Aston Villa vs Man Utd match thread

Bounty Hunter

Aston Villa vs Man Utd

VS

Where: Old Trafford
When: Saturday Dec 12th @ 5.30

interesting stat:

Villa have gone 24 games without a win against Manchester United in all competitions. In league games only, United are unbeaten in their last 27 meetings with Villa (W20, D7). This is currently the longest winless sequence in the league, and the second-longest sequence in top flight history - behind only Tottenham's 32-match streak without a victory over Chelsea from 1990 to 2006.

expected starting Line-up for Villa:

......................Friedel

L.Young....Cuellar.....Dunne....Warnock

A.Young....Petrov.....Milner.....Downing

................Gabby....Carew


a guess at uniteds line-up:

........................PIG

Fletcher....Carrick.....Vidic....Evra

Valencia...Gibson...Anderson..Giggs

.........Rooney....Owen/Berba


really think Villa have a good chance to get a long awaited win over united this time but it will be a lot harder than the right side of uniteds defense above suggests. Villa have however raised their game so far when playing tyhe bigger teams (Victories against Chelsea and Liverpool) so im going to be optimistic with my Prediction.

Prediction: 2-1 to Villa
with goals from Gabby, giggs and Carew

Mark Lawrenson on BBC Sport wrote:

Man Utd v Aston Villa (1730 GMT)

Manchester United have lots of injuries in defence, but they also have lots of good footballers - and good footballers are able to play in most positions.

People should not be surprised that they have managed to cope with people in makeshift positions so far.

United are likely to have Wayne Rooney back in their side on Saturday - while Nemanja Vidic and Dimitar Berbatov could also feature.

Even so, Villa are quite buoyant at the moment and will play on the counter attack at Old Trafford with their wide men pushing on.

Verdict: 1-1

mayordenis

Got to go with Villa. 15-0

Bounty Hunter

mayordenis wrote: »

Got to go with Villa. 15-0

yep you got to, only logical score line really
......

btw this is an ESPN game folks

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Old Trafford Date: Saturday, 12 December 2009 Kick-off: 1730 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio, Final Score, live on ESPN & highlights on Match of the Day

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United's injury-hit side should be bolstered by the return of Dimitar Berbatov (knee), Wayne Rooney (hamstring) and Nemanja Vidic (flu).

Ryan Giggs could start after being rested against Wolfsburg, with defender Ritchie de Laet - ineligible in midweek - also available.

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has no new injury worries.

James Collins is back in training after three weeks out with groin and calf problems and could play some part.

Man Utd

Suspended: Scholes (one match)

Doubtful: Brown (hamstring), Van der Sar (knee)

Injured: Evans & Ferdinand (both calf), Fabio (groin), Hargreaves (knee), Macheda (unspecified), Neville (groin), O'Shea (thigh), Rafael (leg)

Aston Villa

Doubtful: Gardner (back)

Injured: Bouma (toe), Davies (shoulder)

MATCH PREVIEW

This is currently the biggest mismatch in the Premier League: since Manchester United's defeat at Villa Park on the opening day of the 1995/96 season, which famously prompted Alan Hansen to declare 'you win nothing with kids', they have gone 27 league games unbeaten in this fixture, and won 12 of the last 13. No other club has ever had such a stranglehold over Villa.

Villa have two big lads up front in Emile Heskey and John Carew, but Nemanja Vidic is the one player who can cope with all that - we're delighted that he's back

Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson

Martin O'Neill's side came within a whisker of breaking that sequence at Old Trafford in April, only for Cristiano Ronaldo and another of Sir Alex Ferguson's 'kids', the then-unknown 17-year-old Federico Macheda, to turn the game on its head.

That result was credited with tipping last season's title race in United's favour, and a similar result on Saturday would be an important step on the road to a fourth successive title.

United go into the game in the midst of an injury crisis, with eight defenders absent from the midweek win over Wolfsburg, and Ferguson may again be forced to name at least two midfielders in his back four.

Villa head into the game riding high in fifth and, with victories over Liverpool and Chelsea already this season, will not be overawed at facing the champions despite that abysmal record. Victory at Old Trafford would see the Midlands club move into the top four, until Sunday at least.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Villa have gone 24 games without a win against Manchester United in all competitions. In league games only, United are unbeaten in their last 27 meetings with Villa (W20, D7). This is currently the longest winless sequence in the league, and the second-longest sequence in top flight history - behind only Tottenham's 32-match streak without a victory over Chelsea from 1990 to 2006.

• Villa's last win over United was 13 October 1999, when they beat the under-strength visitors 3-0 in the League Cup third round.

• The last time Villa avoided defeat at Old Trafford was 1-1 on 26 October 2002. Their last win at the stadium was in 1983.

