Paul Lambert in bid to end ‘heartache’

Manager Paul Lambert believes Aston Villa’s Capital One Cup run is helping to make amends to fans who have endured “two years of heartache”.

During that time, the club’s fortunes have nose-dived and Lambert has put the accent on youth – the average age of the squad is less than 24.

Although Villa are facing a relegation battle, there have been signs of improvement and a four-game unbeaten league run was followed by Tuesday’s 4-1 win at Norwich to secure a place in the Capital One Cup semi-finals.

Lambert said: “I think we are an easy target for people saying we are a young side, but we’ve been playing very well despite a tough run of fixtures.

“We’ve come through a really hard run with the two Manchester clubs and Arsenal in successive matches. That’s really, really demanding with a young team.

“They need a bit of help but, if you can give them time and keep that collective spirit with the crowd we’ve got, they’ll drive us on. The club has had a lot of heartache for the past two years or so and fans haven’t had a lot to shout about, but the semi-final really gives them something to look forward to in the New Year and is brilliant for the club.”