Should we take a hit at Villa for the greater good?

[NAE NOOKIE]

This tie is gone. The question is do we risk an absolute record thumping away to Villa by resting every key player we can? ... IMO the answer is yes we should. We should rest as many players as we can and if that means a big black mark in the club's record books then so be it ... we have far bigger fish to fry than preserving our dignity and a European reputation that in recent years isn't that great anyway.

Boruc in goals ... if fit .... if he plays out of his skin get him in for Saturday at Aberdeen.

Harbottle and Rocky instead of Fish and Hanlon

Absolutely not Newell ... no matter how much he might want to play, it would be an absolute waste of time to have him run about in a meaningless game. The same with Boyle, just back from injury, we need to rest him.

Doidge and Le Fondre up front .. ish.

I would like to rest Stevenson too, but if Obita is injured I'm at a loss to see how we make that happen.

Maybe chuck in a couple of our kids / fringe players, and then start praying.

[Since90+2]

This tie is gone. The question is do we risk an absolute record thumping away to Villa by resting every key player we can? ... IMO the answer is yes we should. We should rest as many players as we can and if that means a big black mark in the club's record books then so be it ... we have far bigger fish to fry than preserving our dignity and a European reputation that in recent years isn't that great anyway.

Boruc in goals ... if fit .... if he plays out of his skin get him in for Saturday at Aberdeen.

Harbottle and Rocky instead of Fish and Hanlon

Absolutely not Newell ... no matter how much he might want to play, it would be an absolute waste of time to have him run about in a meaningless game. The same with Boyle, just back from injury, we need to rest him.

Doidge and Le Fondre up front .. ish.

I would like to rest Stevenson too, but if Obita is injured I'm at a loss to see how we make that happen.

Maybe chuck in a couple of our kids / fringe players, and then start praying.

Not sure about throwing in a couple of kids, would be totally unfair on them to chuck them in at that level. They'd be absolutely destroyed.

[Since452]

I'd be absolutely amazed if Villa play a strong team next week. Sure they have Liverpool a few days later. It's a chance for us to do fairly well and get some confidence and credibility back so i'd go strong.

Edit - Credibility wrong word to use as we were always going to get a sore one from them.

[Wheat Hound]

I think our key players would be gutted at nit getting the chance to play at Villa Park as some may never get to play such a high profile club/game.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Not sure about throwing in a couple of kids, would be totally unfair on them to chuck them in at that level. They'd be absolutely destroyed.

I agree. But on the other hand any manager worth his salt tells them that he isn't expecting anything and neither should they, with the only hope the club has being they give a good account of themselves with their application and effort, with that being good enough for us. We let them know that we know they are being thrown under the bus and we apologise to them before they take the field.

[NAE NOOKIE]

I think our key players would be gutted at nit getting the chance to play at Villa Park as some may never get to play such a high profile club/game.

I don't care and neither should the club. There's a bigger picture here and as professionals they should realise and accept that.

[B.H.F.C]

I'd be absolutely amazed if Villa play a strong team next week. Sure they have Liverpool a few days later. It's a chance for us to do fairly well and get some confidence and credibility back so i'd go strong.

Edit - Credibility wrong word to use as we were always going to get a sore one from them.

Emery said right after the game on Thursday he’ll be playing his strongest available team.

[Since452]

Emery said right after the game on Thursday he’ll be playing his strongest available team.

Oh dear

[Hibernian Verse]

I don't care and neither should the club. There's a bigger picture here and as professionals they should realise and accept that.

Imagine playing the kids and then our kids getting pumped another 5. Not for me.

[B.H.F.C]

We’ve got thousands going down to support the team. They owe it to all travelling to give it their best shot. Don’t risk anyone that is struggling or anything like that but I don’t want to be walking away with an 8-0 defeat (even if the tie is already over).

I think the players are have been talked in to it being impossible to play a few days apart when it’s not. It happens at all over the world and not just at the top level.

[Bobby's Cinema]

This tie is gone. The question is do we risk an absolute record thumping away to Villa by resting every key player we can? ... IMO the answer is yes we should. We should rest as many players as we can and if that means a big black mark in the club's record books then so be it ... we have far bigger fish to fry than preserving our dignity and a European reputation that in recent years isn't that great anyway.

