With Aston Villa's season edging closer, there's a palpable sense of excitement ahead of the season's opener at the Emirates.

Some may ask why I am skipping ahead to Arsenal, what with Malaga next up at Villa Park, but the truth is that another pre-season friendly will illustrate nothing.

Which isn't to suggest that the regular pre-season friendlies don't have a meaning - of course they do - but rather that those performances, both good and bad, are rarely seen as any kind of indicator of how things will pan out.

Take the Walsall game for example. I was there as an away fan, and whilst it was inherently enjoyable - mainly due to the fantastic away support we take around the country - it bore no relevance to any kind of challenge we will face this season.

Sure, we sang along loudly about our new left back "Tony Moon", and we cheered as some random kid headed the ball as it went out of play - all to the tune of "Sign him up, sign him, sign him u-up...".

In short, the game was enjoyable, but that was more to do with the bond I, and many other Villa fans, have with our support - the raucous, loud, proud, and often spontaneously witty bunch that they are.

The actual football game though? In my mind - and I'm sure I am not alone in thinking this - it was something of a secondary phenomenon, swirling as it was in the heady mix of pints and pies. Make no doubt about - if you've never been to a Villa away game, you need to do so, not so much for the football, but for the atmosphere.

However, I digress, and should get back to my original point - that our reality starts in just over a week at the Emirates. Believe it or not, Villa have one of the best records away at Arsenal, and there's certainly a sense that something can be taken from the game, especially if the Gunners remain distracted by the off and on saga surrounding Luis Suarez.

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What strikes me as key for the season ahead is just how the club deals with the opening fixtures. Psychologically, Villa could find themselves in a challenging situation if the first three games go awry, but there will still be time to change things - the key will be not panicking, and just pressing ahead.

Which isn't to say that we are doomed to failure, rather that we have to keep a rational head on our collective shoulders, whether we take zero or nine points from the first three games - the reality is we will probably get a number near the middle.

Keep our heads, and we can push on. Belief, or a lack thereof, is what will be the galvanising factor for Paul Lambert's lions as they start the second season of a revolution.

Keep that belief, and Villa can look forward to settling in the mid-table places comfortably this year. Lose it, and fans will face a long and tortuous road ahead.

Villa - it's over to you.