Maybe it is too early but I'm not feeling overly confident today. Yes, I'm feeling like we can win but if we don't I wouldn't be that surprised and whatever the result, right now, I can accept it. Spurs are a good side and anything is possible.
So, rather than focus on the game, I'm taking a break for the next four minutes. You see, there is news.
The news is that Ashley Young is going to be offered a new deal worth £75,000 a week and that he is going to sign. I'm not surprised; £75,000 a week is £325,000 a month or to look at it as an annual salary, it is £3,900,000.00 a year.
Multiply that by the five year contract and it is £19,500,000.00. Would you sign it? Hell, one month of that money means I never have to answer to the man again. Football really has gone silly, but what can you do?
I for one hope he signs. He is still young and he is going to get better and if he keeps working on things, he will get very good and he will be massive for us.
The Manager talks
Gerard Houllier
The best XI is the one I play every week. It can be different next week. It depends on many factors. I don't have XI players. I have a squad of players. We have a squad of 20 to 25 players so not everyone is involved every week. In football we know we need everybody and everyone contributes to the final success.
Some may not be called up for this game but could appear in two weeks time and be the hero. There are injuries, suspensions, lack of form. Sometimes the tactical approach to a specific game is different so you need different players.
It is not my view to use the same XI all the time because I think some players can get tired and you don't want to ruin their confidence. Sometimes you have to rest them because quite a number of players here are developing their game.
There is nothing I can write about this that you are not already thinking and after reading that you are probably smiling inside, so I'm just going to walk away now.
Football bets
My Premier League bets are for fun and today I'm taking that fun to another level. I'm having a tenner on Stoke and Sunderland and I'm getting 10/1 on two matches. I got these odds from PaddyPower and you can get them here by signing up for an account.
Aston Villa at Spurs
Team news and everything else today as we get it. You should also follow us on Twitter for short link dumping on attempts from me to be funny. It doesn't always work, but I do try.
Watching online
As always those guys over at Villa Streams will be showing the match so if you haven't already signed up, sign up here. It is well worth it if you are stuck at work or not in the country or just can not get in front of a TV that is showing it.
Team News
A bit of a surprise this but Carlos Cuellar has been dropped in favour of Richard Dunne. I have to tell you I'm surprised. But here is the full team news.
Brad Friedel, Luke Young, Richard Dunne, James Collins, Stephen Warnock, Marc Albrighton, Nigel Reo-Coker, Stiliyan Petrov, Stewart Downing, Ashley Young and Emile Heskey. On the bench we have Steve Sidwell, Stephen Ireland, John Carew, Ciaran Clark, Brad Guzan, Carlos Cuellar and Barry Bannan.