Aston Villa want to be more than a 'maybe team' in quest for Europa League

Aston Villa captain John McGinn hopes his team will be seen as more than just a "maybe team" during their pursuit of Europa League success.

Under manager Unai Emery, Villa have had some impressive campaigns, competing near the top of the Premier League and advancing to the Champions League quarter-finals.

However, the Birmingham outfit, who triumphed in the European Cup back in 1982, have not lifted any trophies from their latest pushes, and McGinn is keen to change that by securing silverware at Villa Park.

The Scotland international, talking on Wednesday ahead of the second leg of their last-16 Europa League clash at home against Lille, with Villa leading 1-0 from the first match in France, stated: "That is exactly what the manager has instilled in us.

"He is known for not merely approaching the finish line, but for crossing it.

"We refuse to be a maybe team. We do not want to be the sort of side where people say, 'They were quite good'. We aim to have tangible achievements from all this.

"We understand the expectations placed on us and that we are among the top contenders to claim the trophy.

"We recognise that, yet it is our responsibility to produce the displays and outcomes that justify our status as favourites, based on our performances in recent seasons both in the Premier League and in Europe."

That said, Villa have only secured victories in two of their previous nine games across all tournaments. Still, Emery, who has won the Europa League three times while managing Sevilla in Spain, believes his team is current situation should be viewed in perspective.

"Our recent results might seem odd, but we are now hosting the second leg in the Europa League last 16, and when we first joined three and a half years back, this was merely a distant aspiration," he noted.

"It was incredibly tough to imagine reaching this stage so swiftly in the timeframe we had," added the 54 year old Spaniard.

"Plus, our consistency in the Premier League, holding fourth place despite defeats in the last three games, stands out.

"This was a massive ambition three years ago. Naturally, with our high standards, we can sometimes feel the frustration that comes with it."

If they progress past Ligue 1 side Lille, Villa will meet either Roma or Bologna from Italy in the quarter-finals.