A sum up of the season and what might be next.

I don’t deny it. I’ve been one of the team’s most critical (ok, moany) Villa fans of all, this season.

I can’t help it. The older I’ve got, the more critical I’ve become overall and I honestly wish I was more like my grandsons, who always have 100% belief that we are going to win. I used to be like that too, when I was late teens. What happened?

The simple answer is life and experience. Along with many of you, seeing us fail year after year to win anywhere near like our fair share of anything has ground me down. So much so that my expectations are minimised, because missing out yet again hurts less. Will the Grandsons feel the same in 40 year’s time? I hope not.

And then Unai Emery hasn’t helped. He’s raised expectations so much since his arrival, that victory is just that: expected. And when it doesn’t come, it’s all the more gutting.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good thing. I’d much rather we get close to something than not be in the running at all.

So with that in mind, while this season was one of ups and downs, it was generally massively successful and apart from winning big ears, you probably have to go back to the early 20th century, if not the 19th, to think of a better one.

I mean, it doesn’t get much better really. I obviously don’t need to recap, but I’m writing it for posterity. We reached the quarters of the Champions league, missed out on qualifying for next season’s Champions league by a whisper and wrongly disallowed goal, qualified for the Europa league and reached the semis of the FA cup.

So a load of “nearlys”, but still a great result overall. The big hope is it wasn’t a one-off and we continue to push on.

What went wrong then?

The Champions league, we battered PSG in the second half at home, but the first tie was our undoing. If only.

Premier league? Well Unai got it spot on. We were mostly really good, but that wretched run in the, I don’t know, six weeks? before Christmas proved our undoing. Thinking back to then, I think the consensus was that the lack of backup in the squad was our biggest failing and in hindsight, it was probably to be expected. The fact that we got some great loan players, that gave the team a big boost straightaway, proves the point and that was probably the biggest disappointment of all.

Still, building a better squad has to be a slow job now, given the financial restrictions, but we have a pair of the best in the game trying to get us there. I’m sure they’ll continue to do that in the summer.

And the FA cup? Well, things were going fine until we absolutely never turned up against Palace, who also knocked us out of the Carabou cup. Sometimes the opposition just seems to have your number and there’s not much you can do about it.

Missing out on Champions league qualification was the biggest disappointment of all for me. Yes, you can talk about what the Europa league might bring in , but the revenue is dwarfed by the Champions league and there’s no trying to gloss over it. It’s cost us millions and I really do hope the club try to take the PGMOL to the cleaners. They won’t win, because the game won’t let it happen. But it would make me and I suspect the owners feel better that the clowns who run our game are at least being held to account. A “complaint” is a total waste of an e-mail in my opinion.

So having looked back, we now have to look forward to the summer transfer window.

Emery has said we’re going to be busy and I’m sure we are. There are a few young players who can go and plenty of fringe and even first team players too, I suspect. First and most obvious is Marcus Rashford. There is not a chance in hell that we will be signing him. It might have been a possiblility if we’d qualified for the CL, but even then, I think it was very doubtful, I read today that he’s on £225k a week for us and coupled with a 40mill fee (even though that will be reduced) it just doesn’t make economic sense. Yes, we pay well, but we’re not as stupid as Man U.

Asensio, I’m not sure about. He’s on £150k, I believe, along with a few others. I like him, but a 4 year contract? I’m not sure, but would trust Unai’s judgement on that one.

Bailey is another cert, while he still has some value. What that value would be now, is the question? £20 mill perhaps? I’d take it, I think.

Olsen has gone, so we definitely need a new goalie. By all accounts we might need two if Martinez goes, which I think is a distinct possibility, if he gets the right offer.

Would just Martinez, who I’d expect to get us maybe £40 mill be enough to stave off PSR and the squad to revenue rules? PSR, probably but I believe the rules in Uefa competions are much more stringent, so most likely not.

And then it gets a bit concerning. We have other players who can bring us decent money in and I’ve heard talk of £100 million being raised, which is nice, but frankly not a great amount these days (it seems obscene that I’ve just written that, but that’s how it is).

So we then come into the realms of one of our top players having to leave. And we’re probably talking about Jacob Ramsay, Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers.

I believe Unai would rather sell his soul than Rogers, so there’s no way, for me. I don’t see Ollie going either. I’ve thought for a good while that we don’t necessarily have a problem scoring goals if a striker is out, but looking at the closing table shows us we do. Ollie contributed what you’d expect and finished the highest English goalscorer. But we finished the equal lowest scorers in the top ten. Unless we can bring better in, I can’t see it happening unless someone makes an offer we can’t refuse.

Which leaves Ramsay. Unai has come out and said he won’t be leaving, but I’m not convinced. If we have to sacrifice a name, I think he is favourite.

I sincerely hope not, but nowadays needs must and even though I think we’re on track to bring in around £325 million this season, there’s a good chance it won’t be enough.

I think one thing’s for sure. It’s going to be a very interesting window and I expect Unai to do a flurry of business early on.

There’s a Europa league to prepare for, after all.

UTV!