It’s the most important game of the run-in to the end of the season this weekend as Aston Villa look to leap-frog the blue scousers after a particularly enjoyable 5-1 victory over Birmingham City. 5-1!
Come eh lad, you startin? Eh eh eh, calm down calm down it’s a slightly delayed preview from Vital Villa!
Vital Quotes:
Next season will be harder to attain a European qualification place.
That is the view of Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill who as ever is keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground (as his transfer exploits doth show!) Speaking to avfc.co.uk the boss said:
“I know Everton qualified for the UEFA Cup last season with 58 points so it’s been a strange old season this time around.
“I bumped into David Moyes a few weeks ago at Preston and he told me that 61 points were enough to earn Everton fourth spot in the Premier League – and a Champions League qualifying spot – three seasons ago.”
Personally I very much doubt that the Irishman and the Scotsman just so happened to both visit the site of the very first KFC branch in the United Kingdom, so one wonders just what Mr O’Neill was up to.
Anyway, finger lickin’ aside MON added:
”The amount of points we have had to secure this season to be in with a chance of European competition has been a tall order. But we are still capable of doing it.
“I know all the fixtures – I know who Everton, Blackburn, Portsmouth, Manchester City have to play – you name it, I know it.
“Of course, you tick off what you think will happen in each game but it’s doesn’t always work that way.”
Statto, statto, statto!
Villa’s possibly outgoing captain (DON’T DO IT GARETH!) Gareth Barry believes that it is the manager that has proven to be key in Villa’s resurgent form of late on the back of disappointing defeats to the likes of Fulham and Sunderland.
Again warbling to the (DON’T DO IT!) official website Barry…warbled:
“We never gave up but when confidence drops and the form isn’t there, it’s difficult.
“The manager certainly played his part. He said we could still achieve something and insisted that we shouldn’t let the season just drop away and finish on a low. He deserves a lot of credit for that.”
Turning his attention to this weekend’s opposition (DON’T LEAVE GARETH!) he added:
”It will be a battle. It will be tough because they always keep it tight at home. They always seem to win by the odd goal because they have goalscorers in Andy Johnson and Yakubu.
“David Moyes has done a fantastic job at Goodison Park. They have finished regularly in the top seven and one season they broke into the top four. He deserves a lot of credit.”
DON’T LEAVE GARETH!
****
Meanwhile in a land where stereotypically car stereo’s are stolen, and yet the area has become European Capital of Culture (one of) David Moyes believes it times that the match against Villa is the perfect time for his side to bounce back.
The Toffee’s have collected just 5 points in their last 6 games whilst Villa have gone on and on and on in the last three amassing a whopping 15 goals against Bolton, Derby and BIRMINGHAM!
“There is no getting away from the fact we have had a dip in form but we have got three big games to go, starting against Aston Villa on Sunday.
“We want to keep going right until the end of the season and I still believe we can regain our form. The lads are ready and that has been pleasing to see.”
“This is an exciting game for us, it’s what football is all about.”
“These are the games that you want to be involved in.
“It is important for both clubs but we know how much is riding on it for us. I wouldn’t say it is ‘winner takes all’ though.
Everton Team News:
Leon Osman is set to return from a hip injury and Moyes is sweating on the fitness of Mikel Arteta who has had multiple injuries.
It would appear that Tim Cahill may have suffered from a lack of confidence in the NHS, or has added a holiday on top of an operation to repair his broken foot. The Australian international has flown all the way down under for the procedure that could surely have been undertaken within the British Isles?
Player to watch: Yakubu
Yakubu has gone quiet recently after a good middle portion to the season, expect him to look to bounce back at some point possibly some time soon maybe, or not.
Aston Villa! Team News:
Aston Villa will be without Craig Gardner once more as he hasn’t quite recovered from his injury just yet.
BBC are reporting that goalscoring hero (well he scored at one point) Gabriel Agbonlahor has a slight cold but he should feature.
No other news, pretty dull…5-1!
Player to watch: Big JC
2 more goals makes life somewhat interesting for big JC as he crawls his way up the Premier League goalscorer chart.
Come on JC, do it again!
Match Facts & Stats
Firstly a double-header pre-match fact music medeley!
Firstly, eventually, is Dolly Parton singing her hit song “Nine to FIVE.” You can even sing along!
Secondly, it’s time for Chesney Hawkes with “The One and Only.”
As you can perhaps tell, Aston Villa defeated their closest rivals Birmingham City 5-1 last weekened.
It was funny, I laughed!
Liverpool is home to Liverpool F.C. including Steven Gerrard, the Beatles and people who have curly hair, dodgy moustaches and exclaim “eh eh eh calm down calm down calm down” a lot. I believe this is all you may need to learn should you be venturing to Goodison Park this weekend.
London Mayor candidate (voting next week) Boris Johnson once had to apologise to the entire city after the publication that he was editor for quoted the people of Liverpool’s mentality as a “deeply unattractive psyche.”
Sylvester Stallone is allegedly an Everton fan, but I don’t believe it in the slightest! A bit like Tom Hanks liking the Villa because he thought it a nice place to stay!
Ref Watch:
The referee for the match this weekend is none other than Phil Dowd.
Match Prediction:
1-0 Villa in this one. I don’t expect us to hammer Everton 8-0 unfortunately.
Next Fixtures:
It’s a Vital Villa bash pre-Wigan on the 3rd of May which I can’t attend, so you are all rather lucky!
