by Dek Hogan Who are we playing?
Manchester United on Friday 14th August 2015.
That's right! A bloody Friday! They are "saying" it's on Friday because of an EDL march. What tosh! The new TV contract from next season includes Friday night games and we are cynically suggesting that the EDL thing is a convenient excuse from them to road test the Friday fixtures.
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| Jet washed for the new season... |
Villa Park, you know where it is.
Can I go?
Yep, tickets still on sale (at time of writing).
Easy to get to?
Doddle. Assuming you are not working on Friday night...
Can I watch it on telly?
Sky Sports. If you've not got it, you can get a day pass from NOWTV
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| French debutant who did well against United |
Big game?
Huge.
We've got a terrible record at Villa Park against Manchester United in recent decades. It really is a disgrace, yet despite this sad fact, more Villa fans roll up for this game than any other fixture.
There have been both high and low profile departures and a host of new - mainly French speaking - arrivals and this will be the first chance for those fans who never venture beyond Villa Park to cast their eyes over the new boys.
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| Ashley Young |
Van Gaal has been busy tweaking his squad and we fully expect United to be much more the force we'd come to expect in the Fergie years as he blends his various talents together.
One player who has certainly re-emerged from the Old Trafford shadows is our old friend Ashley Young. Dogged by injuries since he left the Villa, last season was probably the first time since he left us that he has lived up to his potential.
Timbo has a lot of new faces and it may take some time for him to find the best blend of the talent he now has at his disposal, so let's keep behind the boys and keep positive at Villa Park, give the guys a chance to settle in before we get on their backs for every wayward shot or misplaced pass.
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| Typical United fan |
Well there's Fifty Shades actor Jamie Dornan, Sky News "personality" Eamonn Holmes and Sunita off of Corrie (though apparently she's not in it anymore after she got barbecued by the bloke out of Taggart).
We've got fiddle playing scruffbox Nigel Kennedy off of Radio 3.
So we win.
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| We've got Rudy, Rudy Gestede in the air, in the air |
Could be interesting. The new boys gave decent accounts of themselves but Timbo had to have a rethink after an ineffective first half showing on the south coast.
He had legitimate reasons for not starting Rudy Gestede, but it may prove irresistible to include him now. Who to leave out though? Ayew was withdrawn at Bournemouth but Gabby was so anonymous for large spells that his place must be under threat. Ayew's workrate impresses and we'll need players not scared to put a shift in against United
We may have come to terms with the fact that Scott Sinclair will be magic one week and pants the next...
Who's playing for them?
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| Memphis |
A strangely flat performance from a United side we are tipping for the title but Van Gaal won't make too many changes. As mentioned, Ashley Young remains in the decent form he was in last term and Rooney will always be a threat.
It'll be interesting to run the rule over Memphis and it will be disappointing if Schweinstieger doesn't get on at some stage
Any useless stats?
Of course, here you go:
- Manchester United have beaten us 96 times while we have 49 wins (just one in the current century though) There have been 40 draws
- You have to go back twenty years for Villa's last win over United at Villa Park. Goals from Ian Taylor, Mark Draper and a Dwight Yorke penalty helped us to a 3-1 win. A young David Beckham came off the bench to score United's consolation.
- Our last win against United was at their place on 12 December 2009. Gabby Agbonlahor got the vital goal. Gabby is the only player from the starting line up that day to remain at the club.
- Joseph Walters ran riot with a hat trick as Villa demolished United 7-1 on 26th February 1910
- Christian Benteke gave us the lead in this fixture last season but Radamel Falcao broke Holte End hearts with an equaliser. Gabby Agbonlahor was sent-off after 65 minutes for serious foul play. However, his subsequent claim for wrongful dismissal was upheld and the red card withdrawn.
Prediction
Going for an all action 2-2 draw
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