Relegation is a weight off Villa players' shoulders, says Lescott

Joleon Lescott has risked annoying Aston Villa fans again by saying the club's relegation from the Barclays Premier League was a weight off the players' shoulders.

Lescott enraged Villa fans in February when he tweeted a picture of a Mercedes supercar in the wake of a 6-0 home defeat to Liverpool.

And the Villa defender courted more controversy after the club's relegation was confirmed on Saturday by a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United - their 24th defeat in 34 league games this season.

"It's about results so regardless of how we played in patches today we are relegated,"Lescott was quoted as saying in national newspapers.

"We need to find a way to get out of this run of defeats.

"Now it's confirmed maybe it's a weight off the shoulders and we can give these fans what they deserve, some performances."