It was a difficult first season under Paul Lambert, in which Aston Villa fought bravely with relegation throughout. The 1982 Europeon Cup champions eventually held on to their Premier League status with some good displays towards the end of the season. It is easy to see then, why Aston Villa were eager to turn the page to a new season.
Almost every new season provides a surprise or two whether it be a team emerging from the depths or an unsung hero making a name for himself. Even in some cases, a big name or a big club failing to live up to expectations.
Last season saw Villas local rivals West Brom finish an impressive eighth along with an impressive season for first time Manager Steve Clarke and for star striker Romelu Lukaku, loaned from Chelsea.
So, why can't Aston Villa also emulate such success in the 2013/14 season?
One of the biggest positives for Villa was the hugely successful arrival of Lukakus' Belgian striker partner, Christian Benteke. A transfer from Genk on deadline seemed to evade everyone, and proved to be one of the steals of the window.
The powerhouse striker finished the season with 19 Premier League goals and a further 4 in the League Cup. This prompted attention from top Europeon clubs such as Tottenham, Atletico Madrid and Champions League finalists Dortmund.
Should Benteke stay at Villa Park, his presence along with a few new additions could see Aston Villa become this seasons surprise package.
Lambert had already added a few names to his young squad, most notably with defender Jores Okore of Nordsjælland and striker Nicklas Helenius of Aalborg both joining, as well as Sevilla left-back Antonio Luna, who all boast Champions League experience along with several Internation caps between them.
This along with forward Andreas Weimann signing a new contract at the club are all positive steps for Villa.
Okare will provide much needed assistance in central defense to captain Ron Vlaar. And at only 20 years old, is a welcome addition to Villas growing and ambitious young squad. Helenius will allow some of the pressure on Benteke's shoulders to be reduced, the 22 year old had returned an impressive 29 goals in 65 games in Denmark and will be looking to re-capture to same form in England. Aldo joining Villa is Aleksander Tonev, signing from Polish giants Lech Poznan. The Bulgarian will be hoping to have the same impact on the Premier League as international team mates Dimitar Berbatov and Villa legend Stiliyan Petrov.
All are exciting, young and solid signings for Villa. Ones that will not only break into the first team in the up-coming season, but ones that will look to hold down spots in the starting line-up in the long term. Signing young talent is a huge positive for Aston Villa and for Manager Paul Lambert. This will allow the squad to gel early on, ready for the new season.
Aston Villa will be looking to re-create their blistering form at the end of last season which saw them win five wins in their last nines and a good start will prove key to their season.
As Villa ward off interest in star player Benteke as well as keeping other key components of their squad, things are looking up for the midlands team. With a couple more strong additions to help the tough slog of the English schedule. The thought of avoiding another grueling relegation battle should also help the squad to achieve new goals.
The pieces are in place for Aston Villa to achieve a good season, all that is left to do now is to fight for 90 minutes on 38 occasions.
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