Former Villa star Dion Dublin believes Martin O’Neill’s young guns must learn to cope with the pressure of success to become a top side.

The claret and blues saw their dreams of reaching next season’s Champions League implode in the closing months of the campaign, winning just two of their last 13 Premier League games to swop from fourth to sixth.

Dublin, a former Premier League winner with Manchester United, reckons the team are at a major disadvantage to the big four, because of the lack of winning experience in the dressing room.

He said: “What I think it boils down to is the players being able to handle the pressure of success.

“Manchester United have got 20 players used to success, Villa haven’t got any players who are used to success, other than perhaps Stiliyan Petrov.

“Ashley Young and Gabby Agbonlahor are new into the top flight of football. They haven’t really been used to success.”

The 40-year-old, now a television pundit for Sky Sports, feels Villa carried too many passengers too often last term – and has warned they cannot afford a repeat if they are to sustain a fresh assault on Europe’s elite competition.

Dublin added: “Sometimes I feel they’re not getting their best players all playing at the same time.”