Aston Villa boss David O'Leary has revealed how he was forced to step in and diffuse a bust-up between the players and chairman Doug Ellis.
O'Leary told how his squad were furious at Ellis's decision to send Eirik Bakke back to Leeds instead of continuing his loan deal.
Ellis cited financial reasons for Bakke's return, but that was not enough to placate the Villa team, who confronted the 81-year-old in the dressing room after the 0-0 draw at Tottenham in January.
O'Leary said: "The players asked the chairman why Bakke had to leave. They had seen what other clubs had done - bringing people in during the transfer window.
"The chairman was a bit taken aback by it. But we calmed the situation down because no good was going to come out of it.
"I had to tell the players: 'Look, I know how strongly you feel and how much you liked Eirik but you can't front the chairman up like that.'
"Clubs were buying and all they were asking was to keep someone on loan to keep the same amount of players until the end of the season.
"The problems with Eirik knocked some of the players back, big style. The dressing room made its feelings known."
O'Leary told how his squad were furious at Ellis's decision to send Eirik Bakke back to Leeds instead of continuing his loan deal.
Ellis cited financial reasons for Bakke's return, but that was not enough to placate the Villa team, who confronted the 81-year-old in the dressing room after the 0-0 draw at Tottenham in January.
O'Leary said: "The players asked the chairman why Bakke had to leave. They had seen what other clubs had done - bringing people in during the transfer window.
"The chairman was a bit taken aback by it. But we calmed the situation down because no good was going to come out of it.
"I had to tell the players: 'Look, I know how strongly you feel and how much you liked Eirik but you can't front the chairman up like that.'
"Clubs were buying and all they were asking was to keep someone on loan to keep the same amount of players until the end of the season.
"The problems with Eirik knocked some of the players back, big style. The dressing room made its feelings known."
