Aston Villa (H) – Sat 11th Dec 2021 (3:00pm)

[Trumo]

Another Saturday 3pm kick-off? It feels like we only had about 3 of these over the past few seasons, yet this might be the fourth or fifth this season alone. All the meedja talk about this one has centred on Stevie’s return to Anfield. This’ll be the first time he represents the opposition though. I don’t follow any Villa fan sites (why the fuck would I?) but I’m sort of intrigued to know what they make of him being manager after taking the piss out of him for so many years. We’ve all seen the photo of the birthday party on the train, they loved all that ‘Slippy G’ shite, and they root around the lower league football fans’ songbook generally anyway.

 

Tactical know-how. Heart. Effort. Energy. Liveliness. Nous. Ingenuity. Nerve. Organisation. Order. Ferocity. Firepower. Intelligence. Never-say-die. Accuracy. Nuisance factor. Creativity. Endurance.

 

I don’t ask for much.

 

Last season’s game at Anfield took place around the time we were beginning to put that awful early-2021 run behind us. We were still lacking experience at centre back, but the midfield was beginning to click and the forwards were rediscovering their shooting boots. Villa took the lead in the first half through Watkins. Bobby was denied a leveller straight afterwards thanks to more VAR interference.

 

Mo pulled a goal back on the hour but it was looking like we’d drop points again. Then Trent stepped to fire in a belter in stoppage time. We’d got some sort of payback for that 7-2 catastrophe earlier in the season.

 

Back in May 1980 though, the league campaign ran a much smoother course. Villa were the visitors on the last day, and were a fairly strong side themselves. They’d win the league the following year, followed by the European Cup a year after that. In this game, Avi Cohen the Israeli left back made a name for himself. David Johnno had given Liverpool the lead, tapping into an unguarded net after the ball was lofted over to him in the six yard box, but it was Cohen who inadvertently levelled the scores when slicing into his own net. He ultimately got the league-clinching goal when Kenny typically backed in to shield the ball from a defender before playing a pass across the edge of the box. Avi was steaming in and hit a right-footed pea-roller into the far corner. Villa were on their holidays by this point. Another bit of pass-and-move led to Johnno hammered a third past the Villa keeper. Noel Blake then added to the own goal count by header past his own keeper following the late great Ray Kennedy’s knock down from a free kick. That was that. Champions again.

 

 

May 1980 saw Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones star in Coal Miner’s Daughter, a biopic of country music star Loretta Lynn. Never seen it, but it’s supposed to be good and Spacek is supposed to be brilliant in it. She nabbed the Best Actress Oscar for her performance here. I have seen the Tina and Ike Turner biopic What’s Love Got to Do with It which sounds very similar in terms of plot, the main difference being that Ike was a massive control freak and a cunt compared to Loretta Lynn’s husband. Maybe someone on here can tell us more about whether Coal Miner’s Daughter is any good or not.

 

 

As mentioned before, it’s Stevie’s return to Anfield that will hog the headlines prior to this game. Villa have been fairly patchy this term, but do have a number of players that can cause damage. Perhaps their main issue had been that so much of their play was channelled through Grealish that it took time to work out how to play another way. The signings they made with the £100m windfall they got are on paper very good signings for a club looking to break into the European spots.

 

We’ve have a number of players return to the fold in recent weeks, which is handy with the number of games coming up between now and the new year. It’s a piss poor fixture overload for everyone caused by having a ridiculous number of international breaks, each of which consumes a fortnight. We’ve got several players in great form, and others beginning to find their rhythm having been involved much more recently. Whoever we put out there, it’s not about the guys in the opposition dugout. It’s about us being properly focussed and applying ourselves correctly. Do that and we stand a great chance of gaining another 3 points. Get it done.

 

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Love Stevie, obviously, so I'm looking forward to the reception he'll get. Danny Ings is a top bloke and I'll always respect the way Tyrone Mings told Priti Patel to fuck off.  Their fans, however, are an unlovely bunch of small-time gobshites, so I'm hoping we go to town on them.

 

Just get these beat, Reds.

[an tha]

These are decent...be our toughest game for a few weeks.

 

Gerrard has started off well there.

 

We have to be expecting 3 pts though and if we are at it we should get them.

 

 

[m0e]

3 hours ago, an tha said:

We have to be expecting 3 pts though and if we are at it we should get them.

