Aston Villa needs to tackle the problem of their misfiring midfield, manager Martin O'Neill has conceded, if they are to seriously challenge the big four this season, reports the Birmingham Mail. O'Neill believes Villa need a Frank Lampard-type player, capable of hitting up to 20 goals in a season, and is relying on skipper Stiliyan Petrov, Steve Sidwell and Nigel Reo-Coker step up to the plate.

O'Neill said; "I think if you are going to be successful you have to have a goal-scoring midfield.

"You would have to be exceptionally lucky to go through be successful without one.

"There are more goals in this team I have said before and in terms of goals scored in matches at moment it is not up there.

"We should be sharing goals around more. We should be getting more from midfield. That is something we haven't really had here.

"We had Gareth Barry who scored, although a lot of his were penalty kicks. It is vitally important that you have a goalscoring midfield."