Gary McAllister believes Villa have everything at their disposal to challenge for Europe next season.
Villa assistant does not believe squad requires a major overhaul
Gary McAllister believes Aston Villa have everything at their disposal to challenge for European qualification next season.
After three successive top-six finishes in the Premier League, Villa have endured a disappointing campaign and sit 13th in the table with three games to play.
However, McAllister is confident the club can look forward with optimism once manager Gerard Houllier - currently recuperating from a heart problem - has had time to stamp his mark on the club.
"We should be looking at the European positions and that goes without saying," said McAllister, who will again be in charge for Saturday's game against Wigan.
Equipped
"Everything is here and set up for that. That has got to be the target.
"You can't necessarily jump from sixth, seventh, eighth right up to those top four places.
"Everyone has got to hold their hands up and say those top four spots are very hard to obtain these days.
"There are loads of factors coming into play to get this club to that level. But that next group of teams is where Aston Villa have got to be targeting themselves without a shadow of a doubt.
"Everything is here, it's equipped to do that, players, stadia, training facilities."
Villa could lose the services of Ashley Young - believed to be a potential target for Liverpool and Manchester United - and out-of-contract Nigel Reo-Coker this summer.
But McAllister does not believe Villa require a radical overhaul of the current squad, adding: "There has got to be time given to Gerard Houllier to get his philosophy into the club.
"To get that philosophy into the club, you've got to get a certain type of player.
"We've got good players here and it is not major surgery needed here, just a little tickle here and there.
"You might think at the moment we are miles away but I don't think that is the case."
