Aston Villa vs Chelsea (NextGen FINAL) Mega Thread

[cdbearsfan]

Seeing as I started the Sporting one, I'm starting this before anyone else does in the hope that it's lucky.

It can be a Pre-Match, Match and Post-Match thread rolled into one to avoid causing too much clutter.

Plus, it can take our minds off the first-team's performance today.

Kick off is 5.00pm UK time tomorrow, coverage commences 4.30pm on Eurosport.

[PONGO49]

I was told that the kick off time is 5:00pm.

[cdbearsfan]

Right you are. Kick-off 5pm, coverage starts 4.30pm. Have amended initial post.

[villajk]

I didn't once hear any advertisement for this at today's game.  I would have thought it would be a good idea to let people know so they could shout at the tv and spur the lads on.

[nigel]

It's on the same excuse of a pitch as the semi, too.
You'd think as it's a reasonably high profile game the organisers would have sorted a better playing surface.

[cdbearsfan]

I didn't once hear any advertisement for this at today's game.  I would have thought it would be a good idea to let people know so they could shout at the tv and spur the lads on.

There's probably some rule against promoting or advertising other channels' programmes during a televised Sky Sports game.

[villajk]

Ah, hadn't thought of that.  You're probably right.  Shame mind.  People we spoke to before the game didn't know it was on tv and all said they were going to watch it.

[neo_Villan]

Would be great to be first English club to win this. Winning this would add alot more credibility to that 'best academy in the country' tag.

[cdbearsfan]

Ah, hadn't thought of that.  You're probably right.  Shame mind.  People we spoke to before the game didn't know it was on tv and all said they were going to watch it.

Good work Pauline.

What time does your flight leave?

[villajk]

Ah, hadn't thought of that.  You're probably right.  Shame mind.  People we spoke to before the game didn't know it was on tv and all said they were going to watch it.

Good work Pauline.

What time does your flight leave?

Haha, Jon said today that if he wasn't working we would jump on a plane and go.  We then decided we had no idea where, in Italy, Lake Como is.

So, I'll be like everyone else and watch it on tv in the comfort of my own lounge.  Jon won't be able to watch it as he's working.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Samir Carruthers admits Villa have surprised a few people by reaching the NextGen Series final.

But the skipper's belief has never wavered during this memorable European campaign.

Carruthers is set to lead Villa out at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in Lake Como for Monday night's all-English final against Chelsea.

The 19-year-old midfielder has unhappy memories of facing the west London outfit in a major final.

As a first year scholar back in the 2009-10 campaign, he was on the losing side when Chelsea defeated Tony McAndrew's team to lift the FA Youth Cup.

Three years later, though, the two clubs will collide again with continental supremacy up for grabs.

Carruthers is hopeful of a happier outcome - even if Villa were unfancied when they arrived in Italy for the finals weekend.

"It is great that we are in the final and probably a lot of outsiders didn't believe we'd make it this far," he said.

"But we've got good team belief and if we didn't believe in ourselves we wouldn't be here.

"I believe we can do it and we are here now so we've just got to prove to the rest that we can win this.

"When I was a first year we played Chelsea in the Youth Cup final and we lost narrowly so there is a little bit of rivalry.

"But it should be a good game so hopefully we can do it."

Carruthers was proud of the discipline and tenacity Villa showed in Friday night's semi-final victory over Sporting Lisbon.

He knows those qualities will be needed again against Chelsea.

"We stuck to our game plan and the lads dug it out," he added.

"In the first half we didn't play the greatest but we showed our quality in the second-half.

"Especially in extra-time as well, we showed how fit we are to carry on to the end and we finished them off with the quality we've got in our team."

The NextGen Series final on Monday evening kicks off at 6pm local time/5pm UK time

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Play the game, not the occasion,' is one of the oldest sayings in the coaching manual.

It is a mantra Janoi Donacien is embracing as he prepares for the biggest game of his career this evening.

The central defender says staying cool, calm and collected is key for Villa in the NextGen Series final against Chelsea in Lake Como.

Along with team-mates like Samir Carruthers and Graham Burke, Donacien has thrived on the responsibility of being one of the senior men in this Villa side.

The 19-year-old is in his third season at the club and has trained with Paul Lambert's first team squad on a number of occasions this term.

Coach Tony McAndrew will be looking for the St Lucian-born stopper to be a 'wise old head' in the claret and blues' back four.

"It will be a big occasion but we have come here to play the game and we have come to win," said Donacien.

