Lita heading for the exit after snub from Coppell

Lita was incensed at comments attributed to Coppell that he had refused to play at White Hart Lane. But after he was again shoved on only for the dying minutes of a defeat in which Reading paid a heavy price for their failure to pick up at set pieces, the forward suggested it was time to move on.

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"The gaffer has come out and said I didn't want to play at Spurs. I wasn't happy with that at all," he said. "I had told him that if I was going to move on, he might as well play the lads who were looking to stay because otherwise I would be cup-tied.

"That's what I said. I didn't say I did not want to play. It's frustrating and a bit personal. I didn't like that. Not at all.

"I'm not looking to sign a new deal here. I don't know whether I will be here after this transfer window because if something comes along — and it's good for me to move — I'm going to go.

"I've been training well, working hard and pushing for a place. And I've got nothing.

"The manager has said that if my agent wants to sort me out, he's not going to stand in my way. Since then, I've not played a full game. I had 13 minutes today and three minutes at Liverpool. The boss is not showing me he wants me here."

One person who appears to be staying put, however, is Villa's defender Martin Laursen. That news will be greeted with relief among the Holte End faithful, who repeatedly called on manager Martin O'Neill to pin the Denmark international down regarding his a new contract. A midweek meeting is planned and it appears both sides are happy to commit themselves.

The loquacious Irishman is fast running out of superlatives to describe the centre half who has been Villa's outstanding performer this season. And he has beaten off stiff competition from Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young to land that accolade.

He nodded home his sixth goal of the season from a deadball situation — half of Villa's goals this season have come from corners or free-kicks. John Carew claimed the first, while Laursen added the second from Young's corner.

He could have picked up a hat-trick such was the level of Reading's defending. Laursen said: "There's going to be a meeting in the middle of next week and we'll see what that brings.

"I didn't hear the fans sing: "Sign him up". But it's not a secret that I like it here. I feel settled on and off the pitch. I enjoy living here.

"I have a good relationship with the manager and everyone around the club. I would like to stay so hopefully we can find some kind of agreement.

"But I don't know whether it will include a goal bonus. Martin O'Neill and my national manager have both told me it was an area I need to improve.

"I hadn't done well enough at it. I hadn't scored enough goals in my career, that's a fact. I thought about it. When you want to improve something, work on it and then see the results you get massive satisfaction."

O'Neill also praised Young, who was involved in all three goals. The Villa manager said: 'If you had asked me whether I thought Ashley would have played for England by this time, then I would not have been sure about that.

'But if you're asking me whether I thought he would have made an impact, then the answer is yes.

'He was a young kid who had been at Watford all his life and took a bit of time getting used to the surroundings here. 'But he has taken things by storm. He has been fantastic.'

Villa are unbeaten in six league games and their next test — at Anfield a week tonight — will tell O'Neill just how well-equipped he is to challenge for the rest of the campaign.

However, his reading rival Coppell was unhappy. He bridled at questions regarding his side's awful away record. 'It's not an issue,' he said. 'We don't think: "We're away from home, we've got no chance of winning".

'We don't prepare any differently. The way we go at it is still the same. We go hell for leather whether we play at home or away.'