Aston Villa have had a terribly poor season in the Championship and the pressure is on Steve Bruce to achieve, as high placed a finish as possible in-between now and the end of the season.

He was brought into replace Italian Roberto Di Matteo who, in all honesty, struggled to bring together an Aston Villa team that still believed they should be steamrolling to the top of the division.

In hindsight, it's been far more of a battle for Villa and they're closer to the relegation zone than the play-offs.

It all comes down to massively under-performing players and a whole host of "stars" who just haven't given enough for a club that really should be in the play-offs or challenging for the title.

But alas, when May rolls around, Bruce will have the chance to wield the axe on these sorts of players, unless they seriously pull their socks up between now and the end of the campaign.

So with that in mind, here's THREE Aston Villa stars that need to fight for new deals under Steve Bruce this summer...

Gabby Agbonlahor

Sentimentality means a lot in football and despite huge sums of money being thrown about the place in the modern game, it means a lot to supporters to have individuals stay around for the long-term.

Gabby Agbonblahor is certainly a name that fits that sort of bill.

Once upon a time, he was a real star for Villa but now, he's wasting away on the wage bill and not scoring goals.

He's going to have to do a lot between now and the end of the season to earn himself a new deal.

Jordan Amavi

Jordan Amavi is one of the most talented players Villa have on their books right now but you don't have to tell many Villa fans that he's under-performed this season.

He's an extremely valuable asset and it's more likely than not that he'll be sold this summer to raise funds for more incomings.

But even if Bruce's intentions aren't to sell the Frenchman, it's likely he's got to do a lot more to earn a new deal.

Libor Kozak

This one really would be down to a miracle.

Libor Kozak has dramatically flopped since his move to Villa Park and we still haven't seen him for weeks, despite the fact he's now back from injury.

If he's to earn a new deal then he's going to have to do something pretty special indeed.

But 99% of Villa fans really wouldn't be surprised to see him depart this summer and sadly, he won't be missed in the slightest.