Source: Daily_Mail
Villa built on rock solid foundations of Dunne and Collins
Dunne & Collins sound more like upmarket menswear retailers than a pair of centre halves holding together one of the meanest defences in the Premier League, with only eight goals conceded. [LNB]Yet Richard Dunne and James Collins were taken to Villa Park by Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill just hours before the transfer window shut. It was a bold gamble and it has paid off pretty spectacularly in the early part of the season. [LNB]Neil Moxley went to find out whether the partnership off the field is as strong as the one on it.[LNB] NEIL MOXLEY: You seem to have settled down really well as a pair together. Is there any reason for that?[LNB]RICHARD DUNNE: I don't think either of us has changed our game since we arrived at Villa. I'm trying to do here what I did for Manchester City and James is just doing what he did for West Ham. Luckily for the pair of us it's working. If I go for a ball, then I'm going at it 100 per cent. If I miss it, I know he'll be there for me.[LNB]JAMES COLLINS: It's the same for me. That's the thing you must have trust as a centre half. We hit it off straight away. I know the big man will be backing me up. And, I have to say that Carlos Cuellar and Stephen Warnock have been first-class too. As has Brad Friedel. It's not just about us. As for Dunny, I speak to Craig Bellamy a lot and he told me that we were getting a defender and fella in the dressing room who was first-class.[LNB] Central figures: Dunne and Collins have formed an impressive partnership[LNB]RD: I think we are fortunate in the way we work. When I say 'we' I mean 'us', as a team. It's nice that people might think it's down to myself and James. But Gabby Agbonlahor makes life a misery for centre backs and full backs, closing them down. It runs through the whole side.[LNB]JC: Myself and Dunny are getting the credit. But anyone who has watched Villa this season must have noticed the way everyone mucks in. It makes our job a lot easier.[LNB]NM: Actually, a few managers have commented that James Milner and Ashley Young are the two hardest-working wide midfielders in the Premier League...[LNB]JC: I think the game against Chelsea summed it up. It was 0-0 when Milly got a tackle in on Didier Drogba on the edge of our box and then 30 seconds later he's swinging over a cross.[LNB]NM: You both completed a pre-season with one club and a few weeks into the campaign you were with another.[LNB]RD: I hadn't really thought about leaving Manchester City. I was club captain and focusing on myself. Then Mark Hughes started signing all these players and it did cross my mind. But there was only 48 hours between Manchester City signing Joleon Lescott and myself arriving at Villa. I just didn't have time to think about it.[LNB]JC: There was speculation that I was leaving because of the club's financial situation. So, I spoke to the manager and the vibe I wasgetting was that I would be off. I had no issue with Gianfranco Zola. Ihave nothing but respect for him. Even since I've been at Villa, he'ssent me the odd text asking me how I'm settling in or whether I'mbehaving myself.[LNB]NM: I suppose Mark Hughes hasn't texted you, Richard?[LNB]RD: Not yet. (Laughs)[LNB] New lease of life: Dunne has been rejuvenated at Villa[LNB]NM: So what about the non-celebration of your goal against Manchester City? Was that pre-conceived?[LNB]RD: I don't score enough goals to think about a celebration routinebefore any game. It just felt right for me at the time. I scored in thegame afterwards against Chelsea but I couldn't run far because my palhere (points to James) was hanging off me.[LNB]NM: So what happens if you score against West Ham, James?[LNB]JC: It would be a similar thing. I'm here to win a game for Villa,that's my club now. But if I did score, I'd be the same as Dunny. I'vegot a lot of time for everyone at West Ham.[LNB]NM: Do you think that it will be a growing trend? Robbie Keane has made a point of not celebrating against his former clubs?[LNB]RD: Robbie's had loads of clubs. He wouldn't be running around very often if that was the case![LNB]NM: Did Martin need to sell the club to you?[LNB]RD: No. Everyone can see that Villa have been pushing towards thetop four in the past couple of seasons. From the outside looking in,you get the feeling that something good, something positive, is happening there.[LNB]NM: The first game of lastseason Manchester City were given the runaround, Gabby Agbonlahorscored a hat-trick in a 4-2 win for Villa...[LNB]RD: Ah,well, I didn't play in that one, I was suspended. I couldn't have Gabbysaying he scored three past me. But it just seemed like Villa weremoving in the right direction to challenge. [LNB]When I was atManchester City, we would be looking at the table and be saying toourselves: 'Jeez, Aston Villa have won again...' It wasn't untilChristmas that they started to fall off a bit. It seemed the perfectplace for me, the gaffer is a manager I've got a lot of respect for and always liked.[LNB]JC: Nodisrespect to West Ham, but this was a good move for me. I felt myselfimprove under Gianfranco and Steve Clarke. You hear players say thatall the time, but I did feel that improvement over the last six orseven months. I want to get to the next level with Villa. I'vestruggled with injuries over the last few years and been left out ofthe West Ham side when I thought, deep down, that I shouldn't have been.[LNB] Double act: Collins wheels away after nodding in the winner in Villa's 2-1 win over Chelsea after Dunne had equalised[LNB]NM: A lot has been made of the fact that Martin has signed British and Irish players. Does that help with the team spirit?[LNB]RD: The players the managers have signed this season are all based either in the British Isles or Ireland. So we all know what English football is about. For a player coming in, it does help. It helped me settle down. It's just like walking into an international dressing room, where all the backgrounds are similar and everyone is on the same level. But what I think the manager has built in the three years is commitment.[LNB]That's what I noticed. Every game has been 100 miles an hour and the players have been at it from the first seconds. It's not like the defenders defend and attackers attack. We are in this thing together.[LNB]JC: It was quite an easy dressing room to walk into. I suppose it helps when there's three of you walking in together (with Stephen Warnock). If there's only one of you the spotlight is on. What Dunny has said sounds about right to me.[LNB]NM: Just changing subject slightly, the question I get asked more than any other is: 'What's Martin O'Neill really like?' Can you shed any light on it?[LNB]RD: He's very enthusiastic. He lives for Saturdays, match days. That's his big thing. Once he gets into that dressing room on a Saturday afternoon, no-one wants to win more than he does. When he's up, he's really up. And when we have lost, he's really down. But once you leave that dressing room, he can make you feel 10ft tall.[LNB]JC: He's a big motivator. He makes you feel like a world-beater. It makes a massive difference. [LNB] Mr Motivator: O'Neill hails Villa's penalty win over Sunderland in the Carling Cup[LNB] Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 1: Ominous signs for Carlo as title pretensions exposedO'Neill disappointed by Aston Villa's indifferent away form this seasonMeet Chris Sutton the manager - an unlikely man for a difficult job at LincolnASTON VILLA FC
