Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: kippaxvilla2 on March 01, 2025, 05:12:50 PM
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Tuesday 5.45pm.
Brugge have drawn away at Gent today and are 2nd in the Belgian league. I think this is going to be a bugger of a game. Just need to keep it tight and do them on the counter. 1-1.
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Tuesday 5.45pm.
Brugge have drawn away at Gent today and are 2nd in the Belgian league. I think this is going to be a bugger of a game. Just need to keep it tight and do them on the counter. 1-1.
Good research Kipp. I imagine Unai’s team are on the case and this is his priority now
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I'd take a draw, a win would be nice.
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I'll take a win.
3-0 Villa.
FTF.
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2-0
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Poll added.
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I’d take a draw right now
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We were awful when we played them in the group.stages and they still needed a bizarre penalty to beat us. Think they will really go for it on Tuesday though, so we will have to be solid.
Was hoping Kamara might be fit enough to get a few minutes last night with a view to him being involved on Tuesday, but he obviously wasn't ready.
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Do you feel sick yet, Kippax ?
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Just need to keep it tight and do them on the counter. 1-1.
https://youtu.be/WXAHXsA76oY
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Do you feel sick yet, Kippax ?
Absolutely.
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There is a watch along at the lower grounds - tickets on the Villa website if you are quick
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Win please.
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We know they are organised so you know what the game plan will be take a lead to villa park and sit back and watch us struggle to break them down.
Thats why its absolutely vital we dont lose the 1st leg so they will be more open second leg which would play in our hands
We desperately need kamara back hopefully fot ti start tuesday
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We were absolutely rotten in the previous game. Kamara back starting will be huge. Hoping Cash will be back
Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Bogarde, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Rashford, Rogers, Watkins.
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1-1
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I actually think we'll win, and I never think we'll win. I reckon 2-0 to the good guys and we'll think we are basically through only to concede early at Villa Park and endure about an hour of stress and panic before getting a couple of late goals to win 4-1 on aggregate.
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I actually think we'll win, and I never think we'll win. I reckon 2-0 to the good guys and we'll think we are basically through only to concede early at Villa Park and endure about an hour of stress and panic before getting a couple of late goals to win 4-1 on aggregate.
Brilliant. Well done. Thanks.
You were one of the ones who understood. This is nothing short of apostasy. For shame.
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Sorry, I don't know what's happened to me lately. I'll be nodding along to Coldplay songs and saying "I reckon we should give five at the back a go" before you know it.
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Draw would be good get them back to B6 under the lights . Anything above this is a bonus.
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Draw would be good get them back to B6 under the lights.
Or a sky full of stars, as CDBF would describe it.
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I feel like we'll either batter them and the home leg will be a dead rubber, or we'll concede one goal after 4 minutes, miss 12 goal chances, and then lose the home leg 3-0.
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AV84,anybody would think you had seen the Villa before.
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They won the last round by being up in the first leg, then hitting Atalanta on quick breaks as they needed to commit players forward. So we definitely need to be up in the first leg to ensure they have to come at us.
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They won the last round by being up in the first leg, then hitting Atalanta on quick breaks as they needed to commit players forward. So we definitely need to be up in the first leg to ensure they have to come at us.
It was from a very dodgy penalty aswell.
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We were absolutely rotten in the previous game. Kamara back starting will be huge. Hoping Cash will be back
Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Bogarde, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Rashford, Rogers, Watkins.
Axel will be in there in defence I think. Bogarde in recent form might do a decent job at RB as well.
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Just don’t lose.
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Not Bogarde at right back. He’s done nicely centrally of late and is developing well. But a central position is definitely his future I think.
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You'd like to think the players would be bang up for this, not only a last 16 European Cup tie but we really let ourselves down there earlier in the season.
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You'd like to think the players would be bang up for this, not only a last 16 European Cup tie but we really let ourselves down there earlier in the season.
Yes, you’d like to think …….
We have seen this film before though, many, many times.
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Why wouldn't they be up for it?
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We were absolutely rotten in the previous game. Kamara back starting will be huge. Hoping Cash will be back
Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Bogarde, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Rashford, Rogers, Watkins.
Axel will be in there in defence I think. Bogarde in recent form might do a decent job at RB as well.
Forgot about him. Neither Konsa or Disasi are great with the ball on their right foot not to mind their left.
Think Rashford's presence alone will worry Brugge and force them back a bit. Huge ask for likes of McGinn and Tielemans again.
