2015-16 Premier League Season Preview: Aston Villa

Welcome to theScore's 2015-16 preview of Aston Villa. Transfer dealings, lineup projections, and everything else you need to know about the club's upcoming campaign.

Aston Villa

Team Page - Roster - Schedule

Another season where Aston Villa finds themselves in a battle to avoid relegation is a real possibility following the departure of two of the team’s best players.

Despite manager Tim Sherwood’s preference for playing an attacking style, it’s hard to imagine this group entering the new season will be capable of consistently competent displays on the offensive side of the ball.

There are, however, several bright spots on the team that should keep one of the country’s most loyal fan bases optimistic about their chances of returning to prominence after years of torture and a lack of spending in the transfer market.

2014-15 season

Trophies won: None

The 2014-15 campaign can be simply summed up as the year of the drought.

A series of poor results and a devastating scoring drought to start the season inevitably saw the Villans tumble down the standings as their ineptitude in front of goal exceeded anyone’s expectations.

A loss to Hull City in February ultimately led to the club’s decision to sack manager Paul Lambert and replace him with former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood. Despite losing his first two matches in charge, Sherwood’s impact on his new team appeared to be paying dividends.

Villa seemed to find their scoring touch, thanks to Christian Benteke’s blistering scoring pace to end the season, and went on to finish the season three points out of the drop-zone - and even made an appearance in the FA Cup final, where they lost 4-0 to Arsenal.

Key Arrivals

• Idrissa Gueye (from Lille OSC)
• Jordan Amavi (from Nice)
• Micah Richards (from Manchester City)
• Jordan Ayew (from Lorient)
• Jordan Veretout (from Nantes)
• Rudy Gestede (from Blackburn)

The arrival of Jordan Ayew is an exciting addition to a Villa side that will be desperate for an adequate replacement up front. His experience with a struggling Lorient team – where he knocked in 12 goals last season – should help the Ghanaian international as he gets set to embark on possibly another battle for safety in the top flight.

Micah Richards was given a lifeline to revitalize his career following a bitterly disappointing end to his time with Manchester City. Meanwhile, the antithesis to Richards' low-risk transfer is the addition of Jordan Amavi, in which Aston Villa reportedly spent the second-highest transfer fee in club history to procure the 21-year-old’s services from Nice.

Midfielder Idrissa Gueye followed in Amavi’s footsteps from France when another large transfer fee led to his arrival at Villa Park from Lille OSC.

Key Departures

• Christian Benteke (Liverpool)
• Fabian Delph (Manchester City)
• Andreas Weimann (Derby County)

Optimism at Villa Park will be a rare perspective shared among a rabid fan base that’s clearly tired of seeing their team struggle in the league and suffer the devastating blow of losing its best players.

The loss of Christian Benteke to Liverpool is disappointing, yet seemed inevitable. Villa fans, however, will have Nov. 7 marked on their calendars for the return of Delph. The midfielder will undoubtedly receive a deafening chorus of boos after joining Manchester City just days after pledging his allegiance to the club on Aston Villa’s official website.

Projected Starting Lineup (4-3-3)

Mark Bunn; Jordan Amavi, Jores Okore, Ciaran Clark, Michah Richards; Ashley Westwood, Idrissa Gueye, Scott Sinclair; Jack Grealish, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Jordan Ayew

There probably won’t be a team other than Aston Villa that’s going to suffer a more damaging impact with the loss of two players.

The situation at Villa is a fluid one with the possibility of manager Tim Sherwood continuing his quest of reconstructing last year’s mess.

Player To Watch: Jack Grealish

Memories of a summer to forget will quickly be replaced with talks of a promising career if Jack Grealish, 19, can build-off last year’s standout performance.

His debut season in the first team offers supporters a reason to be excited. An excitement that could quickly turn into fear if Grealish’s career continues to soar and catch the attention of bigger clubs

Keep One Eye On: Jordan Amavi

Three Questions

1. Can Aston Villa break the 40-goal mark a year after scoring just 37?
2. Will Tim Sherwood fulfill his promise of ending Aston Villa's run of flirting with relegation?
3. Does the search for a new manager begin during the holiday season if they're in the drop-zone?

Trivial Matters

• Manager: Tim Sherwood
• Nickname: The Claret and Blue
• Stadium: Villa Park (Capacity: 42,788)