NeilS

Uefa Website regarding play off round in Europa Conference League "The UEFA Europa Conference League knockout round play-offs involves 16 teams: the eight runners-up from the Europa Conference League group stage and the eight third-placed teams from the UEFA Europa League group stage. The winners of the eight play-off ties advance to March's Europa Conference League round of 16, where they join the eight group winners." Ok to quote myself, it looks like winning the group will save us two additional matches against the third placed teams from the Europa League. So winning by two clear goals against Legia Warsaw would effectively save us three matches later on as we then have the option to rotate heavily against Mostar. Therefore I think to aid us in the race for the top four spots and Champions League qualification it would make sense to go with a strong line up against Legia Warsaw, as we then have no further european matches until March.

If we win by two goals we win the group as it is based on head to head results. Do we avoid a couple of extra matches if we win the group, or do we just play team from the Conference league instead? We can also rotate against Mostar if we have the group sewn up by then, which will be additional rest for those who need it.

I have no family connection to Birmingham or to Aston Villa. My Dad was born and grew up in Dorset and then moved to the Guildford area, during that time he used to go to a variety of football grounds to watch matches in his younger days collecting autographs. He recently gave me his old book with signed pictures from the likes of Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and may others from those days, I did notice one of a young Ron Saunders in there as my Dad used to go to Pompey quite a bit in those days (Maybe that is the link?). He then moved up to Northamptonshire with my Mum not long after they married as they couldn't afford a house down in Guildford at the time. He started off by going to matches at Leicester, Coventry and then finally Villa just before the title season. He said once he had been to Villa Park he was hooked. I started going up to Villa in the 1982/1983 season, and my first match was watching us demolish Watford although I am not sure whether it was the cup or the league match, I would need to ask my Dad that. All I remember is thatTony Morley was my first Villa hero after that match, I just remember the excitement when he was running with the ball down the wing and I have been hooked on Villa ever since. I was a season ticket holder for many years and a Villa Cub member which led to me being a match day mascot at the end of April 1986 against Chelsea. We won 3-1 that day to avoid relegation that season.That was unfortunately short lived though as the following season was a total disaster and we were well and truely deserving of relegation after the Turner/McNeill years. I thought that awful season would be hard to beat until the dreaded Sherwood/Garde/Black season. Thankfully we have Unai now, who is easily the best manager we have had in my living memory. My parents still live in the same village in Northamptonshire, and I now live in Market Harborough on the Northamptonshire/Leicestershire border. So I now live amongst the Foxes, although I do know a couple of families who live nearby to me who are staunch Villa Fans, and I do see a few Villa tops around the area so we are not under represented in these parts. My Dad is now 78 years old, and we still get up to a few matches as Claret Members rather than Season Ticket holders. We have booked the three Europa Conference group matches and have been to the 4-0 Everton match so far this season. We are looking to get to as many matches as we can this season as when the North Stand is demolished and rebuilt I imagine it will be near on impossible to get tickets to matches, and by the time it will be completed my Dad will be in his early 80's. Hopefully we will both be back when it is complete and tickets become easier to obtain again.

Congratulations to Ezri, a well deserved call up on his form over the last twelve months. He has really matured into a fine centre back, who looks comfortable with the ball.

Ok fair enough, so they need to simplify the rule for the fans and referees in a match situation as there are quite a few people including the referees who are confused by it. Which is not good for the game. For example say a player is standing goal side of the last defender when his teammate last touches the ball, he cannot be onside for a minimum of 10 seconds, that means no touching the ball or moving towards it. The offside would have been given, or the ball would have gone out of play, or the defender or an onside player get opportunity to play the ball. That takes out the need for interpretation and hopefully keeps the game flowing.

Haha, yeah you could argue both sides of this and be correct. We will be going round in circles on this one depending on your interpretation/viewpoint.

I need to see it again from a better angle, but if Bailey is not on the goal side of the defender as the defender heads it he can’t be offside, same as if a team mate pulls the ball back to him. I think the ruling was made from Watkins header rather than the defender header, I don’t know if that is correct method anymore.

Yes VdV. does look lightning quick from the clips I have seen. The timing of the loss isn’t great for them either, but for us the loss of Mings was bad due to the type of injury and the loss of Mings as a leader/character in the squad.

Maddison out until January now confirmed, that will be a big blow for them. He has started the season well for them, and contributed well to their creativity. Losing Van der Ven for a while at the same time. Not quite as catastrophic as us losing Mings and Buendia for the season before it really started though. Although we had the transfer window open to try and cover the losses. Maddison out until January according to the BBC James Maddison has been ruled out until January with an ankle injury, Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has confirmed. The 26-year-old midfielder has withdrawn from the England squad for November's Euro 2024 qualifiers. He sustained the injury in Tottenham's chaotic 4-1 defeat by Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday. "Fair to say a fair bit happened after Monday," said Postecoglou, who revealed defender Micky van de Ven would also be out until the new year. edit. I see it has already been discussed on earlier page. I am a bit late with the news.

