Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert doesn't want his players to hide ahead of their clash with Swansea City.

Lambert has no problem with Villa fans making their frustrations heard.

"You can't blame the fans. You expect it. They are entitled," he told Villa's website.

"They pay their money. They graft and it's hard-earned. They come to support the team.

"We can't be critical of the crowd. It's too big a club. They pay their money and they are entitled to voice their opinion.

"From my point of view, I know what it's like. I have played with big clubs as a footballer.

"I was never exempt from criticism. I remember we lost my first three games at Celtic. The fans were telling me 'Go back to Dortmund.' That was 60,000 telling me I wasn't good enough until I bedded in and got a grip of it. I know criticism.

"This team is younger. When they are younger, they need that support. You - as a manager - try to state your experiences of it and what you think. But it's about bravery. Some people talk about it in terms of going in for tackles 10 feet high, blood guts and thunder.

"But bravery is about taking the ball in front of thousands of fans in an area where others would shy away from it. As long as they don't stop doing that. They must always try to do the right things.

"Now it's about giving the fans something. Football is about giving fans something to cheer. The support level is huge here. But we are doing everything we can to take it forward and build it."