OPINION
Many Aston Villa fans will love what Derby County goalkeeping coach Shay Given has had to say about the play-off final clash with his former club.
The 43-year-old, speaking to Off the Ball’s YouTube channel [1:40:40] said that the Rams – having lost twice to Villa already this term – will have to be at their very best to get past Dean Smith’s men.
“It’s going to be very tough,” Given said. “We have lost both games against Villa and they have been very strong.
“We have to get back to where we were the other night [against Leeds] to have any chance of going through and hopefully some of the Villa players have an off day.”
Given is exactly right. Not only have Derby lost to Villa twice this season, Frank Lampard’s men have been humiliated twice by Villa this season; they have not put a single goal past their play-off final opponents in either meeting this term.
Overall, there are some worrying statistics for Derby if you look at both games. The first meeting ended 3-0, the second 4-0.
In terms of individual Villa player’s records against Derby this season, Conor Hourihane has put a hat-trick of goals past Derby, one in the November meeting at Pride Park and two in the reverse fixture at Villa Park in March.
To add to that, on-loan striker Tammy Abraham has a brace, while John McGinn and Jack Grealish has one goal.
As Given points out, Derby are capable of astonishing performances like the one that knocked Leeds out of the play-offs earlier this week.
But it looks as if Lampard’s men will have to go a step further than that if they are to get past Villa on Bank Holiday Monday – and the Villa faithful will surely be loving this admission from the Derby senior man.