Same for every game, save for Chelsea and City.

[Pete]

Get out there and twat them. 

[TheDrowningMan]

If we’re title contenders, we’ll beat them. If we’re not, we won’t.

[Mark M]

3 hours ago, TheDrowningMan said:

If we’re title contenders, we’ll beat them. If we’re not, we won’t.

We're title contenders regardless of just one result against Villa. City didn't beat Southampton at home a few weeks back did you say the same thing about them when they didn't win that match ?

 

[Creator Supreme]

0-3!

[John102]

As long as Gerrards at the wheel gets an airing from the home fans on 80, im happy.

[an tha]

9 hours ago, m0e said:

Same for every game, save for Chelsea and City.

Fair.

 

We have had problems with these in recent times, be nice to give them a good hiding.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

12 hours ago, TheDrowningMan said:

If we’re title contenders, we’ll beat them. If we’re not, we won’t.

We were well beaten by Watford the season we picked up 99 points and a trophy.

[VladimirIlyich]

2 minutes ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

We were well beaten by Watford the season we picked up 99 points and a trophy.

Dejan Lovren says thanks for the memories.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

8 hours ago, John102 said:

As long as Gerrards at the wheel gets an airing from the home fans on 80, im happy.

Fuck that shit off.

 

That chant should have been sung for one match only, at Old Trafford. Every other airing is just full-on small club "who are ya?" type shit.

 

Show the man some respect and save that tune for Maggie's In The Mud.

[Bjornebye]

While the shout might be "You can never keep a good man down" it's apt to remember that the UK Number one hit at the time of the above referenced thrashing was this thunder ballad from often mistaken for geordies but in-fact brummy girl band Dexys Midnight Runners. Fresh from fixing some poor Bullseye fans car these dungaree shagging weirdos were keen to challenge Sting & The Police for the title of the worlds biggest stalker. Unfortunately for Erdingtons wannabe fuck brigade, 4 got arrested for indecent exposure, 2 moved to Thailand and one joined Ant & Dec. The fellas car never got fixed but for a short while women could walk the streets of Birmingham safe in the knowledge that a flash mob of oiled up perma freaks weren't going to flash their under sized willys at them. Wooahhhooowooooah 

 

 

 

[Bobby Hundreds]

Loved klopps press conference "before we start I won't be answering any questions on Steven Gerrard"

[AngryOfTuebrook]

I wonder if the Covid checks and mask enforcement will be a bit less half-arsed for this game.

[KMD7]

Is Jota a doubt for this?

[aws]

3 minutes ago, KMD7 said:

Is Jota a doubt for this?

A big doubt I think.  

[Captain Turdseye]

He’s out. The Super Secret Official TLW ITK has spoken again. The team for tomorrow is…
 

Alisson
Trent
Virgil
Konate
Robbo
Thiago 
Hendo 
Fabinho 
Salah
Origi
Mane

 

 

I WILL NEVER REVEAL HIS NAME

[Captain Turdseye]

Big Div getting games before Mo and Sadio go the AFCON is no bad thing. He’s scoring too. 

[3 Stacks]

We're gonna get demolished. Villa will score at the Kop End and Stevie will knee slide at the corner flag, plus kiss the camera.

[aRdja]

1 hour ago, Captain Turdseye said:

Big Div getting games before Mo and Sadio go the AFCON is no bad thing. He’s scoring too. 

Bar the home stretch of season 2018/19 he’s never really put a consistent run together for us though. Therefore I’m expecting a lazy and disinterested performance from him. 

[suzy]

4 hours ago, Bobby Hundreds said:

Loved klopps press conference "before we start I won't be answering any questions on Steven Gerrard"

And then he roared with laughter as did all the reporters! He’s brilliant 

[Creator Supreme]

1 hour ago, Captain Turdseye said:

He’s out. The Super Secret Official TLW ITK has spoken again. The team for tomorrow is…
 

Alisson
Trent
Virgil
Konate
Robbo
Thiago 
Hendo 
Fabinho 
Salah
Origi
Mane

 

 

I WILL NEVER REVEAL HIS NAME

It's Paul Ince isn't it?

[LFC 6 Times]

Squad looking in great health, the return of Firmino, Gomez and Keita. Gonna have some serious options off the bench.

 

Big game for Div to stake a claim.