COME BACK NIGEL, WE FORGIVE YOU; (Even if the boss doesn't!).

Byline: ANN GRIPPER

ASTON VILLA 2

PORTSMOUTH 0

ASTON VILLA: Friedel 7, Cuellar 7, Dunne 7, Collins 7, Warnock 7, Milner 8, Sidwell 7, Petrov 7, Agbonlahor 8, Carew 7 (Heskey 65, Delph 80) Goals: Milner 34 (pen) Agbonlahor 43

PORTSMOUTH: James 8, Vanden Borre 6, Kaboul 6, Ben Haim 5, Belhadj 5, Mokoena 6, Smith 5 (Kanu 77), Brown 6, O'Hara 6, Boateng 5, Piquionne 5 (Webber 77)

REFEREE: Stuart Attwell ATTENDANCE: 35,979

NIGEL REO-COKER returns to Aston Villa training today and can bank on a warm welcome - at least from his team-mates.

A bust-up with boss Martin O'Neill on Thursday saw the 25-year-old sent home from training and dropped from the weekend squad which eased past rock bottom Portsmouth.

But as Reo-Coker rejoins the fold today, his team-mates believe he and O'Neill will be able to put aside their differences for the good of the club.

Skipper Stilian Petrov said: "Things like that happen. Everybody in the team is a fighter, we want to achieve things.

"Things like that will happen during a season when you want to fight and want to be a winner. The manager knows what he's done, Nigel knows what he's done and they're grown men, they know when to stand up.

"They will straighten things out and Nigel will be back in training. Nigel is a winner. He tries to win things and things like that happen.

"We're happy to have players like that, players that want to speak, want to fight."

"Of course we will welcome him back on Monday. I spoke with Nigel, we've all spoken with Nigel, we know how difficult it is for him. Nobody wants to be in this situation.

We're trying to help the boss get things right and going again."

Reo-Coker will be hoping the training ground row can be brushed aside as easily as Portsmouth were in the first half.

Pompey held their own in the opening 30 minutes, though David James had to react sharply when Ashley Young's wicked cross induced Aaron Mokoena into a header.

Frederic Piquionne could even have given the visitors the lead but directed his header wide.

But once Villa went ahead through James Milner's fierce spot-kick after Nadir Belhadj had felled Petrov it looked a long way back for the winless visitors.

And when they allowed Brad Friedel's goal kick to reach Gabriel Agbonlahor two minutes before half-time, the in-form striker effortlessly peeled away from Tal Ben Haim and added a deadly finish to leave James berating his defenders.

The England keeper pulled off a fine diving save from Petrov after the break to keep his side within some kind of touching distance. But with only three goals scored all season, Pompey lack quality up front and the second half chances they did manage to create were sent straight at Friedel.

This defeat means they now have the worst top-flight start of any team since 1983 - and James knows they cannot afford to wait forever for their luck to change.

He said: "We're six games into the season, no points, failed to score on four occasions and conceded 12 goals. It's not good.

"We're not asking for luck. Lots of teams have gone down waiting for a bit of luck and it just doesn't happen.

"We have to eliminate the mistakes which can be avoided - like don't give away penalties. That's the third in six games, so not good.

"On a positive note we were creating chances but again we came away with nothing. I suppose there is only one way we can go from here. It's got to change soon."

CAPTION(S):

TOUGH GUY Martin O'Neill had a huge bust-up with Nigel Reo-Coker HELPLESS David James was powerless as Agbonlahor scored and Milner blasted in his spot-kick