Aston Villa news: Opinion – Fan scorecard on 2024-25 season

Season Rating: 8/10 – mainly for the season being full of possibility right until the final few weeks. For the owners and Unai Emery, it will potentially be seen as a step back though.

Happy with your manager? Emery is clearly Villa’s best chance of achieving top-level success. However, a developing pattern has emerged of the team choking in high-stakes games where they were favourites, producing poor and hesitant performances – Olympiakos, Monaco (when a result was needed to secure a top-eight finish), the FA Cup semi-final, and now Manchester United.

Is this the manager’s fault, or have his players let him down?

Unsung hero: John McGinn – he has been in the odd position where despite being the captain, in a fully fit squad, he doesn’t necessarily have an automatic starting position. This season could have been one of transition for him, with the midfielder being phased out, but McGinn has been vital to keep Villa going through a tough season.

Player you would most like to sign: Villa have the team to help Liam Delap kick on, considering he scored 12 goals for a relegated Premier League team at the age of just 22. He has the game and predatory spirit that would suit Villa. But there is a queue forming for his services, which will push his price beyond being decent value.

Right now, my overriding emotion from the season is: In isolation, it has been an enjoyable season, mainly for the Champions League adventure. Looking ahead, because of how the season ended, the main feeling for the bigger picture is one of trepidation and it being a potential sliding doors moment.

Next season features a Champions League now with 30% of the Premier League in it. That is six teams with a chance of better revenue than Villa and the ability to offer players top-tier European football in the summer transfer window. Not ideal.

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