Guessing game

IT WAS Martin O'Neill who first alluded to the dilemma of chasing two goals at the same time and the worries that the one pursuit could jeopardise the other.

It was some weeks ago when he spoke about the difficulties faced by Gary Megson last season at Bolton.

Then at the end of last year, when the dust was settling on Villa's defeat in Hamburg, Martin Jol was keen to say how sympathetic he was to the headaches faced by O'Neill as he chased Premier League points aswell as European glory.

At Tottenham, he said, his head was in a spin because of the amount of matches he faced and the selection issues ahead.

Now here we are, on the eve of arguably the biggest game of the season at CSKA Moscow.

And within a few hours, some time in the late morning, we will have a vague idea as to where the UEFA Cup sits in the Villa boss' list of priorities.

That will be when he announces his travelling party.

Will he take Gareth Barry? Ashley Young?

There has been speculation that he will play the kids. I think not.

The difference between Jol's Tottenham of a few years ago and O'Neill's Villa was that Jol had the squad to cope.

If only O'Neill had brought two or three more players to the club in January, just squad players able to play a handful of games, then perhaps that UEFA Cup and Champions League dream might be all the more realistic.

All we do know is that he has already said that Carlos Cuellar and Nigel Reo-Coker will not travel tomorrow.

Last season Megson concluded that league safety was paramount and tossed aside the UEFA Cup like a worthless toy found in a Christmas cracker.

Bolton were bottom when he took charge.

By February however they had beaten Atletico Madrid (who at the time were lying fourth in La Liga) to reach the last 16 of the UEFA Cup for the first time in the club's history.

Then with the home leg tied at 1-1, and days before a massive local derby at Wigan, he proceeded to play the reserve team at Sporting Lisbon.

Bolton lost by a late goal (Megson 0 Pressure 1) and went on to lose by the only goal at Wigan (Megson 0 Pressure 2).

Soon after they were thrashed 4-0 at Villa (Megson 0 Pressure 3) - a result which transformed the fortunes of both clubs.

Bolton took 11 points from their last five games and stayed up after drawing with Chelsea on the final day of the season. (Final result: Megson 4 Pressure 3).

Villa's defeat at Chelsea was immediately put down to weary limbs after that rousing midweek performance against CSKA.

You can almost guarantee that Brad Guzan, Nicky Shorey, Craig Gardner, Steve Sidwell and John Carew will start in Russia.

As for the rest? Take your pick.

One thing I would like to know much is that shoulder injury at Everton impeding Curtis Davies? What has happened to his form?

Two things are certain in Moscow. Firstly, that Villa's seven successive away wins in the league will give them cause for much optimism - freezing plastic pitch or not.

And secondly, Zico's post-match comments that seemed to suggest Villa are one dimensional in being only concerned with getting the ball to Ashley Young will fire O'Neill up to put on a rousing spectacle.

Whether it is enough to progress, only time will tell.

If it were a case of progressing through to the next round or taking four or more points from Stoke City and Manchester City on their return, then the latter appears to be the manager's aim every time.