The Birmingham Mail has demanded the sacking of manager Paul Lambert after Aston Villa slipped into the Premier League drop zone on Tuesday.

A 2-0 defeat to Hull City saw the Villans fall to 18th in the table and they are now winless in 10 top-flight matches, having only managed two goals during that run.

Lambert finds himself under increasing pressure from the Villa fans, and the regional newspaper has revealed on its Wednesday afternoon front page that they are willing to back the campaign to get the Scot out as they fear a potentially fatal relegation.

Their editorial read: "Aston Villa is a proud and noble name in English football. It is an historic club at the heart of our community, a founding father of the beautiful game. But this great club is now on its knees and the Holte End is hurting - and we can no longer stand by and watch that happen.

"Today the Birmingham Mail makes one simple, stark request to the Aston Villa board: sack the manager. Paul Lambert is not the man to save this club from relegation and the long-term damage that disaster will bring. We do not say this lightly, nor do we take any pleasure in saying that Lambert should go. The Birmingham Mail has been as patient as many of the claret and blue fans, standing by and hoping things will improve. Despite the results, despite the performances.

"But time is now up. No progress has been made under Lambert. In fact, this once mighty club is now staring relegation in the face. A relegation that would cost the club a lucrative share of the new £2 billion Sky and BT television deal. Dropping down a division would be a disaster financially, and one from which Villa may never recover. As custodian of the club, Randy Lerner must ensure it doesn't happen."

Seven-time English champions and 1981-82 European Cup winners Villa have been an ever-present member of the Premier League since its inception in 1992 and have spent only one of the last 39 years outside of the top flight.