Fixtures
- Aston Villa U21 Vs. Bradford City – Tue, Jan 14th 2025, 19:30
Josep Gombau discussed the excitement in his camp, as Aston Villa Under-21s prepare to take on Bradford City at Villa Park in the Vertu Trophy.
The Young Lions will lock horns with the League Two Bantams in B6 on Tuesday evening, with a place in the quarter-finals of the competition up for grabs.
Gombau lauded the experience which lies ahead for his young players, and admits now is the time for them to make a name for themselves in front of the Villa faithful.
He said: “We are, all of us, very excited for this game. Especially [because], it is a game we are playing at Villa Park, which is a very good experience for all of the players.
“It is massive for all of us. It is a very good opportunity for the players to show themselves in front of the Villa fans.
“As an academy team, we are trying to make the development of them, and part of this development is this kind of competition. They need to prove themselves in front of the fans.
“Why not try to do a very good game, and make noise, and try to go through?”
With 10 points taken from their last 12 available in League Two, Graham Alexander’s Bradford side have found themselves in a rich vein of form over the festive period.
Gombau is expecting a difficult challenge from a team which made it to the semi-finals of the EFL Trophy last season, though insists this only adds to his anticipation ahead of the clash.
“Now, it is another game, totally different, against a very strong opposition team,” the Spaniard added.
“They did very well in this competition last year, arriving at the semi-finals.
“It will be a big challenge for us, but we want to take this challenge. They are a very good team. They are doing well in League Two, especially in their last games.
“We know it will not be easy. For them, it is also an extra motivation to play at Villa Park, and if they win, they are already in the last eight of the competition. For them, it is also a good opportunity to go far in this competition again.
“For us, it is a very good experience. We want to win, always, but the important thing I think is the experience the players are getting in this competition.
“We will go there with the same mentality we are approaching the other games.
“We go there, we need to do our job, we need to work hard. We want the opposition team to feel like they are playing against a side of young professional players.
“Trying to win, and go through. This is our aim.”
While the competitive nature of the fixture cannot be ignored, Gombau also wants his players to ensure they savour the experience of playing at Villa Park, and enjoy the game.
“This needs to be one of the objectives,” the Young Lions boss concluded.
“As academy players that they are, to have this kind of experience is part of the growing of footballers.
“We need to think we do not have a lot to lose, but a lot to win, with this mentality to work hard and do a good job in front of our fans, and show here the academy is working well, and there are a lot of players who want to make the next step and put their stamp on English football.
“We need to have this mentality that it is a competition game that we need to try to win and go through, but also knowing it is an experience that not every fortnight we are playing there, and it is a good occasion to enjoy, and bring value to these kinds of games.”
