Former Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood has backed the club to bounce back to the Premier League sooner rather than later.
The Villans' relegation to the Championship is likely to be confirmed next weekend after a torrid season that has seen them claim just three wins and embark upon a club-record winless run.
The Birmingham side have not competed in the second tier in 28 years but Sherwood, who was sacked last October, thinks that they have all the attributes required to succeed in the notoriously competitive division.
"I think that they've got a lot of players at the club at the moment who are equipped to play in the Championship. I think they will do very well in the Championship," Sherwood told Match of the Day 2.
"I think they also need to add some players who know the league and their way around the league. I think they need to get a core of English players at the football club who are going to help them though.
"I believe that the future could be bright for the club. Those supporters, many thousands who turn up every week, deserve a better football team on the pitch and they've been saying it for many years now. I'm sure they're making the right moves to get that club back where they belong which is certainly in the Premier League and secure in the top half of the Premier League."
David Moyes, Nigel Pearson and Steve Bruce are among the names in the running to take on the task of an immediate bounce back to the Premier League.
Neil Wilkes
