Dean Smith will have big plans for Aston Villa but he will be aware of just how important promotion is to putting them into action.

Normally for club's competing for promotion, if they fall short one season they can always look to make slight tweaks to help them over the line in the following campaign.

Yet, at Aston Villa right now it seems like these play-off games are pivotal in shaping the immediate future of the club and you really can't stress how important promotion is.

Firstly, financial fair play is going to be a factor next season if they remain in the Championship and that could hold the club back.

Following on from that, they will need a major rebuild if they stay down because most of their top players will be off if they don't win promotion.

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Captain Jack Grealish needs to be playing at the highest level to further his career whilst Tyrone Mings is going to have caught the eye of many top-flight clubs with his performances.

And, so will top scorer Tammy Abraham.

The Telegraph recently reported that the 26-goal striker was a £25m target for Villa in the summer, on the basis of promotion, which highlights the ambitions of the club.

Bringing in a player of his age and potential for such a big fee has to excite fans. That shows the new owners will mean business and won't settle for 17th next season - they will want Villa back where the supporters feel they belong.

Clearly, the striker is far too good for the Championship and it will be no surprise that his next move is going to be to a top division outfit. Like Grealish, Abraham will be aware of he needs to start showing why he is so highly-rated.

So, if Villa are to have any chance of retaining those calibre of players and spending the big money the fans want, then it's all on tonight's play-off semi-final and the final.

They are two games that could play a big part in where Aston Villa are in the next decade or so.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.