ASTON VILLA THREAD

Swale_Gooner1985 · Post by **Swale_Gooner1985** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:46 am

Rob wrote:If you take Fab' out of our line up - then they are clearly better, at least on paper. Even with Fab' our line-up is distinctly underwhelming.

If this is how the teams face off, we'll do well to get a draw :-

Possible starting XIs
Arsenal: Almunia, Eboue, Gallas, Vermaelen, Silvestre, Fabregas, Song, Denilson, Walcott, Arshavin, Nasri.

Aston Villa: Friedel, L Young, Cuellar, Dunne, Warnock, A Young, Petrov, Milner, Downing, Heskey, Agbonlahor.

Dont be bloody daft! are you suggesting that player from player they are far better? I would rather have our whole back four over theirs! Traore is fit so Silvestre wont play!

Song is as good if not better than Petrov, Heskey is a joke and Arshavin is 400 times the player he is, and down the sides Nasri is better than Young who usually lacks an end product, I really hope Walcott doesnt play because he isnt good enough!

Milner is playing well for them at the moment, hopefully Fabregas will be back, and if not then Diaby will have to do bloody well as he did against Hull

Gooner Jim · Post by **Gooner Jim** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 1:21 pm

I would hate to say that having one player could be the difference between us winning and not winning this one but we do need Cesc. We cant start out with a midfield of song, diaby and Denilson it just doesnt work. We got away with it against hull but Villa is going to be much harder than that.

Vince · Post by **Vince** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 3:23 pm

Cameroon manager Paul Le Guen will let Song available for Arsenal until the African Cup. So he could play against Pompey aswell, and maybe against West Ham and Bolton. I'm not sure yet.
But Le Guen said on french tv about Song that he could play 3 other games with Arsenal to be fit during the ACN.

projoe · Post by **projoe** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 7:06 pm

-----------almunia------------
sagna-gallas-vermaelen-traore
-------------song--------------
------fab/diaby-denilson-----
nasri-----------------eduardo
------------arshavin----------

-----------friedel-------------
young-cuellar-dunne-warnock
downing-milner-petrov-young
-------agbonlahor-carew-------

prediction: arsenal 1-1 villa (thats being optimistic as we always lose big games, so deep deep down i think we'll lose

)

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 7:19 pm

Swale_Gooner1985 wrote:
Rob wrote:If you take Fab' out of our line up - then they are clearly better, at least on paper. Even with Fab' our line-up is distinctly underwhelming.

If this is how the teams face off, we'll do well to get a draw :-

Possible starting XIs
Arsenal: Almunia, Eboue, Gallas, Vermaelen, Silvestre, Fabregas, Song, Denilson, Walcott, Arshavin, Nasri.

Aston Villa: Friedel, L Young, Cuellar, Dunne, Warnock, A Young, Petrov, Milner, Downing, Heskey, Agbonlahor.
Dont be bloody daft! are you suggesting that player from player they are far better?

What I am suggesting, is that Villa side is far better balanced than the outlined Arsenal side and that assumes we have Fabregas fit. I can't see where a goal comes from in that line up, bar an Arshavin wonder-strike.

No Fab' = no creativity either.

Villa in contrast look strong on the flanks where our full backs are defensively weak and with Hesky or Carew as well as Agbonlahor as target men, they have forwards who can score.

But Wenger has once again been telling us about how if this teams sticks together, they will be "world beaters in 5 years". (Of course we heard the same when Hleb, Flamini, Toure and Adeybayour were in the side; and it was all important to "stick together" then. So we can draw our own conclusions on whether he's whistling in the dark, for the umpteenth time; or not).

So if it really is 'world domination', here's a nice place to start.

joematty7 · Post by **joematty7** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 9:28 pm

What is apparent is that Villa are a genuinely good side but we should win this one. I think they have put themselves under pressure what with beating Liverpool, United and Chelsea. However, if we play our normal game we will come away winners what with Arshavin constantly creating and scoring goals. In some ways I also think starting with Denilson and Diaby would not be a bad thing (if Song has not left for ACN by tomo) because they seem to work better together than when Fab plays who probably won't be fully fit tomo - maybe save him for the pompies etc? Also both scored against Villa last year at Villa park. We are due a big game result at the grove and we have not actually beaten Villa there yet. Make no mistakes, on the basis of todays results this game is huge and I really fancy us, the character we have displayed since the Chelsea freak show has been first class, its been a great come back so far and this is a defining moment, Wenger was premature as always prior to the last big game we had at home!

