Houllier: Bust-up no distraction

Gerard Houllier insists team morale has not been affected by Richard Dunne and James Collins' recent bust-up with Aston Villa coaching staff.

Yet Houllier is adamant the two-day exercise was an overall success and that Villa are in the right frame of mind as they prepare for Saturday's vital home clash with Wolves.

Houllier said: "I don't think team morale has been affected.

"As far as I am concerned, the rest of the team trained well and is ready and prepared for the Wolves game.

"We need to keep that [the incident] to one side and prepare for the Wolves game and the rest of the season. The rest of the team enjoyed the two days and it was a good exercise in terms of commitment, energy, enjoyment.

"It is an important game for us. We are at home, we've got our fans, it's a derby and players know what a derby represents for the fans.

"The nine games we have got left will be played with the same quality in terms of commitment and will to win."

Houllier believes there will be more pressure on Wolves than Villa going into the derby, with Mick McCarthy's men second-bottom of the Premier League.

He said: "Wolves are a good team, I like Mick McCarthy and he has done extremely well and his side have beaten some big guns like Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.

"But I think there is more [pressure] on them than on us.

"We know the position we are in at the moment but we are not going to forecast on what is at stake. It is best to concentrate on our assets and the [league table] will take care of itself."

Villa, two points above the drop zone, are without four key defenders for the match.

Dunne, Collins and Luke Young are all unavailable through injury while Ciaran Clark starts a two-game ban for picking up 10 bookings.

Houllier played down the absences, however, saying: "That happens to all clubs. Even to Manchester United. Sometimes you have an injury crisis.

"We had that in the middle of the season with Stiliyan Petrov, Nigel Reo-Coker and Steve Sidwell from midfield.

"Now it happens at the back and the suspension of Clark doesn't help. But we will be all right. The option we have will be good and the players will respond positively and will show something.

"In any case, defending is not about two or three players, it is the matter of the whole team.

"At top level, your defending starts wherever you lose the ball, wherever it is on the pitch."