Villa

[Beeks]

1-1 Dunney header from a corner...then we equalise with a goal mouth scramble and an Ade toe poke

2 points from 3 Matches?

You've lost me there Jim?!

[walmai]

Villa represent one of our 'success stories' this term, given that we took four points off them (home victory, nil each at theirs).

Their best attributes are:

1. Very tight 'back three' in Friedel, Dunne and Collins
2. Young's crossing/shooting
3. Carew's height and strength - he's going to be detailed to be getting up front and personal with yr reserve keeper all match - and
4. Milner's all round play.

but they also seem a bit sluggish in other departments.

Both sides will score and a lot will turn on how geed up each team is by its respective coach.

O'Neill has the easier rallying talk than Mancini, because he can bill this as the cup final that never was (after coming so close in the actual cup competitions). Its shit or bust for them, whereas Mancini might bargain that a point is enough.

2-1 City, but only if you take the game to them with pace and determination across the first eleven.

[john@staustell]

1-1 Dunney header from a corner...then we equalise with a goal mouth scramble and an Ade toe poke

2 points from 3 Matches?

You've lost me there Jim?!

Scum, Arse, Villa - 2 points.

No we'll beat Villa, Clattenburg or not.

[Fish111]

We should beat them imo. They are not very impressive at all and i agree with one of their own ex-pros when he said they are in a false position. The best they could hope for is a draw which will be a disaster for us. Dunne is a liabilty and is being carried by Collins, Milner is very good so stifle his play and you stifle Villa, Ashley Young is overated and Bridge should have him in his back pocket, Carew is too old and not very mobile any more and then there's Heskey.....

If we cannot beat Villa, especially at home, then we do not deserve a CL place.

[The Foggy Blue]

We shouldn't be making a fuss out of this fixture. It's ours to win.

They lost 7-1 at Chelsea only last month (and then 3-0 in the Cup). Scraped a win over Portsmouth and calamitous Hull just before a narrow narrow win in the Brummie derby (that could easily have gone the other way).

The only thing that the City squad, and fans, should fear is themselves and a lack of belief.

Enough negativity, lets play our game, get the win we deserve and move on to the cup final with spuds on Wednesday. Simples

[Fish111]

Totally agree. I watched the games against Hull & Pompey and they were awful, add the drubbing handed out by Chelsea and it goes to show that this game is there for the taking.

[Ted Hughes]

We're a better side than Villa already & potentially & much, much better side than Villa so it's up to us to do the business against a fairly one dimensional team. If we defend the set pieces & crosses properly then we should be able to attack them at will & batter them. Birmingham were all over them & they barely have an attack.

[brite blu sky]

it only looked to me that Birmingham were all over them when Villa started to lose heart.. around the 70mins mark. However before that Brum were doing fine anyways..

i think if we dont manage to perform against Villa this weekend i am going to be start being concerned.. there were excuses against the rags and Arsenal, but against Villa there aren't. I expect us to take them apart and fairly early on at that so we can run roughshod over them and up our goal difference. Villa are organised but running on fumes.

[Rag_hater]

As long as we win and it doesn't rain I don't care what tactics we play.Me and my lad are coming over for this one.It was freezing last time we came hope its warm this time

I dunno, I think the rain would help us and I don't care if you get pissed on mate! ;)

I don't care what tactics we play either, as long as we win. I just feel we won't get a win if we approach with as much caution as every other time!

Most people think that if it hadn't rained when we played Burnley we would have scored more goals.The rain hindered us.So I'll go along thinking playing in the rain is shit.