Aston Villa are still looking to finish the season in fourth place, but I expect them to be a lot stronger next year.
Martin O'Neill has done a really good job and I'm sure he has plans to take them even further. After starting so well, they have started to slip off the pace a bit due to injuries and the amount of games that they have played.
With a couple of new signings over the summer, I think they will be able to cope better with the demands of European football as well as fighting near the top end of the Premier League.
There has been some criticism fired at Martin over his signings, but that is a bit unfair as most have paid off and proved to be good purchases. Some may point to Nicky Shorey and say that he should be playing more and that is probably true, although there could be other reasons behind him not featuring as much.
I think it is fair to say that Nicky has not really cemented the position down as his own since arriving at the club. He got himself into the England squad when he was at Reading and it seemed to be a good signing when Martin brought him in, but I wouldn't discount him yet as some people just take a little longer to settle in.
In football it is very easy to say that hasn't worked or he hasn't paid off. I think the important thing not to look at the individual thing, but how it works out collectively. At the moment, I feel that finish in the top six would be good progress for this season.
When the season ends, the manager has to look at it objectively and say to himself 'Right, we finished in this position - how do we finish above that next season and what do we need to achieve that'.
Villa have a steady squad and don't need a lot of additions, but one or two new arrivals could make a difference as you really do need a big squad to keep you in each of the competitions and battle on all fronts.