• Wayne Rooney has scored five goals in his last five Premier League starts against Aston Villa.

606: DEBATE
Have your say on this match

Man Utd

• Man Utd are the only team in the Premier League who have not dropped any points from a winning position in the league this season.

• They have lost only one of their last 31 Premier League matches at Old Trafford.

• United have scored 11 goals in their last three league outings.

• Paul Scholes has scored 99 Premier League goals.

Aston Villa

• After drawing a blank against Wigan on the opening day, Villa have found the net in their subsequent 14 Premier League matches.

• Martin O'Neill's side are the only team in the Premier League not to have lost a game against the current top 10 in the table.

• Villa have scored a league-high eight goals from corners.

• The Midlands club have won 99 Premier League games away from home.

LEADING GOALSCORERS

Wayne Rooney

Man Utd

Rooney: 12 goals (11 league); Owen: 7 (2 league)

Gabby Agbonlahor

Aston Villa

Agbonlahor: 8 goals (7 league); Milner: 5 goals (3 league)

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Assistant referees: David Richardson & Phil Sharp

Fourth official: Mike Jones

LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

Man Utd (W4-0 v West Ham, a): Kuszczak; Fletcher, Neville (Carrick 34), Brown, Evra, Gibson (Berbatov 67), Anderson, Valencia, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney (Owen 72). Subs not used: Foster, Park, Nani, De Laet.

Aston Villa (W3-0 v Hull, h): Friedel; L Young, Dunne, Cuellar, Warnock, A Young, Milner, Petrov, Downing, Agbonlahor, Heskey (Carew 78). Subs not used: Guzan, Sidwell, Delph, Reo-Coker, Beye, Clark.

MOST RECENT MEETING

Man Utd 3-2 Aston Villa (5 April 2009)

Man Utd scorers: Ronaldo 14, Ronaldo 80, Macheda 90

Aston Villa scorers: Carew 30, Agbonlahor 58

ROCKMAN

mayordenis wrote: »

Got to go with Villa. 15-0

Hope your right home team winning 15-0

mayordenis

ROCKMAN wrote: »

Hope your right home team winning 15-0

I was doing it in alphabetical order.

ROCKMAN

mayordenis wrote: »

I was doing it in alphabetical order.

United still comes before Villa

mayordenis

ROCKMAN wrote: »

United still comes before Villa

No Aston comes before Manchester

And if you want to go back words you should do it properly United lose out again to Villa

ROCKMAN

Then say Aston Villa , not

mayordenis wrote: »

Got to go with Villa. 15-0

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Anyway cannot see anything but a Manchester United win

mayordenis

ROCKMAN wrote: »

Then say Aston Villa , not



:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Anyway cannot see anything but a Manchester United win

Further to your point, and as I already pointed out, I'm going backwards starting with the "a" in Villa.

eagle eye

Have to say I am really enjoying the indepth preview from you guys.:pac:

mike65

Jesus Rockman grow up!

Villa will not get a better chance to spurn a victory.

One Cold Hand

Wow so much intelligence in this thread!

Come on Villa!
I think Villa will score (we've scored in the last 14 games) so for me it's a case of how many we conceed. This is our best chance in yonks to do united, but they still have bags of class.

lordgoat

1-0 thanks to a dodgy pen, please and thanks.

villains77

hoping for a good win today bout time we started to beat man utd we beat liverpool and chelsea so y not make it man u and arsenal this month

JerryHandbag

2-1 United. Owen to score

Son Of A Vidic

It might be Villa's best chance for a win in years because due to the injury crisis, Utd are playing in defence - Parker, Moran, Irwin and Viv Anderson:D

rossie1977

utd usually have it pretty comfortable against the villa at OT (well except last year), can't see it changing, villa are playing well but i wouldn't want to play man utd at this moment in time, defensive crisis or not, they are banging in the goals, left, right and centre

3-0 utd

JPA

The Villa midfield of Young-Petrov-Milner-Downing could cause many many problems for United today or vice versa, Villa will be too open.

eagle eye

I would be very surprised to see Milner play in the centre if its a two man midfield for Villa. I am aware that Reo-Coker is not too popular with O'Neill anymore but I think he and Petrov would win that midfield battle hands down if they face Gibson and Anderson. However I don't expect to see that midfield pairing for United, its just too inexperienced for this game.

I'll wait until I see the lineups before I make a prediction. I'll say this right now though, if United start with the lineup in the OP I would fancy Villa, they just look way stronger in the one on one matchups of those two sides.

