LMA tell Norwich to stop public sniping about former manager Paul Lambert as legal row continues Lambert, who guided Norwich to two successive promotions before keeping them in the Premier League, is expected to face a hostile reception from the supporters who travel to Villa Park on Saturday. He maintains that the terms of his contract allowed him to speak to other clubs but resigned when Norwich refused him permission to hold talks with Aston Villa. Norwich claim they refused his resignation and he was not allowed to negotiate with Villa without their permission. It is understood that Lambert endured a fractious relationship with David McNally, Norwich's chief executive, in the final 12 months of his spell and holds him responsible for the way his sour exit was handled. Villa are a point behind Norwich in 17th place, with only one victory from eight Premier League games this season - their worst start to a season in 25 years. Norwich defeated Arsenal last week but Lambert is refusing to panic as he prepares for what is being billed in East Anglia as a grudge match. He said: "We've just got to push on. There's no time to mope and if you start feeling sorry for yourself then you get problems. There are miles to go, country miles to go, but we do need to start turning these performances into wins. I'm not overly concerned. Yes, I want to win like everybody else, but I don't think it will be long before we turn performances into results. I have a huge gratitude to Norwich for what they did for me in my time there, there will be no animosity from me.