Tim Sherwood has suggested that Aston Villa will gradually become a better team despite losing Fabian Delph and Christian Benteke this summer.

The Villans have signed nine players so far but it remains to be seen how Sherwood's side will cope in the absence of two of their strongest performers last term.

Midfielder Delph joined Manchester City for a reported £8m, while Benteke swapped Villa for Liverpool in a £32.5m deal.

The West Midlanders came perilously close to relegation last season after finishing 17th, but when asked if his new-look team would avoid the same dogfight this time around, Sherwood told reporters: "Yes, but we know it's going to be difficult and we have to realise that.

"If we can consolidate this season, we're only going to improve in the seasons ahead because it's such a young group. We lost two very influential proven Premier League footballers and it's up to me to make sure that the ones we bring in to the club gel as quickly as possible.

"It's good that the club have backed me and change is what was needed. I think the fans have every right to be excited because these are a group of young men, they're not old at all, they're the future of the football club. It's my job to make them very exciting for the immediate future."

Villa, who beat Bournemouth 1-0 in their Premier League opener, face Manchester United tonight.