Paul Lambert insists he has Aston Villa owner Lerner's backing

Jan 14, 2013 11:20:00 AM

Defeat to Southampton saw the side slip to 18th, but the manager is adamant his side will avoid relegation and insists he has a great relationship with the American

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert admits he is under pressure to keep the Villans in the Premier League but says he has the full backing of club owner, Randy Lerner.

Villa’s controversial 1-0 defeat to Southampton on Saturday has plunged the club back into the relegation zone after a poor run of form that has seen them lose four of their last five.

Despite the disappointments, Lambert is optimistic and believes that the support he gets from Lerner will be crucial in order to steer Villa clear of relegation.

"I always speak to Randy," Lambert told reporters. "I've always had a good relationship with him. He's been great with me.

"If you look at the years he's been here, he's put in an incredible amount of money. You can't fault what he has done for this club. I understand the finances of it. I'm pretty sure he is astute enough, I'm not silly. I know the pitfalls of the game.

"It's a privilege to be here and we will give it a right good go. We go with what we've got but if a couple [of players] come in during January, then great.

"It would be wrong for me to say that there is X amount of money available but we will try to do something."

Despite their struggles this term, the former midfielder remains bullish about his side's chances of beating the drop.

"Yes, I still think we will be safe [from relegation]," he asserted. "I just do. I've said that from day one."

Inside Goal.Com

Player Ratings: Dortmund 1-2 Bayern
Goal.com rates the players on show as die Roten edge out their Bundesliga rivals to complete the double after a closely contested Champions League final at Wembley
Bayern v Dortmund: A tale of two Ghanaians

Ahead of tonight’s Champions League final, Goal goes down memory lane and assesses the role of Ghana’s Kuffour and Tanko in the two clubs’ campaign years ago
Robben is finally Bayern's braveheart
The winger was the driving force behind the German outfit's triumph after years of playing second fiddle in the final
Re-defined for the worst: RTU's really terrible tale

RTU's performances in the current Ghana Premier League season have indeed been nothing to write home about going 27 games without a win, and rooted at the bottom of the standings
Pep has a lot to live up to after Bayern win
The Catalan coach was appointed in January with a view to getting the best out of the Bavarians' golden generation. But just four months on, they are already European champions