Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert was a man under pressure long before he watched his side well beaten at the Liberty Stadium and he now knows that the next two games will decide his side's Premier League fate although his own personal fate may have been already decided.

When you lose the backing of your fanbase it is generally only a matter of time until you are removed from your position as manager and it seems pretty clear at the moment that there are not exactly a massive number of Aston Villa fans that want Lambert to have his stay extended at Villa Park any longer than the next couple of weeks.

Villa go into the last two games of the season with their fate still very much in their own hands but looking nervously over their shoulders after the defeat to the Swans that left them 16th in the table just one place ahead of Lambert's former side in Norwich City.

When Lambert led the Canaries out of the Championship in the same season that Brendan Rodgers led us up the managerial stock of both managers was high after strong first seasons with their clubs in the top flight. And both moved on - Rodgers to Liverpool and Lambert to Villa but from that point forward it has been opposite journeys for them. Rodgers looks certain to secure a first Liverpool title for 24 years at some point this season whilst Lambert could preside over a Villa relegation if results for his side and others go against him.

And after the defeat at the Liberty he was looking forward to next week's game against Hull and describing it as a cup final for his side. He told the Villa official website "I am really disappointed to lose, really disappointed.

"We started the game really well. We lost a goal but we deservedly got right back into the match with a really good one ourselves. We got ourselves back into it.

"We then lost a poor goal. That second was a major turning point. It was a great finish but it was an error on our part.

"We still need one more win.

"It's a must-win match next week. The lads know how big it is. It's a cup final. We have to win it.

"There are three really tough games to finish. It's not a position we want to be in. But we are. Next week's is a must-win."

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