• FA Cup

Lambert not about to abandon Villa

ESPN staff
January 26, 2013
Liam Trotter drives the ball forward as his side heaped more misery on Paul Lambert's team © Getty Images
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Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has vowed not to sacrifice his job, despite his side slumping to their second dismal cup upset this week after Friday's 2-1 FA Cup defeat at Millwall.

Goals from Dan Shittu and John Marquis added to Villa's woes following the midweek Capital One Cup exit to League Two side Bradford, but Lambert remained upbeat when questioned about whether he will stay in the top job.

"There's no point in asking that, of course I am," he told Sky Sports. "I'm not a quitter, I'll keep going. I thought we dominated the game and I don't think we should have lost, at the very worst it should have been a replay."

Villa's defence has come under scrutiny in recent weeks following a series of convincing losses in the Premier League and Shittu's equaliser on 27 minutes, which closely resembled Bradford's goal from a corner on Tuesday, had Lambert feeling a sense of deja vu.

"We went 1-0 [up] and conceded a goal from a corner again," he said. "It's individual errors that are hurting us at the minute. You've got to live with that, you've got to be prepared to be hurt in the penalty box. It's not been great but we had a lot of the ball. It's a game I thought neither team was going to win and I thought it was going to a replay.

"We bossed it really, with the possession. It's individual errors that are costing us on set-pieces and the second goal was just a crossed ball and we should deal with that."

Villa will now turn their attention solely to avoiding relegation in the Premier League and Lambert admits to having had one eye on Tuesday's clash with Newcastle after resting Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor for the cup game.

"The lads have played a hell of a lot of games and we've not got the biggest of squads," he said. You have to watch what you're doing. You can't make too many changes but the Premier League is the most important thing. It's not great [being knocked out of the FA Cup], but you have to keep going. You take your medicine, pick yourself up and go again. There's no way you can lie down."

Millwall boss Kenny Jackett told the club's official website that a lacklustre Villa performance should not detract from his side's efforts.

"I thought it was a terrific performance from the whole team tonight," Jackett said. "I thought we deserved to win and I was so pleased for John Marquis that he got the winning goal. He has been out for a long time and has worked so hard to get back to fitness."

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