Administrator Stan 18,386 Posted September 21, 2023 Administrator Share Posted September 21, 2023 all kick-offs 20.00 (BST) GROUP A Lille 3-0 Olimpic Ljubljana Slovan Bratislava vs KI Klaksvik GROUP B Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs Breidablik Zorya Luhansk vs KAA Gent GROUP C Dinamo Zagreb vs Astana Viktoria Plzen vs Ballkani GROUP D Club Brugge vs Besiktas Lugano vs Bodo/Glimt all kick-offs below 17.45 (BST) GROUP E Legia Warsaw vs Aston Villa Zrinjski vs AZ Alkmaar GROUP F Ferencvaros vs Cukaricki KRC Genk vs Fiorentina GROUP G Frankfurt vs Aberdeen HJK Helsinki vs PAOK Salonika GROUP H Fenerbahce vs Nordsjaelland Ludogorets vs Spartak Trnava Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reluctant Striker 134 Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 Resting starters: Cash, Pau Torres, Douglas Luiz, Diaby & Watkins. Perhaps also Ramsey & Moreno, now fit enough for the bench, which is great to see. Starting 11: Martinez, Chambers, Konsa, Lenglet, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Zaniolo, Duran & Bailey. 2-2 and not quite HT yet. Both times Villa equalised from behind. Perhaps different than what was expected. But, they are the big club of Poland. Fairly sure they have a track record of being awkward opponents in the lower level Euro competitions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reluctant Striker 134 Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 Legia 3-2 winners. It was perhaps a brave option for Emery, to go with Chambers, Konsa, Langlet & Digne. Chambers & Lenglet have not seen much if any minutes. But, they will be needed. And it would begin to look like the plan for 1st choice team in the Premier League. With many of the 2nd choices & subs in Europe & cups. Hopefully more cohesion will develop the longer the campaign goes on. Still time to improve. The absolutely unheard of Zrinjski 4-3 winners at home to AZ. The group already on its head for now many would have predicted. Just to remind, Legia Warsaw were 1st pot 3 team drawn. And for reasons I still do not understand, were placed into the Villa group E. Nobody else in the draw was placed out of sequence. Elsewhere, Aberdeen only just edged out 2-1 at Frankfurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan 18,386 Posted September 21, 2023 Author Administrator Share Posted September 21, 2023 Thought Villa had enough in them to overcome Legia but it is a difficult place to go to. Perhaps too many changes made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan 18,386 Posted October 5, 2023 Author Administrator Share Posted October 5, 2023 Thursday 5th October, 2023 17.45 (BST) Fixtures (unless stated) 20.00 (BST) Fixtures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reluctant Striker 134 Posted October 5, 2023 Share Posted October 5, 2023 A win would be nice. This should be the easiest it gets.. Good to see the front 3 now look like perhaps the backup 3. Duran, Bailey & Zaniolo starting. Hoping to see Watkins, Diaby & Ramsey vs Wolves at the weekend. Also Dendoncker & Tielemans emerging as 2nd choice midfield pair behind Dougie & Kamara. McGinn still involved in every game. Martinez was wanting European football & so is playing here too. While the defence is still a little stretched. Cash & Pau resting this 1. Moreno not quite fit again. But Diego Carlos back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reluctant Striker 134 Posted October 5, 2023 Share Posted October 5, 2023 Watkins, Cash & Dougie on at HT. Looking much more threatening. But still 0-0. I do not think much of Zrinjski as some kind of nice little underdog side. Diving all over the place 1st half. Blatant time wasting early in 2nd half. Really, really wanting a Villa winner.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reluctant Striker 134 Posted October 5, 2023 Share Posted October 5, 2023 McGinn with a stoppage time winner. Villa hardly showing favourites form so far. But a win. Off the mark. Starting many of the 2nd 11. Still preseason for a few. Prince William not really royally entertained. He should have been there for Brighton.. Zrinjski got what they deserved.. in my unbiased opinion.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reluctant Striker 134 Posted October 6, 2023 Share Posted October 6, 2023 2 Legia Warsaw players were arrested & held by Dutch police after the AZ vs Legia match. AZ won, to level up all 4 teams to 3 points & zero GD. But the result seems secondary, with the PM of Poland calling for urgent diplomatic resolution. Apparently there was an altercation with security.