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FAC: Palace h Match Thread 2010/02/24 20:00


limpid

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What?

We won't get any easier game to play him in this year!?

Plenty of end of season games if were not in the hunt for 4th and have already qualified for Europe :winkold:

I wouldn't jeopardise our season for the sake of giving him a run out, espescially as we have 3 better central defenders who should be able to cover the remaining games between them comfortably

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He's a Premiership class defender and dealt with Torres and Gerrard nicely earlier in the season, I'm sure he can deal with Crystal Palace attack. It's the same for Sidwell, Delph.

Remember who we're playing, people like Neil Danns, Blues reserves, their captain. There not actually very good suprisingly.

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Martin O'Neill is expected to rest at least three members of Sunday's Carling Cup final starting XI when Aston Villa host Crystal Palace in tonight's FA Cup fifth-round replay but the Northern Irishman is confident that any changes he makes will not undermine the Midlands club's prospects of progressing to the quarter-finals.

With the Wembley showpiece against Manchester United on the horizon, O'Neill is keen to get the balance right between protecting key players while ensuring that the side he picks against Palace are strong enough to get through and secure a place in the last eight, where either West Bromwich Albion or Reading await.

The Villa manager was still mulling over that dilemma last night but it seems likely that Stilian Petrov, Stephen Warnock and Gabriel Agbonlahor will all be given a night off against the Championship club. Petrov was sent home from training yesterday with a virus, while Warnock has only just returned from a troublesome shin problem that sidelined him for three weeks and Agbonlahor picked up a slight calf injury during the 5-2 thrashing of Burnley at Villa Park on Sunday.

Agbonlahor is desperate to play against Palace but it would be a major surprise if O'Neill risked the England international four days before what is Villa's biggest game for a decade. Indeed the Villa manager could also decide to leave out Emile Heskey, who is prone to picking up pulls and strains, as well as two of the team's more influential players, Richard Dunne and James Milner, and the veteran goalkeeper Brad Friedel.

"Whatever changes I make in the side, I would defend that right. And the changes I make in the team, if they are made, are for players who have played. These are not players who have not tasted first-team football," said O'Neill, whose list of options includes John Carew, Nathan Delfouneso, Steve Sidwell, Fabian Delph, Habib Beye, Luke Young, Curtis Davies and Brad Guzan.

O'Neill, however, pointed out that both Manchester United and Liverpool were eliminated from the FA Cup this season at the hands of lower-league opposition and he is determined that Villa do not suffer the same fate because of his team selection this evening. "We've battled to get this far and you don't want to throw it away," he said. "I'll ponder over it at the minute but I just want to get through."

Guardian

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Can almost guarantee that the side will be much stronger than most are predicting. I would take a punt on the following:

Guzan

Beye Cuellar Collins Young

Albrighton Delph Sidwell Young

Carew Delfouneso

There's not many predicting a lesser side than that.

Albrighton is very likely injured too.

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Can't believe so many are considering Davies!

I think the lad will come good but to throw him in against a Championship side could cost us and potentially wreck his confidence.

"but to throw him in..."

I'm sorry to rain on your parade n all but we're not talking about a 19 year old who's made a couple of sub appearances here and there.

If Curtis plays tonight it will be his 200th professional career appearance.

That's more than Gabby.

I personally, for the record, would go with Clark and Davies. I personally would look to rest the entire first 11 if possible, it won't happen but if it were to this is the side I would go for:

Guzan

L. Young Clark Davies Bouma

Albrighton (if fit) Sidwell Salifou Delph

Delfouneso Wiemann/Collins

Choose subs from a selection of the Reserves and youth players to include Gary Gardner.

This should still be a strong enough team to beat a team in the relegation zone of the league below.

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This should still be a strong enough team to beat a team in the relegation zone of the league below.

Yet a near full strength side wasn't good enough to win in the original game?

Palace are only in the relegation zone due to the ten point reduction without that they would be pushing for play offs.

Tough tie this and I want the manager to pick the strongest team possible

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Tough tie this and I want the manager to pick the strongest team possible

agree with the first part of that sentence, and disagree on the 2nd part.

we should be able to win this with a reasonable amount of rotation, just not wholesale changes.

Petrov should get a rest as he is playing injured, and Milner should get a rest simply due to the amount of games he's played and the work he does.

I'd maybe rest Downing too, even asher.

the rest i'm not too bothered about

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Guzan

Beye-Davies-Dunne-Young

Young-Sidwell-Delph-Downing

Carew-Fonz

That should be enough to win, with Milner on the bench to come on if necessary (but hopefully able to rest Young/Downing for likes of Salifou 2nd half, if its going well)..

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Oh, and I'd love to see Salifou play at some point, if only for a few minutes at the end. Villa Park would go nuts.

... I hope not

I reckon MON will play Friedel Beye Collins Cuellar Young Young Milner Delph Downing Carew Delf

I think you're spot on.

I'd agree with this. Although I'd prefer MON to put a bit of faith in the rest of his squad.

I'd go for -

Guzan

Beye Collins Davies L Young

A Young Sidwell Milner Delph

Carew Fonz

I'd like to see a weakened side but we need to get a win. Maybe if we're one or two up I'd bring off Milner/ A Young and get a little glimpse of a reserve.. Maybe Barry Bannan! (unless he's on loan and I forgot..)

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