interesting article on mirror website-
Champneys have generously agreed to pick up the bill for repairs to furniture damaged during Richard Dunne and James Collins' controversial drinking session.
But their ill-advised boozing bender, which led to a stormy confrontation with coach Gordon Cowans and club staff, may still end up totaling hundreds of thousands of pounds in fines.
And I fear the actual cost to Aston Villa could be much greater, with the club's Premier League status in jeopardy.
Villa are just two points off the relegation zone ahead of Saturday's crunch visit by fellow strugglers Wolves.
But it is clear some of the divisions, splits and rows in the camp which dogged the early days of Gerard Houllier's reign have resurfaced despite him bombing out misfits like John Carew and Stephen Ireland in January.
And there surely cannot be a worse time for any club to be fighting internal strife than during a relegation run-in.
Now, I am aware that some Villa fans are very unhappy with the press and think we are all making Dunne and Collins' drinking session out to be a much bigger issue than it is.
Granted, most Brits love a few drinks, but Villa's response - involving their in-house lawyer and Human Resources department and trying to fine the players more than the PFA's recommended two-week sanctions - shows just how seriously the club are taking it.
And surely fans can appreciate the gravity of the situation when two senior players, who have both captained the club in the last 12 months, flout rules and show a complete lack of respect for the management.
For starters, what kind of example is that to set Villa's very young squad?
At the moment, the likes of Marc Albrighton, Ciaran Clark, Nathan Delfouneso and co have been model young pros.
But the club do not want them to start believing this sort of behaviour by Dunne and Collins is acceptable.
The pair were allowed a few drinks at Champneys Spa last week, as first reported by MirrorFootball last week , but getting totally wrecked while representing the club on a bonding trip and slagging off the manager and his staff - while knocking over a dining room dividing screen in the process - shows a complete lack of respect for everything and everyone connected with Villa.
Their actions simply cannot be tolerated and that is why Villa are so furious.
If Dunne and Collins went unpunished it would encourage total anarchy at the club - and all footballers tend to take a few liberties anyway.
So if fans want to blame the press for reporting this story, then I suggest any grievances would be better channeled by urging Messrs Dunne and Collins to start giving better value for money on and off the pitch.
Dunne is paid £53,000-a-week, which is more than most people collect in a year, and Collins got a big pay-rise to leave West Ham.
It all contributes to the huge £80million annual wage bill Villa are left with following former manager Martin O'Neill's spending spree, so relegation would be an absolute financial disaster.
If senior players are going to slaughter the boss behind his back and undermine him, then it is clearly not going to help results and unify the dressing room behind Houllier, which is what the club needs right now.
Dunne was outstanding last season following his £5million move from Manchester City, but his form has been poor this season and he has not looked fully fit to me.
So I would have thought supporters would want a few answers. I wrote in December that I thought something was up with Dunne when I first heard he liked a drink.
Now this sorry episode has occurred and the locally-based press are not merely using it as a stick to beat Villa for a laugh.
Houllier has actually won a lot of friends in the press for his admirable stance in trying to rebuild Villa by changing the whole working environment for players and demanding more from them - such as living near the club and training harder .
And I actually think his tough stance over this latest misdemeanour is admirable.
But thrusting Dunne and Collins into a legal row against the club is a dangerous decision at this late stage of the season.
Personally, I am not sure the pair will be either considered or picked to play for Villa at the moment - or would want to.
As it happens, they are both currently injured, but Villa have a worrying lack of options in defence anyway due to various ailments, suspensions and Houllier's freezing out of Habib Beye and Stephen Warnock.
So the Dunne and Collins incident is even more untimely, and that's another reason their behaviour is so outrageous and surely fit to be both highlighted and condemned
Read more:
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/james-nursey/Why-the-true-cost-of-Richard-Dunne-and-James-Collins-boozy-antics-could-be-Aston-Villa-s-place-in-the-Premier-League-
