It was incredibly difficult to watch how the Aston Villa season ended. Yes, the club is clearly making progress, and there was a lot that supporters can and should be proud of. Part of what made the end of the campaign so frustrating is what was at one point a realistic possibility.
There was the possibility of winning silverware. Then the loss against Manchester United against a side that had struggled throughout the Premier League and only days earlier against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final only added fuel for those who have deemed the club as doomed.
The words of Villa skipper John McGinn did well to acknowledge the gains that were made during 2024-2025. He also admitted that it was not the ending that anyone at the club had hoped for.
Player accountability can too often be a double-edged sword for the athletes. In what could be viewed as something of a lose-lose situation, the words after a loss or series of losses are too hollow for some, not providing enough of a reconciliation from a lost opportunity when the side was playing on the pitch.
What can sometimes be forgotten is that it is the players themselves who directly live the result of matches. It is they who train year-round and whose preparations end up leading to silverware or a win or otherwise on any occasion.
That is not to say that criticisms of player performances are not valid. They are professionals after all and should be held to a high standard. To take things a step further, at times, particularly with players like McGinn who truly give it their all for the badge, is where certain comments go overboard.
Strong season ahead for Aston Villa
In any event, it is nice to see the continued hunger from the Villa captain. If he were to be more optimistic in his messaging, that would be fair enough. Instead, McGinn's message reads more as one of wanting to go back out and prove that AVFC can achieve that next milestone.
It will be a busy summer at Villa. As long as players like McGinn remain in B6, Unai Emery's side will always stand a legitimate chance of pushing the boundaries across all competitions.