Aston Villa blog: Look forward and leave the past behind

So there we have it, five years of poor decisions, mismanagement, selling all our best players, replacing them with inferior quality ones...and we are down.

One of the oldest and most successful clubs in this country is relegated from the top flight for the first time in nearly three decades...writes Villa blogger Justin Hawthorne.

We are not surprised or shocked now, and that's how bad we have been this season, so bad that we knew this was coming months ago.

But I'm sorry, I don't buy the line that is being trotted out by our nearest and not so dearest rivals that we are finished and will go down again.

They all firmly believe that we won't come back and are now destined to wander the lower divisions for decades. I'm sorry that's not going to happen as I've watched a lot of Championship football this season and while I concede the games come think and fast, the quality is seriously lacking.

[comments_cta text="Do you agree with Justin?"]

The likes of Jack Grealish and Adama Traore will create havoc in that league and in Rudy Gestede, we already have one half of a proven strike force. If Curtis Davies and the likes can keep clean sheet after clean sheet, then I'm sure we can put together a back five to be more than competitive.

We need to add some grit and guile into our midfield, and most of all we need belief and positivity.

That has to come from the manager and if it's not to be David Moyes then go get Chris Houghton from Brighton. He is proven time and time again in the Championship - and tell him to bring Anthony Knockaert with him.

Go and sign Ross McCormack from Fulham as well. And start believing that this isn't the beginning of the end this is the beginning of a new era!!!!!! COME ON YOU LIONS