Lambert: I´m no quitter

Paul Lambert has been left fearing for his job after Aston Villa suffered their second cup exit in three days to lower-league opposition.

Villa went out of the FA Cup at the third round when they were beaten 2-1 at Millwall on Friday.

The Birmingham club are already embroiled in a relegation dogfight, struggling to retain their status as one of only seven Premier League founder member clubs not to have been relegated from the re-branded top division.

Now two cup exits in a week have left Lambert facing an uphill battle at Villa Park.

When asked if he is hoping to keep his managerial post, Lambert told Sky Sports News: “There’s no point in asking that, of course I am.

“I’m not a quitter, I’ll keep going.

“I thought we dominated the game and I don’t think we should have lost, at the very worst it should have been a replay.

“The first goal was a set-piece again and the second was just a crossed ball. The first was just a bog-standard corner, you’ve got to rely on individuals to go and compete.

“I thought it was going to peter out to a replay. We’ll take the knock but you have to come back strongly.”

Despite their 2-1 victory against Bradford City not being enough for Aston Villa to avoid exiting the Capital One Cup on aggregate, Lambert has defended his side, claiming they did not appear to be suffering from the mid-week upset.

“There did not look to be a hangover (from the Bradford defeat),” he added.

“They have always been pretty upbeat and are not a group that go down really quickly, I don’t have the problem of lifting their spirit.

“There are two ways to deal with it, you either accept it or come out fighting and I will keep fighting because I’m brought up that way.

“I handle it in my own way, I’ve got to handle it – you are the custodian of the football club and I will try everything I can to turn it around.”