Aston Villa vs West Bromwich Albion (Play-off Semi 1st leg): Pre-match Thread

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Yes, they could buy 4 tickets per season ticket.

[Sexual Ealing]

I'm deeply worried about the fact that pretty much every pundit and journalist has us down to win, and not just this game, but the whole thing. This is the strongest playoff group that I can remember (granted, I didn't pay attention when we weren't in this league). I know we've fucked Derby twice this season but they look to have improved.

And the Throstles, as we learned to our cost, are no mugs (and a shower of cheating C-words to boot).

I will remain concerned.

[tomd2103]

Only real decisions for me are Hause or Tayor at LB and Green or Adomah at RW.  I would be tempted to go for the former over the latter in both cases with the rest of the team picking itself.

From the Albion callers I have heard on WM in the past couple of weeks, it sounds like they have been playing 3-5-2, which I think could give us opportunities to get at them.

Green?  He's hopeless. Adomah hasn't been brilliant, but he's a much better option than Green, and I fully expect Albert to start both games, and the final if we get there.

Got my wingers the wrong way round!!   Would definitely start Adomah over Green.  It would be a nice time for Albert to have one of his hot streaks. 

I would go with:

                               Steer

Emohamady    Tuanzebe   Mings       Hause

                               Whelan
                 Grealish                 McGinn

Adomah                   Abraham             El Ghazi


Subs:  Kalinic, Hutton, Elphick, Hourihane, Lansbury, Kodjia, Davis

Harsh on Taylor and Green, but I think if the former doesn’t start, he probably doesn’t make the squad. 

[Lastfootstamper]

Didn't Fulham do the same for the playoff final last season? I was sat next to a few of them on the train back into London after the game, and I was gobsmacked when they said that they had more fans than us and at the game.

I believe they could just rock up at their ticket office and have 6 tickets apiece, no questions asked, for the Europa League Final in 2010.

[andyh]

A little rallying call (old but very apt).

https://twitter.com/av_the_informer/status/1126181217882267650?s=21

[Villan For Life]

Didn't Fulham do the same for the playoff final last season? I was sat next to a few of them on the train back into London after the game, and I was gobsmacked when they said that they had more fans than us and at the game.

I believe they could just rock up at their ticket office and have 6 tickets apiece, no questions asked, for the Europa League Final in 2010.

Brighton did something similar for their FA cup semi against Man City. The number of tickets that they were allocated was greater than the capacity of their stadium.

[QuintonVilla]

Didn't Fulham do the same for the playoff final last season? I was sat next to a few of them on the train back into London after the game, and I was gobsmacked when they said that they had more fans than us and at the game.

I believe they could just rock up at their ticket office and have 6 tickets apiece, no questions asked, for the Europa League Final in 2010.

Brighton did something similar for their FA cup semi against Man City. The number of tickets that they were allocated was greater than the capacity of their stadium.

Albion would be the same if they got to the final. You get 38,000 tickets so anyone who had ever drove past the Hawthorns or shopped at Tesco would be able to get a ticket. I remember when they got to the final in 2007 against Derby, Albion fans I know who hadn't been to a game for years went to that.

Made me laugh them complaining about only getting 2000 tickets at VP. Last time I looked they were averaging about 1800 away this season so all of their away support and another 200 lucky souls will have got tickets. On the other hand, we averaged around 2700-2800 so we will have actually had loyal fans missing out with the 2000 allocation.

[brentastonb6]

Didn't Fulham do the same for the playoff final last season? I was sat next to a few of them on the train back into London after the game, and I was gobsmacked when they said that they had more fans than us and at the game.

I believe they could just rock up at their ticket office and have 6 tickets apiece, no questions asked, for the Europa League Final in 2010.

Brighton did something similar for their FA cup semi against Man City. The number of tickets that they were allocated was greater than the capacity of their stadium.

Albion would be the same if they got to the final. You get 38,000 tickets so anyone who had ever drove past the Hawthorns or shopped at Tesco would be able to get a ticket. I remember when they got to the final in 2007 against Derby, Albion fans I know who hadn't been to a game for years went to that.

Made me laugh them complaining about only getting 2000 tickets at VP. Last time I looked they were averaging about 1800 away this season so all of their away support and another 200 lucky souls will have got tickets. On the other hand, we averaged around 2700-2800 so we will have actually had loyal fans missing out with the 2000 allocation.

Is that correct we’ve only given them 2,000 ? Why the reduced allocation ? I’d rather we also had the circa 3000 we normally get at Tesco’s

[PeterWithesShin]

2000 is the minimum you have to give in the play-offs.

[QuintonVilla]

Both clubs have stuck to the minimum 2k rule in the play offs. Interestingly Derby and Leeds have given each other 2800 and 2600. Derby charging £20 and Leeds £37!

Been told by an Albion mate of mine that we'll still have the 2600 seats area and they'll just leave 600 empty seats in amongst us.

[KRS]

I understand that all the attendance money is pooled in the playoffs so clubs don't have any financial incentive to max out away allocations.

[London Villan]

Will we be selling the 900 extra seats?

[QuintonVilla]

Will we be selling the 900 extra seats?

I doubt it. They will be used as segregation and they will have empty seats in their end like when we play Blues and they have 2100.

[avfc456]

I would rather have just given Albion the standard allocation and us receive the same, although didn't we only give them 2100 at VP? 

[itbrvilla]

Didn't Fulham do the same for the playoff final last season? I was sat next to a few of them on the train back into London after the game, and I was gobsmacked when they said that they had more fans than us and at the game.

I believe they could just rock up at their ticket office and have 6 tickets apiece, no questions asked, for the Europa League Final in 2010.

I was talking to a group of them on the tube and they were a mixture of Fulham, Spurs and Chelsea ( there was one Fulham fan).