Steve Sidwell is confident the training ground spat between Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill and midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker "will be forgotten and put to bed."
Reo-Coker was dropped for Saturday's 2-0 home win over Portsmouth after the bust-up on Thursday with O'Neill but Sidwell insists the incident did not affect the players as they secured a fourth successive win.
He said: "Were we affected? Not at all. These games are too important to let things affect you. We've put it aside, got our heads down and worked hard. Whatever happens on that front will be dealt with in house I'm sure."
He added: "You know at every club that there is one gaffer. That's no different here, especially with Martin. He's such a strong character.
"I've seen it happen on training grounds so many times. Things boil over and that's it - it's just one of those things.
"At the end of the day we're a strong family and that's all that matters. Of course, it's normally between players but that just goes to show there's a lot of passion.
"You can see how the gaffer is on the sidelines. He is no different in training. It's the same with Nigel, he is a very passionate person.
"I'm sure it's going to get forgotten, put to bed. I'm sure they'll have a sit down and have a chat about it.
"I've been involved in these kind of things many times in training. Tempers go, but normally as players you shake hands and that's it."
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I have a lot of time for Reo-Coker. His job is mid-field ball winner, but he has been played elsewhere to cover injuries most of his time with us.
To Rahul and others who want rid of him I will offer just one illustration. Typically Villa, if they do get a goal up against a big team away, will try to sit back to defend it. We are not good at that (e.g. Old Trafford).
This season when Torres pulled Liverpool back into the game at 2-1 it was Reo-Coker who did the right thing and carried on attacking, winning the penalty that sealed it.
It'll be 'put to bed' alright. When MO tells Reo-Choker 'I'm selling you in January', perhaps.
get rid of coker and heskey, neither have any skill, everytime these two aint played the team has won or at least been more of a threat
fair play.if it is over then just move on.nice to know that a player and the manager are passionate about the Villa.i don'talways feel this about mon,he comes across as being a little too nice ,calm and pensive at times.havig been bought up with the Doc,Vic Crowe and Ron Saunders it is good to feel ernest passion is at the top,particularly after fat Ron ,John Gregory and the like.
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