A lot of Aston Villa social media activity in particular seems to feel more pessimistic about the future of the club than not. To an extent, this can be explained by Villa's own tremendous form that is displayed during the closing months of the campaign.
Not only were Villa having legitimate, realistic expectations of hoisting a trophy, but it looked like one of the best overall squads in all of Europe at certain portions of the year. The exit from Champions League stung a bit. Most were willing to accept that defeat, and to this day, seeing how the Ligue 1 side won it all, narrowly losing on aggregate does not look like the worst result in the world.
The FA Cup departure to Crystal Palace is when the grumbles began to become louder. A close loss could have been accepted by most. At Wembley, however, it was not particularly competitive. Then watching the Premier League season finish with a poor showing against an awful Manchester United squad was the last impression the Villa supporters were left with to carry them over through the summer.
It is hard to think past how the year that looked to have so much promise ended with a demotion in terms of European competition and without something tangible to show for the efforts. This is particularly true when looking at how close Villa were.
This is where the trust needs to step in. Villa has done well to be in a position until the final Matchday to earn a Champions League spot. The other competitions are also going to play a vital part in the season. Winning a trophy will give fans enough relief to withstand a thousand more heartbreaks.
Ultimately, how Villa perform in the EPL is what matters the most. That has to be the primary measuring stick and barometer when evaluating this side.
When analyzing aspects from that vantage point, how Villa ended the season was incredible. Unai Emery's men were unquestionably one of the most in-form teams. The area they fell short in was during the opening months of the campaign.
Immediate increased Aston Villa focus that is needed
Easy to say now, of course. Few would have anticipated the impressive run across three competitions that Villa would go through during the October-November timeframe. Now, however, the club and its supporters have tasted what that type of relevancy feels like. It is something that then makes it difficult to then appreciate 'only' qualifying for Europe.
That is the ultimate sign of growth. Feats and milestones that would have previously been seen as encouraging signs are now almost being discarded. The pressure is mounting at Villa. Because of people like Unai Emery at Bodymoor and the current crop of players, that is a good thing.