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan 18,386 Posted October 26, 2023 Author Administrator Share Posted October 26, 2023 Matchday 3 - Thursday 26th October, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reluctant Striker 134 Posted October 26, 2023 Share Posted October 26, 2023 Not losing would be good. Bit confused by the team. But, most of us now just go with what Unai decides. Only Diego Carlos, Lenglet, Tielemans & Bailey have not been league starters. So the only 2 fit proper full backs both start again. Perhaps Konsa & Pau come on & we have CB's at FB when we hope to be holding on to something. Options the other way, with Diaby, Duran & Zaniolo. Or maybe we see all 5 regardless, to keep as many minutes down, ahead of Luton. The situation of the group & expected quality of AZ is perhaps why we're not seeing Tielemans covering at DM. But barring injury, Tielemans is probably on for the full 90 mins here. In one position or another. And Watkins is starting ahead of Duran. Back to back, away-home now with AZ. They are Dutch. Should be a good level side. Not at all easy. 4 points from the AZ matches could be enough to be helping us toward the knock out rounds. Also, I believe this is the first use of the blue 3rd kit, by the men. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reluctant Striker 134 Posted October 26, 2023 Share Posted October 26, 2023 Well.. widely expected to be the toughest match of the group. AZ Alkmaar 1 - 4 Aston Villa Bailey, Tielemans, Watkins & McGinn with the Villa goals. Most subs within the final few minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reluctant Striker 134 Posted October 26, 2023 Share Posted October 26, 2023 (edited) The weird bit of TNT coverage is Robbie Savage being assigned as the Villa matches co-commentator. I can only presume he was signed up well before the sides were known. He has, for many years, for whatever reason, given an impression of thoroughly enjoying Villa being nowhere near as 'The Big 6' term was formed. Now, he resorts to questioning why it is Man United do not have a playing style, as Villa have & Spurs have. i.e. How to get things back how to how they should be. The European competitions are often such an insular thing, the broadcasters would be as well to wait & see, and then find a partisan former player. You may aswell. I imagine many Villa fans could & would listen to someone like a Dion Dublin or Andy Townsend a lot easier than a Leicester - Birmingham pundit. Edited October 26, 2023 by Reluctant Striker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairy In Boots 607 Posted October 27, 2023 Share Posted October 27, 2023 10 hours ago, Reluctant Striker said: The weird bit of TNT coverage is Robbie Savage being assigned as the Villa matches co-commentator. I can only presume he was signed up well before the sides were known. He has, for many years, for whatever reason, given an impression of thoroughly enjoying Villa being nowhere near as 'The Big 6' term was formed. Now, he resorts to questioning why it is Man United do not have a playing style, as Villa have & Spurs have. i.e. How to get things back how to how they should be. The European competitions are often such an insular thing, the broadcasters would be as well to wait & see, and then find a partisan former player. You may aswell. I imagine many Villa fans could & would listen to someone like a Dion Dublin or Andy Townsend a lot easier than a Leicester - Birmingham pundit. I don’t mind him, it’s sweeter when we win and he has to commentate on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Stan 18,386 Posted November 9, 2023 Author Administrator Share Posted November 9, 2023 Matchday 4 - Thursday 9th November, 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reluctant Striker 134 Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 Brilliant to get 2 W's over AZ. Feeling proud of the Villa right now. They are rotating quite a bit. At least as much as the injury list allow. Hoping rumours of Barca recalling Lenglet are false stories, as it seems so suitable having him for Europe & perhaps FA Cup, with Pau for the league. Also feeling like Villa are trying to do Europe within themselves. At least at the group stage. And with Legia (h) & Mostar (a) remaining, it all looks good at this stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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