Aston Villa Preview

[USABlue]

Can't see us winning this one to be honest. Rovers to lose more ground.

[Presty On Tour]

c'mon folks whats wrong with you all?

we've only lost 2 league games all season and were almost in December.

Alot of people use the phrase "a must win game" to often these days but in all honesty I've got a feeling this game could shape our season. Win this and we will leapfrog villa and and are nicely setup big style but a defeat will see us lose ground on the chasing pack.

The successful times this season have been well tidy, i really hope we don't throw it away.

Blackburn to win, mgp, reid and savage maybe to score!!

[roversmum]

It's like this, Presty. Lads have a habit of not turning up for these sort of matches. It will be interesting to see what happens tonight. It is a match we should win but we are the mighty Rovers and.............................

[Dunnfc]

Jan - we are going to win and we are going to break this habit! With Dunn, Cruz, Benni returning i cant see us losing so cheer up or has the christmas gloom got to you all?

[AggyBlue]

What's this then, we have a game tonight?

Better make a few phone calls

[savage8]

Although I went with 1-1 on the questions from the Villa fan, ive changed my mind.

3-1 Rovers in a close, physical and very entertaining match. I can see the players coming back making a real diff (RSC and Dunny) and having Benni fit with JR to come on and play as he did last week will make us so much stronger.

I hope he replaces the Axe with Dunny and keeps Tugay in the XI, MGP and Bents on the flanks with Emerton back to RB.

But maybe Hughesy will do nothing of the sort. Not a bad looking squad is it really ?!

3-1

RSC,McCarthy and a late breakaway goal from MGP, Dublin for them.

20,001.

[Dunnfc]

Although I went with 1-1 on the questions from the Villa fan, ive changed my mind.

3-1 Rovers in a close, physical and very entertaining match. I can see the players coming back making a real diff (RSC and Dunny) and having Benni fit with JR to come on and play as he did last week will make us so much stronger.

I hope he replaces the Axe with Dunny and keeps Tugay in the XI, MGP and Bents on the flanks with Emerton back to RB.

But maybe Hughesy will do nothing of the sort. Not a bad looking squad is it really ?!

3-1

RSC,McCarthy and a late breakaway goal from MGP, Dublin for them.

20,001.

[RevidgeBlue]

Very rare this happens but we're facing an absolutely crucial period of three successive home games in ten days which will probably make or break the campaign.

A good return from them and we should be nicely set up for a crack at top six/top four in the second half of the season.

A poor return and mid table mediocrity beckons. Minimum seven points out of nine required I feel.

As for tonight's game, there's a lot of pessimism flying about. Villa are no great shakes from what I've seen.

2-0 to us.

[Ozz]

I don't know a lot about Villa, or come to that not much about football in general, but I do know about Rovers, and this season, barring the Greek Tragedy we have been very hard to beat. O'Neill will know this too, and I guess his selection and tactics will reflect this, and they could make it very hard for us to get behind them.

However, with Benni looking like he is OK, and a rested RSC, plus Dunn, Reid and Savage all in contention again I think we will have enough to edge past them. But I think it will be tough, and tight. A bit like Taggart was.

And finally, I would love it if we put 3~4 past them, just because the Celtic debacle when MON was in charge still rankles with me!

[joey_big_nose]

Villa started poorly but have really picked up. on the attacking front they have very scary speed and a good hold up man in Carew. Whats a little worrying is that as we lack pace we like to play quite a high defensive line and get Emerton and Warnock seriously involved to overload the opposing defence. Unfortunately this leaves acres of space behind us for Ablonghor, Young and co to exploit, in many ways a far more dangerous proposition than the compact Liverpool team we faced in our last home game.

Hughes is no mug and will probably play deeper to compensate and keep the full backs more reigned in but this will have the knock on effect on our attacking game. I'm no expert but I have a feeling that if our full backs can't get involved too much our main route in will be through our strikers skill, which is impressive, and our central midfielders who are both coming back from injury which is less than ideal. The wingers will have to play tight defensive games out wide.

The side I would like to see presuming everyone is fit:

----------------------Cruz

-------------------McCarthy

--Dunn-----Savage-----Reid---Bentley

-Warnock---Nelsen---Samba--Emerton

------------------Freidal

I guess we need an early goal so we can afford to sit back a bit and negate Villa's pace. If we find ourselves chasing the game they could murder us.

1-1 (Cruz, Carew).

[Mozzer]

steven reid starting-as much as i would love that to happen, i dont think starting the game would help him..we need to ease him back slowly..hopefully he could get a good 20minutes today, then maybe come into contention to start against west ham...

[Plastic Head]

Blackburn Rovers 3 Aston Villa 2

Samba 3 (1pen) Our Bungalow 2

[Ozz]

If this rain keeps up, game may have to be re-arranged. Again.

[modes98]

If this rain keeps up, game may have to be re-arranged. Again.

Hope not, I'm leaving from the midlands in about an hour

[tcj_jones]

Wicked, didn't think McCarthy was fit for tonight's game. Reid looked bereft of confidence on Sunday, it was clear to see even in his little cameo. I don't think he is ready to start. Emerton has been playing consistently well this season, so no reason to drop him. Pedersen, on the other hand, hasn't shown anything for a long time. It's time for him to be dropped.

I'd go with a starting line up of:

Friedel

Emerton / Samba / Nelsen / Warnock

Bentley / Savage / Tugay / Dunn

McCarthy / Santa Cruz

I reckon we'll take this. 2-1.

[Cheshireblue]

We are good enough to beat any side outside of the top 4 at home. Villa won't fancy it much and with a full compliment in midfield we will win this pretty easiliy. I'll say 3-0.

For me, the bigger issue is who will play in the middle. On current form, I'd go with Dunn and Savage, but I'd love to see Tugay in there.

[budha]

ROVERS: Friedel, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen ©, Warnock, Bentley, Emerton, Mokoena, Dunn, Santa Cruz, McCarthy. Subs: Brown (GK), Savage, Pedersen, Reid, Roberts.

ASTON VILLA: Carson, Bouma, Mellberg, Laursen, Barry ©, Young, Carew, Agbonlahor, Knight, Petrov, Reo-Coker. Subs: Taylor (GK), Harewood, Davies, Berger, Gardner.

From the official site. Emerton playing as CM again or at left?

[G Somerset Rover]

Feel a bit sorry for Roberts after his excellent performance on Sunday. But I guess you'd have to say that Benni Mac and RSQ are easily our most potent front two. Bit worried about Ooijer at right back, but Hughes knows better than me so expect him to have a cracker!

[John]

No defender on the bench, but I can understand as Emerton could drop to right back if needed.

Looks like a case of trying to fit everyone into the squad for me.

Plenty of attacking options, but I feel we are in for a really tough game (hope I am wrong).

[USRoverME]

looks like we started a bit shaky but are coming on...

[Tango]

Couple of early Villa corners, since then we've played some lovely stuff and Carson's already made three half-decent saves.

[Alex Rover]

Apparently Benni looked level for his disallowed goal

[USRoverME]

Of course, it's the Souness Lady Luck... Howlers in an England shirt, doing a Brad Freidel imiation in his Villa kit...

[Presty On Tour]

reading the updates on skysports too?

looks like benni is coming off?

[Nelsta]

0-1..carew..bums