George Boateng has called on players of his former side Aston Villa to show "more responsibility" in order to help halt a dismal run of form.

The Villans have suffered four straight defeats in the Premier League, failing to score a single goal in that run as their positive early start to the season came unstuck.

Manager Paul Lambert has come under fire in some quarters following the turn in fortunes, although Boateng insists that there is only so much the Scot can do.

"I think Paul Lambert is a good manager and people should try to understand how difficult it is for him," he told the Birmingham Mail. "Every manager wants to buy great players and build a winning team but you can clearly see that his hands have been tied in the past.

"I feel for him because you need great players to be a successful manager. As a manager myself its the first thing that I stare at everyday. I think to myself 'Do I have good enough players?' This is why I think the fans should support him because it then breathes confidence into the players.

"The problem is not the manager because he can only affect the players so much. They also have to take a lot more responsibility because at the end of the day the manager can't do it for them once they cross the white line."

Boateng, who spent three years at Villa Park, is now the manager of Malaysian outfit Kelantan FA.