Aston Villa upheaval is a risk but Emery can release v2.0 and reap rewards | Jonathan Wilson

After exodus of key players, youthful arrivals over the summer amount to a fresh beginning with plenty to get excited about Last season was the greatest Aston Villa have enjoyed since they won the European Cup in 1982.

They claimed their second European trophy by lifting the Europa League , but even without that would have secured Champions League qualification by finishing fourth in the Premier League.

Despite a miserable start during which they failed to win any of their first five league games, there was even a spell around Christmas when it looked as though Villa might be challengers for the title.

The question after a season like that is always: where next? Continue reading...