It was skin of the teeth stuff for Aston Villa last season. For large parts of the campaign it looked as though Paul Lambert's youngsters were going to fall through the Premier League trap door.
However, a positive run of form in the closing stages vindicated Lambert's decision to stick by his youthful squad as they preserved their status in the top flight.
The Scottish boss was the first to admit, though, that work would need to be done in the transfer market this summer to avoid a similar battle next time around. He has already been busy in signing Leandro Bacuna, Aleksandar Tonev and Jores Okore, but Sports Mole has selected five more players who we feel would improve the playing staff at Villa Park.
Abdoulaye Ba, FC Porto
Lambert has moved to plug parts of his leaky defence with the purchase of Okore from Nordsjaelland, but 69 goals conceded in 38 Premier League fixtures is something that cannot be ignored.
Villa were particularly poor when defending corners and free kicks, with a number of opposition teams having identified the likes of Nathan Baker as a weak link.
If nothing else, Senegal international Ba would add some much needed physical presence to the Villa rearguard. Standing at 6'6", the 22-year-old rarely loses a battle in the air.
What's more, Porto are reportedly prepare to part with their academy product for the right fee.
Neil Taylor, Swansea City
While Matthew Lowton emerged in the right-back position, the opposite side of the defence was a bit of a problem area for Villa last season. A handful of players attempted to fill the void, but none were able to claim it on a permanent basis.
Taylor is known to be highly rated at the Liberty Stadium, but last season he suffered a serious injury when he broke his ankle in a challenge with Sunderland's former Villa midfielder Craig Gardner.
In his absence, Ben Davies was handed the full-back duties and took them on impressively. Whether the Swans would be willing to part with 24-year-old Taylor remains to be seen, but the Wales international may not be keen to sit on the bench next year.
A possible loan deal to regain his fitness could be more likely than a permanent transfer.
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Scott Parker, Tottenham Hotspur
It's widely accepted that over the last 12 months Villa have been lacking when it comes to experienced midfield players. The loss of Stiliyan Petrov to illness in particular was viewed as key.
To guide the likes of Ashley Westwood and Fabian Delph, a central midfielder with a vast knowledge of the Premier League would be most welcome.
Parker may have featured regularly for Spurs since January, but that was only because of a knee injury suffered by Sandro, which freed up a position for the England international.
It has been claimed that Tottenham head coach Andre Villas-Boas is concerned by Parker's lack of pace and as a result is prepared to part with the 32-year-old.
He may not be the quickest, but Villa have the fitness and speed in the midfield to make up the necessary ground for Parker.
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Jermaine Jenas, Queens Park Rangers
Like Parker, Jenas would bring some much needed know-how to the Villa engine room.
However, where the experienced duo differ is that 30-year-old Jenas has an eye for goal. He scored 26 goals in seven campaigns at Tottenham and also found the net twice in 12 matches for QPR last season.
It's an area in which Villa need to improve - after all their leading goalscorer in midfield last year was Charles N'Zogbia with just three.
Jenas has also spent time with Villa previously after a loan stint in 2011 that was cut short because of injury.
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Gary Hooper, Celtic
It would be fair to say that not many managers made a better signing than Lambert last summer when he took Christian Benteke to Villa Park. Little was known on English shores about the young Belgian but he repaid the faith shown in him by scoring 23 goals.
Such form has resulted in the 22-year-old being linked with a host of clubs, including Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund. Villa have so far insisted that their leading goalscorer is not for sale, but every player has his price.
Even if the Birmingham-based outfit are able to keep hold of Benteke, they do need to lessen the burden on his shoulders.
The weekly opposition may not be of the highest standard, but Hooper's return of 82 goals in 137 appearances is more than respectable. Four goals in last season's Champions League also show that he is capable of scoring when it really matters.
Speculation has claimed that Hooper has decided to leave Celtic after three years in the Scottish Premier League, but the champions are thought to want around £7m for the 25-year-old.
Liam Apicella
