Villa midfielder throttles boss

Just as Aston Villa’s top four contending season looks to be getting back on track after a humbling opening day defeat, news has broken of a spanner in the works in the form of an old fashioned training ground bust-up.

Possibly driven wild after being told he’ll play out of position again on Saturday, Nigel Reo-Coker, the rich man’s Phil Neville, allegedly snapped yesterday during Villa’s training session at Bodymoor Heath centre and started a wrasslin’ with unassuming gaffer Martin O’Neill.

According to The Sun, who have eyes everywhere, things came to a head after a ‘heated exchange’:

One stunned onlooker said: “It was really heated and at one point they fell to the ground grappling with each other although no one was throwing punches or anything like that.

The Daily Mail are reporting a slightly more restrained version of events:

The 25-year-old stepped forward and took his boss by the scruff of the neck after losing his temper. O’Neill, stunned by what had taken place, immediately called a halt to  the game.

Instead of being sensible and issuing a swift statement of apology or denial, Reo-Coker’s agent has tried to diffuse the situation by pointing the finger at O’Neill, claiming the Villa boss was the only one doing any strangling. Bridges seemingly burnt, it appears Nigel will be plying his immensely underwhelming trade somewhere else in the Premier League this winter.