West Ham Utd 1-0 Aston Villa (18/08/12)

[Ricardo]

West Ham United FC v Aston Villa FC

Saturday 18th August 2012

Kick Off 3:00pm



Official Web Site:






Opposition

Aston Villa FC

Manager: Paul Lambert

Chairman: Randy Learner

2011/2012 Season: 16th place in the Premier League

Wikipedia

Based in Witton, Birmingham, The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder members of the Premier League in 1992, and have remained there ever since. The club was floated by the previous owner and chairman Doug Ellis, but in 2006 full control of the club was acquired by Randy Learner.

They are one of the oldest and most successful football clubs in England, having won the First Division Championship seven times and the FA Cup seven times. Villa also won the 1981-82 European Cup, one of only five English clubs to win what is now the UEFA Champions League. Aston Villa has the fourth highest total of major honours won by an English club. They have a fierce local rivalry with Birmingham City. The Second City Derby between Aston Villa and Birmingham City has been played since 1879. The club's traditional kit colours are claret shirts with sky blue sleeves, white shorts and sky blue socks. Their traditional badge is of a rampant gold lion on a light blue background with the club's motto "Prepared" underneath; a modified version of this was adopted in 2007.

The 2012–13 season will be Aston Villa's 138th professional season; their 102nd season in the top-flight; and their 25th consecutive season in the top flight of English football, the Premier League. The club will be managed by Paul Lambert, their third manager in three seasons, after Alex McLeish was sacked on 14 May 2012, having himself only been in charge for eleven months.

Colours

Home: Claret and Blue Shirt, White Shorts

Away: Green Shirts, Blue Shorts

Official Website



Tickets

Home End:

There are fewer than 2,250 tickets remaining for West Ham United's first game back in the Barclays Premier League against Aston Villa.

The Hammers kick-off their Premier League campaign when they host the Villains at 3pm on Saturday 18 August and fans have been rushing to make sure they are there. The return of James Collins to east London this week could see him come up against his former club on the opening day, while Villa boss Paul Lambert will be taking charge of his first competitive game after joining from Norwich City.

Lambert's arrival means the Midlands outfit will be somewhat of an unknown quantity, but there will undoubtedly be plenty of attacking talent on show. Villa Forwards Gabriel Agbonlahor and Darren Bent can both be expected to feature, but all eyes will be on the Hammers' own forward line as Carlton Cole and Ricardo Vaz Te make their Premier League return. A host of other new signings could also feature with Modibo Maiga and Jussi Jasskelainen just two of the players looking to make an impact.

West Ham United's last game against Aston Villa came in the 2010/11 season and ended in a 2-1 defeat, but the Hammers have lost just twice in ten against their visitors as they look to continue the form that saw them promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Tickets start at just £39 for Adults and £21 for concessions.

Away End:

Sold Out.



Last Time Out:

Saturday 16th April 2011, Upton Park

West Ham United 1 - 2 Aston Villa

Robbie Keane (2) Darren Bent (36) Gabriel Agbonlahor (90+1)

This Time Out:



League Form

Hammers:
Blackpool 2-1 (a) W
Cardiff 3-0 (h) W
Cardiff 2-0 (a) W
Hull 2-1 (h) W
Leicester 2-1 (a) W
Bristol City 1-1 (a) D

Villains:
L Norwich 2-0 (a)
D Tottenham 1-1 (h)
D West Brom 0-0 (a)
L Bolton 2-1 (h)
D Sunderland 0-0 (h)
L Man Utd 4-0 (a)

Latest Match Pre Season

SC Braga 1 - 1 West Ham United

Nottingham Forest 3 - 1 Aston Villa

Betting

Latest Odds: Paddy Power

West Ham Win 13/10

Draw 23/10

Aston Villa Win 2/1

Matchday Programme



Official Previews

Hammers:
http://www.whufc.com/articles/20120816/aston-villa-match-preview_2236884_2887026

KUMB.com (by Preview Percy)
http://www.kumb.com/article.php?id=3075

[daniel]

Well buzzing for this one, feels like forever since Wembley. Very tough to call this one, be interesting to see if we bring anyone in before the game.
Brilliant stuff Ric

[Matt of iron]

DL has been merked

[Hammertapp]

Top stuff Ricardo

[RyanWHUFC]

Really looking forward to this one, it has been too long since Wembley.

Reckon we could line up something like this:

---------------------Jussi
Demel---Tomkins---Collins---McCartney
----------------Noble---Diame
---------------------Nolan
-------Vaz Te----------------Maiga
---------------------Cole

Subs: Henderson, O'Brien, Reid, Diarra, O'Neil, Taylor, Maynard


Think this is how we'll start but Taylor will almost certainly come on at some point. Also I feel it would be harsh to leave Reid out after his performance against SC Braga yesterday. We have so much competition for places right now it's hard to even predict who will start and even what the bench will look like. Personally I'd have Reid in for Collins but this is how I reckon Big Sam will set us up.

