Right lads, we have only a few hours until kick off, my new server is up and it is just getting locked down before we move the site. It won't happen tonight, so if things do go underpants, then please forgive me, it's not my fault the traffic is getting like it is. Blame the club!
Right, before we get started with the team news and everything else, as you will see laid out in the headings below, we need a special song for tonight, so if you are reading this and you are about to leave for the ground, why not sing for Jimmy McHagen.
Martin O'Neill made a comment about the game recently and well, if he thinks that is how it works, maybe we should give him a little song, just to show that we hear what he is saying, but it's rubbish. I personally found it a bit condescending and didn't expect it from him, but it is now forgotten and I'll not be bringing it up again, unless he does.
The idea for the song was sent in by Thomas, I won't put his last name here, but don't blame me, I just thought it funny.
So, to the match. It is an important one but I just beat Rapid Vienna playing FIFA 09 3-0 so I don't see this as an issue and I had two players sent off. If O'Neill can't beat them with a full team and the roar of The Holte, then he clearly doesn't know what he is doing. That was a joke people.
Seriously though, it is going to be tough. In my preview of the match I said that I expect Rapid Vienna to come looking for a goal and they'll do it one of two ways. They'll either come out and fight from the off, which is likely, before settling down with a five man midfield and look for something on the counter attack.
They can't come and sit back and wait the whole 90 minutes as it will be too risky, but I do expect them to plan when they move forward and it will be interesting to watch. It will be more interesting to see how we line up after a very successful trip to Anfield on Monday night, but we will know soon enough.
Team News
Coming as we get it, but I really don't think O'Neill will change from Monday night. I think we might see John Carew on the bench and we might even see him coming on with 30 minutes to go or even very early in to the second half if he is needed, but you would have to be a brave man to change a team that went to Anfield and scored three goals.
Guzan, Beye, Cuellar, Davies, Shorey, Milner, Petrov, Delph, Ashley Young, Heskey, Carew.
Subs: Friedel, Sidwell, Agbonlahor, Albrighton, Reo-Coker, Gardner, Lowry.
I gotta tell you, I'm surprised. He got it right the other night against Liverpool and he has changed it all around. He is a brave man.
TV and Streams
the match is on TV if you are in the UK, if not, I have a feeling you'll find some links below fairly soon. The site I use every now and then when stuck in front of my computer at a train station or pub, basically not at home, has changed and while you can still find it at the old site, the new one is here.
The Manager Has Spoken
Martin O'Neill
The result in the week has given us a big boost. We are going into this game with plenty of confidence and we are going to try and overturn this deficit. That's at the forefront of our minds. We will have to make a determined effort to get through. It won't be easy but we'll be going all guns blazing to do it.