Guzan vows Villa will keep fighting amid growing pressure

Brad Guzan today moved to ease the pressure on Villa boss Paul Lambert and insisted the whole club must cope under the spotlight.

The keeper has vowed Villa will 'keep fighting' but admitted criticism comes with the territory.

Four straight defeats during another poor season has seen fans turn on Lambert and chief executive Paul Faulkner pleaded for unity yesterday.

Supporters chanted for the removal of the manager after Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace although his job is safe.

But Guzan wants to take the spotlight off Lambert and insisted the whole team must carry the can.

He said: "There's always pressure in football. There's pressure from the fans and media. We know the pressure which comes with playing football, especially in the Premier League.

"As club we know what we're about as a team and individuals. It's an opportunity to continue to fight but we know there's always pressure."

Villa host Southampton on Saturday four points above the bottom three after their recent run which has left their Premier League future in the balance.

And Guzan insisted the players are "desperate" to win over the doubters and repay the fans for their support.

"We know the fans are disappointed, as are we, and we're desperate to win and to end the run of defeats. For us as players and as a club we're definitely going to keep fighting," said the 29-year-old.

"We did a decent job (on Saturday) but those are the fine margins in the Premier League. You have to be at it for 90 minutes and if you switch off one player will hurt you.

"We're just as desperate as the supporters are to turn this around. It's not easy as players or supporters.

"We know they pay hard-earned money to watch us and support us. We want to give them a final product and that's three points."