It seems like I've said this a few times already this year, but this is an important match and we really do need three points.

We need three points because we've got ten games left this season and fourth place is still a possibility, especially when you look at the run in Liverpool and Everton have. It won't be easy, but it rarely is.

Middlesbrough visit us on the back of a humiliating defeat at the weekend and they're only four points above the relegation zone, despite sitting twelfth in the table. They need the points as badly as we do, just for different reasons.

The thing is, I can't see them bringing anything to the table that we've not already seen and dealt with this season. The game will very much be dictated by how we perform, and that's one of the attributes Martin O'Neill has brought to the club.

We have a much higher level of consistency this season over ninety minutes. Over the ninety minutes we're a different team this season to any from the past few.

I'm sure you know my prediction for this match so I'll not spend too much time telling you why I think we'll win, I'll just say that I think we're a better team than Middlesbrough and despite them coming at a time when they'll be well up for three points, I don't think it will be enough.

So, because of that, I'm betting on a home win, along with wins for Hull and Getafe. £10 will pay out £84.81. I've also had a five each way on Breedsbreeze at 8/1 for tomorrow, so it makes tomorrow a little more interesting.

Comments (40)

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Chrisodon said:

This match kinda worries me, I'm just expecting alves to score but for me this match is about set-pieces after watching them against cardiff Laursen should be able to stick his head on one. We'll win 2 - 1 goals from Laursen and Marlon Superman.

March 11, 2008

Myself said:

I could never be stressed enough how much we NEED to beat the bottom half table sides. It is great getting four points off chelsea, one off liverpool, one off arsenal and three off manchester (I hope ), but defeats to stupid teams like fulham are the ones that are gonna hold us back this season, and take Europe away from us. I prey we win tomorrow night. UTV!

March 11, 2008

Juan Pablo Angel said:

Being a villa fan from boro this is the biggest game of the year to me and always scares me to death, however boro really are absolutely terrible! I think they will definately score with tuncay, alves, mido etc (not sure who'll start)but i also believe we will score at least a couple. 3-1 the villa, carew and aggy will both get on the scoresheet!

March 11, 2008

Robbie said:

This isn't even a contest for me, they are absolutely terrible...every time i've seen them play against a team with any quality or desire, they just look so inept it's untrue...i think we'll win comfortably and i don't even think they'll score. Confident, but with every right to be.

March 11, 2008

Pgough said:

I agree with Robbie. Middlesbrough are very poor lately. Paddy Power has Villa 8/13, Draw 5/2, Boro 9/2. I think 3-0 at 10/1 is worth a fiver.

March 11, 2008

tonebone said:

think we'll win this fairly easily, but have to say i think they will score. we have a very leaky defense and havent kept a clean sheet forever 3-1

March 11, 2008

AV4EVER said:

5-0 to the villa, Young, Carew 2 & Marlon 2

March 11, 2008

Villa_Rules said:

This weekend proved no game is easy and no one should underestimate there oppenents I do feel confident about this game and think we can win comfortably depending on the reaction of boro after the cardiff game. 3-0 And hopeing to see gabby back on the socre sheet its been a couple of months now since he hasnt scored and i no his had injury but we need him banging them goals in again

March 11, 2008

dan the villa fan said:

2-0 villa big john and gabby the goals

March 11, 2008

dan the villa fan said:

2-0 villa big john and gabby the goals

March 11, 2008

andy5759 said:

What do you reckon? Mellberg at RB? Maloney wide one side, Young the other side? JC and Gabby up front? Looks like "normal" line-up. Or; Gardner at RB, Routlege or Stan on RW and starting Marlon? Would be good to see Salifou having a go at giving Wikipedia something to write about.

March 11, 2008

Kieran McGrath said:

villa 5-0, laursen harewood carew hat trick u should have a prize for someone that gets the correct score and goal scorers

March 11, 2008

Kieran McGrath said:

iv noticed tho this season we always play bad when we play at night

March 11, 2008

sam_villa 1 said:

yeh but when you play middlesbrough it doesn't matter what time of day it is. you just win.

