Aston Villa v Crystal Palace FAC Semi Final Pre Match Thread

[Drummond]

Before the match I sat in a pub for a bit and met some old school Man City fans. They were bemoaning what they'd become. Hated ticket prices etc. Hated that they couldn't give tickets away for games and hated that they were expanding the ground to feed a demand that isn't really there.

Whereas we still have hunger.

[eamonn]

I feel sick.

[RamboandBruno]

Will take a bit more time to get over last night, but having this to focus on helps.

Will be nervous, we’re relatively miles ahead of Palace in the league, because we are a much better side, still we struggle against them. Even the 3-1 at home last season took a late Duran worldy and a Dougie pen.

I’d go with

Martinez
Cash
Konsa
Mings
Maatsen
Kamara
Tielemans
McGinn
Watkins
Rashford
Rogers

Im not sure Unai will start Rashford and Watkins in the same team though. Im also not sure Rogers should start after last night, but he will. Ramsey would be unlucky to miss out.

3-1 us (Watkins, Tielemans, Rogers), could be after extra time gulp..

[wince]

We need to go there and play them off the park and not get bogged down with recent history with Palace. If we cannot beat Crystal fucking Palace then we really dont deserve to win anything at all.

Too much respect shown to Man City yesterday as well. Fed up now of getting no silverware year after year. Go out smash the bejeezus out of Palace then smash either Forest or Cheat city in the final.

Score 4-2 to us.

[Drummond]

            Martinez
Cash. Konsa.  Mings.    Maatsen
     Kamara. Tielemans
McGinn .    Rogers.    Ramsey
              Watkins

Rashford, Digne Asensio Malen to come on as subs

[Nev]

This is it, this is what we dream of, what a certain generation crave more than anything else, the one missing honour in a lifetime, in a competition where once the trophy is in touching distance we fail dismally. We need to expunge that hurt, we need to make our mark. We need to win the FA Cup. We need to beat Palace and go one better than 2000 and 2015.

I expect Mings back, I expect a far more positive approach, I expect a wild a ferocious backing from us in the stands.

We were due a domestic defeat, it's out of the way and won't derail our fine end to the season.

2-1 (aet)

[andyh]

I’m not having 2-1 (aet).
I don’t think my ticker would take it.

4-1 in normal time please.

[PeterWithesShin]

The lack of a poll has caused sadnessinhiseyes

[Smithy]

Expecting a physical battle again against these, it will be interesting to see how strong they go tonight against Arsenal.

My guess is a quite a few players will be rested tonight.  They're 6 points clear of the team behind them in 13th, and 4 points behind the team in 10th.  They might move up one place in the league between now and the end of the season, possibly.  But that's it.  The league season is pretty much done for them.

Their entire season is now resting on the FA Cup, and I suspect the team selected for tonight's league match will reflect that.

[Bosco81]

Expecting a physical battle again against these, it will be interesting to see how strong they go tonight against Arsenal.

My guess is a quite a few players will be rested tonight.  They're 6 points clear of the team behind them in 13th, and 4 points behind the team in 10th.  They might move up one place in the league between now and the end of the season, possibly.  But that's it.  The league season is pretty much done for them.

Their entire season is now resting on the FA Cup, and I suspect the team selected for tonight's league match will reflect that.

Glasner says not, they don't want to get smashed before the semi-final I would guess, but I can see Eze having the night off, and maybe Mateta.

If anyone 2 foots Saka and gets sent off do they miss Saturday ? I was going to look last night while Morgan Rogers was kicking anything that moved whilst on a booking, but didn't want to jinx it.

[SoccerHQ]

Extra time win.

It will be scrappy and hard to see us keeping a clean sheet v Eze, Mateta and Sarr but in the form we're in we should score a couple ourselves.

3-2 us.

Mings, Maatsen and Watkins all to start this surely after last night.

[Legion]

0-2

[Small Rodent]

Given the clamour for tickets, is it right that the Semi is at Wembley?

I guess so, maybe one day we’ll be like Man City and not be bothered about a mere semi final, looking at the resell sites you can get tickets in their end for £50, not even sure they will sell out their allocation.

Might need City to win their semi to keep the price of the tickets down for the final.

Which site is this for reselling?

[PaulWinch again]

I would definitely start Mings in this one. I’m undecided on Maatsen, but I think I’d lean towards him as I think pace will be important. Ollie has to start too.

[Bosco81]

Given the clamour for tickets, is it right that the Semi is at Wembley?

I guess so, maybe one day we’ll be like Man City and not be bothered about a mere semi final, looking at the resell sites you can get tickets in their end for £50, not even sure they will sell out their allocation.

Might need City to win their semi to keep the price of the tickets down for the final.

Which site is this for reselling?

It’s livefootballtickets I have not used them before but I know a few people who have and had no issues with them.