wait to find reasons for us to fail, no matter how risible. Reasons they wouldn’t dream of advancing in our favour. The goal difference discussion is a paradigm example.

agreed .. in fact it’s getting a bit surreal
in fact if i didn’t know most of these guys as regular posters over a number of years i’d be wondering

 

[Blade56]

It will be ManU vs West Ham and Liverpool vs Fulham all over again when we got relegated. Liverpool fielded a weak side and ManU players pulled out of every tackle so non of them would risk missing their cup final.

 

[blade too long]

ha ha .. tbf they probably haven’t played there since 1950! but i agree beating brentford 3-0 on their own patch would be some result.. they’d do well to get a draw imho

Theyve played there 8 times mostly in last 20 years
At time of writing it's 2-0 to the bees with 10 left so I think it sort of backs up my assertion

 

[super_pig]

Theyve played there 8 times mostly in last 20 years
At time of writing it's 2-0 to the bees with 10 left so I think it sort of backs up my assertion

i believe i agreed with you daft bugger