The Canaries have produced some determined displays on their return to the top flight for the first time since 2005 but suffered a second successive defeat when beaten 2-1 at home by Arsenal on Saturday, and the 42-year-old former Celtic midfielder is under no illusions of the challenges ahead.
Lambert was speaking at the Annual General Meeting of Norwich's shareholders, and said: "I look at the fixture list coming up and I think, 'Oh no, we've got Manchester City in a fortnight,' but that is the difference in the Premier [League]. Never in a million years did I think we would be in this position."
He added: "I remember when I first got the job the chairman said to me just get us in the top six. You do that and then he turns around and says I want you to win it. And then when you win it he expects you to do something in the Championship, but that is the way football is.
"That is why I never rest because I know for a fact the moment we go on a losing streak I'm just not so sure people will be singing, 'There is only one Paul Lambert.' I am a realist. If this goes belly up the only one who cops it is myself. That is fine, I know the game."
The estimated £90million promotion windfall will have safeguarded the club's future, and money is set to be made available to Lambert when the transfer window reopens in January.
Chairman Alan Bowkett also revealed at Wednesday's AGM that Norwich intend to revamp their Academy to bring it in line with new Premier League guidelines, hopefully to help unearth home-grown talent.
"The rule of thumb in terms of Category One status is that you have to spend £2million per year in youth development," Bowkett said.
"You receive from the Premier League roughly £750,000 in contributions. That would still be four times the amount we currently spend. Our aim is to try and produce one young player for the first team every year.
"Paul is very much of the firm view, and this goes back to his experiences in Germany, that if we are to compete then we have to have our own young, hungry players."
Source: PA
Source: PA