Welp, another day another big match, and in the here and now, you’d have to say it’s the biggest match of the season. Two games away from a trophy we’ve been chasing for 68 years, if I’m figuring that right. Hard to believe it could be that long, but there you go.

So yes, it is worth playing for and I’m glad to see Emery has given Ollie the start. I’d have liked to see Tyrone start as well, because really you’d say over these last several seasons, Ty, Super John and Ollie have been the backbone of the side. But, it’s Emery’s call.

Probably not a whole lot to say. Everyone knows Palace are one of our bogey teams, so it’s a tough assignment. Putting the Champions League places aside, it might be best that Villa are coming off a disappointing visit to the Etihad as far as mentality goes. I’d thought we were going to go and beat City given the PSG and Newcastle performances, but alas. So one hopes everyone’s motivated by being so close to winning something and maybe having something to say after the setback. A lot of the players have set silverware as their goal for their time at Villa. We’d all love to see it happen. The supporters deserve to see Villa go through to the final today, and it’s one that we’d have every chance of winning on our day.

Elsewhere the lineup is interesting given who we’re matching up with. SJM and Kamara holding the fort with Tielemans. Rogers up front with Asensio and Ollie despite how gassed looked coming off midweek. There’s a lot on the bench, though it’s interesting Rashford isn’t on there. Been trying to see if he picked up a knock in training or something, but no real word that I’ve found.

So, it’s here, it’s remarkable we’ve juggled so much to book our place. Let’s go and get our return ticket punched.

Over to you.

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John Clark
John is co-owner of AVL, and has followed the Villa since the '70s. A journalist by trade, he is, by most accounts, a very nice person. You can follow me on Twitter @JClarkKohoutek. It's an astonishing experience. Or a complete waste of time.

Comments 40

  1. r0bb0

    This was not the ideal weekend for my wife to book us a weekend d away and then a meal out at 6.30 eh?
    Oh well. . . I should be able to watch the first half!

  6. r0bb0

    Very very disappointed in Torres.
    We’ve been playing a safety first game, even when not under pressure, the centre backs pass it back to Martinez, but when under a bit of pressure there he chose to try to be clever instead.

  10. r0bb0

    He’s a good player, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who wonders why he is tending to be selected ahead of Mings.
    We had a run of good defensive displays with Mings and Konsa together, but for some reason, that pairing has not been favoured recently

  27. Plug

    Bollocks. Bollocks. Bollocks.

    Wrong selection. Pau and Digne needed to have been Tyro and Maatsen. Set up also wrong for playing against Palace. We know how they play. It needs quick and energetic players to play against it.

    Our system of slow, careful play along the back line won’t cut it. It’s a semi final and requires EFFORT.

  28. Plug

    Haven’t read everyone’s comments yet but will. I expect they are exactly what I’m thinking. Another Wembley day out where they haven’t turned up.

    How not to play against Palace.

  29. John Clark

    Yeah, Plug, I’ll agree with you there, Ty and Maatsen would’ve been better, and I’d probably not have started Asensio. Didn’t do a lot wrong, and I’m assuming Emery wanted the quality in tight spaces, but I’d have put out quicker side.

    Emery might be the first to raise his hand, though like you say, it does require effort. You know the players wanted it, so why it’s lacking is a head-scratcher.

  30. John Clark

    The other aspect is that you can’t fall behind against sides like Palace. We’ve seen some very good strikes tilting games against us. And we haven’t answered as clinically.

  31. Plug

    Not a game for Asensio. Palace are physical. Needed Onana and Tyro. Guess Unai made the wrong choices. But the lack of energy and urgency in a semi final leaves me cold.

  32. John Clark

    Once they have a lead, they’re going to get those counters all game long.

    Will be curious to see what moves are made over the summer, and I’m wondering whether Emery has had too many to choose from. Obvs you need to rotate, etc., but it’s tempting to play with all the pieces. That said, we had two big wins just before.

    So I’m left wondering whether it’s simply a bit of weariness. Lots of games (10 more than Palace), lots of high stakes moments, and we just haven’t been sharp in these last two matches. Youri’s played a lot, Rogers, too, Digne seems to have gone off the boil.

    You look at a stretch where you’ve got PSG, Newcastle, City and then Palace all within three or four days of each other, and that’s a tough run.

  33. Plug

    What we need and what we don’t have is a fast tricky winger who can take on a FB at speed and beat him. Again and again. The nearest we have is Bailey and he blows hot and cold.

  34. jbd656

    I did watch the game live on the beeb. We weren’t playing football, we were playing foot on the ball. I don’t know what Emery thinks we can achieve playing this way I’ll be charitable and suggest that he knows the players have played too many games and we are playing keep ball to conserve energy. Tielemans and Konsa were both caught out several times posing on the ball. I saw Tielemans caught on the ball for the first goal. Was he caught on the ball for the third goal?

    Not feeling it for Asensio anymore. He made a fabulous first impression but seems to have faded away to a low energy effigy of himself. Is he doing a Coutinho? Likewise Torres. He has got the passing range of a deep lying midfielder but without the mobility. He just isn’t a premier league defender. Flog him for PSR purposes.
    Mings isn’t a long term solution at LCB as I believe time and injury are catching up on him – but he should have effing started today!

    These last 3 out of 4 games has stopped our season in it’s tracks. Just have to make sure we hold onto 7th for Europa league purposes. So pissed off that I had to take the dog on a 3 hour walk across some fields to get the game out of my system. Too tired to really care now. Crappy days are here again.

  35. jbd656

    Haven’t checked clickbait today. I presume there is going to be oodles of conspiracy theory around Rashford. Don’t buy. Grovel to Disasi to sign up and properly rotate with Konsa. Quite liked the palace french C/H. Can he play LCB?

  36. James Gill

    What a difference a week makes
    Thunder Newcastle feel top of the world, lose injury time to city and then today performance
    Yes emery probably made mistakes in team selection but them same very players played in last 10 or so matches in which we won 8 of
    Maybe no champions league next year won’t be a bad thing our 3 big January signings aren’t worth the money it would be to keep them
    Martinez konsa Bailey not been up to scratch all season a good summer rest should refocus and ollie only 1 goal in champions league, none in fa cup Maybe sand of time is catching up on him,very poor today I know service was poor but look at Palace striker that’s how you play

  38. John Clark

    Yeah, it’s been tough on the rotations, JG. I’ve shared a theory or two, getting a good look before deciding on Rashford, Asensio. I think Disasi might just be a short-term backup. Who knows.

    But, for the money, I think we can do better than Rashford. Asensio, fine player, but maybe not the PL mold overall. You have to be able to set up and get him involved in the tight spaces. And there wasn’t much space in the middle.

    So we do need that winger. Not sure what goes on with Malen, he seems quick and strong. But maybe it’s things like him stepping up to the man on the ball (CB or FB) against City instead of shading wide and backtracking to help Cash with Doku.

    Maatsen is fine on the left for those overlaps and seems to be finding his feet. Cash needs to be replaced (but I’ve been banging that drum for a while). Gets himself in trouble at the back, then loses his head more often than not when attacking. Would be okay if he shut players down, but he doesn’t do that very well, either. SJM’s days might well be numbered, too.

    I could see some turnover in the summer. But we’re also shopping for premium players: fast, strong, one-touch passers.

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