Small Heath Alliance v Aston Villa League Cup Quarter Final Pre-Match Thread

[Bosco81]

Have we been practising penalties ?

Practising our defending would be better, we never look capable of a clean sheet.

Don't get all technical, with your tactical mumbo jumbo

[JJ-AV]

How do we hope we line up?

I'm hoping for:

Friedel
Young - Dunne - Collins - Warnock
Hogg - Clark
Downing - Bannan - Young
Gabby

[Irish villain]

A nervy 2-1 win for villa.

[Merv]

I'm hoping for this:

                 Friedel

L Young Dunne Collins Warnock

A Young Clark Bannan Downing

            Delfouneso Gabby

Subs: Guzan, Lichaj, Lowry, Hogg, Pires, Carew, Herd

I'd like to drop Dunne for Cuellar, but he's not fit and our only other centre-back option is Clark, and he can't play there because we've no real other option to take his place in centre midfield. So for me, the first X1 just about picks itself. I'd like to see how solid Johnson, Dann and Ridgewell look with Fonz, Gabby and Ashley going at them - and in particular, I'd love to see Young lining up wide right to take on Ridgewell at every opportunity. The lad (Ridgewell) has got his qualities, but as we all know, he's also got his faults and I think most of them are exposed with him at left-back....

[Bosco81]

I like that team Merv, might be tempted to put Hogg in for the Fonz though as they play quite narrow and we might need to beef the midfield up a bit.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

The Times, who are normally pretty accurate, say

4-4-2

Brad Snr

L Young
Dunne
Collins
Warnock

A Young
Clark
Bannan
Downing

Gabby
Carew

SUBS - Whoever can walk.

[PaulTheVillan]

Have we practiced Pens?

Strange one this.

What if we practice and the keepers do really well and save them all? That's good on one hand...

[JJ-AV]

Ash, Bannan, Downing, Collins, Carew

Would be my takers, in that order. I'd take pens now though, if you offered it to me.

[Ger Regan]

Really finding it difficult to get worked up about this. For once the roles seem to be reversed, there's very little pressure on us to get a result considering the state of injuries etc., so if we lose, it's no great disaster. For the blues, it's without doubt their best chance of winning against us in years. Can they handle that sort of pressure though?

[Bosco81]

Can we stick the Aussie Bossie on the bench for this one.

[garyshawsknee]

The Times, who are normally pretty accurate, say

4-4-2

Brad Snr

L Young
Dunne
Collins
Warnock

A Young
Clark
Bannan
Downing

Gabby
Carew

SUBS - Whoever can walk.

I think i'd put the fonz in ahead of Carew ,especially with him being a local lad and up for it,and Carew looking well past it.

[Ger Regan]

I think i'd put the fonz in ahead of Carew ,especially with him being a local lad and up for it,and Carew looking well past it.

Agreed, Carew was absolutely awful on Saturday.

[Bosco81]

Really finding it difficult to get worked up about this. For once the roles seem to be reversed, there's very little pressure on us to get a result considering the state of injuries etc., so if we lose, it's no great disaster. For the blues, it's without doubt their best chance of winning against us in years. Can they handle that sort of pressure though?

It would be a disaster of biblical proportions if we don't beat those clowns, if we lose, we can't use injuries as an excuse, we are likely to be starting with 8 of our first choice team, it's the fact that anyone who has ever played in centre midfield is currently injured makes it worse.

[alanclare]

McLeish "trusts the home crowd will be at their hostile and volatile best tonight to offer the most intimidating welcome for Gérard Houllier's young team.

[gervilla]

The Times, who are normally pretty accurate, say

4-4-2

Brad Snr

L Young
Dunne
Collins
Warnock

A Young
Clark
Bannan
Downing

Gabby
Carew

SUBS - Whoever can walk.

I think i'd put the fonz in ahead of Carew ,especially with him being a local lad and up for it,and Carew looking well past it.

Fonz in for Carew for me aswell. He was an embarassment on Saturday. A Norweigan who doesn't like the cold. Pathetic.