Legend: Time to stop playing Aston Villa's Reo-Coker at right back

Mar 28 2009 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

Nigel Reo-Coker and Mark Noble in action.

EUROPEAN Cup-winning winger Tony Morley admits he would have relished playing against Villa’s fill-in full-back Nigel Reo-Coker.

The former West Ham midfielder came in for heavy criticism following numerous mistakes in Villa’s 5-0 drubbing at Liverpool last weekend.

And Morley, who patrolled the flanks during the club’s glory days over a quarter of a century ago, admits Reo-Coker will never make a right-back.

“It would fill me with joy if I was playing against a midfielder at full-back,” said Morley, who, at 54, is still going strong for the Aston Villa Old Stars.

“That’s the way the game is now, you haven’t really got many defenders left who are allowed to defend. You’re playing people out of position.

“Martin O’Neill has played Luke Young at left-back so you can’t turn round and complain about him playing full-backs out of position when Young has had such a fantastic season.

“But the difference is he’s a defender by trade. I would love to play against a midfielder playing right-back. I’d love to.”

Morley believes that at 24 years old it is too late to convert central midfielder Reo-Coker into a right-back on a permanent basis.

But he has praised Villa’s vice-captain for sticking to his task and refusing to moan about being played out of position.