Villa set to make manager approach

Villa have made Norwich boss Paul Lambert their first choice to replace Alex McLeish with Wigan's Roberto Martinez not far behind him.

Villa axed McLeish yesterday and owner Randy Lerner is understood to want another Scot at the helm as he starts the process of finding another manager. Lerner will now work round the clock with chief executive Paul Faulkner to secure the services of the Carrow Road boss, despite Norwich already issuing a 'hands off' warning. Canaries chief executive David McNally is worried the Norfolk club are fighting a losing battle to hold on to the 42-year-old, who has already been talking about potentially having taken the club as far as they can go. Lambert and his staff defied the odds to guide the Canaries to 12th in the Premier League - hot on the heels of successive promotions from League One to the top flight. Travelling Villa fans chanted the Norwich boss' name during their side's 2-0 defeat at Carrow Road on Sunday, even singing, "Paul Lambert's claret and blue army". Martinez, who rejected the chance to manage Villa 11 months ago, remains on the shortlist but his stock has fallen behind Lambert, according to the latest rumours coming out of the club.