Brad Guzan has leapt to the defence of under-fire Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert, insisting that the players deserve some of the blame for the team's form.
Villa slumped to a 1-0 defeat at bottom-of-the-table Leicester City on Saturday to leave them three points above the relegation zone in 13th.
Having netted just 11 Premier League goals all season, Lambert's side are the lowest scorers in the top four divisions, and Guzan says that the playing staff are also culpable for their woes.
"When you go through difficult times everyone has got to take their criticism," he told reporters. "The manager has been brilliant in defending us but we are the ones who have to score goals.
"He can't go and score for us, the assistant manager can't score for us, the goalkeeping coach can't score for us.
"Us as players have to take responsibility and I know the fans are unhappy, we hear them during the game, but they need to realise it's a difficult moment and we need to stick together."
The Scot appears to have found critics from the fanbase, too, as Villa supporters chanted "we want Lambert out" during their 1-0 FA Cup win over Blackpool last weekend.
The Villans face Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea in their next three league outings.
Shane Callaghan
