Blog: Will Aston Villa's shake-up be enough to make a difference?

This week we've seen a lot of change at Villa Park, although some fans might argue there hasn't been enough. With Ian Culverhouse and Gary Karsa suspended temporarily, Gordon Cowans and Shay Given have stepped into new roles, leaving Paul Lambert with a decidedly different bench.

After four defeats in a row, one could easily argue that change is what is required, although few would have expected this type of change. Yes, Culverhouse - like many assistants or coaches - has been taking training, but normally the man held responsible tends to be the manager.

In fact, it is this split of responsibility that seems to have many fans confused. With reports coming out the Culverhouse had been taking training, the questions were obvious - just what does the manager do?

To some, the idea that the manager doesn't take training could be seen as some kind of odd behaviour, something that must be investigated as it clearly isn't right. However, Lambert is far from alone in his not taking training - former manager Martin O'Neill is another person who had training led by his right hand men.

Getting back to the present day, the question that has to be asked is how will this training schedule affect Aston Villa's progress as a team. After a period where mid-table safety appeared achievable, if not guaranteed, recent form has seen the club slide closer to the bottom, though thankfully not too close.

After a period where major injuries have been occuring - Libor Kozak had broken his leg, Christian Benteke and Charles N'Zogbia both having achilles injuries, and Gary Gardner doing his anterior cruciate ligament - there's a strong argument to say something had to change.

Why? Losing so many players to long term injuries - as well as Jores Okore - isn't right. One or two, yes, you can understand that Villa are having a bit of bad luck, but five players in the space of 18 months? That isn't just luck.

Of course, what matters now is how Villa get on with the task going forwards. Whilst Villa are still a team shorn of some of their better players, there should be enough to reach safety, even if it is a close shave. At that point, many will be looking to see what the manager's future is at the club, with thoughts split on whether recent events have weakened or strengthened his position.

For what it's worth, I think Lambert is safer now in his role than he may have been a few games ago. In all honesty, I didn't see his removal as likely, despite the recent run of form, but addressing what had been a long term problem - and showing his loyalty to the club rather than his former colleagues - serves to strengthen his position.

Why? Lambert could easily have taken the side of people who he has known for longer than the Villa board, but he hasn't. Instead, the focus may well shift just enough to allow Villa to sneak a few more points on the board and enable safety. Do that, and there will be a collective sigh of relief from the fans as yet another underwhelming season can be consigned to the history books.

You can follow Matt Turvey's regular opinions at his own site, Aston Villa Life at www.astonvillalife.com, via the site's Twitter account @astonvillalife, or via his own Twitter account @mturvey_star