Rapid Vienna. The team we went out to last year. I know we had a good game with some youngsters on saturday, but this squad is a bit... ambitious.
The squad is:
Brad Friedel, Brad Guzan, Elliot Parish.
Eric Lichaj, Stephen Warnock, Ciaran Clark, Curtis Davies, Habib Beye, Nathan Baker, Shane Lowry.
Isiah Osbourne, Nigel Reo-Coker, Barry Bannan, Stewart Downing, Marc Albrighton, Jonathn Hogg.
James Collins (Jnr), Nathan Delfouneso, Emile Heskey, Andreas Weimann.
To me, that looks like a weak squad. Fair play, give some youngsters a run out, but if we are losing 60 minutes into the game, who are you going to bring on that can realistically score a goal.
Out of that squad, I can't see who is going to play in the centre of midfield with Reo-Coker. The only way I can see us avoiding to play Osbourne is:
Brad Friedel / Brad Guzan
Habib Beye Ciaran Clark Curtis Davies Stephen Warnock
Nigel Reo-Coker
Marc Albrighton Barry Bannan
Stewart Downing
Emile Heskey Nathan Delfouneso
I'm not going to lie, that scares me. If it turns out that Downing can play behind the strikers well, then we are fine! In fact, we will be better than fine, I can see it going very well. However, if it doesn't work out then I can see them playing it straight through our midfield. Not good.
Our other option is to play Osbourne. Let's stop there? Let him come on for the last 15 minutes and then everyone is happy! Don't know enough about the other youngsters in midfield but let's hope they are sensational!
My main worry is if someone gets injured, or sent off. Mainly at CB or CM, then we have only got reserves to replace them, personally, I would have taken the Youngs, Petrov and Carew and sat them on the bench as a back up plan. But then again, I haven't been in football for however many years so I guess I'll take Kevin Mac's word as what's right.
Fingers crossed for the Villa, I'm off to a festival tomorrow so it'll be listening to Five Live for me.
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