Paul Lambert has been given a vote of confidence by Paul Faulkner, Aston Villa's chief executive.

Villa are 11th in the Premier League, but suffered their sixth defeat in eight games when they went down 2-1 against Arsenal on Monday night.

However, Faulkner says that the club supports what Lambert is trying to do, and he believes that the manager's methods will produce success.

"We know what the manager is trying to do, we believe it is a good way. Over time it is going to allow Aston Villa to put ourselves in the best position to compete and challenge in the right half of the table where we want to be," he is quoted as saying in The Mirror.

"It is about how do we keep making those positive strides forward and making this club bigger and stronger again. Those are steps along the way and I am a big believer in stability and continuity giving you more of a competitive chance.

"But it is never linear and you are not going to go up in a smooth line."

Despite his support for Lambert, Faulkner says that he understands why some fans might be unhappy.

"It is very understandable frustration - people want to see their team win. But there is very clear definite progress in terms of points and league place," he added.

Villa's next league match is a trip to Liverpool.