Paul Lambert insists on moving forward after two ‘smacks’

ASTON Villa manager Paul Lambert insists there is no point dwelling on his side’s nightmare start to the festive period as they aim to get back on track in today’s crucial home clash against fellow strugglers Wigan.

Villa were comprehensively brushed aside 8-0 at Chelsea last weekend – their biggest-ever defeat in the Barclays Premier League era – before being outplayed 4-0 at home by Tottenham on Boxing Day. The double whammy, which came after a solid six-match 
unbeaten run that included a 3-1 win at Liverpool, leaves Villa in 16th place in the table at the halfway stage of the season, just three points above this afternoon’s opponents, Wigan.

But Lambert, as positive as ever, insists the only way is forward. “I think I have always said that even when you win you let it go as quick as you can. You have to get it out of your system – the two defeats – as best we can,” he said.

“If someone had said you’d take three points from Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham I think everyone would bite your hand off.

“But because you’ve been smacked twice everyone thinks ‘oh, here we go’ but I can’t let two games distract from what we are trying to build here.”

Lambert added: “You have to respond. There’s no point in going out there and feeling sorry for yourself given the amount of people who come and watch us. We have to try to 
rectify it and that’s what we’ll do. We are hurt like anyone else but you try not to beat yourself up about it.”