Intro:

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert spoke on Thursday (11th December) ahead of the Midlands derby against West Brom on Saturday (13th December).

Script:

SOUNDBITE: Paul Lambert, Aston Villa manager (On the derby with West Brom)

"Well I think derby games anywhere you go are massive for supporters, they want to get one over their fellow workmate or whatever it is. But that's normal I think. The games I've been involved with Aston Villa and West Brom have always been really good games, lots of goals in them and I don't think this one will be different regarding atmosphere, it will be a good atmosphere, but we're going in there with a bit of form that we'll go try and win."

SOUNDBITE: Paul Lambert, Aston Villa manager (Q: Chris Brunt said the best way to deal with Christian Benteke is to give him a kick, what do make of those comments?)

"As long as Christian keeps playing the way he's playing for me, then we'll concentrate on our own team and our own lads. I'm pretty sure if he's said that it will be tongue in cheek. I know exactly where he is coming from, so there is no problem in that, but Christian is playing well at the minute."

SOUNDBITE: Paul Lambert, Aston Villa manager (Q: Do you have sympathy for Alan Irvine and the criticism he's been getting from fans?)

"My own personal view is that I don't like when fellow managers get abuse, it's not nice. It's not always the managers fault at times, I think people forget that, it's not just always the managers fault at times and when you hear all these things that are getting (said), shouted abuse and things that are totally irrelevant to football, then it doesn't wash with me that."

SOUNDBITE: Paul Lambert, Aston Villa manager (Q: You come into the game on the back of two wins, it's not easy to do that in the Premier League would you say?)

"We're going to try and make it three, three out of three, if you do that it will be great for us. We're unbeaten in five at the minute, we're playing well and listen we're doing that with a squad that's thin at the minute, with the amount of injuries that we've got. So a big complement to the team for that, but I think we're certainly playing well enough to go and win."