Europe comes to Villa Park again tonight with Bosnian side HSK Zrinjski (or Zrinjski Mostar). Like Legia Warsaw they’re off to a good start in their league play and came back dramatically to beat AZ Alkmaar 4-3 in their first group-stage match.
Emery has targeted some kind of success this season, but the Carabao has to be fourth on his list of four priorities.
Now the reality of Europe begins to set in: Between Saturday’s late comeback win against Palace and a visit to Stamford Bridge and struggling Chelsea Sunday, Villa are in Warsaw as the group stage of the Conference League kicks off.
Nine unanswered against Everton and Hibernian. But. That’s how Villa should be handling inferior opposition instead of sweating out cup ties against League Two teams.
Not since the days of Martin O’Neill have Villa been in Europe, and tonight that indignity comes to an end as Villa travel to Easter Road for the first Conference League playoff leg against Hibernian.
