The time is now for Aston Villa

It is time for Paul Lambert to take Aston Villa forward

Aston Villa have struggled in the past two years and we feel it is time for them to become the club we all know they can be again.

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has, justifiably, been given more time than most to deliver success to his club but, after two seasons at the helm, he must start to show real progress early in 2014/15 if he is to stay in his job for much longer. 

Whilst the club may not yet be ready to challenge for Europe, Villa fans will at least expect a strong mid-table finish without the anxiety of another relegation battle.

Villa finished last season in 15th place on 38 points, only mathematically securing survival with a 3-1 victory over Hull in early May. That was their only win in their last eight games. In 2012/13, Lambert's side flirted similarly closely with relegation, again finishing in 15th position, but actually amassing three points more than they managed in 2013/14. 

Whilst neither of the last two seasons have been disastrous for the club, they haven't shown great promise either, and there seems to be little optimism amongst Villa fans that next season will be any better.

Despite the disappointing finish, last season showed potential to be a success for Villa, with the club recording a number of famous results including picking up wins against Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as drawing with Liverpool. 

For much of the campaign the Villains rested in lower-mid table, with relegation only really becoming a consideration as their form dipped dramatically from late March onwards.

Villa's downturn in form coincided with turmoil off the field, as their assistant manager Ian Culverhouse and head of football operations Gary Karsa were both suspended in April amid accusations that the atmosphere at the club had become 'poisonous'. 

The exact reason for the backroom suspensions remains unclear but Lambert was supportive of the decision and it was clear that his relationship with two of his longest serving colleagues had broken down. 

This off-the-field turmoil has only been added to by Randy Lerner's decision to put the club up for sale. The prospect of a new owner only makes it even more imperative for Lambert to show real progress both on, and off the field.

Perhaps one 'green shoot' for Aston Villa is the emergence of a number of quality young players under Lambert's watch. More out of necessity than choice Lambert was forced to turn to academy products like Nathan Baker and Ciaran Clark to shore up his defence and to give young English talent like Fabian Delph, Ashley Westwood and Marc Albrighton extended runs in the team. 

Now, with a significant number of first team games under their belts, these players could be Aston Villa's bedrock for years to come and they will only get better with age. 

If Villa are to make strides forward next season then they must be willing to invest; the first area for attention is their defence. Villa conceded 61 goals last season, the highest number of any team outside the bottom three, and shipped three goals or more on seven occasions (all of which occurred from November onwards). 

At the other end of the field, Lambert must ensure that he keeps hold of Christian Benteke who, despite injury, will no doubt attract attention again this summer. The Belgian's link with Andreas Weimann had started to show real promise in 2013/14 and it must be allowed to flourish if Villa are to progress up the table.

Having arrived at Aston Villa two years ago, Paul Lambert must now start to take the club forward. 

If the Scot can keep hold of his star players, continue to develop the club's youngsters and invest wisely in the right areas of the field then he may be in with a chance of breaking into the top 10. 

Vital to any progress, however, will be a re-think of the club's ethos and culture. The backroom suspensions must be the first step in improving the atmosphere and feel of Aston Villa. 

Making these changes will undoubtedly prove to be a tall order for Lambert but if he fails to deliver them then he will do well to hold on to his job much into the new season.