Match Preview: Liverpool v Villa

Who are we playing?
Liverpool on Saturday 13th August at 5.30 pm in the Premier League.

Where are we playing?
Anfield

Can I go?
Not a chance unless you've bagged a ticket already

Easy to get to?
In theory, it is. Had a few wild adventures attempting to get home by train on occasion.

Can I watch it on telly?
We're on Sky Sports with lashings of Jamie Redknapp probably, which is a good reason to watch in the pub where he'll be drowned out by the background noise.

Big game?

Gabby

Still a wee bit of bedding in going on at Liverpool ad they brought in quite a few over the summer. They'd expect to beat us at their place (though it's been a while since they actually have) and we won't cry too much if they do as we long as we give a decent account of ourselves.

The key here for us is to maintain a decent level of performance, keep it tight at the back and try and stuff them on the counter. Good as they were last term, they were prone to the odd rickett at the back and if Gabby can stay wide awake, we might nick one or even two.





What has Liverpool ever done for us?
They gave the world Brookside.
There's The Beatles.
There's Cilla Black.
There's John Bishop.



Who's playing for us?
We wait to see how Lambert shuffles his pack with Carlos Sanchez and Tom Cleverley hope to squeeze into the starting line-up. Ron Vlaar will be the big worry, missing two Holland games with a calf injury, while Jores Okore made a return to competitive action playing for Denmark U21s and making a sub appearance for Denmark proper during the international break.

Who's playing for them?
Daniel Sturridge may be injured but they've still got the likes of Balotelli and Rickie Lambert to do the bizzo.

Any useless stats?
Of course, here you go:

• Liverpool have beaten us 91 times while we have 55 victories. There have been 40 draws.

• Our last win at Anfield was in December 2012. We ran out 3-1 winners thanks to two goals from Christian Benteke and one from Andi Weimann.

• Liverpool's last win over us at Anfield was way back in December 2010 when they won 3-0.

• Our first win against Liverpool at Anfield was in 1894. We won 2-1 thanks to goals from Stephen Smith and Bob Chatt.

Prediction
2-0 to Liverpool, but hope we're wrong about that.

Stiliyan Petrov Ice Bucket Challenge

Happy 35th Birthday John Carew

Enda misses out as Villa confirm EPL squad

Enda Stevens is the stand-out omission as Villa's 25 man squad is confirmed. it leaves the Irish left back in a similar position to the one Alan Hutton was in last year when he was excluded. Hutton eventually went off on loan to Bolton and presumably Stevens will available when the The Football League's loan window swings open in a few days time

Edna

Forgotten Socceroo Chris Herd does make the squad.


Late loan signing Tom Cleverley was the last addition to the squad.

Promising youngsters like Jack Grealish and Callum Robinson don't need to be named in the squad on age grounds and are registered in the under 21 section.

There appears to be no room for any Bosman signings, pouring cold water on stories surrounding Italian international playmaker Gaetano D'Agostino.

25 man Premier League Squad (*=Home grown)
*Agbonlahor, Gabriel
Bacuna, Leandro Jones Johan
*Baker, Nathan Luke
*Bent, Darren Ashley
Benteke, Christian
Cissokho, Aly
*Clark, Ciaran
*Cleverley, Thomas William
*Cole, Joseph John
*Delph, Fabian
*Given, Shay John James
Guzan, Bradley Edwin
*Herd, Christopher
Hutton, Alan
Kozak, Libor
*Lowton, Matthew John
*N’Zogbia, Charles
Okore, Tetchi Jores Charlemagne U
*Richardson, Kieran Edward
Sanchez Moreno, Carlos Alberto
*Senderos, Philippe
*Siegrist, Benjamin Kevin
Vlaar, Ron Peter
*Weimann, Andreas
*Westwood, Ashley Roy

Under-21 players (Contract and Scholars)
Abdo, Khalid
Bannister, Charlie Brendan Alec
Bateman, Liam Vere
Blackett-Taylor, Corey
Burke, Graham Dylan
Calder, Riccardo
Cowans, Henry Gordon Mander
Crooks, Alfie
Donacien, Janoi
Drennan, Michael Joseph
Forth, Dylan Carl
Graham, Jordan
Grealish, Jack
Green, Andre
Hailey, Liam
Hale, Rory Danny
Hepburn-Murphy, Rushian
Hill, Craig Dennis
Kinsella, Lewis
Leggett, Thomas Jacob
Lewis, Bradley
Lewis, Harry James
Lyden, Jordan
Lyons-Foster, Kodi
McKirdy, Harry
Nehemie, Isaac
O’Brien, Daniel William
O’Hare, Callum
Robinson, Callum Jack
Sellars, Jerell
Strain, Ryan
Strain, Thomas James
Suliman, Easah
Toner, Kevin Stephen
Watkins, Bradley
Webb, Joshua John
Wildin, Courtney James
Zazrivec, Tomas

Tom Cleverley joins Aston Villa in last gasp loan deal

Tom Cleverley's season long loan move to Aston Villa has been approved by The Premier League.

The eleventh hour deal was brokered last night after a move to Everton fell through.

It is believed that United have a recall option in January.

A deal was agreed before the transfer deadline on Monday night for the England international to move to the Midlanders, but was only confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.

The midfielder came through the ranks at Old Trafford and has made 79 appearances United, finding the net on five occasions. His last outing came in the 1-1 draw against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Cleverley has previously had loan spells with Leicester City, Watford and Wigan Athletic.

"The prospect of working under the manager and Roy, who were both fantastic midfielders in their playing careers, made the decision to come to Villa an easy one.

"I'm looking forward to working with them but also the other really good midfield players that the club have, like Fabian Delph, Ashley Westwood and other new lads like Kieran Richardson, Joe Cole and Carlos Sanchez.

"I've been watching Villa games this year and it's been a really good start and, with the upcoming fixtures all big games, hopefully I can bring a bit of big game experience and add to the squad and help us to win some games.

"It's a team that plays the style of football that I like. They play with high energy, they pass and move and there are a lot of good young players. The manager told me the way that he'd like me to play and it all sat perfectly for me. I'm very happy to be coming down to play for Villa.

"First and foremost I have got to get back playing and hopefully as a by-product of that I can get back in the England team. The thing I am concentrating on though is trying to come in and hit the ground running so I can help Aston Villa. Playing football is what matters most to me and I'm looking forward to getting back to what I know I can do. This is the kind of club where I can do that.

"Villa Park is one of those grounds that I always look forward to playing at. The pitch is always fantastic, the atmosphere is always good and it's one of those historic grounds that you always remember. It's had FA Cup semi-finals and even England games when Wembley was being renovated so it's a very historic ground and it's somewhere I'm really looking forward to playing my club football."

Cleverley deal back on?

Tom Cleverley could still join Aston Villa - even though the transfer window slammed shut last night.

Cleverley could yet complete a loan move to Aston Villa, with reports differing as to whether this is until January or a season long loan. Cleverley is out of contract at the end of the season and free to sign for his next club from January.

Paul Lambert, as well as a number of other clubs, had been linked with a move for Cleverley before Everton came in and became favourites for the much criticised 25-year-old England midfielder.

Everton and United couldn't get the deal over the line and Villa are said to have made a late move to take him on loan at Villa Park.

It is now up to the Premier League to decree whether the paperwork was completed in time for the deal to be completed, with Cleverley reported to still have been at Manchester United's Carrington training ground until 2am.

listen to ‘Rob Dorsett: "Cleverley could yet move to Villa"’ on Audioboo

Agbonlahor, Guzan, Vlaar & Benteke get involved in ice bucket challenge