"We've just got to stay calm and think about doing the right stuff and stay together as a team.

"We've faced them a few times but it is a different occasion.

"It is the biggest game I've played in so far but we've got to come away with the win at the end of the day."

Donacien says it is inevitable Villa will be made to dig deep, just as they had to in Friday's thrilling semi-final against Sporting Lisbon.

"We went away to Sporting and beat them then we had to face them on Friday night and did really well," he said.

"We had to dig deep and we got through it and now we are in the final so hopefully everything goes well.

"It feels really good to be here and hopefully we can come away with the result tonight."

Donacien reckons his first taste of European football through the NextGen Series has played a significant part in his development.

Having helped Villa reach the quarter-finals last season, he has his sights set on a winner's medal this time around.

"It has been really good because we get to go away and we get to play in other stadiums," Donacien added.

"It helps you grow as a player. It would be great to cap it off with a win and go back home and celebrate with the rest of the boys."

Follow our live audio and text commentary from the NextGen final, which kicks off at 5pm UK time, 6pm local time.

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~3128184,00.html

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

The view from Chelski...

Chelsea set up on Friday in a 4-2-3-1 system, and will likely do the same against Aston Villa. There will likely be a pair of changes from Friday though, one due to injury and one because of a late arrival.

Adam Nditi was injured during the game, likely as a result of the awful pitch the clubs were forced to play on. His ankle doesn't look like it will be recovered enough for him to play in the final, leaving Chelsea with two pretty realistic options in replacing him. Lewis Baker has played on the wings fairly often, and a move to the left would likely see John Swift inserted in the midfield. Chelsea could also put Connor Hunte out on the left, leaving Baker in place as they did after the injury on Friday. Either one would be a fine option, and there's a good chance we see both of them at some point tomorrow anyway.

The second change should be far more impactful, as one of Chelsea's best young players has joined up with the squad for the final. Nathan Ake was not involved for the semis due to training with the first team, but he has traveled to Italy and will reportedly be available for selection tomorrow. He'll likely step in for Danny Pappoe, partenring in the center of the defense with Alex Davey.

Ake for Pappoe should help balance the defense for Chelsea, as both Davey and Pappoe are big, strong, slower players. Both have very similar skillsets, and you could see on Friday that they were capable of being beaten by quick runs and slow to cover for the fullbacks.

Ake entering the mix gives Chelsea a player that tends to cover these runs very well. He's not nearly as good as either of the pair in the air, but he's far more skillful than either and reads the game at a much higher level. His presence should help stabilize the back line, and hopefully make the defense a little less open to runs in behind.

Chelsea will be facing a Villa team that generally lines up in a flat 4-4-2, some might call it a 4-4-1-1 with one striker tending to play a bit deeper than the other. They'll be without the services of one of their regular strikers though, as the tournament's second leading scorer, Michael Drennan, won't be available for selection.

The Villians do have a pair of players to watch, in Callum Robinson and Jack Grealish. Robinson will likely be the focal point of the attack, and he'll be a danger making runs in behind the center backs with good acceleration and pace. Those types of runs gave us trouble on Friday, so hopefully they'll be ready for the challenge tomorrow.

Grealish tends to play as one of the wide midfielders in the 4-4-2 look, and also boasts pretty good pace. Most likely he'll be on the left for most of the match, which would make for a very interesting matchup with 16-year old Andreas Christensen.

Just from the few Villa games I've seen in the tournament, this would seem to be a favorable matchup for Chelsea. The Birmingham side don't play the sort of high-pressure/high-line that tend to cause Chelsea loads of problems, instead picking up the pressure much closer to their own goal. Hopefully this will lead to Chelsea's midfield establishing themselves fairly early, trying to push the ball deep to the wings and find Jeremie Boga between the midfield and the defense.

The pitch will probably be a factor again, as it was absolutely dreadful for the semis. The final will be the fourth match played on it in three days*, so i'd have to assume the condition will be worse than it was for our opener. That may play into Villa's hands a bit, as they'll likely be looking to play over the top a bit more than Chelsea

http://www.weaintgotnohistory.com/2013/3/31/4167020/chelsea-vs-aston-villa-nextgen-final-preview

[olaftab]

The biggest match for an English club to win a trophy so far this season kicks off at 5 meanwhile I will make do with this warm up game at the bridge going on now!

[martin o`who??]

At least, hopefully they wont try and knock the fuck out of us the way Lisbon did, Brutal and un-intelligent.