Is a multi-million pound makeover what Aston Villa really need?

Football FanCast reporter Freddie Myers looks at the recent slump at Villa Park and wonders what Martin O'Neill needs to do in the summer to ensure the midlands club return to their rightful spot among the country's elite.

In a season that started with so much promise, the wheels of the good Villa bandwagon have started to fall off, with Supporters and pundits alike all having a steward's enquiry to work out where it is all going wrong.

Over the weeks we have heard the bemoaning of Agbonlohor's loss of form, Carson doesn't look assured and the general problem that Aston Villa's squad doesn't have enough strength in depth. While on paper you would find it hard to disagree with most Villa fans but manager Martin O'Neil refuses to cite that as an excuse.

Reported on SkySports:

"Most of those players have got us into a decent position in the first place so I wouldn't want to be throwing the size of the squad around as an excuse," O'Neill argued.

"There are dark periods in the season when players don't perform to their capabilities.

"If you have got enough faith in them, you either decide they can play through that and come out of it again or maybe you think some people should come out and you change it around.

"The long and short of it is we have got ourselves in this predicament and we have to do something about it. It is a big football club and if we don't make Europe over a course of a season, we won't have deserved it.

"We are improving as a team. You wouldn't have seen too many signs of it in recent games but we are improving as a side."

So where has it gone wrong for Villa and do supporters agree with O'Neill's sentiments. It would be very easy for O'Neill to go out and spend fortunes on players but what is needed to take them up to the level of regular European qualification? It is clear that the Irishman has money to spend as General Charles Krulak assured supporters on a Villa supporters website, but will O'Neill be tempted. He has never been the kind of manager to splash out and is more in the Arsene Wenger mould in being prudent with the clubs coffers and why it should be commended, you can't help feel Villa need that injection of two or three established players just to compliment the undoubted young talent at the club.

Who and what type of player do Villa need to bring in? I doubt many fans will be happy to hear the names of Beattie and Robinson being banded about and will hope they don't come to fruition. It will be an interesting summer at Villa Park that's for sure!

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