The Villans are currently 16th in the Championship table after six games.
Former Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has warned the club that heritage alone will not see them return to the Premier League, speaking to talkSPORT.
The Villans were relegated to the Championship last season after a disastrous year in the Premier League.
Their fans are expecting them to make an instant return to the top flight, especially after they spent big money in the summer transfer window.
It has proved to be a difficult start for them though, with the draw against Nottingham Forest on Sunday leaving them 17th in the table after six games.
And McLeish has warned that it will take more than heritage to secure a swift return to the Premier League.
“Aston Villa going down, they’re expected to go straight back up given the massive status of that club,” he told talkSPORT.
“Unfortunately heritage doesn’t get you back to the Premier League. It’s a very difficult division that Villa are fighting to get out of now.”
It remains to be seen if Villa can start to put in the performances necessary to move up the table.
There is no denying that there is serious quality in the squad now, especially up front, where they have spent big money on the likes of Ross McCormack and Jonathan Kodjia.
However, the game against Forest showed there is still something missing and it is up to Roberto di Matteo to find that missing factor sooner rather than later.
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