Fair enough. As usual it's just an opportunity to give experience to some younger players and to get some match sharpness into some players who havent been playing. Maybe give Harding a run out?

Good call Uttis. I've lost track of the rules tbh. They force you to take it seriously (otherwise nobody would) by having some selection criteria I think? I'm sure we will do the minimum needed to comply. Definitely a game for Odoffin if we can get him in the lineup.

Yep Harding does need a run out to maintain confidence and fitness. Odoffin too.

Both qualify as having more than 40 starts. Vickers would be the third . Ladapo and sadlier ...

Just need 4 in total.

Message for anyone going tonight, I know it's a personal choice but do you really want to be an enabler in getting Pep what he wants? Namely B teams in the EFL

Think it's a pointless trophy and sooner or later Aston Villa U23 will beat Crystal Palace U23 in the final. It devalues our league and its importance to us but if its revenue in these hard times not easy to turn down I suppose. I defo in the not going bunch though.

1305 home fans tonight, the message is getting across.

The scoreline is pretty irrelevant unless you want to make a case for winning being a habit. The players who played who I would think of as not currently in the first eleven but knocking on the door for regular starts were Vickers, Harding, Sadlier, Odoffin, Bola and Ladapo. Vickers looked very assured. I would have no worries about him playing in league games. Harding was very good but then we already know that he is. Odoffin looks to me like someone who might be most effective sitting in front of the centre backs as a screen and when he has the ball keeping it simple. He did ok but still looks a little bit raw to me. Great hit for the goal. Honestly I didnt think any of Sadlier, Bola or Ladapo did much to advance their causes. The Bola cross and Ladapo header were their only real contributions. Ladapo threatened to link well with Grigg first half but faded second. I thought Sadlier was pretty anonymous. It was another opportunity for him to impress in that central role behind the strikers. At two up after 20 minutes I was looking to him to really show something but it didnt really happen although we have all seen that he can play. Rathbone looked a division better than anyone else on the pitch when he came on. How we have signed him for a nominal fee I will never know. Oh, and Hull didnt look out of place again. In fairness to everyone those games cant be the easiest to play in. I'm just glad nobody was injured. They are my opinions and take aways for what they are worth.