Holy Moses, do we have any players left? After the dire performance v Middlesbrough, our team really do owe the fans one, trouble is we’ve been here before. The funny thing is Blues are dire at home, we are dire away. No, on second thoughts, it isn’t funny at all is it? The Midlands clubs this year appear to be competing for who is the worst in the region. How the mighty have fallen! (and when I say Mighty, I of course mean Villa, not Small Heath!!) Anyway, I think fans are at the stage where they expect very little fight from Villa, and just as you start to give up, they often surprise, so lets hope…..sorry, I’m not even doing a good job of convincing myself. Injuries or not, all we want to see as Villa fans is a bit of bottle and the willingness to battle. Not too much to ask is it?
Vital Quotes:
DOL says of Taylor: ‘I’d have no qualms about fielding Stuart for his debut, none at all. He’s been doing well for us in the reserves and has got up to the pace of what we need. He’s getting used to the environment here. If he has to go in he won’t let us down. Without a doubt he’s a good man to have knocking on the door and when he gets his chance he’ll take it.’
He also says they need to ‘make amends for that (Boro) performance’ which he has described as a ‘joke’
Jlloyd says on his icons site: ‘It’s not like any other match, and there’s a special excitement surrounding it. But my feelings about it are the same as always really. We know what we’ve got to do; it’s just a case of whether we do it or not.’
Steve Bruce says: ‘Gargle, gargle, gargle’ (If you haven’t seen the advert you can just assume I’ve gone off my rocker)
Birmingham City Team News:
Dunn completed 45 minutes in a reserve game but having been out for five months, he surely can’t be thrown straight back in? Kilkenny returns from a ban but Cunningham and Butt are both still suspended, from what the article doesn’t say. (From) Maik Taylor, Melchiot, Martin Taylor, Tebily, Upson, Clapham, Pennant, Johnson, Clemence, Gray, Lazaridis, Heskey, Forssell, Pandiani, Jarosik, Vaesen, Kilkenny.
Player to watch: Emile Heskey
Heskey, not only because of his first class dives, but also because – whether any good or not – he gives 100% and can score.
Aston Villa Team News:
Hughes, Baros and Phillips are doubts. Sorenson has a hamstring injury so Stuart Taylor is on goalkeeper alert (whatever that is!). DOL has already ruled out McCann, Delaney and Hendrie. Angel only arrived back from Paraguay yesterday so hasn’t been able to train until today. If he plays, as expected, he will be making his 150th appearance for Villa. (from): Taylor, Samuel, Mellberg, Ridgewell, Cahill, Bouma, Milner, Berger, Bakke, Davis, De La Cruz, Jumper Jumper, Barry, Angel, Moore, Phillips? Sorensen? Baros?
Player to watch: Luke Moore
Or whover is fit?! Could Luke he be our local hero on Sunday?
Match Facts & Stats
Villa are 16th with 6 points.
Best case: 12th if we got more than 5 goals and other results went right! Worst case: gulp….lets not think about it.
Current form league: 17th.
Last six matches: D W L D L L
Villa are 20th in the away form league with no wins, 1 draw, 3 losses.
Birmingham City are 15th with 6 points.
Best case: 12th with goal differences but more realistically up a place or two.
Current form league: 16th
Last six matches: L W L D D L
Birmingham are 19th in the home form league with 4 games played, 0 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses.
Last season Birmingham City 2-0 Aston Villa (Heskey, Gray)
Premiership record: Birmingham 4 wins, Villa 0 wins, Draws 2 .
Record in Premiership at St Andrews: Birmingham 2 wins, Villa 0, Draws 1
Ref Watch:
Graham Poll. 8 matches, 1 red, 29 yellows.
Match Prediction:
Right, Mystic Mug would usually predict a loss with this sort of away from and his positivity has been killed by our poor performances. However, it is against the religion of Villa fans to back Small Heath above Villa, so Mystic is saying 1-1. In other words, expect a five goal thriller.
Next Fixtures:
Oct 22 WIGAN
Oct 29 (Man City)
Nov 05 LIVERPOOL (12.45) Sky ppv