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No idea. They're humans and sometimes we require external motivation. Hence why some managers are known as exceptional motivators who get players to run through brick walls for them and some aren't. Motivation is a skill. Why were we second best in every aspect earlier in the season there? We have better players and a better manager. They were more up for it on the day.
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Thinking back to the game in the group, we created a quite a few chances first half except Watkins and Rogers had left their shooting boots at home. After the Mings brain fart it gave them something to cling to and we looked bereft of ideas to break them down. The Monaco game was exactly the same.
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Martinez
Cash
Disasi
Mings
Digne
Bogarde
McGinn
Tielemans
Rashford
Rogers
Watkins.
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Maybe my memory is crap but we started off controlling the ball but didn't create too much and all the better chances seemed to fall to them. As you said Monaco felt the same, the realisation we could play all night and not score.
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Is Cash going to be fit?
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I will be amazed if we don't concede at least one on Tuesday, so will need to definitely score in Brugge. On paper we should deal with them over two legs but our poor defending continues to haunt us every match. A nervous watch....
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Kamara?
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I don’t really know about the fitness of Cash and Kamara. The latter was on the bench on Friday so there’s a chance he may start. If that’s the case he’d come in instead of Bogarde in my midfield and I suppose if cash doesn’t make it we’ll have to have Konsa over Bogarde at rb.
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I will be amazed if we don't concede at least one on Tuesday, so will need to definitely score in Brugge. On paper we should deal with them over two legs but our poor defending continues to haunt us every match. A nervous watch....
Conceding !! We’re on a one match run for clean sheets mate
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Why wouldn't they be up for it?
We are Villa fans…we have seen it many times.
The last time we played Brugges.
Olympiacos the year before.
These two spring to mind immediately.
I’m sure we will be up for it though.
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Kamara?
Karma.
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We were absolutely rotten in the previous game. Kamara back starting will be huge. Hoping Cash will be back
Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Bogarde, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Rashford, Rogers, Watkins.
Axel will be in there in defence I think. Bogarde in recent form might do a decent job at RB as well.
Forgot about him. Neither Konsa or Disasi are great with the ball on their right foot not to mind their left.
Think Rashford's presence alone will worry Brugge and force them back a bit. Huge ask for likes of McGinn and Tielemans again.
Disasi has looked sharp at feet so far to me.
Brugge had a tough game on Saturday, and conceded a morale-sapping late equaliser.
UTV!
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Kamara?
Karma.
Chameleon.
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Draw would be good get them back to B6 under the lights . Anything above this is a bonus.
Isn't it always under the lights? They don't keep the lights underground in the daytime do they? 😏
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Do away goals count double for draws?
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No, not anymore.
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No, not anymore.
Ta. Will have to beat them in both games then!
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You'd like to think the players would be bang up for this, not only a last 16 European Cup tie but we really let ourselves down there earlier in the season.
Yes, you’d like to think …….
We have seen this film before though, many, many times.
This is only our 3rd time on this particular film set. The last time we made the last 8, the time before we were the last ones standing.
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Draw would be good get them back to B6 under the lights . Anything above this is a bonus.
Isn't it always under the lights? They don't keep the lights underground in the daytime do they? 😏
(https://i.ibb.co/kLvrHSG/Villa-v-Portsmouth.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kLvrHSG)
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I think this team can now sense cup glory 2 .1. win it’s not time to be modest, we should have learnt a lot from our earlier game there.
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dont let Mings near goal kicks
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Any word on whether Cash is likely to be available?
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dont let Mings near goal kicks
Id start mings if he is fit as im sure he will want to make amends for that.
I suspect it will be disasi and konsa starting though
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Any word on whether Cash is likely to be available?
I'd hope so with no Garcia.
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Any word on whether Cash is likely to be available?
He should be. Seemed to be more of an impact injury v Chelsea. Unlikely to see out the 90+mins either way.
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dont let Mings near goal kicks
Can we stop fluting around with the ball at the back? Mings doesn't want the ball and rarely uses it well. He looks allergic to it! I watch more of the playing it out from the back through my fingers. I'm getting anxious here, thinking about it 😰
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Draw would be good get them back to B6 under the lights . Anything above this is a bonus.
Isn't it always under the lights? They don't keep the lights underground in the daytime do they? 😏
(https://i.ibb.co/kLvrHSG/Villa-v-Portsmouth.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kLvrHSG)
Don't they guide you home? (c) Coldplay.
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I shall miss out on the endless historical sites and hysterical fans this time around and watch from home.
Cagey will be the watchword I think, for which the return of Kamara could be most useful but perhaps a sub appearance will be sufficient if we need to tighten up at some point.
