Aston Villa season preview: Rocky road back to the top for Steve Bruce's side

While Tom Cairney’s winner sent the Cottagers cruising back to the big time, it also set in motion arguably the most distressing close season in Villa’s 144-year history.

Within days of the final whistle at Wembley, the club found themselves on the brink of administration, while chief executive Keith Wyness headed through the exit door following a bust-up with owner Tony Xia over the best way to tackle a cash crisis which threatened to bring Villa to their knees.

Director of football Steve Round would also depart during the near two months of intrigue and uncertainty which followed.

Only in recent days, thanks to the arrival of new majority investors Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, have things begun to settle down. Even then, there remains the sense Villa are racing toward the new season with an awful lot of catching up to do on their rivals.

Whatever deals are done between now the closing of the transfer window, it is safe to presume the squad at Steve Bruce’s disposal will be, on paper at least, weaker than that of 12 months ago, when it was arguably the strongest in the division.

A mixture of bad fortune with injuries and loss of form at crucial times – including a sluggish start which brought a return of just seven points from the opening seven games – was what ultimately cost Villa dear.

In James Chester and Albert Adomah, Bruce still possesses the calibre of player who would grace any Championship XI, while several promising young players are likely to be handed their chance to shine.

But the likes of John Terry, Robert Snodgrass and Sam Johnstone will be missed hugely and there is no point claiming otherwise.

Whether Jack Grealish will still be at August 10 remains uncertain.

For much of the summer it appeared selling their star man would be the price Villa must pay for missing their shot at promotion, though the early signs are Sawiris and Edens are prepared to play hardball with suitors Tottenham and Grealish may stay, until January at least.

Yet even though the new men at the helm might be fabulously wealthy, the regulations dictate they cannot simply throw money at the problem.

For two years, Villa had the advantage of significant parachute payments and were run like a Premier League outfit in all but name.

That can no longer be the case and there is an awful amount of restructuring to be done if the club is to become self-sustainable and move forward.

Now it is others, the likes of Stoke for example, who wield the financial power in the second tier.

The road back to the Premier League remains far from closed, though it has become considerably tougher to negotiate.

The Boss: Steve Bruce

For all but a brief period in early July, Steve Bruce’s future was in doubt from the moment the full-time whistle blew at Wembley right up until last week, when he met Villa’s new majority owners for the first time.

The 57-year-old can claim rightly to have been on almost as dramatic a rollercoaster as the club over the past two months.

Despite now finally being on firmer ground, the suspicion remains the tough part is only just beginning as Bruce looks to again turn Villa into promotion challengers.

It would be pointless to claim the decision to retain his services has been met with universal approval. Bruce certainly has his critics among the fanbase, many of whom are particularly vocal on social media.

Yet a record number of season ticket renewals suggests there are also plenty who feel he did a decent job during what was, without question, the most entertaining Villa season for the best part of a decade.

Neither will it be forgotten the action took place against a backdrop of serious personal tragedy for Bruce, who lost both parents in the space of just three months.

The manager’s conduct during that period epitomised his character and he is likely to need every bit of that inner toughness in the months ahead.

Bruce has the experience and the contacts to set Villa on a fair course but the task facing him is far from easy and a good start feels imperative, or his position may come under scrutiny again.

The Key Men:

Alan Hutton

The Scot’s decision to take a considerable pay cut means one of the more extraordinary Villa careers continues into an eighth season.

Hutton once went two years without a first-team appearance but is now firmly ensconced as a firm fans’ favourite.

Last season, the 33-year-old was one of Villa’s most dependable performers despite playing almost exclusively in the unfamiliar position of left-back.

Albert Adomah

Perhaps no other player epitomised the changing attitudes at Villa Park, beginning last season out-of-favour before battling back.

The 30-year-old netted 15 goals to finish as Villa’s top scorer and claim the players’ player of the season award.

Adomah’s last goal came in March’s 4-1 win over Wolves and injuries over the final weeks of the season coincided with the team losing touch in the automatic promotion race.

Jed Steer

Sam Johnstone’s departure was a blow for Villa but means Jed Steer finally has a chance to stake his claim for the No.1 jersey.

The 25-year-old is highly-rated but has been persistently hampered by injuries since first joining Villa from Norwich five years ago.

Steer was limited to just four cup appearances last term but may now have a significantly larger role to play. Veteran Mark Bunn will provide the competition.