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REGARDLESS of what he says about that incident on the Bodymoor Heath training pitches on Thursday, all the evidence suggests that Martin O'Neill was guilty of grappling.

Not necessarily with Nigel Reo-Coker, because if the Aston Villa boss maintains that the angry "contretemps" with the midfielder was verbal rather than violent then I daren't argue, especially after his revelation that he once tried to chin former Nottingham Forest team-mate Sammy Chapman in a training ground scuffle, albeit more than 20 years ago.

No, it seems O'Neill was guilty of grappling with his past.

For his handling of Reo-Coker throughout their time at Villa bears many hallmarks of his own struggles with the boss during his playing days at Forest.

O'Neill regularly remarks upon his relationship with Brian Clough during the City Ground glory years and how he always perceived himself to be the legendary manager's scapegoat.

Even now the Irishman will look back and complain about being shunted out to the fringes while Clough's Forest favourites, like O'Neill's current assistant John Robertson, could do no wrong.

O'Neill still talks about being forced to play right wing when personally he felt he was much more effective in central midfield. He still remembers the occasions he was dropped or subbed by Clough when he was convinced he should have started and finished every game.

He still bangs on, to anybody who will listen, about feeling victimised, expendable, replaceable.

Listen to O'Neill whinge about his persecution at the hands of Clough and it's almost as if it happened yesterday rather than during the late seventies and early eighties.

But, nowadays his gripes are voiced with a glint in the eye and with his typical self-deprecating wit because, with the benefit of hindsight, O'Neill recognises that his old manager was right all along.

STILIYAN Petrov claims team-mate Gabby Agbonlahor's new "pecs appeal" may be striking fear into the heart of Premier League opponents but his obsession with his new body-beautiful is incurring the wrath of his Villa team-mates.

Agbonlahor has spent the summer working out in the gym to add strength to his pace up front.

But his skipper claims there are times when the players have to tell him to stop posing as he walks around the dressing room showing off his new physique.

Here's to a fiery, but trouble-free Second City encounter on and off the field at St Andrew's this afternoon.

And let's hope both clubs can follow the example of their elder statesman, who proved that rivals can exist in harmony.

Spotted side by side in the Wembley car park on Wednesday were the respective Rolls-Royces of Blues chairman David Gold and Villa's lifetime president Doug Ellis.

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