Boruc in goals ... if fit .... if he plays out of his skin get him in for Saturday at Aberdeen.

Harbottle and Rocky instead of Fish and Hanlon

Absolutely not Newell ... no matter how much he might want to play, it would be an absolute waste of time to have him run about in a meaningless game. The same with Boyle, just back from injury, we need to rest him.

Doidge and Le Fondre up front .. ish.

I would like to rest Stevenson too, but if Obita is injured I'm at a loss to see how we make that happen.

Maybe chuck in a couple of our kids / fringe players, and then start praying.
I'm with you on a lot of your posts but we must go full strength for this let's have some pride FFS. Marshall and others coming out saying we know we can compete better well let's see it. Don't forget the sheep will also have been playing in europe so have the same recovery time.

It's not like we'll have to worry about the Thursday-Sunday scenario much longer anyway. And I'm sure the international weekends will be along to break up the season again soon just as its getting started

[Bobby's Cinema]

Emery said right after the game on Thursday he’ll be playing his strongest available team.
His interviews I've seen have been excellent. Certainly showing us plenty respect as he said in his line-up and the performance sadly for us.

[lyonhibs]

I don't care and neither should the club. There's a bigger picture here and as professionals they should realise and accept that.

I'm glad you're not our HR advisor 😅

All players will be desperate to play in this one, as it should be

[Since452]

His interviews I've seen have been excellent. Certainly showing us plenty respect as he said in his line-up and the performance sadly for us.

On this occasion i'd rather he showed us no respect and played the kids.

[danhibees1875]

I think certainly rotate things a bit and rest Boyle, Newall, and anyone nursing any knock/injury.

There were 4/5 players who could have played this week and wouldn't have made me think it wasn't our best 11 so start with them.

Can bring Boyle off the bench if we go 3 up and it looks like a come back is possible.

[SickBoy32]

Has to be the strongest XI available imo

Wednesday was a very poor result, shudder to think of us being on the end of something even worse!

[Jones28]

Strongest team for me, it's already 5-0 in the tie and I don't want to see it hit the teens by playing kids.

[Betty Boop]

This tie is gone. The question is do we risk an absolute record thumping away to Villa by resting every key player we can? ... IMO the answer is yes we should. We should rest as many players as we can and if that means a big black mark in the club's record books then so be it ... we have far bigger fish to fry than preserving our dignity and a European reputation that in recent years isn't that great anyway.

Boruc in goals ... if fit .... if he plays out of his skin get him in for Saturday at Aberdeen.

Harbottle and Rocky instead of Fish and Hanlon

Absolutely not Newell ... no matter how much he might want to play, it would be an absolute waste of time to have him run about in a meaningless game. The same with Boyle, just back from injury, we need to rest him.

Doidge and Le Fondre up front .. ish.

I would like to rest Stevenson too, but if Obita is injured I'm at a loss to see how we make that happen.

Maybe chuck in a couple of our kids / fringe players, and then start praying.

Aye let's throw the towel in.

[BILLYHIBS]

Naw just go for it

All about professional pride

Every man Jack worth his salt should be bursting to play

Credit to Emery treating us with the respect we deserve

Let us return the compliment and see if we can grab a couple

Remember when we had to score five against the Hun and no one thought it possible

[NAE NOOKIE]

Aye let's throw the towel in.

You throw the towel in to avoid further punishment mate. What I'm proposing is the exact opposite of that unfortunately.

Pop down the bookies and see what odd you will get on Hibs turning this tie around, it's not throwing the towel in, it's being pragmatic and no matter what the Villa manager said on Thursday I don't believe for a second he will play anything like his strongest team in this game, I admit that even if he doesn't it will still be a stronger team than anything we can put on the park.

As for the fans going down. At this point it's just a jolly and to a man and woman they know it. In the end they are all Hibs fans and they will know full well this game has to be secondary to away at Aberdeen two days later. We took 2500 to Blackpool every one of whom knew full well what they would be watching would practically be a Hibs XI and so it proved, they didn't care about that, or the result it served up.

