Aston Villa's exciting rebuild was always going to come with growing pains

I've been really encouraged by the start Aston Villa's new signings have made this season, and I remain convinced that the rebuild we've undertaken over the summer will ultimately leave us with a team capable of reaching an even higher level under Unai Emery, but I think the last few games have offered a reminder that we're not going to get there without experiencing some difficult moments along the way.

There was a lot of excitement surrounding Villa during October, and understandably so given some of the performances and results we'd produced, but we're now looking at three disappointing results in succession, culminating in a 3-0 defeat against Barcelona at the Nou Camp. I don't think losing to Barcelona should come as a tremendous surprise to anybody, because they're an outstanding football team, but there were aspects of Villa's performance that demonstrated the difference between having a squad full of potential and having one that's already accustomed to competing at that level.

João Gomes is probably the most obvious example, because I've generally been impressed with him since he arrived from Wolves, and I think he's got the attributes to become an important player for Villa over the coming years. However, his mistake after six minutes against Barcelona was a bad one and there's no getting away from how much it influenced the rest of the evening.

He simply has to be more aware of what's happening around him when he receives possession in that area of the pitch, particularly against a team that presses as aggressively as Barcelona. It was a careless decision, and although I wouldn't want to make excuses for him, I do think we have to acknowledge that he's still relatively inexperienced when it comes to playing on occasions of that magnitude.

He's a Brazilian international and has played plenty of Premier League football, but that's not the same as going to the Nou Camp in the Champions League against a Barcelona side operating at the level they currently are. I suspect he'll learn an awful lot from the experience, and while that doesn't make the mistake any less frustrating, it's part of the development process for a player we're asking to take on a significant role in Emery's midfield.

Johan Manzambi is another player I've been particularly excited about, and I've been very complimentary about his performances and the potential he possesses. I've even suggested that his value could already have increased considerably since arriving at Villa, because I genuinely believe we've signed somebody with an enormous ceiling.

However, I didn't think he was particularly good against Fulham, and he followed that with another relatively disappointing performance in Barcelona. He had an opportunity on his left foot that I thought he could have done better with, and there were moments where he struggled to impose himself on the game in the way we've already seen him do against other opponents.

That doesn't suddenly change my opinion of Manzambi, because he's a young player adapting to a new club, a new league and a manager who demands an enormous amount from his players, but it does demonstrate why we have to be realistic about the consistency we're going to get from him at this stage of his career.

There will be afternoons and evenings where these players absolutely wow us, and I think we've already seen enough to suggest there are going to be plenty of those, but there will also be games where they make mistakes, struggle with the occasion or simply don't perform to the level we've come to expect.

I think that's particularly relevant when you consider how much the squad has changed. Villa have lost some established players who were accustomed to Emery's methods and replaced them with individuals who may eventually offer us more, but who aren't necessarily going to provide the same level of experience and understanding immediately.

There's a difference between believing the ceiling of this team is higher and expecting the team to be better in every single game from the moment those changes are made. I think Villa have recruited really well, and I'm excited about what this group can become, but it would be unrealistic to expect such a significant rebuild to take place without the occasional setback.

It's also why I think Leon Goretzka could become an increasingly important player as the season progresses. He's somebody who has played at the highest level for a long time, understands the demands of these European occasions and possesses the experience that some of our younger players are still developing.

We've only seen glimpses of him so far, but he's already demonstrated what he can offer, particularly with his threat from set pieces. He was unfortunate to strike the post against Barcelona, and I suspect that once he's fully fit, he'll play considerably more football than some people might have anticipated when he arrived.

I wouldn't be surprised if Emery begins leaning on that experience more regularly, particularly in matches where Villa need somebody capable of providing a little more composure and authority in central areas.

There were positives in Barcelona as well, and I thought Boubacar Kamara and Ian Maatsen were our two standout performers. Kamara in particular demonstrated the kind of composure that was missing from some of his teammates, and I think having players of that quality alongside the younger members of the squad will be important as the season develops.

None of this is intended to lower expectations, because Villa have established themselves as a Champions League club and should absolutely be aspiring to compete with the best teams in Europe. We've already demonstrated under Emery that we're capable of beating outstanding opposition, and I don't think one defeat against Barcelona changes that.

However, there are levels to European football, and Barcelona are currently operating at one of the very highest. They're a team full of technically excellent players who have been developed to play a particular way, and they punished Villa's mistakes with the kind of ruthlessness that you would expect from a serious Champions League contender.

I remain really optimistic about the direction Villa are heading in, and I still believe that some of the players we've brought into the club will develop into outstanding footballers under Emery. The important thing is recognising that development isn't always going to be straightforward, and that the occasional difficult performance doesn't invalidate everything we've seen from them previously.

If anything, the last few matches have probably been a useful reminder of where this team is in its development. There's enormous potential within the squad, but there's also work to be done before we're consistently capable of competing with teams like Barcelona.

I don't think that's a reason to be disappointed about the rebuild. It's simply the reality of where we are at the moment, and I'm still very excited about where this group can go.