Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM

by **Sandie** Mon Nov 23, 2015 2:36 pm

So after last weekend's away day horror we return home to the factory of sadness and face Watford. I'd call this a must-win game but frankly it's a cliche and we're now in the situation that they're all that. Nothing less than a win will do here.

We face Watford. They were a team many were tipping as potential relegation candidates pre-season but they're 13th and 11 points ahead of us. It won't be an easy game as much as we think it might be when we hear the words 'recently promoted side'. They don't get hammered and they've beat Swansea, Newcastle, Stoke and West Ham this season all of whom you could argue are better sides than we are.

So what do we think will happen on Saturday? What do we need to do to fend off the hornets? Have your say.

by **Sandie** Mon Nov 23, 2015 2:37 pm

I must be mad but I predict a 2-0 win. Ayew with both.

by **villabromsgrove** Mon Nov 23, 2015 4:37 pm

I never thought I'd see the day when we were second favourites at home to Watford! Somehow it's come to this, and just wishing for three points isn't going to make it happen. Watford are battlers and we are not. Unless Garde can transform the mindset of our bunch of wobblers (I nearly typed "cowards"), we are going to get turned over by a team that would never have been the bookie's favourites in the past for this match at Villa Park.

Lose 0-1 or 1-2.

by **villabromsgrove** Mon Nov 23, 2015 4:44 pm

How I long for the likes of Mellberg, Laursen, Taylor, Mortimer, Evans, Milner et al. Players who never gave up, and were prepared to battle for Villa! Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM 205019816

Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM 205019816

by **Sandie** Mon Nov 23, 2015 4:58 pm

Legends to a man there. I don't see any players who could occupy the status of those guys or even the likes of Petrov or Angel with our fans amongst the current crop.

I think that for this one Sanchez has to play, he isn't the player he is for Colombia for us but he is our best holding midfielder. Gana is a great player but for a defensive midfielder he doesn't work hard enough to track back which can cost us. Westwood is too weak and shouldn't play for the moment, especially with the other two as that is just so stifling to our play. So the midfield should be Gana, Sanchez and Veretout.

Elsewhere, Richardson is too weak defensively. Having Jack in front of him who does absolutely no defensive work (and if he does try he does it poorly) doesn't help him. I'd like to see a hard worker like Sinclair or maybe even N'Zogbia who has played left back in front of him on the left. Gil to play on the other side.

The only problem I see left is whether or not to stick with Guzan?

by **villabromsgrove** Mon Nov 23, 2015 5:17 pm

I agree with you about Sanchez, Gana and Vertout.

I'm still thinking about the defence, because we don't have a proper wing back now that Amavi's injured. Do we go for a tough but less mobile defence or do we still look for our RB/LB to get forward. Either way Okore has to come back into the team now, and somehow avoid further injury.

Guzan has better skills than our other keepers, but his confidence is shot. I don't have an answer for this problem. scratch

by **Sandie** Mon Nov 23, 2015 5:56 pm

villabromsgrove wrote:I'm still thinking about the defence, because we don't have a proper wing back now that Amavi's injured. Do we go for a tough but less mobile defence or do we still look for our RB/LB to get forward. Either way Okore has to come back into the team now, and somehow avoid further injury.

Could N'Zogbia do the job? He played there for Newcastle, I think, and could be a possible answer at LB?

I don't fancy Bunn as a keeper. For me it would be a choice between giving Steer a shot (I rate him!) or trying to rebuild Guzan's confidence somehow. Part of that might be a total vote of confidence.

by **villabromsgrove** Mon Nov 23, 2015 7:13 pm

Sandie wrote:
villabromsgrove wrote:I'm still thinking about the defence, because we don't have a proper wing back now that Amavi's injured. Do we go for a tough but less mobile defence or do we still look for our RB/LB to get forward. Either way Okore has to come back into the team now, and somehow avoid further injury.

Could N'Zogbia do the job? He played there for Newcastle, I think, and could be a possible answer at LB?

