Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has admitted that his side are "a million miles away" from where he wants the club to be, but insisted that he is ready for the fight.
Villa head into Saturday's clash with Swansea City on the back of four successive defeats that have seen them drop to within three points of the relegation zone.
Lambert conceded that the pressure from the fans is hard for his young players, but he believes that they have the right character to succeed at the club.
"The lads are edgy on certain things but we have to work on that. You can't turn round and be critical of the crowd, that's for sure. It's too big a club," Lambert told reporters. "It's probably not helping in terms of us trying to play our game at certain times but they pay their money and they're entitled to voice their opinion.
"Football is about giving people something to cheer. We're doing everything we can to keep building what we want to try and do. I'm a million miles short of what I want to do with the club.
"I know criticism. For the team, when they're young, they need that support through thick and thin. I don't want to be sitting like this every time. It's a challenge I'm not going to wilt under. I've never wilted. You fight it, you don't run away from it."
Lambert left Norwich City to take over at Villa Park in 2012.
Sam Hughes