March 11, 2008

sam_villa 1 said:

i think iw will be 2-0 to villa. i think this would be a good game for harewood to start and it would be a good game to see routledge and salifou.

March 11, 2008

Villa_Rules said:

If everton win the ueffa cup dose that free up a spot for us aswell if we finnish next behind them ? ?

March 11, 2008

mike_roberts said:

im going out on a limb here, and gonna say 6-1, this is for a couple of weird reasons, firstly i had a dream a couple of nights ago that this was the result and also been playing football manager a bit and had the same score line earlier on today, and my mom always used to say things come in 3's. spooky!! either way 3 points is good enough for regardless of score. UTV!!

March 11, 2008

mszaa said:

3-1 easy for the villa,boro are a bad bad team.

March 11, 2008

AV33 said:

I'm gonna go 4-1 to the Villa...we seem to like scoring four and that Alves geezer has got to come good at some point (just might come against us but i hope not!)but i can see us conceding an early one and going behind briefly, like we always seem to do. I spoke to my mate about the formation earlier and we thought that Marlon should be given a start with Big John up top with Ashley left, Gabby right. If it isn't working there are lots of permutations... but if Marlon was to have a stinker (which i don't think he would), you could take him off pushing Gabby up with Carew and bringing Maloney on LW tried and trusted, thus switching Ashley to the right. However, i'd much rather get a look at either Rouledge or Salifou on the right if things go well and leave Ashley on the left where i feel he is more effective. Looks like Mellberg is fit so what would be the thing to do now that Curtis is injured ? One could argue that Olly could replace Davies at centre back ahead of Zat based on ability, but he hasn't played in that (his best) position for some time. Gardner has done admirably well at right back and deserves to keep his place, especially as Olly is defecting soon but I can't help thinking that Olly and Laursen in the entre of defence would be hard to beat. The other one is that Zat has done reasonably well when he's been called upon and why would MON risk p**sing off a player who is staying with us for the next few years to play an argueably better player who is leaving? @ mike_roberts....have a few bob on that mate if i were you. You'll get massive odds and could be well in the money for just a couple of quid stake. Sounds too spooky not to ! Anyway, good luck Villa for tomorrow night and may the best team win...we all know who that is... UP THE VILLA

March 12, 2008

AV33 said:

Kieran...here's my effort then (especially if there might be a prize !) Villa 4 Middlesborough 1 Alves 18 min Carew 26 min Harewood 42 min Laursen 57 min Agbonlahor 78 min Wonder what Ladbookes would give me on that ? ! (to quote Keith Barratt "it's bit of fun" UP THE VILLA

March 12, 2008

Jeremiah said:

I'm going to say 3-1 to Villa, goals from Gardner, Gabby, Young; one from Alves. I don't think Boro are as bad as some teams in the Premiership, but I would imagine MON will have the team up for this game, so I expect us to come out flying.

March 12, 2008

Gary McConnell said:

4-0 to Villa Im always confident of beating boro. Since we last palyed them they've lost their best defender aswell. Come on the Villains

March 12, 2008

Merlin 1 said:

Harewood hat-trick. Just came to me in a flash.... also just been playing pro-evo and MH was immense LOL 4-0 the villa

March 12, 2008

pazzler said:

i want us to win with a clean sheet. u cant underestimate boro, esp after their pathetic showin v cardiff, cos they wil wana make amends. common sense says we shud win given boro's form an wot we did to them at the riverside earlier this year. im goin for a 4-0 victory. marlon wil be amongst the goals alon wit maloney an barry an carew. maloney must start by the way. wud like to see salifou an routledge get a run out if things are goin our way. come on!!!

March 12, 2008

Betting on footy said:

Well if Boro play anywhere near as badly as they did on Sun against Cardiff then it should be comfortable. However, I'm expecting a Boro backlash and a draw might be the best outcome at the Riverside unfortunately.

