Paul Lambert says Aston Villa face relegation fight

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Too little, too late - Lambert

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has urged his side "to fight like hell" in an attempt to drag them out of the Premier League's bottom three.

Villa were beaten 2-1 by fellow strugglers Newcastle on Tuesday - a result that left them in the drop zone.

And Lambert has now admitted after that loss at Villa Park that his side are in a relegation battle.

"We are in a fight, everybody is in a fight, it's all about fighting," Lambert told BBC Radio 5 live.

His side are currently in 18th position on 20 points, below Wigan on goal difference.

And Lambert knows he is under no illusions how desperate the situation is.

"We are going to have to fight like hell to get ourselves out of it," he said,

"We are in a fight like everyone else. You have to fight for it. It's not going to get given to you."

Villa made things tough for themselves on Tuesday, conceding two first-half goals to trail 2-0 at the break. Christian Benteke's penalty gave them hope, but Lambert accepts his side cannot afford to perform like in the first half.

He said: "We paid the price for starting too slowly. We just never got going in the first half. The second half, that's the way to play football.

"But I couldn't fault them for the way they played in the second half. It is the first time I've seen a standing ovation when you've been beaten, especially at home."

The pressure continues to grow on Lambert, who earlier this week received the backing of owner Randy Lerner - who has put more than £250m into the club in just over six years.

But the grim reality is that Villa have now dropped into the bottom three for the third time this season, and have taken only two points from their last seven games.

Former Villa boss Ron Atkinson admits things to not look good for the West Midlands club.

"They are in big trouble," Atkinson told BBC Radio 5 live.

"They don't have any leaders on the field and they are too easy to play against. They need to play a more competitive way and they need to scrap."

Asked whether Villa could survive relegation, Atkinson added: "It's going to be tight, it's going to be touch and go."

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280 comments

  • I am amazed at Why Villa are in debt at all - in the past 5 years, they've reached a Wembley final, played in Europe twice....and sold £100m of talent....and the small matter of actually being in the Prem is worth millions before a ball is kicked; ah yes, silly me - I've just realised why - AGENTS ! £75m went out of the game last year, to pay people who add NOTHING to the game.

  • I'll always be proud to be a villain. All you villa-lites out there calling for PL's head on the block need to face up to a few hard facts. The players on inflated wages were there before he joined, hence no more marquee signings, fair enough, get rid of the expensive klingons before looking around, but the fans who stood and applauded at the end yesterday are the true fans.

  • 118.
    YNWAStevieG
    2 Hours ago

    Worst team I have ever seen in my life. Got so lucky to beat Liverpool at Anfield as we have so much more history than them. Hope they get relegated.

    We've won it 5 times.

    YNWA

    You would be better off concentrating on your own decling and arrogant club. Personally I hope Villa stay up. Great club and fans with a lot of history and have always been welcoming to me.

  • @43

    Lambert signed Vlaar, El Ahmadi, Benteke, Lowton, Bennett, Westwood, Bowery.

    Bowery hasn't really played and Bennett looks like a rabbit in headlights. The others have shown glimpses of what they're capable of.

    And players like N'Zogbia, Ireland, Bent, Agbonlahor clearly aren't playing to their ability (haven't been for 2 seasons).

    And agreed, missing Dunne has been a significant problem.

  • Villa have taken 5 points from a possible 24 and Lambert is now only admitting they are in a relegation fight.

    This will end in tears

  • 118.
    YNWAStevieG

    Hello Mr YWNASuarez. Back spouting your filth around again? You're a disgrace to all good Liverpool fans.

  • "Sack the manager, sack the manager" they all cry, "Lambert out" go the chants.
    I feel sorry for you lot. It's about time fans realised that the idiots on the pitch actually 'play' the game, but take none of the respnsibility for failure. Sack the stupid doughnuts who kick the ball for a few hours a week & get paid ridiculous money for doing sweet FA.

  • im a newcastle fan and the second half last night was one of the most intense ive ever seen if villa can play with that intensity for a full 90 minutes they will have a great chance of staying up

  • @118, hahahahahahahahahahaha, your a mid-table team at best, wind your neck in

  • Villa should have sacked Lambert 3 weeks ago. Now it's too late, and Villa are going down.

  • The problem with Villa is very simple, their players are just not good enough they have one good player in Beteke up front, no idea why Given isn't playing he is a much better keeper than Guzan their defence is too inexperienced and get picked off easily and their midfield is far too lightweight for a relegation fight. Unless they get a couple of players in tomorrow they are going down

  • It's like watching the old family pet slowing dying. Painful and you know its the end.

  • Paul Lambert is good manager, he's a good motivator, he's a good tactician and fighter. But for some reason it's going wrong for him at Aston Villa. I'd still have him over Hughton at Norwich, even if he people do resent him for the way he left. He has so much more to offer than Chris 'Nice Guy' Hughton. Aston Villa looked a class act when they tore Norwich apart 4-0 last month - What has changed?

  • @ 118

    Obviously you have a history complex probably due to the fact that Villa and Everton were around well before your lot.

    Still feeling sore about the defeat aaah. Come on Arsenal.

  • Of course, if you want to go ahead and sack Lambert I'm sure Steve Kean will be watching. He knows how to put up with moaners.

  • Perhaps McNulty could look at Villa's recent history and conclude that perhaps sacking managers does not always seem to fix the problem. Didn't McNulty want to sack Martinez last Christmas? Why don't we sack McNulty (and his mate, David Bland) and see if that fixes the problem of BBC being poor with their sport coverage? Why not Compare clubs that held on to managers and those that sack?

  • Very said to see but many other 'big' clubs have fallen from grace, that is football and allows other teams to rise up and have a bite of the cherry.
    From the outside, looks like very poor stewardship to me and fully justifies Martin O'Neil getting out when he did.
    If relegated I can see them doing the slide down to the thrid tier just like many others before them.
    Feel sorry for the fans.

  • I don't kow what Bent has contributed this season. Lambert needs to pick players he can rely on to give a performance. Weimann has to start every game from now on.

  • Tough one to swallow for villa but i think it is best you DO go down !! Im a Newcastle fan and when we went down i was heart broken, BUT on the up side we skimmed off so much scum and dead wood and it left the players who WANTED to play ! could not of been happier to see the back of GLASS MAN OWEN. If we stayed up we would still be lumbered with criminals like him ! the drop did us good !!!!!

  • I just do not understand some of the managers. PL was doing very very well at Norwich, why change, why not try and build a legacy a long term career? Money is an evil thing and I cannot be told that he needed more money, surely at Norwich he was on a wage MUCH higher than the average Joe. So if he gets fired from AV then he deserves it. As for Norwich well done to CH such an underated manager.

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