JOHN Gregory believes Aston Villa are more capable of making a title challenge this season than they were three years ago.

Then they led the field for a short time only to fall away and finish a disappointing sixth.

Villa are flying high in third spot after the 1-0 victory over Charlton in midweek and Gregory said: "In the past we have struggled to beat the top teams, but this has changed recently as we now know that we can compete more or less on an even footing.

"The bonus for me is that I have been in our current position before.

Rookie

"Then I was a rookie manager and I made mistakes. The biggest was not strengthening the squad when we were top of the division. We paid a heavy price when injuries kicked in and as a result hit a poor patch which saw us lose a string of games.

"I will not make the same errors this time round. There is always a need to freshen up the squad and with money available I've been assured that I can go back into the market when a suitable player becomes available."