We won't play for a draw says Aston Villa's Luke Young
LUKE Young says playing for a draw will not be an option for a makeshift Villa, who have rested five big guns ahead of their final UEFA Cup group game in Hamburg tomorrow.
Gabby Agbonlahor, Gareth Barry, James Milner, Martin Laursen and Ashley Young have all been left behind, along with an unwell Isaiah Osbourne.
It means the likes of Marlon Harewood, Nathan Delfouneso, Nigel Reo-Coker, Craig Gardner, Moustapha Salifou, Zat Knight, Nicky Shorey and Brad Guzan will come into a side shored up by senior players of the calibre of Young, Stiliyan Petrov, Carlos Cuellar and Curtis Davies.
Villa also include five promising youngsters from Kevin MacDonald’s reserves in the touring squad. They are Barry Bannan, Shane Lowry, Zoltan Stieber, Ciaran Clarke and Chris Herd.
Young says there can be no excuses despite the weakened team.
“Everyone who is picked will know what is expected of them,’’ he said. “If we win the game we can win the group.”
Hamburg are back up to fourth in the Bundesliga after an impressive run of results which has seen them win seven of their eight home league games and draw the other.
Martin Jol’s side have managed back-to-back wins over Eintracht Frankfurt and Cologne and lie just two points behind surprise early pace-setters TGS Hoffenheim and second-placed Bayern Munich. But Young says Villa, who will be backed by a sizeable away following, will be going out to attack.
“We didn’t go to the Emirates to try and get a point, it will be nothing different in Hamburg. We will be trying to do the same thing,’’ he said.
“It’s a game we’re looking forward to and if it’s anything like the atmosphere out in Prague then I’m sure it will be fiery.
“Every single game we go into here at Villa we try and win – whether we go to The Emirates, Old Trafford, or wherever. We go out and have a go.
“We don’t turn up anywhere and sit back and play for a draw, like some teams.
“We’ll be doing exactly the same tommorrow night.”
The full-back believes Hamburg’s impressive form this season
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