Ron Atkinson’s side were the clear favourites to win the title the previous season till mid-March before losing their way dramatically in the last ten matches of the season. They finished the season ten points behind Manchester United and lack of goals, in the end, cost them the title. Ron Atkinson brought in highly sought after Irishman Andy Townsend from Chelsea to bolster the midfield and Guy Whittingham the experienced striker from Portsmouth who narrowly missed out on promotion.
Many felt at the time that Villa had not invested enough into a squad that had performed above its potential a year earlier. Dalian Atkinson and Dean Saunders both had a point to prove and Dwight Yorke was still too young to be a reliable centre forward. With additional rigours of playing in Europe, concerns were voiced if Villa had enough depth to survive a long season in England and Europe.
