Today's winner: Zico. Today's loser: Tony Pullis

I am immensely surprised by that squad announcement.

I thought there was a good chance of one or two senior players being left behind - but not eight.

Having already played eleven matches in Europe since mid-July, not to mention the efforts of playing 38 games last season to get this far, it does appear an incredible shame.

All those training sessions in early July... those trips to Denmark, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Germany.

I expect Martin O'Neill will have some explaining to do to the few hundred fans spending around £1,000 to make it there.

His conversations with the 70 or so supporters on the official trip today could be interesting.

If Zico has the grace to leave ouit Vagner Love and a few Russian internationals then Villa would still have a chance. But you wouldn't give Isiah Osbourne and Moustapha Salifou much hope of giving Villa a platform to progress.

But there are three points to make here.

Firstly, he is not the first to do so and he won't be the last.

For Gary Megson last season read Harry Redknapp this.

Secondly, it is clear the UEFA Cup has fallen so far down the pecking order of teams' priorities in England because of the riches on offer in the Champions League.

It makes all those group games seem ludicrous. UEFA are revamping it next season into the Europa Cup. But, ridiculously, those group games remain.

O'Neill's decision will be the correct one if his side remain clear of Arsenal over the run-in, regardless of how heart-breakingly frustrating the loss of European competition would appear in the short-term.

Last year at the last 16 stage Bolton manager Megson had left seven available regular first-team players in England ahead of their relegation battle with Wigan.

He was crucified in the press. Not least when he lost that match to Wigan.

Redknapp's side have already won at Hull City after a dismal showing in the Ukraine.

Megson's post-match comments to the media last year can probably be uttered by O'Neill on Thursday night with the words "fourth place" substituted for "our".

Megson said after the defeat to Sporting Lisbon "I've said all along our main aim is to retain our ("fourth place" - O'Neill) place in the Premier League.

"In hindsight I still wouldn't change anything, and there's no sense of relief we are out either.

"We're disappointed. You only have to take a look at the players in the dressing room because we certainly didn't come here to get beat, but our priority has to be the Premier League.

"Now I expect all the players left behind to put a shift in at the JJB on Sunday ("against Stoke City" - O'Neill), and hopefully get us a result."

O'Neill has elected to leave Gareth Barry, Stiliyan Petrov, Ashley Young, Brad Friedel, Emile Heskey, Gabby Agbonlahor, Carlos Cuellar and James Milner at home.

The make-up of the side against Moscow will probably see only Luke Young, Curtis Davies and Zat Knight, of the current first-teamers, in the side with Steve Sidwell in the middle and John Carew playing on his own up front.

Brad Guzan and Nicky Shorey would appear certs in goal and in defence with Nathan Delfouneso, Salifou, Osbourne and Craig Gardner also in the middle.

"The irony is we broke our necks to get into Europe. Now we are in the final 32 of the UEFA Cup and we are having second and third looks at it all", added O'Neill.

"We have to try and please Villa fans but I am sure they would think that the Premier League - which can help drive you into the Champions League - is the holy grail."

Poor Tony Pullis will have a completely fresh Villa to contend with on Sunday.

As for that third point I was going to make?

Who's decision was it not to supplement the squad in January with two, three or four extra players to accommodate a push on two fronts?

Was it the manager's in the face of extortionate prices? Or the chequebook holder's?