The 2023/24 season is upon us, and not since the days of Martin O’Neill has there been this level of optimism and excitement as an Aston Villa fan going into a new campaign.
From the despair and lack of direction last October, to the elation and connection between the team and supporters as we sealed European football on the last day of last season, it was quite the first eight months under Unai Emery, who has transformed the club’s fortunes already in a significant way.
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Changes on and off the pitch have followed this summer. With the club’s management infrastructure being tweaked to appoint Chris Heck as President of Business Operations, Monchi also arrived as our new President of Football Operations to support Emery, while the Spanish tactician also saw trusted right-hand man Damia Vidagany promoted to Director of Football Operations as his imprint on the club grows.
Players have gone, new signings have arrived, and after a promising pre-season in which we’ve continued to build on the good work of last season, we go into our encounter with Newcastle Utd on the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign full of hope.
Subject to a playoff round later this month, Villa will also feature in the Europa Conference League, and coupled with domestic silverware being targeted, it promises to be a test of our depth and character to determine if can take that next step to being a real force and achieve something special this season.
New signings and outgoings
Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby have arrived to strengthen the spine of the squad, adding quality and experience in key areas to raise the standard within the group and increase competition.
The trio all give Emery different tactical solutions too, and it’s vital that we have that versatility and flexibility in the squad to adapt to different situations and opposition to find ways to win.
Fundamentally though, they all have the characteristics needed to be positive influences in Villa’s system and style of play, and it will be fascinating to see just how big a role they all play.
In terms of exits, Marvelous Nakamba, Ashley Young, Wesley, Morgan Sanson, Viljami Sinisalo and Jed Steer all departed, and we’ve done well to trim the squad so far this summer as we look for quality over quantity.
Further outgoings are expected in the coming weeks, and that could in turn create space in the squad and finances to continue to strengthen and allow Emery to further stamp his mark on the squad.
Key challenges ahead
Aside from the obvious in terms of integrating new faces, Emery will have to manage expectations and also build and improve on last season having made such an impressive start to life at Villa.
With 49 points from his 25 games at the helm, that pace would have put us amongst the Champions League places over the course of a full season, and so it’s about continuing that momentum and evolving further to ensure we’re making continuous progress.
That won’t be easy no matter how big an impression he has already made, but with the help of our new signings and as the players continue to learn, adapt and improve, it’s hoped that there are still several levels we’ve yet to reach.
Further, the schedule will undoubtedly be a major test for the players this season. Emery will be able to draw on his experience of continuously being involved in Europe throughout his career to manage things as best as he can, but the demands on the squad will increase as we try to compete on multiple fronts.
Not only does that mean managing a fixture list that includes hectic weeks of Thursday and Sunday games from a physical perspective, but also the mental strength to overcome adversity as things certainly won’t go all our way.
Question marks perhaps also linger over the depth in the squad, as an injury to Ollie Watkins or Emiliano Martinez could leave us in a difficult position.
Hopes for the new season
Naturally, objectives and preferred achievements will differ amongst the Villa faithful, but ending a 27-year wait for a trophy is surely at the top of the list for most.
A deep European run ending in silverware would be an incredible achievement in Emery’s first full season in charge, and he’s made no secret of his desire to win something with us since the day he arrived.
That in turn will mean we’ll approach the FA Cup and Carabao Cup with the same mindset, and it’s hoped that we can go all the way in at least one of them with our boss’s experience and expertise in that field a potential game-changer for us.
And what of the Premier League? Villa were excellent last year to secure seventh place, but the challenge of breaking into that top six is obvious, especially with a resurgent Chelsea perhaps re-entering the picture too.
Defending champions Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle will all be targeting a repeat of last season, but Villa will hopefully be able to close the gap on them, with sixth place perhaps a realistic and achievable target at the start of the campaign.
Predictions
Seventh place in the Premier League and a trophy. Finding the balance of improving in the league while trying to advance deep into cup competitions will be a difficult challenge for us to adapt to.
Given Emery’s pedigree and clear intentions of winning at least one trophy as Villa boss, our league form could dip at times as a result with inconsistency a concern. That’s not to say we won’t be able to find the right balance and rotate, but what a year it would be to lift silverware and continue to establish a foundation and solidify our position in the top seven.
Watkins will be our key man and top goalscorer again this year, such is his importance in staying fit and leading the line. Although he’ll miss the first month of the season, Jacob Ramsey will kick on and become even more influential for us and will star at the End of Season awards, with Cameron Archer emerging as our best young player.
