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Relegation is a distinct possibility for Aston Villa but Lambert likely to stay

Aston Villa might not be in the relegation zone - yet - but they must be the hardest Premier Leag...



Relegation is a distinct possi...
Soccer

Relegation is a distinct possibility for Aston Villa but Lambert likely to stay

Aston Villa might not be in the relegation zone - yet - but they must be the hardest Premier League team to support at the moment.

Turgid football, an owner in Randy Lerner who wants to sell up and 11 goals in 22 games tells a sorry tale.

But is manager Paul Lambert at risk of losing his job?

The Guardian's Midlands reporter Stuart James joined us on Off The Ball to discuss the future and to set out the problems. 

"The problem is they rely so heavily on Benteke," he said, highlighting what Ashley Westwood, Tom Cleverley and Carlos Sanchez have been contributing - or not.

"If you look at the midfielders, Joe Cole - who rarely plays - is the only midfielder who has scored a goal for Villa this season."

Meanwhile, protests were supposed to be aimed at Lambert this weekend, although it did not materialise in terms of fan numbers.

But as James acknowledged, Villa have moved from a counter-attacking game to a more patient passing style, although that has not led to greater creativity and is unlikely to be aided by investment in the playing staff.

"It's very tough for Aston Villa fans to be upbeat for the remainder of the season," said James, who thinks relegation is a possibility.

"I think it is a possibility. The worry for Villa is they need to score goals to win matches and I don't see the pattern of the first half of the season dramatically changing over the second half of the season." 

But he believes Lambert's job is safe because Lerner will be reluctant to change things.

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