If the last couple of results had gone as I'd have hoped for I'd be confidently predicting three points for Saturday, against a team who are struggling for Premier League survival.

But they didn't and as Aston Villa fans, we've seen this wobble before and we know what can happen.

However, we've got Martin O'Neill and throughout his managerial career he has demonstrated an ability to get his players up for a match and while this isn't a League Cup final or a match to secure European football for next season, it is vital he gets three points on Saturday.

Sunderland are one place above the relegation zone going into this game and could, if they lose or draw, drop into the bottom three if Bolton get a result against Manchester City at home. That is incentive enough for them to battle for every ball.

Ultimately I think that's what the game will come down to; who wins the battles and who takes the chances.

We've created the chances this season and I think that can be best summed up with the result against Portsmouth. We gave away one fluke goal and got caught out by a striker who has a point to prove, but if it wasn't for David James, we could have also had a couple and the result could have been very different.

It's games like this though that will define our season and while I would like Sunderland to stay up, mostly because I think it's between them and Blues for the third place, we should beat them and my prediction is a home win.

It wont be easy and like I've said they'll battle but with the home support, webcam Ashley looking like he's going to score a few very soon and Gabby, who has to score again soon, I think we'll pip them to the winning post.

Top that off with a near sell out crowd, who will no doubt make a lot of noise, it's got to be three points for the Villa. It would also be nice to see Everton and Pompey drop points, but a home win is all that matters.

Comments (24)

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Dizzy Mugs said:

Define our season, Damian I think this will be a hard-fought match, but i think our true qualities will pull us through. Even if we all have a terrible match and only webcam Ashley has a good game, i think he can win us the match

March 20, 2008

Damian said:

bugger. fixed. i've really got to do more than spell check

March 20, 2008 | url

Dizzy Mugs said:

I'll be your official proof-reader and just tell you when you messed up!

March 20, 2008

Damian said:

cheers dizzy juggling 10 things i have to do today and just got it out quicky you missed 2 others though

March 20, 2008 | url

brett said:

id love to see us stick 4 past em and the villa mob drown out the sunderland lot, what were they saying back in the summer when we were after craig gordon? sing them out of villa park... unfortunately i can see gordon having a blinder carson being dodgy and us drawing 1-1

March 20, 2008

Dizzy Mugs said:

What's going on with the comments system today Damian? On the homepage, it says there have been 5 comments registered, yet when i open this up, there have only been 2 comments. And my last comment wasn't registered either (yet anyway). Looks like it needs tuning up.

March 20, 2008

vivavilla said:

We're going into this game with a grand total of 3 defenders to choose from, so here's a thought I hope you might entertain... How about we move Barry to left back (he's not doing a lot in the middle at the moment), and shift Bouma into the middle? He's well versed at playing as a center back and he's on cracking form at the moment, I'd trust him a damn sight more than I would Zat Knight. That leaves a space in midfield along side NRC. Damian, you wrote recently about how we could do with an attacking influence up the middle and I wholeheartedly agree it would be a much better formula than the one we've got now, so why not give the lad Salifou a start? He's an attacking minded midfielder, you never know what dynamic he could bring to the team. I'd even consider sticking Berger in there if he's fit, he's got a creative spark we desperately need. Just a thought really, mostly because I can't bare the thought of Knight losing more points for us while Gary Cahill is being talked for an England callup up north!

March 20, 2008

Mick70 said:

We should bag this one easily..in theory. My heart says at least 2-0 with Gabby back on scoring form and Laursen, Zat "Titus Bramble Black Outs Award 2008 and Beyond" Knight or Carew scrambling another one in from a corner. But, essentially, the limitations shown by the squad this season will be clear as Villa will probably end up playing too many long balls, lacking as we do in creativity and unpredictability in midfield. A clean sheet from a leaky defence would also be nice but 3 points will do, even if it's a 5-4. UTV.

March 20, 2008

PaulE said:

Sunderland's away record is pretty bad, but they're fighters and Roy Keane will have them up for this. It's a potential banana skin. If we don't miss any open goals (Gabby!) and there are no major defensive or goalkeeping blunders, we should win. But, I'm concerned about this fixture.

March 20, 2008

PJ said:

@ Dizzy Mugs - Damien wrote something about this in previous comments - he said refreshing should work in Internet Explorer or hold down CTRL and refresh in Firefox. Something like that anyway. I have IE and I had to hold down CTRL and refresh and they all came back. About the attendance - is it nearly sold out?

March 20, 2008

Dizzy Mugs said:

I have refreshed Firefox many times and this problem has only been occurring for past two days. I'm using Apple Safari at this moment and i can now see all the comments. Guess it's just a Firefox issue. I think i'll use this thing from now on.

March 20, 2008

cookie_monster said:

I think this game could go one of two ways. We bounce back from the last two games and give them a spanking, or we still have a hangover and they nick it 0-1 or it's a drab 1-1. We need to win this game or i am afriad europe is over a draw isn't good enough and frankly if we can't beat those nothern pensioners then we don't deserve europe.

March 20, 2008

YokohamaVilla said:

I think this game could go one of two ways. We bounce back from the last two games and give them a spanking, or we still have a hangover and they nick it 0-1 or it's a drab 1-1. @cookie_monster...that's actually 3 ways mate. Anyway, this is a MUST WIN, we have to stay in touch with 6th spot and at least push Portsmouth from now until the end of the season. But I think, like the Cookie Monster, that it will end up 1-1

March 20, 2008

nan was a fan said:

Villa win 3-0. Knight to score. Salifou to score as sub.

March 20, 2008

vogra said:

if we can't beat Sunderland i would sack O'Neill, who hasn't really done anything for us on the spot..wow...great signings...reo joker....harewood...O'Niell F**k off...

March 21, 2008

cookie_monster said:

Yokohoma I out the 0-1 home defeat and 1-1 draw in the same metophoric bracket. Have you not got anything better to do than point out my mistake. Your a twat when's the last time you went to a match.

March 21, 2008

villIain said:

3-1 win. zat knight 2 become a hero overnight with 2 scrappy goals from set pieces and agbonlahor to find his scoring boots again. this time next week we'll all be convinced that european football is garaunteed for next season.

March 21, 2008

Myles said:

vogra have you not got anything better to say than sack o neill that is the stupidist comment i have ever read on this blog come on like do you really want villa to get rid of the best manager they have had in years honestly get a grip and post a comment that makes sense

March 21, 2008

Kieran McGrath said:

everybody leave vogra alone, cant you see he just wants abit of attention, obviously doesnt get it at home. probably has it in for every man alive cos he was touched up as a kid

March 21, 2008

sasa said:

vogra has a point about oneil tho. 2nd season oleary finished 6th - mon aint going to do any better. olearys squad was weak - ours definitly is and very short on numbers - in fact its over achieving. both irish both use the same annoying excuse - suad size.....honest bunch of lads. Both terrible in the transfer market - in fact potentially oleary is better as arguably 2 of our best 3 players - laursen and bouma he signed!!!

March 22, 2008

YokohamaVilla said:

@Cookie Monster. That would be "you're a twat" not "your a twat" learn English if you want to insult me, then I might just take your point seriously.

March 22, 2008

Damian said:

NO personal abuse. Very close to deleting posts now ..

March 22, 2008 | url

Ipbopmalik said:

I think we might just snick this one; 5 or 6 nil. Gabby hat-trick!

March 22, 2008

madmebabe said:

i went there i think we should of won we has so many perfect chances.

April 26, 2008

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