Aston Villa are slowly but surely beginning to pick up form in this season’s Championship and the future is looking increasingly bright under manager Steve Bruce.

The Villans endured a torrid start to the campaign and their supporters here in the Tavern were quickly growing fed up with how the season was progressing, under former manager Roberto Di Matteo.

But things have definitely taken a turn for the better over the past couple of months and the coming weeks could prove decisive in Aston Villa’s season.

It’s the first time Steve Bruce will have the chance to improve his squad accordingly and after the money that was at times, questionably spent this summer, it’s important the former Hull City man makes the right decisions in January.

And there are a few names going around the pub that certainly don’t seem to be going down well amongst our contingent of Spurs drinkers.

So with that in mind, here’s 2 players Aston Villa would be stupid to sign this month – do you agree?

Conor Hourihane

Barnsley forward Conor Hourihane has taken the Championship by storm this campaign and has been one of the driving forces behind a lot of the good work the Tykes have put in this season.

He’s being linked to a whole host of Championship clubs but for us, we’re just not sure how much he’ll turn Villa into a Premier League side again.

The 25-year-old has played well for the past couple of seasons now, so why hasn’t he been linked with a big money move before?

If he were to join Villa, he’d have to dislodge the likes of Gardner, Jedinak, Bacuna, Westwood and Tshibola?

Villa might be worth leaving this one.

Marcus Maddison

As you’d expect with a club at this level which has plenty of money in the pot, Villa are searching far and wide to bring in hot talent that will help them get back into the Premier League.

And one man who has been linked with a move in recent weeks is Peterborough United’s winger Marcus Maddison.

But with Steve Bruce thought to be keen on Robbie Brady and the likes of Albert Adomah on the club’s books, at this moment in time, we don’t think Maddison is the sort of player Villa should be chasing.

They’ve got to be looking to the Premier League now and it’s unlikely a 23-year-old player who has spent most of his career in the lower leagues in England will help them really stay there.