Patience is key, control, discipline and concentration needed, basically don't play like we did in Thornton Heath 7 days before.
0-0
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Pau-wow Torres back in full training, great news. I saw Kamara in the photos of today too.
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I was surprised no press conference today, but BBC mentioned the training session photos with Torres. Kamara was on the bench on Friday.
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I was surprised no press conference today, but BBC mentioned the training session photos with Torres. Kamara was on the bench on Friday.
There is going to be a press conference abit later from belgium hence why its later than normal
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Cash, Bouba, Mings and Torres included in the latest training pics.
Does that mean only Onana and Barkley missing ?
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Looks like Rashford has had his hair trimmed. Almost a Youri now.
Also no Torres pics for the plane so he might not have travelled, which being as Garcia was also pictured training makes some sense it was a generic session.
Cash and Mings got on the plane though.
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Looks like Rashford has had his hair trimmed. Almost a Youri now.
He'll be even more rapid now.
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I wonder is it better or worse for the ones left out of the squad that they don't even get to go to the matches abroad. It would probably suck to be on the flight knowing you're not involved, but being left at home seems shit too.
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I just don't want us to go into this game passive. Lets be on the front foot against inferior players.
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We need to lay our fists all over them.
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Torres and Kamara both travelled, are fit and both available to play tomorrow according to Emery's press conference.
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Squad looking a bit stronger so I’d expect a couple of injuries tomorrow, seems to be the way this season.
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If we haven’t got a clue on the line up, what chance have Brugge got?
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With the Torres news I wonder if Konsa might be back at right-back.
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Currently discussing the game on Radio 5's MNC.
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With the Torres news I wonder if Konsa might be back at right-back.
Well, if you look at the statistics ....
.... I won't.
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Very important to our build up play that Pau is back.
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I dont think pau will start tbh. I exoect he will come on as a sub.
I think we might go in mings -konsa at cb
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The inclusion of Rashford should prove a massive difference from the first game earlier in the competition, lets not forget only a huge error was the difference, think we can go and win this.
2-1 Villa
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I dont think pau will start tbh. I exoect he will come on as a sub.
I think we might go in mings -konsa at cb
Pau's just coming back from a couple of months out, it might be better to save him for the second leg.
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-------- Martinez ----------
Cash Konsa Mings Digne
-- McGinn -- Tielemans--
Ascensio-------- Rogers
--- Rashford - Watkins --
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We need Torres and Kamara back. These two give us the control we’ve been missing.
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-------- Martinez ----------
Cash Konsa Mings Digne
-- McGinn -- Tielemans--
Ascensio-------- Rogers
--- Rashford - Watkins --
Replace Miings with Disasi, rest Tielemans and play Bogard and your team is decent.
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-------- Martinez ----------
Cash Konsa Mings Digne
-- McGinn -- Tielemans--
Ascensio-------- Rogers
--- Rashford - Watkins --
Replace Miings with Disasi, rest Tielemans and play Bogard and your team is decent.
Possible good shout. Either way we will have a strong bench which is going to be vital now we are entering the business end of the season.
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Need to be a hell of a lot better than we were last time.
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Bit more confident with some big hitters back in the frame.
A fully fit kamara and I do not see a starting place for mcginn same can be said for Mings with Pau, Cash with Garcia
Time for the new guard to take over
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With the Torres news I wonder if Konsa might be back at right-back.
Nurse!
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Need to be a hell of a lot better than we were last time.
I would say we need to be only slightly better than the last time.
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The starting XI don't necessarily win the game . It's the finishing XI .
This is where Emery is elite.
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Bit more confident with some big hitters back in the frame.
A fully fit kamara and I do not see a starting place for mcginn same can be said for Mings with Pau, Cash with Garcia
Time for the new guard to take over
Mings isnt the same player since his injury and Cash has missed too many games this season. So fair enough with those two. But McGinn is as resilient as ever, good luck to anyone trying to take his place.
Torres has to prove himself all over again for me.
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Need to be a hell of a lot better than we were last time.
I would say we need to be only slightly better than the last time.
To be fair you also said this was a bye. They’ve just comfortably put out the Europa League winners. We need to be at it.
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Need to be a hell of a lot better than we were last time.
I would say we need to be only slightly better than the last time.
To be fair you also said this was a bye. They’ve just comfortably put out the Europa League winners. We need to be at it.
Absolutely. This game would be a very handy one to start putting in some solid defensive performances. We have enough quality going forward to get goals.
