I know many fans won’t be too upset if we get beaten tonight and I fully understand that by far the main priority is to survive in the Premier league.
I suspect the club hierarchy and Dean Smith will also be thinking the same and it’s again understood, as it’s where the money is.
And while I know we’re going to change things up and rotate the squad, I hope we still try and put a decent side out. We do of course have very decent back up, but what I mean is, I don’t want to see us put too many kids in.
Steer will replace Heaton, Taylor replaces Targett (maybe? Targett’s not played much till now), Hause comes in, probably with Konsa and Davis will also start (this would be a good game to try him with Wesley, in my opinion, but I don’t think it will happen).
It’s what’s going to happen in midfield that intrigues me.
Grealish is out, so can we afford to rest McGinn too, given that the pair are the mainstay of the midfield?
Hourihane will obviously come in for Grealish, but does Lansbury offer enough to replace McGinn?
They’re different players, I know, but I’m just a bit concerned that we’d miss McGinn’s energy and drive.
That said, the odds are that McGinn will be injured or suspended at some stage, so perhaps it’s a good time to experiment.
Oh Jota’s out too, so that’s another option less.
Whatever, while it won’t be the end of the world if we do get knocked out, there will be another full house at Villa park and I just think it would be a shame.
Smith has a balancing game to play, in trying to get through and resting players, but I hope he doesn’t concede this game too easily, as seeing as Wolves will rotate too, this is emminently winnable.
It’s hard to predict this one, as we don’t know what teams we’re going to see, but a wild guess says we’ll win it 2-1.
I believe the game is being shown on ESPN1 in the US, so hopefully streams will be available.
Please don’t just give this one away Dean!
UTV!
Badger, Smith is in an impossible situation where whatever he does will be wrong. Any team would struggle to play City and Liverpool – head and shoulders the two best teams in the country and arguably in Europe, sandwiched with a high-stakes, high-intensity local derby cup tie.
I believe he must rotate tonight otherwise we’ll get absolutely creamed on Saturday, which would severely dent confidence, morale, and goal-difference. Koop is playing his kids tonight so his big guns will be firing on Saturday. Our first 11 simply must have a breather tonight, and it won’t be Smith’s fault if that means we get knocked out. It’s just unlucky the way these fixtures and the draw have fallen over the seven days.
I think there’s an argument that might say if we’re going to face Pool and most likely lose anyway, we might as well play a good side.
It’s all academic anyway, as we’ve played most of the second string and El Ghazi has just scored.
1-0!
Still want us to win though 🙂
Nine changes for Villa and eleven changes for Wolves from the weekend games. It really does beg the question of whether this cup competition now has any value other than for managers having a look at their squad players (oh yes and a back door into Europe!)
Surely the fans who pay good money to watch (and the sponsors) are entitled to see clubs putting out decent sides rather than their youth (Liverpool tonight) teams or second XI ‘s?
I think the fact that it’s the Wolves means it doesn’t quite matter so much.
We just want to beat them at all costs, regardless od who plays on either side.
But you are of course, quite right.
The club should be selling it’s best product.
It’s a tricky debate, isn’t it?
As a fan, I like the idea of getting to see the full squad play. It may not be first fiddle, but most fans who buy tickets know that. I’d go purely for the different atmosphere to a league game and hope to see some of the players you don’t see otherwise.
I think prices are reduced for these games, so you may have a good point.
I think it has loads of value, Hitch. Clubs have big squads and players needs to play. It’s always been the least prestigious of the competitions but I certainly won’t be complaining if we win it!
Top coaches like Pep and Jose have won it plenty of times; they know that winning breeds a winning mentality, and that means winning everything, including the League Cup.
Well done Anwar – unlucky to be dropped at the weekend imo after a good 27th of form.
COYL!
Yep, winning anything is what it’s all about.
You should never give a game up to my mind, else it’s utterly pointless.
Jeez, Davis is crocked and going off.
Kodjia coming on. Good, I want to see what he can do, but expect he’ll be well rusty.
That’s crap luck for poor Keinan. I hope it’s not bad. JK has his natural position all to himself now. Time to raise his game.
Shit.
Wolves equalise on the counter and that’s bloody poor on our part.
1-1
Get in!
ELMOOOO!
And Elmo scores with a knock in from the free kick.
The right thing has been restored.
2-1 🙂
We look awful at the back.
Steer does well to save a 1 on 1.
Just under 35,000.
Not quite a full house, but with segregation etc…
Not bad at all.
So into the last 4!!!!!!
Sorry last 8…
Exactly why we shouldn’t ever throw it away, to my mind.
Ok, it probably won’t happen with all the big boys left, but we’re 3 games from actually winning it!
You just never know.
Remember the shit vs Arse?
Yeah – actually went to that game as a guest of my mate who had indentures at Wembley. Terrible day 🙂 but did get the Arse fans laughing when I told them it was even worse for me as a Villa fan!
Oxford in next round PLEASE!
Or Colchester!
…or Liverpool. Same difference. 🤔
Uninspiring performance against mainly kids. Can’t really say anyone knocked on the first team door tonight. Plus Davis injured again is frustrating. Looks like we will only have Wesley and Kodja as strikers for the weekend. Hope Grealish will be fit. Tonight showed how we miss his ability to break teams down.
Yep, very average, but most of the team are rusty, so probably to be expected.
Yes, we missed Grealish.
But McGinn had more shots in a minute than we did before he came on, from what I saw. We missed him too.
Tammy is behaving like a right twat tonight. Maybe being back at Chelski is having a bad effect on him…
I am very happy with the win tonight. My only disappointment was the attendance. I live down south and phoned Villa Park to buy a ticket for this match, the day before they went in general release. However I was informed that it was a sell out. Why err there on 34,000 there tonight. We’re Wolves given way in excess allocation that they did not use. I would appreciate if anyone can share the answer with me.
Sid, it was all about them being entitled to 15% (I think) of the total capacity.
That meant the Witton lane wasn’t big enough and we had to give them the North stand.
I think they were entitled to 6,000 odd, whereas from memory, the North stand can hold 8000 ish. So there’s a couple of thousand gone.
Then there were quite a few seats that were empty, from what I could see, probably because a lot of ST holders just didn’t fancy it on a freezing night.
Theoretically, it was a sell-out but you might possibly have got a decent deal via the ticket exchange thing.
Maybe something to bear in mind for next time?
Hi Badger
Thank you for the explanation and the ticket exchange. What are the odds I get a ticket for the Liverpool game and we get a bye?
I read that EFL are in talks with Liverpool about switching the date of the QF so they can play in the WCC Final in Qatar.
Now correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t there two teams in the QF – so why aren’t the EFL in talks with both – or are they just going to reschedule to suit Liverpool without consulting us?
Personally I don’t think it should rescheduled – Liverpool have a decision to make and there is precedent with Manure withdrawing from the FA Cup so they could play in the same competition.