Did Aston Villa see what happened to Fulham last season?

A sense of deja-vu hangs in the air when considering what Aston Villa might do this season. Just like Fulham did before them, they are arriving on the back of an exciting playoff run followed by significant investment in the offseason. Aston Villa have already outspent Fulham’s attempt to buy survival in the Premier league to the tune of nearly 30 million.

Of course we all know how Fulham’s season end up panning out. Had that season not come to pass last year, I would be looking much more favourably on the upcoming season for Villa – albeit with the caveat that none of the 130MM+ has been spent on players that would make you sit up and pay attention.

It’s possible one or more of those signings could be the lightning in a bottle that galvanises Villa to a successful season, but right now it seems more likely we’ll be talking of expensive flops, a battle for survival, and how much of their Summer splurge they can recoup by selling of Jack Grealish the highest bidder.

Ceiling – 10th

Floor – 20th