Aston Villa have had a very disappointing start to the season, and they currently sit 18th in the Sky Bet Championship.

Villa seem to have continued their form of last season into the beginning of this season, and are already on to their second manager of the season, with Steve Bruce taking over the reins from recently sacked Roberto Di Matteo.

Bruce seems to have had the desired impact at Villa already, with them picking up their first win on the road in over 400 days at Reading on Tuesday night.

The former Hull City boss could hold the key to Villa’s success this season as, if he can get them working as a team, they have the quality to start climbing the table.

With all the quality Bruce has at his disposal, it is likely that his substitutes bench will be one of the strongest in the league.

Here, FootballLeagueWorld writer Chris Wilson identifies TWO players Bruce must utilise as impact subs for Villa...

Jordan Ayew

Ayew came off the bench on Tuesday and had the desired effect for Bruce, scoring the winner to end Villa’s away day hoodoo.

Ayew possesses a lot of quality going forward but with Bruce playing a 4-4-2 formation, he doesn’t offer the work rate going backwards that Bruce demands from his players.

This was one of the main reasons Bruce went with Gary Gardner on the wing on Tuesday night, instead of Ayew.

However, when Villa are chasing a game and need a goal, Ayew is the right man to bring on. His direct running and pace will frighten defenders and, with his fresh legs, he could probably track back easier as well.

Rudy Gestede

Gestede started Tuesday's game against Reading and played a part in the Aston Villa opener.

However, with the quality of Ross McCormack and Jonathon Kodjia competing with him, he is likely to find himself on the bench more often than not.

One of Bruce’s expectations of his players is that they work hard, and Gestede doesn’t really offer that high work rate compared to McCormack or Kodjia.

The forward would probably be a better player to bring off the bench as, when defenders are tired late in a game, bringing Gestede on could exploit their frailties.

Putting crosses into the box late on in games would be ideal for him, with defenders mentally tired too, Gestede would have a huge advantage.

Villa fans... do you agree? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!