Aston Villa (0) vs Nottm Forest (1) - EL SF 2nd leg pre match

[Smithy]

Bastard of an injury for MGW but means he will be playing unfortunately

Why does that mean he’ll be playing?

I think that’s his interpretation. When I saw the pic mine was the opposite. Stitches plus concussion mean he’ll be told to rest and recover other than light training.

How can you possibly play a few days after having more than a dozen stitches in your forehead?? That looks season ending to me.  Not concussion related, just no idea how you can protect and injury like that when heading is part of the game? It would be like have a dozen stitches across the top of your foot.

He might have one of those Phantom of the Opera masks on...

I could understand that to protect fresh scar tissue, but those stitches are unlikely to come out in the next 3 days. It’s not even like they can bandage his face to protect the scar.

If he plays on Thursday I will be shocked. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s him done for the season.

[dave.woodhall]

If he does play Thursday we should be going for him from the kick-off.

[PeterWithesShin]

First chance twat the ball into his face as hard as possible.

[cdbearsfan]

Seems strange to mention the need for togetherness and make the point of directors and managers

I assume thats a "from top to bottom" type quote

Indeed. Hardly controversial.

[eamonn]

To stand any chance of winning we will need to play like we did in the first half on Thu, all game. No good half bad half allowed this time around

Did we play that well in the first half on Thursday?! I think we'll need to go up at least two more gears than that...

[LeonW]

I think this team is gassed. I don’t think we have the physicality in speed or movement to beat Forrest that way.

[Rory]

I was as depressed and angered by the Tottenham performance as anyone, but think we'll smash these clowns.

4-1 to the Villa.

[wince]

Fuck forest. Full on shit or bust on Thursday

[frank black]

I think this team is gassed. I don’t think we have the physicality in speed or movement to beat Forrest that way.

They’ve just had a nice bank holiday weekend off, with a practice match on Sunday.

[PaulWinch again]

I know I keep saying this, but we have to attack this game. Forest will be comfortable if we start slowly, and after Spurs I think the crowd will get edgy quickly if this isn’t going our way. The crowd need to be full of energy, but it needs the team to underpin that energy.

[steamer]

I think they will come out firing, if they get a second the crowd drops and do we have 3 in us ?

[Somniloquism]

The referreeing team from our last game has been "rewarded" with Bayern PSG although the VAR has been demoted to Assistant VAR and someone else has that role.

[jwarry]

The referreeing team from our last game has been "rewarded" with Bayern PSG although the VAR has been demoted to Assistant VAR and someone else has that role.

Tells you all you need to know

[Nev]

It feels like the whole of Emery's reign comes down to this, it doesn't of course we can still make the CL it just feels like that after Sunday.

A manager stands or falls by the decisions he makes, the positives outweigh the negatives by a mile with Emery but football is a game of fine margins and he will end up vindicated or (slightly) vilified on the back of Thursday.

I still feel flat, am not relishing a game we should all look forward too and my hope is that this feeling isn't replicated around the club itself and that for umpteenth time, Emery will prove me wrong.

1-1

[ADVILLAFAN]

As good as Forest have been recently, there really was nothing between the sides at the City Ground.

They got the VAR and we didn't.

Feels like we held back on Sunday, but we won't on Thursday.