Former Canaries man won’t be bothered by reception at Carrow Road.
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert insists he is fully focused on leading his side closer to safety, and won’t be affected by the reception he receives from his old club.
Villa’s 6-1 win over Sunderland on Monday night moved them five points clear of the drop zone, and after such a confidence-boosting performance, a win at Carrow Road would go a long way towards securing their Premier League status for next season.
Lambert left Norwich in controversial circumstances, and has had plenty of issues with the club over his departure since. However, he is adamant that it will not prove to be a distraction on Saturday with three points the primary objective.
“No. It’s all about us now. There’s no sentiment in football,” he told the Birmingham Mail.
“My job is here, we have to win. It will be tough but we’re certainly playing well.”
It has been a season of struggle for Villa, who despite playing some great football at times have suffered from naivety defensively which has consistently dragged them back into the relegation dogfight.
Having sold various key players over recent years, the club have changed their strategy and instead concentrated on building for the future, with several gifted youngsters scattered across the squad.
Lambert will be desperate to follow up the win over Sunderland with another three points against Chris Hughton’s men, and made it clear how his players will approach the game.
“You have to play without fear, that’s when you do your best. The pressure is always there anyway so there’s no point adding to it by saying stupid things to them.”
With Christian Benteke in fine form following his hat-trick last time out, Villa will be looking toward their talismanic striker to deliver again as speculation continues to build over his future at the club beyond this summer.
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