O'Leary hits out at Delaney
Aston Villa manager David O’Leary has hit out at defender Mark Delaney for conducting his contract dispute through the media instead of approaching him directly to air his grievances.
O’Leary has been unhappy at statements made by Delaney via his agent during the past week after the club took up a year’s option on his contract rather than offer him a long-term deal.
The Welsh international insists his future is away from Villa Park after a seven-season stay following his move from Cardiff but O’Leary is equally adamant the 29-year-old should stay.
He said: “I think Mark’s statements are a joke and he’s been told that. I like people who tell me eye to eye. I don’t like getting information from newspapers.
“I like being told to my face and if someone wants an argument there and then I like getting it out in the air. I don’t like reading about it in a statement. To me, that is totally wrong.”
But O’Leary added: “Mark is going to be here for the next year with me, end of story, but like anything, I can’t help it if teams come in for him. Look at Nobby Solano – we were the last to know and then he is back at Newcastle.
“Nobody has ever bid for Mark and I hope I don’t get a bid in for him. But we’ll never be able to hold somebody who wants to leave.
“Everybody has a price. We don’t want to sell him and if he does well over the next year or so, I’m sure the club will provide for him again.
“But the bottom line, and there’s no getting away from it, is that Mark has been unlucky and he’s had too many injuries over the last seven years.”
O’Leary also claimed Delaney, currently sidelined with a knee injury, will still play a major part at Villa despite his public disagreement with the boss.
He said: “I will the pick 11 players who will do the best for the club. I don’t base it on people who like me or people who don’t like me.
“The manager doesn’t really care about that. It’s about the best 11 you can put on the pitch.
“If Mark plays, I expect him to do a professional job for Aston Villa. He’s getting well paid to do that.”
