Birmingham Mail: MARTIN O'Neill today angrily hit back at Rafa Benitez for claiming he was involved in dialogue with him for three weeks over the sale of Gareth Barry to Liverpool. The Villa boss accused Benitez of talking "nonsense" and insisted they were "a million miles away" from striking a deal. O'Neill said they have had just two phone calls in that time - with the Irishman admitting he just wanted to hang up on the Spaniard when they spoke last Friday. Benitez had said: "I had a private converstaion with him (O'Neill) 20 days ago. He knew everything about my idea and I knew about his. "He said he wanted to talk with his owner. We needed to do an official movement and he knew that because I was talking to him. "He was very clear so we must wait until the end of the season and then we will try again."

Birmingham Mail: OLOF Mellberg believes leading Villa to fifth place in his final season at the club would represent a "fantastic" achievement because he says the Premier League is tougher than ever. The Swede bows out at West Ham on Sunday after seven years and he is desperate to play his part in leading the team back into Europe. Mellberg played for Villa the last time they were in the UEFA Cup, in September 2001, when they lost by Croatian minnows Varteks on away goals. A win at West Ham coupled with a Newcastle victory at Everton and Villa will be back. "This is a big game for me, my last one and, who knows, it could be big for Villa too," he said. "We are still in it for that fifth spot. It's a big game in that aspect."

Birmingham Mail: NIGEL REO-Coker has revealed he has received letters of goodwill from some West Ham supporters on the eve of his return to Upton Park. The Villa midfielder is set for a hot reception after leaving the Hammers last summer after handing in a transfer request. Reo-Coker was singled out by fans as a main culprit for a slump in form which left West Ham close to relegation and ultimately led to the sacking of manager Alan Pardew just a year after playing in the FA Cup Final and two years after promotion. "All ex-West Ham players get stick - Paul Ince, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Yossi Bennayoun got it - so will I," said Reo-Coker. "Everyone is going to get it because for West Ham fans, it's an in-built thing, it's a family thing, and the club is the biggest around in their eyes. "You can't blame them, that's just how they are."

Birmingham Mail: VILLA boss Martin O'Neill has backed Nigel Reo-Coker to beat the boo-boys at West Ham - and has even urged the midfielder take the jeers as a compliment. Reo-Coker is set to face a red-hot return to his former club with supporters far from happy about an acrimonious parting of the ways. "Nigel won't be the only player who has gone back and he won't be the last," said O'Neill. "The crowd live it for the day and then pass it on to someone else in a fortnight's time. Those things you have to cope with. This should not be a major concern to players." O'Neill joked he wished some of his former clubs had booed him and not received him so warmly. "I used to get applauded when I went back to Forest,"

Express and Star: Angry Villa boss Martin O'Neill today hit back at Rafa Benitez's claims they had had transfer talks over Gareth Barry. O'Neill is irritated the Liverpool boss suggests his Villa counterpart knows "everything about my idea" from a call 20 days ago regarding his bid for Villa captain Barry. "I've never denied Rafa Benitez called me. That's always been there," said the Villa boss. "I did get a call about 20 days ago. How else would I know (about their interest in Barry)? "He says we had a private chat and he knows everything about where my ideas and I know everything from him. "The thing is - I didn't have an idea. Well, apart from the idea of getting him off the phone as I was going to a reserve game at the time. "His idea was to ask about Gareth Barry and I said: 'No.'"

Express and Star: Jens Lehmann has emerged as a shock short term goalkeeping fix for Villa. The 37-year-old veteran Arsenal keeper, who is being released from the Emirates Stadium, is being eyed by the Villa top brass. Villa are set to lose two and possibly three keepers this summer, with Thomas Sorensen out of contract, Scott Carson due to return to Liverpool and long term understudy Stuart Taylor's future unclear. Boss Martin O'Neill wants to sign £2m-rated Chivas USA shotstopper Brad Guzan, but ideally wants a No 1 with plenty of Premier League experience. Lehmann has now come under the microscpe and could yet extend his Premier League career after being linked with Manchester City earlier this season until the emergence of Joe Hart as a top class keeper. Meanwhile O'Neill has called on former West Ham midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker to "deal" with the hostile reception he will get at Upton Park on Sunday.

Sky Sports: Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has dismissed as "absolutely crazy" Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez's latest remarks in an escalating row over Gareth Barry. O'Neill reacted angrily last week when news of Liverpool's £10million bid for the England midfielder was made public.

Sporting Life: Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has dismissed as "absolutely crazy" Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez's latest remarks in an escalating row over Gareth Barry. O'Neill reacted angrily last week when news of Liverpool's £10million bid for the England midfielder was made public. Benitez claimed on Thursday he was surprised by O'Neill's indignation because the pair had discussed the "idea" of a Barry transfer - which could include a player exchange - "20 days ago". O'Neill responded on Friday by telling his club's official website: "What idea did I have? I've got absolutely no idea! I have no idea what he's talking about. It's absolutely crazy. "It suggests this is a conversation that I wanted to keep going, to keep on the boiling pot. Absolutely not. It's a complete nonsense. "This is not something I initiated and I certainly was not on the phone to him to ask him about his players either, which I think is something he's trying to refer to. "That is not true. He mentioned players himself but I might not be interested in any of his players."