Le King

Think it will be 1-0. Rooney to score quick. Carrick to prove he is a rock solid centre half.:rolleyes:

villains77

2-1 to the villa gabby and carew

Tom65

medicman2009 wrote: »

It might be Villa's best chance for a win in years because due to the injury crisis, Utd are playing in defence - Parker, Moran, Irwin and Viv Anderson:D

What are you talking about? That is a solid defence!

Paul Tergat

Dunno why Villa are the first name, made me have to go lookup to make sure it was united actually at home.

This is a game where Carrick will really be tested both against a big man up front and a very quick forward.

MementoMori

Have to fancy Villa in this - definately due a bit of fortune against Utd.
Also I fancy Villa against teams who are going to play attacking football, as one of their strongest attributes is their ability on the counter-attack.

Dave!

2-3

PHB

I can never ever go into this game without being conident of victory. I'm just so used to winning it

Even with our injuries I still think we'll do enough.

villains77

PHB wrote: »

I can never ever go into this game without being conident of victory. I'm just so used to winning it

Even with our injuries I still think we'll do enough.

we will see come later tonight. UTV

orourkeda

medicman2009 wrote: »

It might be Villa's best chance for a win in years because due to the injury crisis, Utd are playing in defence - Parker, Moran, Irwin and Viv Anderson:D

An off the ball fan are we?

orourkeda

PHB wrote: »

I can never ever go into this game without being conident of victory. I'm just so used to winning it

Even with our injuries I still think we'll do enough.

YOU'RE used to winning it are YOU?

YOU'LL be playing in it next

Nalz

can we stick to the game lads!

I fear United could slip up here today

villains77

i hope you do slip up

Boggles

3-1 United.

Things going nicely at the moment in London

lordgoat

villains77 wrote: »

i hope you do slip up

meh if we do it's not the end of the world... lot of football between here and may. (The season goes til may not just the end of feb/march...)

villains77

(The season goes til may not just the end of feb/march...)[/quote]
no way your not serious !!!!!!!!!!!

Dave!

villains77 wrote: »

(The season goes til may not just the end of feb/march...)
no way your not serious !!!!!!!!!!!

He's actually correct about that yeah !

CHD

I hope Villa win. I hate yous United people.

villains77

Dave! wrote: »

He's actually correct about that yeah !

i was being sarcastic :rolleyes:

Neil3030

Mixed feelings about how Villa should line up today.

It would definitely be good to have either of the big men Heskey or Carew test the makeshift United defence.

But hat would mean 4-4-2 as O'Neill will never drop Gabby. And a midfield of Petrov and Milner might be a bit lightweight, especially later on when Petrov runs out of puff.

starbelgrade

Chelsea v Everton....

If it stays at 3-3 in London, a 7-0 win will put United top on goal difference!

orourkeda

starbelgrade wrote: »

Chelsea v Everton....

If it stays at 3-3 in London, a 7-0 win will put United top on goal difference!

Nice

villains77

7 nil dont think that going to happen man

starbelgrade

villains77 wrote: »

7 nil dont think that going to happen man

Probably not!

eclectichoney

team from MUTV:

PIG
Fletch Brown Vida Evra
Carrick Ando
Valencia Giggs Park
Rooney

bench: Foster Owen Berb Welbeck Obertan Gibson De Laet

Great to have Brown back in there in CB!

JPA

What liar Fergie is. Categorically stated Carrick was starting CB.

Villain

We don't beat UTD, draw is best we can hope for but not expecting anything tbh

James Forde

FFS Owen should have started

lordgoat

villains77 wrote: »

(The season goes til may not just the end of feb/march...)
no way your not serious !!!!!!!!!!!

Well Villa seem to stop turning up after feb/march so i said i'd remind you. Went way over your little head though...


Decent team, good to see one or two of them coming back at least.

JPA

Friedel
Young
Dunne
Cuellar
Warnock
Young
Milner
Petrov
Downing
Agbonlahor
Heskey

Substitutes
Guzan
Reo-Coker
Delph
Collins
Beye
Carew
Sidwell

villains77

lordgoat wrote: »

no way your not serious !!!!!!!!!!!

Well Villa seem to stop turning up after feb/march so i said i'd remind you. Went way over your little head though...


that was last season mate.

NaiveMelodies

JPA wrote: »

What liar Fergie is. Categorically stated Carrick was starting CB.

he might yet, brown rb and fletcher centre mid

Dave!

eclectichoney wrote: »

team from MUTV:

PIG
Fletch Brown Vida Evra
Carrick Ando
Valencia Giggs Park
Rooney

bench: Foster Owen Berb Welbeck Obertan Gibson De Laet

Great to have Brown back in there in CB!

Would have preferred Owen or Berbatov to start up top also

Strong team though, not as bad I had feared