I am glad to read these thoughts on here today, there was a guy sat in the row behind me last night who was moaning to his mate for most of the match about Tielemans so I was beginning to doubt myself. I thought overall he had played pretty well. He made some clever passes, tracked back when needed, and drove the ball forward from midfield fairly well in my opinion. I am glad I am not losing it just yet!

Anyway, I thought Lenglet and Carlos looked a very decent partnership last night. We are well covered in that department for now. My only concern was Lenglet caught out for the goal by the ball around the side of him, he has a warning a few minutes earlier which we got away with. I will cut him some slack though as he hasn’t played much, and even the best get caught out occasionally.

I am saying it should be the same, and it is the same, but the rules have been put in place that a deliberate attempt to play the ball by the defender makes Bailey onside again. It is a stupid rule, because if the goalie saved it and falls to a player in an offside position for a tap in that should/would be ruled out. They have tinkered so much with offside rule to get it right, but there will always be a scenario where it is wrong.

You are right, I had the same conversation with my Dad on the way out of the ground. By the letter of the law he is onside as in my opinion the defender makes a purposeful header, but the rule is broken as if the goalie saves it and it falls to him he would be classed as offside. They have tinkered so much with the rules over the years, that it makes no sense. It is so confusing, and there is always a scenario where the rule is a joke.

The AZ defender cleared the initial header off the line, which is a deliberate act so Bailey cannot be offside.

Yeah I have the same gut feeling. Like you say, I would want to try and get the job done first and rest up later. I remember AZ missing a couple of really good opportunities at their place which could have altered the final outcome of the match if they had stuck them away, so they still carry a threat and shouldn't be taken lightly. If we are adamant on rotating a few players, then hopefully no more than 3 changes to the starting line up, with some changes made if we are looking comfortable in the last 25 mins. I would bring Tielemans in for Dougie or Kamara, Carlos or Lenglet in for Konsa, and Bailey for Zaniolo. The later subs if looking good would be Moreno on for Digne and Zaniolo for Bailey to gain fitness and form. Then other subs as seen fit by Unai. That would be the ideal situation playing out, but as Villa fans we should know by now it won't be that comfortable or easy.

This is a pattern I have noticed, and I am not sure why it happens so regularly. Rule number 1 is to quieten the crowd in an away game by keeping it tight and frustrating the opposition. We do seem to have a gift for the opposition a bit too often for my liking, and it goes back further than Unai Emery's tenure here. We were doing the same during Deano's time as well.

Our away form as it stands is not good enough to threaten a top four spot this season. We need to cut out conceding early gifts, it makes our job away from home so much harder. So frustrating sometimes, just as you think we have cracked it.

I think with the bottom 4 picking up so few points this season, that we will see pretty large points hauls for the teams in the top half of the table. I think it will be one of those seasons where you will need near on 80+ points for Champions League qualification. One annoying advantage Spurs have on us this season is they have no European competition and they have bailed early in the league cup too. They will have no excuses for being tired in the run in, and I have a horrible feeling they will be the team to keep us out of the CL spots. Let's hope we can keep up with the race and they bottle it.

Congratulations Emi, well deserved! What a few years he has had since joining us.

Haha, yes I remember his debut. 2-0 loss at home to Norwich if I remember it correctly, he was hopeless that match pretty much passed the ball to Norwich players every time. Turned out to be a giant for us in the end, what a player! I am still fairly hopeful that Zaniolo will turn out to be a top player for us (assuming there is nothing in the betting scandal). He tries things that nobody else would try, which is why it doesn’t always come off. I hope by the second half of the season he will have settled into the pace of the PL and we start see the true levels he can produce. I recall Bergkamp not being overly great in his first season at Arsenal, and he went on to be a great player for them.

Yeah hopefully we just keep winning, then there won’t be an issue.

Yeah, I have checked the tables on the bbc and @rjw63 is correct. We are currently in second place. edit. Also on UEFA.Com so must be the case.

Yeah I agree. The head to head scores should come after goal difference. I am not sure why this rule has changed. Hopefully it won’t come to that.

It must go to head to head results before goal difference. We may well have to beat them at home to make certain of finishing above them.

Spurs do have the advantage over the other teams at the top of no European distractions this year, so they should be able to maintain a fairly fresh squad this season. Hopefully they will still mess it up though.