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To add to the disrespect we supposedly showed last time, here's more from their manager on the night Liverpool stand-in manager Neil Critchley talking to Sky Sports: "I thought we were magnificent. We were fantastic from the start, we had a couple of chances from the first whistle. We were really unfortunate to concede and then find ourselves 2-0 down. It was an incredible night and no-one wanted it to end. The support we had was unbelievable. "The conduct of the Villa players was first class. For Dean Smith and John Terry to come in to our dressing room after the game and say the things they said... They said 'keep going, good luck' and wished us the best. A moment I will remember and the players will remember for the rest of their lives. "Some of them showed the potential to one day play for us, or in the Premier League. They will know it was just part of their journey. My overwhelming feeling is one of immense pride."

This Not sure why i can see their fans saying Karma etc and they want to stuff us

If confirmed that we are playing with U23 i would not be suprised to see Liverpool field a weaker team than expected anyway, gives Klopp perfect opportunity to rest his big names

From what I've been told as of now no decision has yet been made on the game

Prety sure option is you play the kids or forfeit - Derby are putting an U23 team out v Crawley

Something like this for me - Heaton; Elmo, Konsa, Hause, Taylor; McGinn, Nakamba; , Ramsey, Traore, Grealish; Davis - If your winning the game well then Grealish/Mcginn come off

Sorry maybe been missed as was in a previous post but my particular passion on all of this is that with the congestion the big 6 face this year there will be a real temptation from them to rest players in the FA cup even more than ever especially as the PL and CL races hot up and so it feels with us being pretty safe already this is the year to have a real go

We play Spurs Wednesday so are we saying that they wont be fresh 5 days later? I agree in making 2-3 changes especially to give Heatton, Davis and Hause starts but i can see Smith doing 8-9

Totally agree, Villa fans saying that the cup can wait or would rather finish 5th/6th - We have won nothing since 96 and haven't won the FA Cup since 1957!!!!!!!!! I just cant get my head round it, give me 12th place and an FA Cup win anyway, you still get Europe but you win something and players on our books get to experience that winning feeling and are probably less likely to go off elsewhere quitehite yet 1996 when we last won a trophy we were 4th in the league, league cup winners and semis of the FA Cup & we played a near full strength team throughout pretty much all of that and our squad was limited - What's changed?

Cant we take advantage of that tight program though? We aren't going down so while others rest in the cup due to league/champions league commitments we progress? Im sure Liverpool will be much changed Friday so lets go and knock them out !

100% agree We have never had a better chance to go for the cup, we aren't going down and despite what people think its very unlikely we will finish in the top 6 so why not go for it and take full advantage of the fact a lot of teams, Liverpool included will rest people with the league/champions league fixture congestions that they have - if we go full strength on Friday vs what they will put out then we will beat them.

Good post/debate I have to say I've had this line of thinking myself and been quite staggered at the amount of chuck the cup type comments ive read on various things over the last few days as we have our CL/EL finish to preserve - It has to me came across as entitlement as for the first time in probably 10 years we have been anywhere near the top 10 of the prem and suddenly Villa are back. We have had a good start but there is a long way to go, and although you can say there is nothing between us and top3 there is also not a fat lot between us and Leeds (3 points) either and although we do have games in hand the away game at City is getting more difficult by the week as they go through the gears and Newcastle at the home should be 3 points but we have seen other home games go the other way. In my opinion any top 10 finish will be success this year and so i cant see why we wouldn't go all out for the cup alongside it - Don't forget Liverpool/United/City/Chelsea/Spurs/Leicester will likely be the 6 battling for top 4 spaces and then behind that you have Arsenal/Everton/Southampton/West Ham/Leeds/Wolves will also have similar thoughts of finishing in the 6-10th spaces. Sorry if im sounding pessimistic but ive seen this before, we will drop off and finish 10th and there will be outrage from fans who only 12 months before were praying we stayed in the division - A funny facebook post said the cup can wait lol we haven't won jack all for 25 years, i would take it in a heartbeat over finishing 5th/6th in the league

Back for Palace then ! What Smith said: "We didn't want to take a risk in the colder weather tonight (vs West Brom). It's one of those injuries. He'll be fit for Crystal Palace."

