Hammers fail to nail Reo-Coker

Oct 8 2007 By Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

VILLA manager Martin O'Neill praised Nigel Reo-Coker for his coolness under pressure after the midfielder shrugged off the taunts of West Ham fans to help his new club register an important victory.

Reo-Coker was jeered consistently by the Hammers fans and O'Neill also feared that his £8million signing would be targeted for special treatment by a West Ham midfield led by Lee Bowyer.

"Nigel got caught up for fouls and a couple of things, but I was really pleased with him as I have been anyway," O'Neill said.

"It was always going to be difficult to play against West Ham, which was part of his scene for considerable time. But he played great and I couldn't be more pleased with him."

Reo-Coker was eventually yellow-carded for a foul on Bowyer.

"I probably didn't need to have a word with him beforehand because he knew what was coming," continued O'Neill. "It was just a matter of trying to keep a cool head and not get booked early on in the game.

"Sometimes players can be targeted - I hate to use that word - and he could have given away a couple of fouls and been booked early on.

"Then suddenly we'd have been on tenterhooks after that. But it didn't materialise and he applied himself brilliantly."