Martin O'Neill urged to give Aston Villa understudies another chance

Dec 14 2008

CRAIG Gardner has urged Martin O’Neill to give his Aston Villa understudies a chance to make amends in Wednesday’s UEFA Cup clash.

O’Neill is contemplating scrapping his preference for using fringe players in European games after a shock home defeat to Group F minnow MSK Zilina.

Instead, he might call on first-team big guns like Brad Friedel, Martin Laursen, Gareth Barry and Gabby Agbonlahor for the midweek tie against Hamburg in Germany.

Villa must beat Martin Jol’s Hamburg, and better Ajax’s result against Slavia Prague in the process, if they are to reap the rewards of topping the group.

Group winners face third-placed teams from another group in the final 32 with the advantage of playing the second leg of the double header at home.

Runners-up from the eight groups will be paired against the eight teams eliminated from the Champions League.

Gardner was among the claret and blue second string who stumbled to the 2-1 defeat to Zilina, missing a string of chances during a frantic finale.

But the Brummie midfielder believes Villa’s deputies are good enough to beat Hamburg and have already proved it by qualifying for the knock-out stages. “Should the gaffer put the fringe players in against Hamburg? Why not?” said Gardner.

“We’ve done well in the cup this year and we’ve qualified so hopefully the gaffer will stay faithful with the team that have done well.

”It was frustrating against Zilina. I think we battered them. We hit the post, we hit everything and we just couldn’t find the goal.

“But we’re through at the end of the day and that’s the main thing.