2-1 Villa, im usually a pessimist but I think with the boost of Barkley back and the run we are on we will have just enough to beat them

And he headed it down to Traore for the cross for the first goal

I did notice on Cash's insta photo after sundays game Konsa in the background with ice on his thigh and wondered what he had done Hause may work out well v Burnley with Ariel power Overall though it just shows our squad depth and why we probbally need to add in Jan

Im nervous about this one, if Barkley is still out alongside Trez, Cash and Luiz then I do worry as the side looks very much as it was at the start of last season - Also as per post above you can see Targett and Mcginn missing games shortly having 4 yellows and im sure the cut off being 19 games - No way they will survive for 9 games and you would have to say Luiz & Jack on 3 also are a worry. Burnley are a bit of a bogey side at Villa park and their up and at them style seems to unsettle as dot teams that settle in at the back. Hope im wrong but can see a draw - 1-1

He was however.....He should have had at least 1 goal and an assist

Thoughts..... Jack was great but has to stop this throwing himself to the floor, the problem is its become the norm in the league eg Aloski last week with Pepe that if you get kicked you try it on The offside is offside on the basis of the rules now, the rules are all wrong though it totally ruins that moment in football and you argue over toenails/armpits - Should be daylight between them for offside Missed penalty & point blank chance - Trez has to score as does Watkins, i was really surprised we didn't delay the sub and let conor have it Goals - Need to sort out this Zonal marking and funny how we lay into CB when Cash made very little effort to block the cross in the first instance - That doesn't suit the Mings agenda though Overall - Played well, we will win more than we lose playing like that - Just need to cut out the mistakes

Marine at home

Marvelous to start deeper and Luiz & Mcginn further forward, Jack and Trez out wide causing problems Villa to sneak it 2-1/3-2 - I think these types of games suit us

Yes I can explain.... League position is false and so we defend like an inconsistent mid table team, unfortunately you will get games like that and as I said before I think saints will finish above Arsenal anyway I have to say firstly that I was pretty disappointed with the overall reaction on social media etc to Sunday, I know people don't like to lose but there needs to be a bit more perspective to things in my opinion. Im talking about the way people have expressed it, calling Mings shit, Trez is shit, Dean Smith has no plan B etc etc it was a total overaction. We are aiming to be a mid table side and we lost to a mid table side, pick the bones out of the goals by all means but that overall Saturday was not the worst performance and we could easily have taken something out the game.

I would not be surprised in the slightest if Southampton finish above Arsenal this season... On Saturday it wasn't our fluent best but I think the fact we had 7 internationals vs their 1 showed and we were mentally not as fresh as normal, that said we could easily have won the game with chances we had outside of the penalty and as for a plan B we tried several players in the hole and changed the wingers and CDM - Just one of those days

I have to say firstly that I was pretty disappointed with the overall reaction on social media etc to Sunday, I know people don't like to lose but there needs to be a bit more perspective to things in my opinion. ''We should be beating teams like Brighton'' Why? We stunk the league out last season for pretty much all of it and stayed up on the last day, why do we suddenly think we should be beating them and when we don't throw our toys out calling players names? ''We should be beating mid table teams like Southampton'' Give me strength, the game its self was a tale of 3 free kicks and stupid decisions but Southampton have been pretty much the form team in the country since lockdown, again why have we got a divine right to beat them? Is Smith perfect? No Or the players perfect? No but the whole plan this year is to improve on last year eg be comfortable before buying another 4 good players in the summer to add depth and to move us forward, I would have bitten your hand off for 15 points and 7th position after 8 games and despite what people say as frustrating as its been to lose to the ''smaller'' names i have thoroughly enjoyed the Arsenal and Liverpool results We have a decent run of games coming up where if we can take another 10 points before the Chelsea 28th we will be pretty much there for this season and I think then we can look at pushing on (And maybe have a good FA Cup run!) unlike the excited few who think after a good start we are now pushing for the top 4 and lose complete realism when we lose in what was overall a 50-50 game. Final thing as well re Conor... He played the first two games of the season and we won them both, games like Newcastle/Burnley where its tight and they sit back are when he comes into his own with set pieces - people are talking about him coming in as its me they are starting!!! Keep the faith