Lambert vows to bolster squad of Bradford City opponents Villa (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Paul Lambert vows to bolster squad of Bradford City opponents Villa

6:10am Thursday 3rd January 2013 in Sport By Sports Desk

Paul Lambert aims to sign some experienced players to lift his Aston Villa side

Paul Lambert believes Aston Villa’s stature as a “huge club” means he will have no problems attracting new players during the January transfer window.

Villa are just a point above the Premier League relegation zone after losing three successive games, conceding 15 goals in the process, before steadying the ship with a 2-2 draw at Swansea on New Year’s Day.

But the pressure could be cranked up even further as Villa face a tricky FA Cup tie against a resurgent Ipswich this weekend – before Bradford stand in their way of a Wembley berth in the Capital One Cup.

Lambert spent nearly £23million on revamping the squad last summer and club owner Randy Lerner will invest further money this month, while players could be off-loaded as well to bolster funds.

But Lambert believes Villa’s precarious plight will not put players off joining the midlands club. When asked if he is concerned about attracting new and experienced signings, Lambert said: “No I don’t, because I think it is not just Aston Villa who are in a fight.

“There are a right few others and in the second half of the season, as Roberto Martinez (Wigan manager) said, you have to have patience and don’t panic. That is important. It is not just Aston Villa in a fight.

“Can I sell the club and its young players to an experienced player? I don’t see that is a problem. The football club on its own will attract that as well.

“It is pretty easy to sell the club, with the stature it has got. You don’t need to be Einstein to try to sell this club. It is a huge, huge club.”

Lambert admits he is not a massive fan of the January transfer window, where the accent is often on panic buying.

He said: “I think any football manager always has an idea of what they want and try to do. But I think everybody says that January is an absolute nightmare of a month.

“People can panic, prices are inflated, people don’t want to sell, so it is a tough one.”

Lambert is under no imminent pressure for his own job, with Lerner aware that rebuilding the squad is a long-term project, but he accepts it is a results-driven business.

The Villa boss said: “Do I have the patience of the chairman? You would certainly like to think so. I can’t influence anything like that.

“I can only work with what I have and that is the same for any manager. You try to do your job the best you can.

“But I sense that there is a togetherness when I speak to him. I have a good relationship with the chairman but, as I said before, football is a results business.”