View: Aston Villa Women desperately need to improve forward options this summer
Aston Villa Women are heading into their third season in the Women’s Super League, and they have a massively important summer ahead of them.
Carla Ward’s side progressed well last season, finishing with twice as many wins as the season before and avoiding a relegation battle.
However, there are still huge improvements needed to the squad, with Villa picking up just two points from their last eight games.
Their home form has been abysmal since promotion, with Villa winning just two games on their own turf over the last two seasons.
That run has included a draw with Bristol City last season and a defeat to Birmingham City on the final day of last season, with the two teams conceding a combined 123 goals over the two seasons.
What needs to change?
Upgrades are needed all over the pitch for Villa, but a new striker must be priority number one for Ward.
Villa have just 28 WSL goals to their name, finishing both of their seasons in the top flight as the lowest scorers in the league.
Emily Gielnik was a marquee signing last summer but managed just two goals across her 15 appearances last season. Alisha Lehmann deputised at striker when Gielnik was missing, but she also managed just two goals all season.
The club have also released Jodie Hutton, Shania Hayles and Sophie Haywood, leaving them desperately short in the forward areas.
Freya Gregory is returning to the club after her loan spell at Leicester City, but she has just two WSL goals to her name. Villa are okay in other positions, though Chloe Arthur and Anita Asante will both need replacing.
Their main concern further back is depth, with the likes of Hannah Hampton, Sarah Mayling and Mayumi Pacheco all having solid seasons. This opens Villa up to have a massive, and long overdue, recruitment drive in the forward areas in the coming weeks.
Competition at the bottom will be stiff next season and Villa need to make signings as soon as possible to compete.
In other Aston Villa news, three of the club’s Under-19 stars are preparing to fight for an Under-19 Euros winners medal.