Aston Villa (A) | Pre-Match Thread

[Wretched Vengeance]

Losing to Leeds fucked things up I reckon.

Plan was probably strong today, weaker against Villa to rest, and then back-to-back strong elevens against Spurs and PSG.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

We ain’t good enough to win the CL

We are if we play our best 11

 

[Xhavenjoe]

I think we will rest players in the Carabao so its a chance for those who underperformed today to redeem themselves

There's too many that played badly today to risk giving them the chance to redeem themselves.
Chance 1 or 2 maybe

 

[lmhblue1]

Don't care to predict/choose a starting XI, but I think the 7 changes per game rotation needs to stop and we just need to go back to less extreme rotation. I understand having to start an out of form player here or there but multiple out of form players shouldn't be starting together at this point in the season. Pick a lineup for PSG, then rotate 3 or 4 of that XI against Villa and another 3 or 4 of them against Spurs. 2 or 3 of them with good fitness levels who didn't start today i.e. Foden and Walker, maybe Zinchenko or Mahrez, can play all three as long as we use substitutions wisely. This is the type of rotation he was doing when we went on that winning run and we need to revert back to it ASAP.

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

Id bring cole palmer in now seen enough of the scared rabbit that is sterling.

 

[chesterbells]

We are if we play our best 11

I agree. Quite a few defeatist sounding posts on here tonight re the CL comp.

 

[CmonCity92]

Big game all of a sudden.

 

[Leeky]

Wednesday can’t come soon enough

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

After the Leeds defeat I think we always had to play our strongest team v Villa.
The question then was what to do today. Strong team win and then rest everyone v Spuds. The problem was that would be 3 games in 7 days for our best XI. So resting players today was obvious.

I think we will rest players in the Carabao so its a chance for those who underperformed today to redeem themselves.

I think you are right about the final. There is no way on earth that Pep will play his best players in that 3 days before the CL game. Villa will be strong, Spurs not so although I will be fuming if I see Mendy and that front 3 in that game.

 

[Tevez City]

Biggest game of the season.

_______________________Ederson_____________________

Walker_______Dias______________Stones________Zinchenko

_____________________Rodri_______________________

_______Bernardo_________________Gundogan________

Mahrez____________Delap______________Foden

 

[IrishBlueSince92]

It’s not even close to the biggest game of the season
Out of our next three games if we’d to lose one it would be the Villa game

 

[christened at st marks]

But we’ve got PSG coming up

3 points is all I care about

 

[joenorth]

Pep has always said one game at a time but to make 8 changes after the Dortmund game which many believe was our best 11 means he is looking further ahead,he was brought in to win the champions league and now we are in the semifinals he must have one eye on it, but there is still a little bit of work to get over the line in the league.
It will be an amazing achievement to win the league considering how little we have got out of sterling, jesus and torres and until recently mahrez, and without aguero all season.
It was a big disappointment going out to an average chelsea team, but if ,and it's a big if ,we win the league and champions league I will take that.

 

[citymad]

Eleven that doesn't include Torres, Cancelo, Sterling, Mendy.

Agree although I would exempt Cancelo. He's quality on his day and can add something to our attack.

 

[citymad]

Lets just get over the line with the league, at this point thats all I care about really.

 

[Wretched Vengeance]

Agree although I would exempt Cancelo. He's quality on his day and can add something to our attack.

My thinking was more aimed at Walker and Zinchenko being restored at fullback.

Cancelo's form has plummeted in the last month or so.

 

[ninjamonkey]

This is a tough call now. On one hand, a defeat against Chelsea and a defeat vs Leeds in the last league game means we have to get back to winning ways, the league isn't finished just yet and we can't give united any hope, but on the other hand, we've got a massive game next weekend which we simply can't afford to lose now and half the team looked fucked tonight. Think it will be a mixture of who he can rest but still trust the replacement and who he thinks can play every game.

Dias gets a rest, he's looked leggy and off the pace last few games, walker saved for the final giving cancelo an extra game in the same position. Fernandinho has to play weekend so gets a rest here, torres and sterling should be nowhere near the side for the rest of the season and with KDB and aguero likely out the front 5 pick themselves. Best scenario is we get the game wrapped up early then bring off the likes of foden and gundogan.


Ederson
Cancelo
Stones
Laporte
Zinchenko
Rodri
Gundogan
Bernardo
Foden
Mahrez
Jesus

 

[WestGorton]

My thinking was more aimed at Walker and Zinchenko being restored at fullback.

Cancelo's form has plummeted in the last month or so.

Walker remains our best full back. Cancelo is a winger to me.

 

[citymad]

My thinking was more aimed at Walker and Zinchenko being restored at fullback.

Cancelo's form has plummeted in the last month or so.

Agreed Walker and ZInc are our best full backs. Cancelo I think is better when he's in midfield.

 

[WallyA]

We have managed without Kev before, and I hope Pep just tries to emulate that previous setup.

Bernie needs to stop being pushed up high, we've won games with him there, and he does well, but we are better off with Gundogan having that freedom instead, and letting Bernie drop deep to help us control the midfield again.

Foden-----------------Jesus----------------Mahrez
-----------Gundogan----------
-----------------------------------Bernie
-------------------------Rodri
----------------------BACK FOUR----------------------

This is the setup and way for us to get back on track.