UECL AZ Alkmaar v Aston Villa Pre Match

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Strongest team available. Win this and then beat them at home and there will then be room to rotate in the final two group games when games come thick and fast.
If our best can blow them away in the first hour then you can start making plenty of substitutions.

[rougegorge]

Beating Luton is more important.

No, honestly NO! Beating both is important.

Exactly this. If a team has a mindset of thinking a game is not as important as the next, then they are more likely to under-perform. I know that by playing a full-strength team there is no guarantee of a win, but it is more likely. There is also no guarantee that by prioritising and having lots of rotation it will work out well.
I know it's easy to point at 2009 and CSKA followed by Stoke and then no wins in 8 games, but it is still an example to heed.

I would not mind rotating out players once we were qualified, but this is a tough group in this competition and the luxury may not be there.

I bet Alkmaar won't be resting many if any players to prioritise their title aspirations. They certainly won't be giving a rest to Pavlidis who already has 13 goals, whereas we have not started our top players like Luiz and Watkins in either of the two group games so far.

[brontebilly]

Should be a cracking game. Need to rotate between this and Luton, if we are on it we should win both. Time for one of the nearly men to step up.

Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Carlos, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Zaniolo, Bailey, Watkins

[coreyfeldman]

Beating Luton is more important.

No, honestly NO! Beating both is important.

Exactly this. If a team has a mindset of thinking a game is not as important as the next, then they are more likely to under-perform. I know that by playing a full-strength team there is no guarantee of a win, but it is more likely. There is also no guarantee that by prioritising and having lots of rotation it will work out well.
I know it's easy to point at 2009 and CSKA followed by Stoke and then no wins in 8 games, but it is still an example to heed.

I would not mind rotating out players once we were qualified, but this is a tough group in this competition and the luxury may not be there.

I bet Alkmaar won't be resting many if any players to prioritise their title aspirations. They certainly won't be giving a rest to Pavlidis who already has 13 goals, whereas we have not started our top players like Luiz and Watkins in either of the two group games so far.

But if we start full strength and still don't get results to qualify early then we have to keep playing full strength. I don't think we should see using the squad as 'resting' players, it's not that simple. We also have to keep the other squad members sharp, with competitive minutes. I'd trust emery to deal with that given his record, rather than pointing at a different team in a very different league, the comparisons aren't useful.

Watkins and several others aren't going to start 3 matches in a week so it's then about how you balance the priorities.

Imo I think Watkins will start on Thursday and not Sunday but who tf knows

[Meanwood Villa]

We won't pick a full strength team and we have struggled when doing that this season. Not expecting a free flowing hammering as we have got used to in the league at home but just hope we've got enough to win.

[AV84]

Watkins and several others aren't going to start 3 matches in a week so it's then about how you balance the priorities.

Imo I think Watkins will start on Thursday and not Sunday but who tf knows

I'm wondering, if, and it's still a big IF, there's an issue with Durán, where does that leave us in terms of the line up?

We've been very lucky to have a player like Watkins who has a fantastic fitness record, but do we really want to push that?

We could probably play with Zaniolo or Diaby up front if we had to, but how would the rest of the lineup look if we're also trying to rest players.

[Drummond]

Traore and Diaby have both played up front.

[AV84]

I forget Traore plays for us.

[Ads]

The Frisian hooligan commrades of AZ are "looking for riots" against us, so says the local Alkmaar paper.

[VillaTim]

Beating Luton is more important.
He has to rotate and he will.

Yep the EPL is priority and UE does keep confirming this

[TelfordVilla]

The Frisian hooligan commrades of AZ are "looking for riots" against us, so says the local Alkmaar paper.

   after what happened last year with West ham, I fear for the travelling Villa fans. Stay safe people.

[coreyfeldman]

they had no sanctions and a pathetic fine as a result as well so hardly a deterrent

[NeilH]

The Frisian hooligan comrades of AZ are "looking for riots" against us, so says the local Alkmaar paper.

   after what happened last year with West Ham, I fear for the travelling Villa fans. Stay safe people.

This is precisely the same nonsense spouted at the first match of my local club in the Dutch 2nd Div when Cambuur played against them first match, cue a huge police presence with a ring of steel and not so much as a beaker thrown in anger. Bunch of keyboard hooligans attention-seekers.

[NeilH]

https://radioalkmaar.nl/nieuws/artikel/alkmaar/meetingpoint-paardenmarkt-voor-aston-villa-supporters-cambuur-hooligans-geweerd/

Info for those going, it's in Dutch but I am sure any google translate will do the trick.

[ADVILLAFAN]

A quick nose on an AZ Forum and their fans all seemed horrified by the hooligan actions of some of their fans and obviously were hoping for no trouble tomorrow.