Downing Looking For Wet Spam Repeat

Stewart Downing is hoping for another phenomenal performance on Thursday from the squad as we face Rapid Vienna in the play off first leg of the Europa League.

Speaking on the Official Site ahead of tomorrow's clash, the 26 yr old who was definitely back to his best against West Ham is looking forward to making his debut for the club in the competition having missed out last season through injury.

'They are games you want to play in and knowing the way Kev is - he will send a strong team out there for that game.'

Downing has experience of these types of games from his time at Middlesbrough, and is convinced the caretaker manager will be going out there to win it.

'Now he is in charge he has got a job to win games and that's the way it is in management. He will have us ready for the Vienna game and I am looking forward to it.'

There are plenty of rumours doing the rounds on who might be rested, how strong will the team be and the obvious comparisons to Martin O'Neill's choices when it came to European games are looming large, but let's weight and see what Kev does.

We know we have Newcastle on Sunday and we still have the 2nd leg to go at Villa Park so people shouldn't get too carried away at the moment.

MacDonald won't have been blind to the anger from the faithful over the CSKA decision, nor he will not know of the disappointment of Vienna putting one over on us last year. He'll know we'll want revenge and I seriously doubt he won't be looking to set that right.

Vital Villa on:

Vital Villa on:

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