[Albion] This Sunday pre World Cup:

[Simster]

How many of the Villa likely first 11 will be in the same position? I have no idea, and really can't be bothered to check, but would assume roughly same as us?

Unfortunately, @beefypigeon reckons not!

 

[rippleman]

Have to look at them in training. If they're not fully willing to commit as the usually are, the most sensible thing would be not to use that player. Think most of them are going to want to play, but you never know.

If a player isn't "fully willing to commit" to their employer who pays them tens of thousands a week, they should not be paid. Simple as. End of.

 

[Swansman]

If a player isn't "fully willing to commit" to their employer who pays them tens of thousands a week, they should not be paid. Simple as. End of.

Not arguing against that. May still be the case though, consciously or subconsciously.

 

[rippleman]

Speak to them.

Speak to them individually and ask what they want to do. If they don't want to play, respect their wishes. There should be no ill thoughts to anyone who decides not to. It's not them who scheduled a world cup in the middle of the season.

If we force them to play and they get injured the relationship between club and players will be hugely damaged.

They would not be being "forced to play" they would merely be fulfilling their contractual obligations. FFS who here has ever been asked by their boss if they fancy working today and told it doesn't matter if you don't, you'll get paid anyway. Unreal.

(If anybody on here does engage with the "do you fancy working today?" model, give me a shout. I'm just what you are looking for )

 

[5Ways Gull]

Speak to them.

Speak to them individually and ask what they want to do. If they don't want to play, respect their wishes. There should be no ill thoughts to anyone who decides not to. It's not them who scheduled a world cup in the middle of the season.

If we force them to play and they get injured the relationship between club and players will be hugely damaged.

Don't see why it would damage their relationship with us. We didn't engineer this ridiculous situation where a WC starts a week after a set of league fixtures across most of Europe. All down to those dickheads at FIFA.

 

[Gazwag]

I might ask my boss if I can have the week off before my holiday, just in case I fall down the stairs in the office

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I don't think anyone is arguing with this, but the point he makes is a good one. Over half our first XI is going to be made up of players on planes to Qatar less than a week later. Some of them (subconsciously or otherwise) are not going to perform at 100% against Villa. The question is, which of our WC bound players do we take the chance on playing? Is having a 80% Trossard or Caidedo worth playing? Do we actually want to ensure they don't get injured with the WC being the shop window our business model relies on?

Mostly agree, but I'm not sure the World Cup is the 'shop window' that it once was. Not when the PL gets plastered pretty much everywhere in the world and people see/know what the likes of Caicedo is all about.

I'm willing to bet a lot that a scout from a 'top, top club' is not going to be watching him or Trossard for the first time when they play in Qatar against whoever they are playing.

 

[GT49er]

How many of the Villa likely first 11 will be in the same position? I have no idea, and really can't be bothered to check, but would assume roughly same as us?

Leave out the players going to the WC? We lose half a team, Villa lose two players ....................

Didn't we leave out half a team aganst Villa in one of the cups a couple or so years ago, and had to put up with Villa fans crowing over being better than us (completely oblivious to the fact that they'd just beaten our reserves)? Can do without that again, TBH.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Hadn’t given it a second thought

No chance players are rested for the WC

 

[Sheebo]

Shocked at this and the Arsenal thread that so many are suggesting protecting players for the WC yet so many have also declared they don’t care about it and won’t watch - seems a bit hypocritical.

And yes, of course the World Cup won’t have any bearing whatsoever on our team selection imo… not one tiny bit…

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'm comfortable if we tell Trossard, Mac Allister, Caicedo, and Estupinan that IF they can get us FOUR goals ahead by the 70th minute, then they can come off and have a rest.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Shocked at this and the Arsenal thread that so many are suggesting protecting players for the WC yet so many have also declared they don’t care about it and won’t watch - seems a bit hypocritical.

And yes, of course the World Cup won’t have any bearing whatsoever on our team selection imo… not one tiny bit…

I don't care about the World Cup in the slightest but the point I'm making is that the players really do. I think in this country (your good self aside), there is a lot of apathy towards the tournament and England with an over riding club before country attitude, but that is certainly not the case in a lot of countries, especially the smaller nations, like Ecuador for example.

