Aston Villa's new campaign gets underway against Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery(Image: Anna Gowthorpe/Shutterstock)
There was no solace to be taken from the worst final day imaginable for Aston Villa at Old Trafford. And although it wasn’t at the forefront, nor a source of consolation, next season’s target became clear right away: win the Europa League.
United were sorry losers themselves just days before beating an underwhelming Villa team, having fallen to defeat in Bilbao in the Europa League final against Tottenham.
For them, it was missing out on Champions League football that hurt the most. But for Spurs, it was so much more than that. Access to UEFA’s blue-chip competition was a huge boost, considering their terrible league campaign, which resulted in a 17th-placed finish - but lifting silverware now completely changes the perception of the club.
Spurs’ night of glory in Bilbao came just over two months after Newcastle United ended their 70-year wait for domestic silverware. Now, it’s Villa’s turn to get that monkey off their back.
Grand clubs like Nottingham Forest, Everton, and Leeds United have all gone longer than Villa’s 29 years without a trophy. But this is now their time to realise ambition once again and mark the Unai Emery era with tangible success.
Two semi-finals in two years. A Champions League quarter-final. Strong league form throughout Emery’s reign. Villa have undeniably progressed - and they look set to stay among England’s elite while remaining competitive in Europe.
But now isn’t the time to settle for 'going far' . Now is the time to win. Emery’s impact on this club must be measured in silverware. Unforgettable European nights stay in the memory - but the history books only remember winners.
This coming season won’t be solely defined by winning the competition, given that it’s one of two access points to the Champions League. However, there is no escaping that now is the time for Villa to step up and win a trophy.
Villa are in danger of becoming ‘nearly-men’ , while jibes about ending their long wait for a trophy will only intensify from the outside. There cannot be a repeat of what we saw against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi-finals back in late April.
Villa arrived at Wembley with a brilliant opportunity to move a step closer to ending their wait for a trophy - but they let the occasion completely pass them by. That, among other things, was one of the most disappointing aspects of the day. Villa were passive on the pitch and second-best off it too.
The 34,000 Villa fans in attendance must have been scratching their heads at the meek pre-match display the club put up - especially when compared to the stunning, vibrant welcome the Palace players received from the west side of the national stadium.
It felt like Villa were playing on the back foot from the start, even though they dominated possession in the early stages. Palace, however, sensed weakness shortly after the 25th minute and capitalised through Eberechi Eze. Ismaïla Sarr then bagged a brace in the second half after Jean-Philippe Mateta missed a penalty.
A day to forget - but like the 2-0 defeat at Man United, those moments in a season are what define the outcome of a campaign, ultimately separating winners from losers, and success from failure.
We can talk about Villa’s heroic mid-season recovery to win eight of their last nine games before the trip to Old Trafford, but I struggle to see how next season’s Europa League campaign can be viewed as a success unless the trophy has claret and blue confetti surrounding it.
It’s not a topic which we’ve shirked on Claret & Blue either. Earlier this summer I explained: “We have to win the Europa League. I said this about a week after the season ended: it would be a failure if we don’t win it. It really would. We're better - or at least can be better - than all of those teams. We just have to prove it.
“There’s no scenario where going out, for example in the quarter-finals, say to Roma, wouldn't be a failure. Of course it would. We can beat Roma over two legs. Porto have changed their manager, but they’ve been poor for a couple of seasons now.
“But we’re Aston Villa. We’ve got a top team, and we need to back that up. We’ve had two and a half years now under Unai Emery - a manager who has a strong pedigree in European competitions. Let’s not pretend we’re underdogs. Forget that.
“We lost just one home game in the league last season - and that was to an Arsenal side we arguably should’ve at least drawn with. Villa Park is a fortress. If we finish high enough in the league phase, we’re guaranteed to play the second leg of the round of 16 and the quarter-finals at home if we finish in the top four of the league phase. That’s a massive advantage. Possibly even the semi-final second leg too, depending on how we finish. And we can absolutely finish first or second.
“So let’s not act like we’re not one of the favourites. Whether we are or not on paper doesn’t really matter. What matters is having the right attitude - the belief and personality to go out there and show we’re worthy winners of the Europa League. That’s how we get back into the Champions League.
“For me, that’s what’s exciting about next season. We can do it. Whether we actually do is another matter - but we’ve got everything we need: all the tools, all the ingredients. If we go into it thinking anything less, we’ve already lost. Respect your opponents, yes - but believe in who we are.”