Another poster has already mentioned JL saying the players are desperate to play at Villa Park and I get it, it's one of the more iconic stadiums in England because of the character it retains. If they fancy playing at an iconic stadium in front of 50,000 ( I know Villas is 40 ish ) then pump St Mirren, win the semi final after and get us to Hampden for the league cup final. I would rather see that every single time than our best players busting a gut two days before a hugely important league game in an effort to keep the scoreline respectable in a tie that's already long gone.

[Keith_M]

We played the reserves/youngsters at Blackpool and lost 3-0.

I dread to think what would happen if we tried the same approach against Villa

[Mick O'Rourke]

Self respect and respect for the club and its supporters should be foremost in the minds of the coaching and playing staff this Thursday.

There is no greater good playing a weakened side and risking a bigger thrashing that some think will happen anyway.

I can just picture Tom Hart telling Eddie Turnbull to put out a weaker side in a European tie cos we have domestic issues a few days later .

Unthinkable !

Hibernian Football Club
The Pride of Edinburgh

[Since90+2]

Aye let's throw the towel in.

You throw the towel in when the fight is over, I think anyone of sane mind would say the fight in this tie is already over.

[Daily Hibs]

This tie is gone. The question is do we risk an absolute record thumping away to Villa by resting every key player we can? ... IMO the answer is yes we should. We should rest as many players as we can and if that means a big black mark in the club's record books then so be it ... we have far bigger fish to fry than preserving our dignity and a European reputation that in recent years isn't that great anyway.

Boruc in goals ... if fit .... if he plays out of his skin get him in for Saturday at Aberdeen.

Harbottle and Rocky instead of Fish and Hanlon

Absolutely not Newell ... no matter how much he might want to play, it would be an absolute waste of time to have him run about in a meaningless game. The same with Boyle, just back from injury, we need to rest him.

Doidge and Le Fondre up front .. ish.

I would like to rest Stevenson too, but if Obita is injured I'm at a loss to see how we make that happen.

Maybe chuck in a couple of our kids / fringe players, and then start praying.

At this point, yes, and a good post. Do some of the key players deserve to play at Villa Park?

[Since90+2]

I don't think the players will be that bothered if they are rested tbh.

They play at bigger and better stadiums regularly in the league and it's completely over as a sporting contest, atmosphere will be mediocre at best.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Self respect and respect for the club and its supporters should be foremost in the minds of the coaching and playing staff this Thursday.

There is no greater good playing a weakened side and risking a bigger thrashing that some think will happen anyway.

I can just picture Tom Hart telling Eddie Turnbull to put out a weaker side in a European tie cos we have domestic issues a few days later .

Unthinkable !

Hibernian Football Club
The Pride of Edinburgh

Fine sentiment .. seen that word on here already today ... I've no doubt that's exactly what will happen.

However, if we get pumped at Aberdeen a few days later, or Newell or Boyle pick up an injury on Thursday I don't expect anybody to be on here having a go at the manager or players and especially not an exhausted 36 year old Lewis Stevenson after the Aberdeen winger rips him a new one.

[Is It On....]

We’ve got thousands going down to support the team. They owe it to all travelling to give it their best shot. Don’t risk anyone that is struggling or anything like that but I don’t want to be walking away with an 8-0 defeat (even if the tie is already over).

I think the players are have been talked in to it being impossible to play a few days apart when it’s not. It happens at all over the world and not just at the top level.

It could easily have been 0-8 on Wednesday so we absolutely need to play our strongest team to avoid getting hit for double figures. Not getting humiliated will require a lot of luck and, just as importantly, our manager [who knows what it takes at Villa Park 🙄) to get the formation and tactics broadly correct.

[MrRobot]

Professional footballers really should be able to play 2 games of football in a week, especially this early on in a season. No need to rest everybody and risk and even bigger beating.

[Ronniekirk]

Imagine playing the kids and then our kids getting pumped another 5. Not for me.
It would be a lot more than 5 if we played lots of youngsters

[Mick O'Rourke]

Fine sentiment .. seen that word on here already today ... I've no doubt that's exactly what will happen.

