Unai Emery's big audition passed him by as Aston Villa stand at crossroads

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Aston Villa won't like outsiders saying it but Unai Emery feels like he could soon be in something that draws similarities to no man's land after four years at the Midlands club.

There's no hiding the ambitions that exist within the four walls of Villa Park and playing in the Champions League last season saw them scale heights, the likes of which they've not reached in the modern era.

Most people, quite rightly, put that down to one man. The man who wasn't good enough for Arsenal, but one whom has claimed more European trophies than most over the past decade and a half.

Emery probably never envisaged taking Villa so far that it would lead to discussions over whether he'd maximised his resources and beyond. He took over a team who were sitting 13th, but immediately there was an upward trajectory. The like of which that belittles the idea of a new-manager bounce.

And so came Villa's breach into the top four and a Champions League journey that saw them beat Bayern Munich and PSG, although the Parisians would get the better of them over two legs. Emery basically had the freedom of the city, the claret and blue half anyway, and it felt like he was walking on water.

Their European exploits damaged their domestic ambitions, with Villa missing out on a Champions League return on the final day of the season. Now, the club and their manager perhaps need to return to Europe's top table more than most. However, Emery is a man who clearly feels Villa aren't set-up to be where they are.

That seems mad to some, given they boast a World Cup-winning goalkeeper in Emi Martinez and England sensation Morgan Rogers as well as the likes of Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins. But Emery himself felt that a number of their Premier League rivals were better equipped than they were.

Public displays of frustration are always risky. Emery yields more power and authority than most managers in the top flight, but his comments following the loss to Everton at Villa Park in January appeared to be that of a man who may have felt he'd done all he could.

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He said: "We are not contender to be in the top five. We are still not being contenders. There are other teams with more potential than us."

Their early-season form, which peaked with a win over Arsenal in stoppage time at Villa Park, and led to very quiet talk about whether this two-horse race for the title might actually feature three teams, has gone.

A run of four wins in 13 games has taken them from outsiders for the title to a side desperately hoping their slide won't cost them the Champions League spot that, on Christmas Day, Emery must've quietly though was looking like his best gift.

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Make no mistake, a team who have finished seventh, fourth and sixth in recent seasons are certainly top-five contenders. Had they finished in and around the top five as a one off, maybe Emery's comments would have carried some legitimacy. But recent history tells you Villa are every inch a side capable of being in the upper echelons of the division.

Among their top five rivals are Manchester United, whose form post-Ruben Amorim has them looking favourites to finish third. The Red Devils recently downed Emery's outfit 3-1 at Old Trafford. Chelsea's dip in form, which came after they themselves hammered Villa on their own patch, means that there is a six-point gap between Villa and the prospect of Europa League, not Champions League, football.

Emery's outing at Old Trafford would no doubt have had the United hierarchy keeping tabs on how the visitors did. Despite Michael Carrick's stellar form there remains the prospect that they look elsewhere for a manager from next season. And for many, Emery should be top of their list.

He may not say it but there's undoubtedly an itch that may need to be scratched. Whether you disagree or not, there is a narrative that suggests Emery excels at clubs who would be in the second bracket of teams in their respective leagues, but falls short when working under the weight of expectation.

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His success with Sevilla led to a hat-trick of Europa Leagues, but never resulted in a title charge. The Spanish side are by no means annual challengers. The same could be said for Villarreal, another team where he won the Europa League, without doing enough to truly bother the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona.

And so to Villa, a club with huge pedigree and tradition, but ultimately one that had been in the second tier in the last decade and have no major trophy since 1996.

The two jobs that he's had at, what would be perceived as a heavyweight club, were PSG and Arsenal. Despite picking up trophies in Paris he underwhelmed and he became the first man in the Qatari-era to have a full season at the Parc des Princes and miss out on the title. His Arsenal stint lasted less than 18 months after missing out on the top four.

A statement performance on the red side of Manchester would not only have bolstered Villa's Champions League hopes, but also had seen the likes of Sir Jim Ratcliffe stand up and take note. Instead, a below par-showing at Old Trafford for the third year in succession won't do much for his chances.

Emery is unlikely to care, he will though care if Villa don't land a top-five finish and the riches that come with it. It seems inconceivable that the Spaniard won't have a crack with one of Europe's elite at some point in the future. Who knows when that'll be, but there's no doubt he's making Villa more than the sum of their parts. The question he has to ask himself - is how long can he keep doing it.