Aston Villa vs Lille - Conf League QF 1st leg - Thursday 8pm - pre match

[Risso]

Whats the point in supporting a football team if you don’t want them to secure a place in the elite competition that every player wants to play I,that would have a huge impact on its ability to compete at the elite end of the football pyramid?
Just playing devils advocate but not everyone sees it the same way and they are no less supporters.
I don’t know which is most important regarding CL next year, doing well in this or focus on the league.
I doubt we can do both.

Why can't we? Emery rested loads of players at Man City in preparation for Brentford, and look at how that turned out. Torres had an absolute stinker, but prior to Brentford had played 1 game in three weeks. We've got 6 league games left, and a maximum of 5 European games, we need to go all in for both. No more bollocks like the Man City team selection, shite like that rarely works.

[Brazilian Villain]

Plus there's 10 days rest between the last league game and the UECL Final, if we get there.

[Dave]

Play the strongest team available in both games. It’s simple.

Yup.

Looking forward to next years Champions League quarter-final and we'll have people saying we should be playing the youth team because we're fifth in the league and have a big away game to Crystal Palace that weekend.

[Risso]

Plus there's 10 days rest between the last league game and the UECL Final, if we get there.

And also depending on how the first leg of the quarter final goes, there might be scope to change things round for the second leg if we're 3-0 up or whatever. Although after Brentford, possibly not such a good idea with the way our defenders are currently playing.

[pauliewalnuts]

At the moment, I feel like we're going to need to win handsomely in this first league to be confident of progressing. Some - not all, but some - of our Conference League performances have been very underwhelming.

Fingers crossed we kill this tie in the first leg.

[PaulWinch again]

Yep we’ve had some very stodgy Conference League displays, I'm hoping we’re a bit more lively on Thursday. I’ve no idea how good Lille are, although them having a pacy forward concerns me, but we could really do with a comfortable win.

[Richard]

Yep we’ve had some very stodgy Conference League displays, I'm hoping we’re a bit more lively on Thursday. I’ve no idea how good Lille are, although them having a pacy forward concerns me, but we could really do with a comfortable win.

I wonder if there is a Lille forum where their fans are wetting themselves because we have 3 pacy forwards!? Sometimes the negativity on here is astonishing.

[Chris Smith]

Play the strongest team available in both games. It’s simple.

Available is the key word there. Some players just don’t seem to have the stamina to play 3 big games in a week, Bailey for example, so he’s inevitably going to have to use the squad and substitutions will probably play a big part. If we can get a decent lead in the first leg then it gives him the opportunity to use different players from the start next week and it will also improve his options for Sunday.

[The Man With A Stick]

Strongest team possible, no pissing about.  100% certain that Unai will go all out for this one.

[ChicagoLion]

Whats the point in supporting a football team if you don’t want them to secure a place in the elite competition that every player wants to play I,that would have a huge impact on its ability to compete at the elite end of the football pyramid?
Just playing devils advocate but not everyone sees it the same way and they are no less supporters.
I don’t know which is most important regarding CL next year, doing well in this or focus on the league.
I doubt we can do both.

Why can't we? Emery rested loads of players at Man City in preparation for Brentford, and look at how that turned out. Torres had an absolute stinker, but prior to Brentford had played 1 game in three weeks. We've got 6 league games left, and a maximum of 5 European games, we need to go all in for both. No more bollocks like the Man City team selection, shite like that rarely works.

You don't think fatigue was a factor against Brentford?
We have limited resources, Emery has to decide hoa to use them with far more information concerning niggles and fitness than we do,

[Risso]

You don't think fatigue was a factor against Brentford?
We have limited resources, Emery has to decide hoa to use them with far more information concerning niggles and fitness than we do,

Torres didn't play against Man City and played 1 game in three weeks. McGinn's just had a three game sit down. Bailey didn't play for his country, nor did Carlos or Digne.

[Ads]

You don't think fatigue was a factor against Brentford?
We have limited resources, Emery has to decide hoa to use them with far more information concerning niggles and fitness than we do,

Torres didn't play against Man City and played 1 game in three weeks. McGinn's just had a three game sit down. Bailey didn't play for his country, nor did Carlos or Digne.

You also had an entire 45 minutes where 21 players were 25 yards apart, with an occasional recovery run when Brentford hacked it long. We just switched off, horrendously, on our right for 9 minutes. Composure returned, but fatigue wasn't the issue.

[Risso]

I think managers have worked out that while Torres is great on the ball, he's not an especially brilliant defender and can be got at. With our most reliable central defender filling in at right back, it doesn't take a genius to see that putting pressure on can reap dividends. We've had two many two goal+ 15 minute collapses (mostly in the second half) since the start of 2024 for it to be a coincidence. Emery says they want to analyse it and work out why, but they keep happening. They haven't all led to defeats which does at least show some resilience, but we don't half need to tighten up at the back.

[dicedlam]

There is no getting away from the fact that over the two legs it is going to be very difficult fitness wise, both mentally and physically.
Personally, I would pick the strongest team Unai has got available with maybe the exception of Moreno (who gives us more of an attacking threat down the left) and then also having Diaby and Bailey either side of Watkins.

I predict if we win the home tie we will go through.

[Risso]

I'd go

Emi

Konsa Carlos Torres Digne

McGinn Luiz Tielemans Rogers

Diaby Watkins

Bring Bailey on if we need to second half, he's been a bit off it last few games.