Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert insists his team has grown and improved this season.

Three successive defeats has the critics snapping at Lambert's heels again, questioning if the club is making progress.

He said: "There's a lot of stuff that people don't see. Am I happy where we are? No. Did I come to Aston Villa to do this? No.

"This club should be higher, there's no two ways about it. It's got a great tradition and a great pedigree.

"I knew the first few years here would be really hard because of what we had to do.

"I'm certainly not sitting here thinking this is good. There is definitely progress being made."