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Martinez
Konsa. Disasi. Torres. Digne
Kamara. Tielemans
McGinn. Asensio. Rashford
Watkins
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Martinez
Konsa. Disasi. Torres. Digne
Kamara. Tielemans
McGinn. Asensio. Rashford
Watkins
Rogers?
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No, he'll come on with Bailey and Ramsey later.
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Judging by how Rogers has been used this season by Unai, I can't see him being on the bench tonight. But trying to predict a line-up tonight is almost impossible.
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Apologies if covered before, but I can't recall reading about their manager when we played them before. He's had a pretty meteoric rise, as he was managing Haverfordwest in the League of Wales a few years ago.
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Be safe and enjoy to all those going today.
Is this the biggest game of the season?
Incredible times really Champions League knock outs.
Today's the day . With respect to Brugge it really is a chance over the two legs to get to the quarter final.
And I suspect a quarter final in Paris against Emery old team.
I do wonder if Asensio even with his two goals won't start this one ? And he could play against PSG even though he's on loan
Will it be Rashy or Ramsey?
Anyway I think I go 2-0 or 2-1 win to us.
Watkins brace.
Happy Pancake Day for those who partake too!
Up The Villa!
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Don't forget the kick off is 545pm for those tuning in.
It's an earlier one.
Have a great day! 💖
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It's 6.45pm if you're in Belgium, though.
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It is 12.45pm for those watching in NYC.
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Well, that's just silly.
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Judging by how Rogers has been used this season by Unai, I can't see him being on the bench tonight. But trying to predict a line-up tonight is almost impossible.
There isn't a chance of Rogers being dropped, especially after resting him v Cardiff.
I just hope Emery doesn't make a balls of the team selection like he did at Palace. Make the hard selection decisions not MON esque fudges like Konsa at RB or a daft tactical setup to accommodate players.
It's Konsa or Disasi, Mings or Torres, Ramsey or Rashford.
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Well, that's just silly.
You are quite right.
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I think he might go
Maatsen, Mings, Desasi, Konsa - be solid and not let in a goal.
Kamara, Teilemans
McGinn Rogers Rashford
Watkins
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I think this tie will be over after tonight.
1-4. Ollie, Morgan, SJM and Cash
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If Kamara and Torres are deemed fit enough to start, I think we'll go:
Martinez
Konsa
Disasi
Torres
Digne
Tielemans
McGinn
Kamara
Bailey
Rogers
Watkins
If Kamara isn't fit enough, I reckon Ramsey comes in for him and McGinn drops further back.
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Maatsen, Mings, Desasi, Konsa - be solid and not let in a goal.
The season in a nutshell!
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So no starts for Rashford and Asensio?
I think one will definitely start.
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Maatsen, Mings, Desasi, Konsa - be solid and not let in a goal.
The season in a nutshell!
TBH, would be quite a gamble to play Maatsen RB, Mings RCB, Disasi LCB and Konsa LB.
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Not sure I’d be trying out yet another different CH combination tonight.
We have already had about 27 permutations haven’t we ?
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I think this tie will be over after tonight.
1-4. Ollie, Morgan, SJM and Cash
You may well be right. It does feel like it'll be a relatively easy victory or an absolute slog, depending on which Villa turns up.
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I do love it when I feel nervously excited about a game. And I have that feeling today. Next week will be another one of those nights at Villa Park.
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It is 12.45pm for those watching in NYC.
Don't forget it's an 11.45am kick off for anyone else watching in Costa Rica!
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So no starts for Rashford and Asensio?
I think one will definitely start.
I think it depends on what defensive players we have starting. Watkins and Rogers are nailed on, so it's two of Bailey, Rashford, Ramsey and Asensio. If Kamara is in, then that opens up a right-side of Cash / McGinn, which means Rashford probably starts.
But if it's a midfield two of McGinn and Tielemans, I think Konsa and Ramsey are in for the extra stability, meaning the attacking space available is ahead of Konsa so it's probably Bailey starting.
I think for our first Champions League knock-out game (and in a place we lost last time), he's more likely to default to (a) more conversative and (b) players that he knows better.
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And we're away from home. Keep it tight.
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Maatsen, Mings, Desasi, Konsa - be solid and not let in a goal.
The season in a nutshell!
TBH, would be quite a gamble to play Maatsen RB, Mings RCB, Disasi LCB and Konsa LB.
A cunning plan!
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not MON esque fudges like Konsa at RB
Perry. PERCY!
brontebilly is desperately trying to get your attention again!
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First pang of nerves @ 11:28
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Will be tight but there's no way we play worse tonight than in November. Everyone remembers the penalty award but we hardly created anything.
