Season Preview - Aston Villa

Last season: 11th, 50 points; FA Cup third round; Carling Cup fourth round

Transfers:

In: Nigel Reo-Coker (West Ham, £8.5m); Marlon Harewood (West Ham, undisc); Eric Lichaj (Chicago Fire, undisc)

Out: Aaron Hughes (Fulham, £1m); Jlloyd Samuel (Bolton, free); Gavin McCann (Bolton, £1m); Lee Hendrie (released); Steven Davis (Fulham, £4m); Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls, free); Chris Sutton (retired)

Official Website: http://www.avfc.co.uk/

Official Kit:

Martin O'Neill has been a winner for too long to accept another season treading water at Villa Park. Only two players of any note have arrived at Villa this season. Both from West Ham – Ex-West Ham Captain Nigel Reo-Coker and out of favour Hammers striker Marton Harewood.

The number-one problem for Villa? They are not the only mid-table team in the Premiership that have had an infow of money of late. The people investing in Newcastle, West Ham, Portsmouth and Manchester City all believe that they should at least be playing in Europe via the UEFA Cup, given the investment or record, while Everton, Spurs and Bolton are already there and Blackburn have got their through the Intertoto, but would feel they deserve to reach their via their position in the league.

If all these teams start performing to their potential then at long last we may have an extremely competitive division. On their day, more teams should be able to challenge the big four, even if they lack the squads to maintain a season-long challenge.

Schedule via English Soccer Talk:

Villa’s campaign didn’t get off to the perfect start with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Liverpool on the opening day of the Premiership.

No month in their schedule stands out as being exceptionally difficult, but there's only one month that shouldn't give Aston Villa much trouble (November; home against Derby County, away to Birmingham and Middlesbrough). That game at Birmingham is the first Birmingham Derby of the season, and Villa will host Birmingham at Villa Park on April 20, the fourth-to-last game of the year.

In the first three months of the season, Aston Villa will play three of the "Big Four", one in each month, but they all come to Villa Park (Liverpool, then Chelsea, then Manchester United). The last 6 games of the season are all winnable, with an away game at Everton the toughest of the bunch.

EPL08.com prediction:
League Position – 8
Martin O'Neill has been a winner for too long to accept another season treading water at Villa Park. A lot of names have left Villa this season but they've got in a couple of good players too. I definitely expect them to push for a UEFA cup slot. Watch out for Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young to shine this season.