I think a number of players who are going to the World Cup will not feature for their sides in different leagues this weekend.

 

[Sheebo]

I don't care about the World Cup in the slightest but the point I'm making is that the players really do. I think in this country (your good self aside), there is a lot of apathy towards the tournament and England with an over riding club before country attitude, but that is certainly not the case in a lot of countries, especially the smaller nations, like Ecuador for example.

I think a number of players who are going to the World Cup will not feature for their sides in different leagues this weekend.

Fair enough but can’t see it having any bearing on any premier league team selections this weekend…! I think the WC is a sham where it is and how it was awarded - but it’s still a World Cup and I’ll be watching and enjoying the tourno. Me not watching won’t change what’s happened by corrupt arseholes and a shocking country…!

And again, there’s no such thing as club v country - you are quite able to support both without it affecting the other but I’m getting very close to commenting in depth on that and I refused to do it on here after by self ban of a year, so will leave that there.

 

[Cornwallboy]

Mitoma, Trossard, Caicedo, Estupinan, Mac Allister, Sarmiento - for one game do we start them this Sunday or keep some/all of them on the bench? (Being a keeper, I see less of a problem in starting Sanchez.)

This is no reflection on their professionalism at all but with the world cup starting in 2 weeks, you couldn’t blame them for sub-consciously taking it easy this weekend and not going fully into challenges etc. For a professional footballer, especially from smaller countries like Ecuador or Japan, they would be absolutely heartbroken to miss the world cup at this late stage and it could have have a really detrimental long term impact on their season.

However we feel about this sham of a World Cup, it will mean everything to the players.

Come on!! They are contracted to play for the Albion, all I care about is 3 points for us on Sunday, I couldn't give a stuff about Japan, Spain, Belgium etc. Best case scenario for me would be that they all play on Sunday, we all win and that all of them pick up an injury that keeps all of them out of the world cup but sees them all fit and rested come Boxing day.

 

[BN41Albion]

With Ecuador playing in the first game, I could see Caicedo, Estupinan and Sarmiento on the bench.
Missing Caicedo and Macallister would be tough, so I would like to think Ali Mac would start still.

RDZ seems to like to stick to the same team, as much as possible, so maybe he won't rest anyone and expect them to get stuck in.

Why on earth would RDZ give a shit about when Ecuador are playing!? Or anyone else playing in the WC for that matter. No chance will players be rested because of the WC. That would be ridiculous

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

There are some very rum comments on this thread. Rather queer.

Perhaps it might be best that we just put the development squad out, just in case, you know, some of the first team squad are a bit worried they won't be able to pull a cracker at Christmas

 

[oldboyroy]

Absolutely no chance that they won't be as committed as everyone. Don't think our Roberto would allow it either.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Mitoma, Trossard, Caicedo, Estupinan, Mac Allister, Sarmiento - for one game do we start them this Sunday or keep some/all of them on the bench? (Being a keeper, I see less of a problem in starting Sanchez.)

This is no reflection on their professionalism at all but with the world cup starting in 2 weeks, you couldn’t blame them for sub-consciously taking it easy this weekend and not going fully into challenges etc. For a professional footballer, especially from smaller countries like Ecuador or Japan, they would be absolutely heartbroken to miss the world cup at this late stage and it could have have a really detrimental long term impact on their season.

However we feel about this sham of a World Cup, it will mean everything to the players.

In my opinion the more half hearted you go into a tackle, or the more inclined you are to shirk it, the greater the p;ossibility of injury.

No, RDZ should simply pick the best team possible to win the game, whether some of them are Qatar bound . . . or not.

 

[Icy Gull]

I don’t like it but I think players might well hold back. I expect Arsenal players to do similar tonight if they pick any of their World Cup bound players too.

I can see a very aggressive Villa turning us over if there is any holding back by Albion players.

Say what you like, you would be thinking of the WC if you were playing this week wouldn’t you?

Going to be interesting to see who RDZ picks tonight and how they play