Aston Villa 0-2 Liverpool, by Simon Williams at Villa Park

“There are so many games, so many twists and turns in this league. But come the end of the season you have to make sure you are out of it.”

Those were the words of a defiant Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert following his side’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday which left the Midlands club just two points above the relegation trapdoor.

A goal in each half from Fabio Borini and substitute Rickie Lambert extended Villa’s winless streak to seven games.

But boss Lambert dismissed any talk that perhaps a relegation battle is all Villa can expect of their season.

“Absolutely no way. A club of this size should not be in the position it is. It’s got to get up there. Certainly nobody likes it at the club.

“I don’t like it, the chairman doesn’t like it, the chief executive doesn’t like it, the players don’t like it, the fans don’t like it.”

However Lambert, who replaced fellow Scot Alex McLeish in June 2012, knows that the Villa Park faithful are becoming restless.

In the build-up to the game, there was talk of a planned protest by supporters in the Holte End against Lambert and owner Randy Lerner.

But just 200 or so fans spent the opening eight minutes of the game in the concourses, most opting to take their seat in support of the team.

“As I said on Thursday when I got asked, I never knew anything about it,” claimed Lambert.

“I said at the time I didn’t think it would help the team and without it we would have a better chance of winning the game.

“But I thought the fans were excellent throughout the whole game.”

But at the final whistle boos rang out as Villa fans voiced their frustration having seen their side now win just twice in their last 18 league games and club have only scored 11 goals in 22 league games.

With the visit of high-flying Bournemouth in the FA Cup this Sunday, this is surely a must-win game if the Villans have any chance of kick starting their faltering season.