Edit: **** it would like to see us go all out and batter them so put Diame in for Diarra

2-0 to us, Cole and Nolan to score.

[chunkay]

----------------------- Jussi --------------------------

Demel -- Collins -- Tomkins -- McCartney

------------- Diame ------- Noble -----------------

Vaz Te ----------- Nolan ---------------- Taylor

------------------------ Cole -------------------------


Substitutes: Henderson, O'Brien, Reid, Diarra, O'Neil, Maynard, Maiga


This is the configuration that got us the goal against Braga, we looked pretty confident and assured in those latter stages too. Maiga seems to work better as a center-forward than as a winger and starting him on the bench gives us the option of both, depending on who looks most out-of-sorts in our front three.

Hopefully, assuming Villa will come at us and don't park the bus, we can expect see Diame making some forward movements as he did Yesterday and probably Noble putting through some nice balls, given more space I would expect him to have a greater freedom of movement than last year, where the gaps were too small, leaving him and Nolan crushed together.

Being West Ham under Allardyce, I'm predicting 2-1; the goals coming from Nolan as a result of a Matt Taylor set-piece and the second coming from either Vaz Te or Cole from open play (probably a long diagonal from Jussi worked in by Vaz Te and then struck or laid off). Substitution-wise, I would expect to see Maiga, Maynard and possibly Diarra given some time on the pitch. But I think it's unlikely for Sam to play any player within the week that he buys them, at least not for any decent length of time.

[west ham15]

Class thread Ricardo

1 week to go!! Cant wait to get back over to the Boleyn Ground

We are going to win 2-0 Cole & Noble.

COYI

[Matt of iron]

Really looking forward to this one, it has been too long since Wembley.

Reckon we could line up something like this:

---------------------Jussi
Demel---Tomkins---Collins---McCartney
----------------Noble---Diame
---------------------Nolan
-------Vaz Te----------------Maiga
---------------------Cole

Subs: Henderson, O'Brien, Reid, Diame, O'Neil, Taylor, Maynard

.

Diame playing and on a bench.

What a player!

[RyanWHUFC]

Diame playing and on a bench.

What a player!

Edited now.

[Georgee Paris]

Imagine how gutting if Ricardo isn't a lucky thread starter...perhaps you can come to some arrangement with who ever started the Cardiff and Blackpool playoff threads and they can start it before you provide the head, body and feet if you get me drift geezer.

[z-man]

What about our injury situation? Nolan and McCartney was missing yesterday. Nolan has been missing for most of the pre season. What´s the story on those two?

[Ricardo]

Imagine how gutting if Ricardo isn't a lucky thread starter...perhaps you can come to some arrangement with who ever started the Cardiff and Blackpool playoff threads and they can start it before you provide the head, body and feet if you get me drift geezer.

With you 100% mate.

[Aceface]

DL has been merked

Well and truly. Like turning up before the first 5-a-side match of the season with your usual pub team and there's Roberto Carlos wearing your shirt and he's doing stepovers in front of all your mates. Hope he's ok

[Dyer's Leg]

Life is too busy for me to spend any time on them. Dropped ricardo a PM and he is taking over match thread duties. Cant really see the merkage in that myself.

[Kitt the car]

Life is too busy for me to spend any time on them. Dropped ricardo a PM and he is taking over match thread duties. Cant really see the merkage in that myself.

Well said, if Ricardo brings us bad luck though, you are being reinstated.

[chunkay]

What about our injury situation? Nolan and McCartney was missing yesterday. Nolan has been missing for most of the pre season. What´s the story on those two?

Nolan has a toe injury but has trained last week and will play, McCartney had a touch of sciatica and will be for too, Collison is training too but I believe he is doubtful for selection.

[ageing hammer]

Life is too busy for me to spend any time on them. Dropped ricardo a PM and he is taking over match thread duties. Cant really see the merkage in that myself.

Well can I take this chance to say a big thanks to you dyers for all the great match threads you gave us, top stuff mate.

[z-man]

Nolan has a toe injury but has trained last week and will play, McCartney had a touch of sciatica and will be for too, Collison is training too but I believe he is doubtful for selection.

Cheers!

[Ricardo]

Kitt mate, did you not get that email from Avram two seasons back?

"Kitt, you can not say we are playing badly and would not have won if Ricardo hadn't started that bloody match thread"

On the flip side, if I get us into Europe I want this as my avatar

[Bobby Orangeboom]

DL has been merked