'Disgraceful' - Aston Villa 'in trouble' as alarm bells ring

Aston Villa are in danger of spiralling down the Premier League table after their disastrous start to the season so far.

Unai Emery's side are without a win or a goal after three games, and have recorded just two shots on target, following their 0-0 draw against high-flying Hull City last time out.

This follows a nightmare transfer window which saw six of last season's Europa League final starting XI leave the club, with question marks over their replacements.

Former Aston Villa scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that the display against Hull was "disgraceful" and major improvements are needed if they still hope for a strong season.

Villa suffered a similarly slow start to their last campaign, and ultimately qualified for the Champions League and won the Europa League, so hope is not lost.

However, against a backdrop of behind-the-scenes concerns, major player exists, and questions about the manager's future, this could prove to be a difficult season.

Could Aston Villa be in trouble this season?

Former Aston Villa scout Bryan King warned Football Insider back in July that Emery would face a difficult start to the season after losing Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers.

Since then, the likes of Lucas Digne, Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez and Ezri Konsa have also been allowed to leave the club in a major blow to their ambitions.

While Aston Villa did spend big on replacements for their big-name departues, they will take time to gel, with uncertainty about how they will perform in the Premier League.

"I'm really starting to think Aston Villa could be in trouble," Brown told Football Insider.

"It was a disgraceful performance against Hull, they showed every concern I've raised about them over the last couple of seasons, and it's hard to point to any positives.

"They were slow going forward, had no energy in behind, missed the chances that did come their way, didn't get out to people quick enough, it was a really poor showing.

"If things continue the way they have been this season, it's going to be very difficult for them, especially when they're playing in Europe as well.

"Unai Emery has done an excellent job over the last few years, but any manager would struggle after losing the players he has lost in the summer, so it's hard to blame him.

"Of course, there is plenty of time for things to change and for them to find their feet, but they're relying on a lot of new players to show up.

"It's going to be difficult to replace the ones they've lost, and if these players don't hit the ground running or adapt to the Premier League, they could find themselves down the table."

What is the latest on Unai Emery's future at Villa Park?

While little blame for Aston Villa's poor start to the season is being attributed to Emery, there have been questions asked about his long-term future at Villa Park.

King warned Football Insider on 2 September that Emery could be the next big-name manager to leave his job as a result of what has been a tough start to the season.

Villa have replaced their losses with 10 new players but many of them are young and have never played in the Premier League, leaving Emery with a huge job on his hands.

The manager's commitment to his side has never been called into question, but continued issues behind the scenes could result in him looking elsewhere.