UECL AZ Alkmaar v Aston Villa Pre Match

[Olneythelonely]

Go full strength and rotate against Luton.

1-0 away win.

[Footy-Vill]

AZ away is an expected tougher match than Luton at home.

[lovejoy]

Rest some, if we lose, we lose.

[LeeB]

Rest some, if we lose, we lose.

I'm already begining to think 'fuck this thing, we can win the league', which is wrong I know.


We can win both.

[Somniloquism]

I would have it the other way. Play strength against them the next two matches and go for solid wins. We can then control the table by the fourth round and see who is "closest".  We could arguably be 4 points clear of second if those teams draw both their matches, (best case scenario), three if both teams win one, or level with someone we still need to play. Then we can play second string in at least one other match, and maybe both.

[AV82EC]

The annoying thing at the moment is having no Mings, Moreno, Ramsey and Buendia means we can’t rotate as well as we’d like to so I think the suggestion of going all out against Alkmaar is a good one, then rotate against Luton. No complacency though this is a tricky tie and hopefully Unai will rotate the right way to keep us in it.

[Brazilian Villain]

Was going to go for a Villa win but then realised that Aftab started the Legia pre-match thread. It'll be 3-2 to Alkmaar then.

Phew, I guess that means I can wash my 'lucky pants' as well.

I did think about that Gary but Unai has burnt all taboos and interactions no longer apply to Aston Villa FC

True enough, the media are already talking us up as a potential 'Top 5' team so no taboos left.

[Risso]

I don't really class Man City as a bogey team, as they're just an insanely good side with a squad worth a gazillion quid, so I think the only sort of remaining jinx/bogey team to get rid of is our very mediocre record against the Dogheads.

[85kota]

Man City are our bogey team going back to the noughties.

[LeeB]

Yeah, they were a bogey side when they were ordinary at best but always seemed to beat us, but since then as Risso says it's because they're cheats and miles better, which is not bogeyness.

[85kota]

When we beat them under the lights on 5th December the title race will be officially on.

[PeterWithesShin]

70s 3 wins out of 10
80s 5 wins out of 16
90s 2 wins out of 14
00s 4 wins out of 20
10s+ 3 wins out of 25

I think it's fair to say that even when they were mainly shit we've had an awful record against Man City in my lifetime.

[pauliewalnuts]

That home match against them in the early 90s where David White wouldn't stop fucking scoring.

Was that under Dr Jo?

[LeeB]

That home match against them in the early 90s where David White wouldn't stop fucking scoring.

Was that under Dr Jo?

It was that season but he'd gone by then.

[PeterWithesShin]

Yep, 1-5 in April '91. We conceded 5 away to Leeds in the next match as well.