However, if we get pumped at Aberdeen a few days later, or Newell or Boyle pick up an injury on Thursday I don't expect anybody to be on here having a go at the manager or players and especially not an exhausted 36 year old Lewis Stevenson after the Aberdeen winger rips him a new one.

Sentimental?
You tell that to the supporters who are going down and will have spent a couple of hundred pound doing so and possible deduction in wages.
Exhausted players on Sunday ?
Is that your excuse now for suggesting we should play dev/reserve players on Thursday ?
Fit pro players should be able to play 2 games a week without being "exhausted"

[Frazerbob]

Absolutely not. This game is our reward for reaching Europe and getting through a couple of rounds. When the draw for the play-off is made, you are looking for either, a winnable tie (like Aberdeen got) or a glamour tie (like we got). With the glamour tie comes the good chance of skelping. This is our cup final, fans and players. This is why some of these players signed for us and this is going to help us attract more in the future. Face facts, we are the minnow here, like a tiny wee Brora Rangers playing us. The players will be devastated if they don't get their 90 minutes in the sun. They, like us, deserve their day out on Thursday. I canny wait!

Oh and if they canny handle one last week of 2 2 games then that's a bigger issue.

[Baader]

Play our strongest 11 and give it a go.

[One Day Soon]

I understand the OP's point in respect of the tie being over and therefore little immediate that it is worth risking first team players for. However if we were to go down there and finish up on the end of a skelping which neared or was actually double figures - and I could see us possibly losing 6, 7 or 8 nil even with our first team playing - I think it would do some fundamental damage to the club beyond just the outcome of that game. I think the players owe it to themselves and the support to try and somehow restore some pride in the second leg and I think doing so would have positive consequences for the rest of our season.

[Ronniekirk]

Imagine playing the kids and then our kids getting pumped another 5. Not for me.
It would be a lot more than 5 if we played lots of youngsters

[Skol]

I would go

Boruc

Miller bushiri harbottle hanlon Stevenson

Jeggo jDH Campbell

Doidge ALF

It is tough though. We don’t want to risk some players but also want to put out a reasonable side. Granted there are a lot of questions over that line up. League business is priority

[Waxy]

Nah we play our best team and give it everything.
These games hardly come along.
We need to get experience playing these games if the club wants to improve.

[WhileTheChief..]

Every other club that qualifies for Europe manage to play the number of games just fine. We use it as another excuse for the imminent defeat before a ball is even kicked.

Up there with altitude and wrong length of grass.

[lyonhibs]

Absolutely not. This game is our reward for reaching Europe and getting through a couple of rounds. When the draw for the play-off is made, you are looking for either, a winnable tie (like Aberdeen got) or a glamour tie (like we got). With the glamour tie comes the good chance of skelping. This is our cup final, fans and players. This is why some of these players signed for us and this is going to help us attract more in the future. Face facts, we are the minnow here, like a tiny wee Brora Rangers playing us. The players will be devastated if they don't get their 90 minutes in the sun. They, like us, deserve their day out on Thursday. I canny wait!

Oh and if they canny handle one last week of 2 2 games then that's a bigger issue.

Agree with most of that, but let's calm the jets with the cup final chat. If LJ and the team fancy it, with a slice of luck we could get into 2 actual cup finals.

[greenlex]

Not sure about throwing in a couple of kids, would be totally unfair on them to chuck them in at that level. They'd be absolutely destroyed.

This with bells on. The
More senior players might actually learn something.

[Lancs Harp]

How are we going to win 6-0 by playing the fringe players :)

I take it Nae hasnt got a ticket? :)

[The Spaceman]

It’s pretty much a sell-out Villa Park. Players would relish getting as chance to play. We slog all season long to play games in Europe, why on earth would we chuck the kids on?

[DH1875]

The day we send out a team to lose is the day we should all just give up. I mean we ain't gonna win but let's at least have a bit of dignity about it. And you never know, Villa play their reserves and we get an early goal....................maybes they'll only win by a couple.

[LaMotta]

It would be a lot more than 5 if we played lots of youngsters

Exactly - Our kids got beat 3-0 off Blackpool. If we play kids it'll be into double figures. Unfairly or not the reputation of Hibs (and Scottish Football) has taken a hammering the other night. There is no chance that anyone will be getting rested for this game.

