Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert on a war footing
Paul Lambert today declared Aston Villa's players are "in a war" from now until the end of the season as they battle to avoid the disaster of Premier League relegation.
The claret and blues, who were at Reading this afternoon, are fighting for their lives near the foot of the table after an inconsistent campaign in which they have yo-yoed in and out of the drop zone.
And Lambert admitted his players must be prepared to scrap for every point from their remaining games if they are to avoid being in the Championship next season.
"You have to earn the right in football. It doesn't get given to you – even the top players and top managers," said Lambert
"I think they have to appreciate what they have here. It is an unbelievable place to work. A lot of the players have been brought through the ranks so they don't know any differently.
"The only thing they probably know is they are in absolute war now and you have to see it through. They are going to have to fight for every point."
Lambert accepted that there was added pressure at Villa because of the size of the club, and added: "You have to embrace that and not be frightened by it."