I fancy us to edge this 1-2 with the attacking options we'll have on the bench ready to come in on the hour as think Ramsey and Rogers will start this one.
Also possible we bring in Kamara and move SJM to the right.
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Don’t be nervous, it’s very pleasant and sunny in Brugge😊
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Whilst the penalty moment was a madness and unfortunate, we deserved to lose. Only chance I can remember us having was Watkins putting one just wide from the edge of the area.
Hopefully we have learnt from it. I'd like to see us use the pace of Rashford and Maatsen against them.
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I love this from UEFA UCL website:
The top eight from the league phase enter the fray in the first legs of the UEFA Champions League round of 16
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I think he might go
Maatsen, Mings, Desasi, Konsa - be solid and not let in a goal.
We’d be more solid with Digne then. No way imo Maatsen starts.
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If you have the other three solid defenders starting, then maybe…
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No I can't see him starting Maatsen in this one unless Digne wasn't fit.
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He'll start Digne if he's fit, unless Brugge struggle with pace at the back and he plays him and Rashford on that left hand side.
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https://x.com/AVFCSupport/status/1896863194297307327
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https://x.com/AVFCSupport/status/1896863194297307327
Charming.
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Their ground is a shit-tip.
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https://x.com/AVFCSupport/status/1896863194297307327
I'm surprised they haven't fixed the broken seats, it's over 13 years since Blose played them.
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It's 6.45pm if you're in Belgium, though.
But is it Pancake Tuesday there?
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Don’t be nervous, it’s very pleasant and sunny in Brugge😊
Enjoy the day, hopefully the beers taste as good afterwards.
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Will be tight but there's no way we play worse tonight than in November. Everyone remembers the penalty award but we hardly created anything.
I fancy us to edge this 1-2 with the attacking options we'll have on the bench ready to come in on the hour as think Ramsey and Rogers will start this one.
Also possible we bring in Kamara and move SJM to the right.
We were really poor that night, yet they still needed a bizarre penalty to beat us. If we're on it, I can see us getting a result tonight.
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Those confident of an easy win obviously haven't seen us play away recently. Give me some contemporary evidence which might suggest an easy win?
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Those confident of an easy win obviously haven't seen us play away recently. Give me some contemporary evidence which might suggest an easy win?
I don’t know why anyone would expect an easy win on the basis we’ve lost to them already, they’ve just hammered the Europa League winners, and we very rarely win easily. We might do, but there’s no basis for it.
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It is 12.45pm for those watching in NYC.
So it’s already happened where you are then? Any chance you could give me score and scorers, please. I want to put a bet on.
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Anyone who thinks this will be an easy match is living in cloud cuckoo land!
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@J_Tanswell
#AVFC XI vs Club Brugge: Martinez; Disasi, Konsa, Mings, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Bailey, Rogers, Rashford; Watkins
Disasi at right-back/third CB. Bailey on the right. Asensio and Kamara on the bench.
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#AVFC XI vs Club Brugge: Martinez; Disasi, Konsa, Mings, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Bailey, Rogers, Rashford; Watkins
Disasi at right-back/third CB. Bailey on the right. Asensio and Kamara on the bench.
you sure its not konsa at rb mate?
Suprised asensio is on bench tbh
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#AVFC XI vs Club Brugge: Martinez; Disasi, Konsa, Mings, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Bailey, Rogers, Rashford; Watkins
Disasi at right-back/third CB. Bailey on the right. Asensio and Kamara on the bench.
Wasn't Disasi worse than Konsa when played at RB?
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I'm not sure why you'd assume it wouldn't be Konsa at RB considering how many times Emery has played him there.
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I'm not sure why you'd assume it wouldn't be Konsa at RB considering how many times Emery has played him there.
I didn't, it came from Jacob Tanswell.
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I'm not sure why you'd assume it wouldn't be Konsa at RB considering how many times Emery has played him there.
Disasi played a lot of Right Back (badly) at Chelsea. He also potentially went there in the changes against Palace although I don't think anyone knew who was playing where in the end.
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How many chances has Bailey had in this team. eason. Must be one of the luckiest players to retain his place having played so poorly for 95% of the season.
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Surprised Leon still a first choice selection
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Stick a scouse wig on Malan and call him Bailey all night and no one need know.
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The start should be good for Leon’s confidence. He’s been better lately so here’s hoping.
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The starting XI don't necessarily win the game . It's the finishing XI .
This is where Emery is elite.
The changes were made at the right time and influenced the result really well.