Post by **brazilianGOONER** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:25 am

Rob wrote:
Swale_Gooner1985 wrote:
Rob wrote:If you take Fab' out of our line up - then they are clearly better, at least on paper. Even with Fab' our line-up is distinctly underwhelming.

If this is how the teams face off, we'll do well to get a draw :-

Possible starting XIs
Arsenal: Almunia, Eboue, Gallas, Vermaelen, Silvestre, Fabregas, Song, Denilson, Walcott, Arshavin, Nasri.

Aston Villa: Friedel, L Young, Cuellar, Dunne, Warnock, A Young, Petrov, Milner, Downing, Heskey, Agbonlahor.
Dont be bloody daft! are you suggesting that player from player they are far better?

What I am suggesting, is that Villa side is far better balanced than the outlined Arsenal side and that assumes we have Fabregas fit. I can't see where a goal comes from in that line up, bar an Arshavin wonder-strike.

No Fab' = no creativity either.

Villa in contrast look strong on the flanks where our full backs are defensively weak and with Hesky or Carew as well as Agbonlahor as target men, they have forwards who can score.

But Wenger has once again been telling us about how if this teams sticks together, they will be "world beaters in 5 years". (Of course we heard the same when Hleb, Flamini, Toure and Adeybayour were in the side; and it was all important to "stick together" then. So we can draw our own conclusions on whether he's whistling in the dark, for the umpteenth time; or not).

So if it really is 'world domination', here's a nice place to start.

in your dreams

aston villa is better or more balanced side only in your dreams.

and that's all i have to say

littlefire · Post by **littlefire** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 2:59 am

Looking forward to this.

Glitch33 · Post by **Glitch33** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:43 am

Crucial game.

I am really looking forward to this game.

If Fab isn't playing AA will have to be on top form.

If we bomb too many forward in our typical style I can see us getting hit on the break. We will have at least one comedy moment in defence and we will pay for it.

I will be ecstatic if we win but my pessimism cannot see a win for us. It's too much to hope for.

EC3 · Post by **EC3** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:45 am

Big game today.

Win today and we are RIGHT back in it and with the injuries we have had this season that is a major achievement to the squard of players.

I have a feeling we are going to see a top performance, will be close though.

SWLGooner · Post by **SWLGooner** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 9:54 am

Yeah, I agree with EC3.

Hopefully the lads will raise their game.

Come on Arsenal!

nig1903 · Post by **nig1903** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:44 pm

Almunia

Sagna
Gallas
Vermaelen
Traore

Song
Denilson
Diaby

Nasri
Eduardo
Arshavin

Subs: Fabianski, Fabregas, Vela, Walcott, Ramsey, Silvestre, Eboue.

augie · Post by **augie** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:53 pm

If ever there was a 6 pointer then this is it. On one hand you think that a draw might be acceptable but on the other hand with the chavs failure to win yesterday and our inability to beat these scum (the eduardo chants 2 seasons ago still live in the memory

) in the grove to this point then maybe it is a must win game.

If sagna is fit and only on the bench then I will be one well pissed off Gooner today and I cannot see the logic of playing eboue right back ahead of him

It would be good to have cesc but only if he is 100% recovered cos bringing him back too quick and seeing him suffer a relapse is unacceptable.

Overall it goes without saying that this game will be won or lost in the middle of the park - with cesc playing we might edge them 2-1 but without him then I do worry that a draw will be the best we can get

SWLGooner · Post by **SWLGooner** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:59 pm

Come on... ...pre-match show on in 2 minutes.. ...been watching the cricket with my good friend Mr. Castle... ...COME ON ARSENAL!!

aw · Post by aw » Sun Dec 27, 2009 1:05 pm

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traore, Song Billong, Denilson, Nasri, Diaby, Eduardo, Arshavin. Subs: Fabianski, Fabregas, Vela, Walcott, Ramsey, Silvestre, Eboue.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Dunne, Cuellar, Warnock, Ashley Young, Petrov, Milner, Downing, Agbonlahor, Heskey. Subs: Guzan, Sidwell, Carew, Delph, Reo-Coker, Beye, Collins.