Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert will resist calls from fans to give Jack Grealish more repsonsibility in his side despite a fifth straight league defeat last night.
The Republic of Ireland under-21 international was left out of the squad that was beaten 2-0 by QPR at Loftus Road, thanks to two Charlie Austin goals.
Birmingham-born Grealish, who is eligible to play senior international football for both Ireland and England, signed a contract extension with his boyhood club earlier this month but has played just 101 minutes of 900 this season.
“He’s ony 19 years of age, and there has been a lot of things thrust on him,” said Lambert when asked afterwards about Grealish’s lack of involvement. “I’ve tried doing my best to manage him in the right way, that gives him a really good career.
“He’s a talent, there’s no two ways about it, a big talent. But he’s got an awful long way to go, he’s got to keep his feet on the ground, no matter how well he does throughout his career.”
Lambert added that it was too much to ask a 19-year-old to come in and turn things around.
“I rely on everybody, not just one lad, that’s a big ask. He’s not started a Premiership game.”
In any case, and despite no league goals since Gabriel Agbonlahor’s winner at Anfield on September 13th, the defence is where Villa need help, according to Lambert, who has watched his side concede 13 goals in the last five games.
Last night, Austin scored in either half to secure a valuable three points for Rangers, who moved off the foot of the table and left Villa winless and goalless in their last 450 minutes of football.
The 2-0 reverse to QPR comes after defeats to Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton.
“I thought the two goals we lost were really poor,” Lambert said. “I think that is the most we have had of the ball, possession-wise, but that is why I’m never one for stats. The main stat is putting the ball in the net and keeping it out. “I thought we defended poorly for the two goals. We have got to be more clinical in the last third of the pitch but the two goals are disappointing because we had most of the ball.”
Christian Benteke played 90 minutes, but is still working his way back to full fitness following a serious ankle injury, and Lambert has full faith in his Belgian forward and his team-mates to end their near nine-hour run without a goal.
“I tend not to get them down on that,” he added. “They will come out of the traps on Sunday (against Tottenham) and I know we are going to be alright in that department because when Benteke gets up to speed and, with (Gabriel) Agbonlahor, (Andreas) Weimann, (Charles) N’Zogbia and (Darren) Bent, there are guys there with goals in them and it will happen.
“My main concern tonight was we had that much of the ball that we had to score with it, but you have to defend when you are on top.”
QPR manager Harry Redknapp has backed Austin to score the goals that will keep them in the Premier League.
Having followed an unorthodox route to reach the top flight the former Swindon and Burnley forward now has four Premier League goals to his name and Redknapp believes he has the ability to fire Rangers to safety.
“(They were) two great finishes for Charlie,” he told Sky Sports 1. “I couldn’t be more pleased, he is a smashing lad, (an) absolute fantastic boy. He’s come out (of) the non-league scene, played down at Poole Town and Hungerford and God knows where he’s been around the lower divisions, and to be scoring goals in the Premier League is great for him.
“There’s no reason why he can’t go on and get a really good tally of goals this year.”
