Aston Villa: Martin O'Neill demands focus after bust-up with Nigel Reo-Coker
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has demanded all the focus at Villa Park is on tomorrow's clash with struggling Portsmouth and not his training ground bust-up with midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker.
Reo-Coker was sent home from training today for disciplinary reasons with reports indicating he had a disagreement with O'Neill in training yesterday.
When the former West Ham player arrived for training this morning, he was told to stay away until Monday.
O'Neill said: "There was a confrontation between Nigel and myself. It usually happens between players really.
"There were no fisticuffs. There was no wrestling to the ground as reported in one newspaper. That was a figment of the onlookers' imagination.
"There was enough for me to treat the incident seriously enough. Nigel will not play against Portsmouth and come Monday it will be forgotten about.
"I make the rules. I am the manager and custodian of the football club so my rules apply. Players have to get used to my rules. It's as simple as that."
Putting the incident to one side, O'Neill is wary of the challenge Villa face when they host rock-bottom Pompey who are without a point in the Barclays Premier League this season.
The Villa boss is not underestimating the challenge of Paul Hart's side
and feels Portsmouth's results do not reflect the way they have played so far this term.
O'Neill said: "Naturally I am concerned about the Portsmouth game.
"They do not have any points but I think their performance deserved some points on the board.
"Major decisions haven't seemed to go their way which caused them to concede a few goals but overall the performance must have been very encouraging for Paul Hart.
"He has obviously had a tough time since the end of the season and did well to guide them through pre-season when he hoped to get some of the better players bedded down at Portsmouth.