[ian cruise]

Our first team players want to play in games such as these. If we drop them then we're going to end up with an unhappy bunch, plus imagine trying to convince the next Vente to sign when they think we'll not play them in games like Villa away just because we know we're not winning.

Strongest team possible for me, ask the players to give as good an account of themselves as possible.

[wookie70]

I've got a ticket and will probably go down. The tie is gone after our performance midweek. I'd definitely be trying to get a few young players involved at some point. I doubt they will play a full side as there is simply no need with such a big advantage.

[LunasBoots]

Yes for me, we have big league games to worry about, we really need to get going.

[darwenhibby]

Remember Naples everyone!!
All this about playing at Villa Park??
I worked for a company 15 years ago that had a box smack on the halfway line in the Doug Ellis stand
It was nothing special
All grey and burgundy
I was bored out my head
Sober having to take clients back to the north west after
And it was never full unless they played Man Utd

[Greenworld]

I think our key players would be gutted at nit getting the chance to play at Villa Park as some may never get to play such a high profile club/game.That's a shame its not about them its about the club

Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk

[NAE NOOKIE]

How are we going to win 6-0 by playing the fringe players :)

I take it Nae hasnt got a ticket? :)

No he hasn't mate. But if I did have I would have bought it before the 1st leg and I would still have the opinion I do now. even then I would still go. I support this club come what may, which is maybe why I could suck up a hammering if it increases our chance of doing better at Aberdeen .... I'll be there on Saturday for the Livvi game .... how many of the 18,000 who attended the first leg against Villa will be able to say the same?

And be honest: If we play the full team at Villa and they still get a doing and we get a vital player like Newell, Boyle or Miller injured in the process then get beat 3 - 0 or something at Aberdeen how many of our fans so desperate to see our dignity remain intact in a dead rubber in Birmingham will give the players or manager a pass for it? I think you know the answer.

I can see it now: That was a sair yin tae take Lee, how do you explain it .. 'well you see, the players were done in after running about like Energizer Bunnies chasing shadows at Villa on Thursday night. I couldn't rest anybody coz well you know, I was trying to retain the club's dignity'

Cue the usual suspects with the he talks pish, David Brent, comments.

[Forza Fred]

I really don’t want us to go down by double figures, or close to it.

We should try and regain some pride.

[Ronniekirk]

I really don’t want us to go down by double figures, or close to it.

We should try and regain some pride.

Even the players they brought off the bench caused us all sorts of problems .
They also seemed able to match Youan and Boyles pace when getting back to defend .
Thier manager has said he will play a strong team , and our inability to cut out or defend crosses will need to improve dramatically ,and don’t see how it will
Am in two minds .If we beat Livi ,for me the priority is then to try and win v dons away ,and kick start our league campaign as they will have played in Europe,

[NAE NOOKIE]

Even the players they brought off the bench caused us all sorts of problems .
They also seemed able to match Youan and Boyles pace when getting back to defend .
Thier manager has said he will play a strong team , and our inability to cut out or defend crosses will need to improve dramatically ,and don’t see how it will
Am in two minds .If we beat Livi ,for me the priority is then to try and win v dons away ,and kick start our league campaign as they will have played in Europe,

The whole disparity we were witnessing was summed up when the announcer said ... 'substitute for Aston Villa Youri Tielemans' ... Folk around me were actually laughing because what better way to sum up the massive gulf than them being able to bring on a player of that quality from the bench.

[He's here!]

Fine sentiment .. seen that word on here already today ... I've no doubt that's exactly what will happen.

However, if we get pumped at Aberdeen a few days later, or Newell or Boyle pick up an injury on Thursday I don't expect anybody to be on here having a go at the manager or players and especially not an exhausted 36 year old Lewis Stevenson after the Aberdeen winger rips him a new one.

I'm not convinced that resting this particular group of players would make them any less likely to get pumped at Pittodrie. It's not as though we'd be going up there with much confidence whatever team we play.

At least by playing at Villa they might get another lesson in just how much they need to step up their game if they want to improve as players.

[WeeRussell]

Emery said right after the game on Thursday he’ll be playing his strongest available team.

He should get back in his box.