I don't fancy Bunn as a keeper. For me it would be a choice between giving Steer a shot (I rate him!) or trying to rebuild Guzan's confidence somehow. Part of that might be a total vote of confidence.

I'm starting to believe that the only thing that will sort out Guzan's lack of confidence is playing behind an organised strong defence, and that ain't going to happen any time soon. Perhaps we did need Steve Round after all.

by Ivan Kraschinsky Tue Nov 24, 2015 8:19 pm

Hi everyone, first time poster but i do check this site out quite regulary(some great reads).
VB i am also obsessed with our defensive conundrum and i really think that going ultra defensive is the only way we will survive. A back four of Okore,Clark,Lescot and Richards sounds a safe bet for me and im sure it would also bring the best out of Guzan. I feel sorry for our keeper.I really do believe he would be talked about as one of the leagues best if he played in any other team.

by **villabromsgrove** Tue Nov 24, 2015 8:26 pm

Welcome Ivan. Good post, I'm a Guzan fan as well but he's been ropey lately because of the naff state of the defence he's playing behind.

Keep the posts coming, there's a lot to discuss about Villa at the moment. Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM 4288271622

Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM 4288271622

by **Sandie** Tue Nov 24, 2015 8:58 pm

Welcome Ivan. Interesting idea about that back four. I think in the modern game full backs have become so important as a creative force BUT our current main fullbacks are looking like Hutton and Richardson who are far from tremendous attacking forces so I'm not convinced they'd be a great loss if we went more defensive (and Clark and Richards have experience of playing fullback anyway).

I've stuck up for Guzan for a long time and only really started to lose faith in recent weeks. If you look at his stats over the last three seasons he IS amongst the top ranked keepers over that time. I know that stats can prove anything but in his first two/two and a half seasons as a regular with us we seldom had anything to worry about from him. It's not like it was a short period of time, it was two, even three seasons of being to that standard and he was one of our most dependable players.

by Ivan Kraschinsky Tue Nov 24, 2015 9:21 pm

Hi Sandie i do agree that neither Richardson or Hutton would be a loss to the team.In our current situation i would gladly sacrifice mobility for a ridged back four. Just stand and defend like how Sunderland did last night. Then its up to our midfielders to man up and start creating chances. God it sounds so easy on paper.

by Chris Harte Tue Nov 24, 2015 9:52 pm

We need three points.

After last weekend I fear it'll be one. Or less.

by Ivan Kraschinsky Tue Nov 24, 2015 10:05 pm

It does worry me that Watford have a lot of pace and strengh in their team. Watford will be so up for it as it's the easiest three points of the season for other teams.It seems the worse we get the harder teams come at us.It reminds me of a shark feeding frenzy, at the moment they all smell blood.

by **Sandie** Tue Nov 24, 2015 10:34 pm

It's the fear factor thing, I'm not going to say that people feared going to Villa Park but it's gone from 'Maybe we will get something but they're a big, established PL club' to 'We will get something, they're shockingly bad'. Troy Deeney, the Watford striker and a boyhood Blues fan, has already came out and said he'd love to score against us and the risk we'll put in the kind of performance that we did last weekend means that I'm not going to bet agaiinst him.

Ivan Kraschinsky wrote:In our current situation i would gladly sacrifice mobility for a ridged back four. Just stand and defend like how Sunderland did last night. Then its up to our midfielders to man up and start creating chances. God it sounds so easy on paper.

It's usually the first thing the likes of Allardyce and Pulis instill in their teams and those are the guys who have the reputation, however deserved, of being the men to beat the drop. Is it Garde's style? He started with so much promise in that regard against City (he had them very well organized) but we were worse than ever this season against Everton.

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Re: Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM

Re: Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM

Re: Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM

Re: Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM

Re: Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM

Re: Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM

Re: Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM

Re: Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM

Re: Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM

Re: Aston Villa V Watford: Saturday 28th November at 3PM