Source: Telegraph
Nigel ReoCoker left out of Aston Villa squad for Carling Cup tie with Cardiff
The midfielder is understood to have put to bed his "contretemps" with manager Martin O'Neill in what politicians sometimes call a sore-head summit, but O'Neill's decision not to select him somewhat belies the impression that the matter is now behind them.
O'Neill knows that by failing to select the 25-year-old in the squad he will only be fuelling speculation that he has not forgiven Reo-Coker for the training ground row that took place last week. That he has chosen not to is a clear signal to Reo-Coker, and others, that he will not tolerate insubordination of any kind.
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The Villa manager said yesterday that the long-term repercussions of his row with Reo-Coker remain unclear. He also refused to confirm that he now has his first team squad all singing off same hymn sheet.
"I wouldn't be foolish enough to believe that [the players are all singing off the same page]," the Villa manager said. "This idea that you will please every single player at the club all the time is impossible. Whether you deal with [a situation like this] correctly or incorrectly is probably only something that you will find out in time."
Less open to interpretation is Villa's approach to the Carling Cup, a competition in which the club has made seven appearances in the final, and won five times. Liverpool might top that by two, but Villa still have the best record in terms of their win to loss record. "Is that right?" O'Neill joked. "Well I haven't helped it much!"
True - over the past two seasons O'Neill's sides have been knocked out by Leicester and Queens Park Rangers, perhaps in large part because of divided attentions - not something that need concern them this season. "Last year I ended up prioritising the Uefa Cup, but the League Cup would be very important [this time]," O'Neill said.
Although O'Neill will look to "utilise" his squad, with both Emile Heskey and Ashley Young, struggling with ankle and calf strains respectively, just two who will sit out the game, O'Neill reassured fans that the side would not be weakened overmuch as a result, including the coda that he will not be calling on what he termed "peripheral players."