March 12, 2008 | url

Jimmy Villain said:

I hope Petrov does not start today, would much rather see the other 2 new lads. I am going for a 3-1 victory, I could see us going behind and then scoring 3, it's about time gabby got back on the score sheet so I am going for 2 goals for Gabby and one for Harewood.

March 12, 2008

Chrisodon said:

It's amazing how big a score line some people think this game will be it just goes to show the new enthusiasm & belief in this team. And i'm all for it i just think Villa will be a bit cagey the first 20 or so mins of this match as there's alot of pressure on the lads and i think they'll feel it. 2 - 1 to villa all second half goals. Goal scorers, Laursen & Barry, Alves for boro.

March 12, 2008

JimboVillain said:

was very confident about this before i saw the weather today. Guna be an absolute nightmare with this wind, it will definitely be a leveler and i just hope we can rise above it! come on you villa boys!!!!

March 12, 2008

Arrlui said:

Well if Boro play anywhere near as badly as they did on Sun against Cardiff then it should be comfortable. However, I'm expecting a Boro backlash and a draw might be the best outcome at the Riverside unfortunately. Have to wait until next season for that game then. Bit long for a backlash...

March 12, 2008

VILLA82 said:

I think we could really give borough a spanking tonight if we approach the game correctly and im sure MON wont let them do anything other than approach it right. It's nice to genuinley have something left to play for at this stage in the season but if we dont take all 3 it will be a a big ask to qualify for champions league as i see this as one of our easiest games remaining.

March 12, 2008

PJ said:

@ Kieran McGrath - what you said about us playing badly at night got me thinking, because that wasn't my feeling at all. So I did some research. We had one bad performance against Leicester, admittedly. Other than this, letting in the 4 at Spurs was the major disappointment. Our performaces on a weeknight this season: Wrexham 0 - 5 Aston Villa Aston Villa 0 - 1 Leicester Tottenham Hotspur 4 - 4 Aston Villa Blackburn 0 - 4 Aston Villa Aston Villa 2 - 1 Tottenham Hotspur Liverpool 2 - 2 Aston Villa I think we're likely to score a few goals on this basis!

March 12, 2008

jonst said:

i think 3-0 - agbonlahor, harewood 2 we should start tonight with Carson Gardner-Mellberg-Laursen-Bouma Agbonlahor-Reo-Coker-Barry[c]-Young Harewood-Carew subs-taylor,knight,osbourne,salifou,maloney. i think hare deserves a start,, and this might give the chance for ollie to see out his remaining games for villa, where his real position is and play at CB.

March 12, 2008

taglor said:

10-0 to Villa, anything less and I will be very surprised, got my new dab radio some bubble bath and a few cold ones, come on you Villa!

March 12, 2008

PaulE said:

No Alves or Aliadiere tonight. I can't see them creating much.

March 12, 2008

Villa_Rules said:

Taglor You Are On Planet Earth ?

March 12, 2008

villadaz said:

Just on my way to game with kids and can't see us being defeated, however I am not that confident of a win. I feel a backlash and Southgate will get them pumped up for this maybe more than other game away from home...with exp of toon. Hope I am wrong.......Keep the faith

March 12, 2008

Arrlui said:

http://livefooty.doctor-serv.c...rough.html If anyone wants to watch the match online, follow the instructions, download sopcast. I've got pretty good coverage. I live in Holland before any haters grill me for not forking out to see them at VP.

March 12, 2008

Arrlui said:

4-1 btw, Carew (2), Ash and Reo. UTV!

March 12, 2008

Kieran McGrath said:

what a pile of wank, can't even beat boro at home, F**k europe we dont even deserve to be in contention for it

March 12, 2008

David Dean said:

Great blog, really informative piece on Middlesbrough, if your watching a game why not stay in one of the many Middlesbrough hotels.

March 20, 2008 | url

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