Europa chance for Villa youngsters
Wednesday 28th April 2010, 11:19AM BST.
Villa boss Martin O’Neill is again ready to field his reserve players if the club end up in the Europa League next season.
The manager infuriated fans last season when he left eight first-team stars at home and picked a team of fringe players and youngsters for the ill-fated UEFA Cup clash at CSKA Moscow, which ended their involvement in the competition.
O’Neill remains hopeful his fifth-placed team, who face Manchester City in a crunch game on Saturday, can clinch Champions League football next term and, in that event, revealed he would stick with his first-choice XI. But, should they finish in the Europa League he plans to use the competition to give experience to Villa’s up-and-coming talent.
“I will make it clear to the Aston Villa fans what we will do if we are in the Europa League,” said O’Neill.
“Had we qualified and got to the group stage this season, I would not have thrown games away, but I would have blooded the youngsters.
“The likes of Ciaran Clark, Marc Albrighton and Nathan Delfouneso would have been given a chance so that, come this stage of the season, you’d know precisely what they’re capable of.
“That experience might come in really handy in the run-up in the Premier League. That’s the theory. In practice there might be a Europa League game so important that you might have to go with your senior players.
“This is my thought process and, if we’re in the Europa League next season, that is what we will do. If we’re in the Champions League then try telling Richard Dunne, who has fought so hard to get this far, that he’s not playing.”
UK Sport
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