[ritchiebaby]

The Villa fans will be looking forward to another goal-fest in the Europa Conference 2nd leg and who could blame them? I hope Unai Emery gives us the same respect as last week and selects a strong team. That way Villa might take their foot off the gas and let us off lightly. If, as I suspect, he treats this game as a trial game for many of his second string players, they will be desperate to show him how good they are. Probably at least half of the Villa first team squad are regular internationalists, so even their second string players will be streets ahead of ours.

As for Hibs, it will be a case of expect the worst and hope for the best. I'd like to think we could get on the scoresheet down there and that would almost be a moral victory. I've never been over-excited about gaining a European place, because the "reward" is being shown how far behind we are in a football sense. Fair enough, the extra revenue helps, but our League form and prospects are much more important.

Thankfully I'll be bowling on Thursday and unable to watch the game.

[HerefordBull]

Will be interesting to see how your players react to poor form and now the loss of Johnson. The tie is obviously dead so only pride at stake.

I was never convinced by David Gray in his previous appointments to caretaker management so don't think too much will differ in set up and approach to the game. On the Villa forum they seem to think Emery will go with a weakened team and blood some youngsters so as to rest some of the top players for Sundays visit to Anfield.

A question I would be asking if I still went to see Hibs is how come Gray remains when his manager is sacked? ( Maloney and now Johnson) He is the defensive coach which has been the area Hibs have struggled with. Is it just for sentimental reasons he keeps his job?

Anyway good luck on Thursday and for those travelling have a good time in Birmingham.

[Inverurie Jambo]

Will be interesting to see how your players react to poor form and now the loss of Johnson. The tie is obviously dead so only pride at stake.

I was never convinced by David Gray in his previous appointments to caretaker management so don't think too much will differ in set up and approach to the game. On the Villa forum they seem to think Emery will go with a weakened team and blood some youngsters so as to rest some of the top players for Sundays visit to Anfield.

A question I would be asking if I still went to see Hibs is how come Gray remains when his manager is sacked? ( Maloney and now Johnson) He is the defensive coach which has been the area Hibs have struggled with. Is it just for sentimental reasons he keeps his job?

Anyway good luck on Thursday and for those travelling have a good time in Birmingham.

I’m with you on that one HB with regards to David Gray, a bit like Gordon Forest remaining at Hearts- strange indeed. Imo, if you sack the manager, then all and sundry should follow out the door. Looks like Lennon may be making a return!

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Will be interesting to see how your players react to poor form and now the loss of Johnson. The tie is obviously dead so only pride at stake.

I was never convinced by David Gray in his previous appointments to caretaker management so don't think too much will differ in set up and approach to the game. On the Villa forum they seem to think Emery will go with a weakened team and blood some youngsters so as to rest some of the top players for Sundays visit to Anfield.

A question I would be asking if I still went to see Hibs is how come Gray remains when his manager is sacked? ( Maloney and now Johnson) He is the defensive coach which has been the area Hibs have struggled with. Is it just for sentimental reasons he keeps his job?

Anyway good luck on Thursday and for those travelling have a good time in Birmingham.

By the way, I thought you still went to watch Hibs, were you not there at the weekend? Or was it a random visit to the festival ??

[HerefordBull]

Will be interesting to see how your players react to poor form and now the loss of Johnson. The tie is obviously dead so only pride at stake.

I was never convinced by David Gray in his previous appointments to caretaker management so don't think too much will differ in set up and approach to the game. On the Villa forum they seem to think Emery will go with a weakened team and blood some youngsters so as to rest some of the top players for Sundays visit to Anfield.

A question I would be asking if I still went to see Hibs is how come Gray remains when his manager is sacked? ( Maloney and now Johnson) He is the defensive coach which has been the area Hibs have struggled with. Is it just for sentimental reasons he keeps his job?

Anyway good luck on Thursday and for those travelling have a good time in Birmingham.

I’m with you on that one HB with regards to David Gray, a bit like Gordon Forest remaining at Hearts- strange indeed. Imo, if you sack the manager, then all and sundry should follow out the door. Looks like Lennon may be making a return!

---

Will be interesting to see how your players react to poor form and now the loss of Johnson. The tie is obviously dead so only pride at stake.

I was never convinced by David Gray in his previous appointments to caretaker management so don't think too much will differ in set up and approach to the game. On the Villa forum they seem to think Emery will go with a weakened team and blood some youngsters so as to rest some of the top players for Sundays visit to Anfield.

A question I would be asking if I still went to see Hibs is how come Gray remains when his manager is sacked? ( Maloney and now Johnson) He is the defensive coach which has been the area Hibs have struggled with. Is it just for sentimental reasons he keeps his job?

Anyway good luck on Thursday and for those travelling have a good time in Birmingham.

By the way, I thought you still went to watch Hibs, were you not there at the weekend? Or was it a random visit to the festival ??

Still live in Edinburgh ek. Go to the odd game ( as well as occasional trip to Tynecastle) with a mate and was at the Villa game last week. Try to go to the Northern games that Hereford play

[hibeejim21]

So, we have sounded out Lennon by the looks of it and while i think he would be a decent short term option if we were further into the season and struggling i'd rather go with someone who we know would be in it for the long haul. There is still a lot to play for. Johnson wasn't any loss, the players had fallen out with him a while back. Guy was a complete spoofer.

As for the game it hardly matters, we need to get our league form sorted out pronto.

[ritchiebaby]

Probably a better result than I feared. Thankfully we can now concentrate on our league form, especially against the teams immediately above us.