Former goalkeeper Brad Friedel believes Aston Villa 's "outstanding" squad will ensure success is brought back to Villa Park. Villa finished seventh last season, winning 18 games and drawing seven out of 38 games. That put themselves firmly in the battle to secure a place in the Europa Conference League group stage. But they must overcome either FC Luzern or Hibernian in a two-legged play-off tie, starting next week (August 24). European football has been missing from Villa Park since Friedel's time as a number one in 2010. He also believes that Unai Emery will guide Villa to win domestic competitions such as the FA Cup and the League Cup. "The goal for Aston Villa this year would be to better their performance from last season," Friedel exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone. READ MORE: Sevilla set Marcos Acuna asking price amid reported Aston Villa transfer interest READ MORE: Zaniolo to Villa transfer latest as loan agreement explained and medical booked "I'd say they have to try and get into that top eight again, and really find some consistent form. They've got to be looking to battle for an FA Cup or a League Cup, too. I do think they have an outstanding squad, and one that's more than capable of challenging at those levels. "Of course, that Newcastle result is far from what the fans will have expected from the team last weekend. But they had their own injury problems to deal with, and I'm sure that once everyone is back and fully fit, with Unai Emery in charge, they're going to have a great season." Do you agree with Friedel? Tell us in the comments section ...