Villa boss O'Neill unhappy with Wenger over his quest for midfielder Barry

boss admitted he was ‘fed-up’ with rival managers speaking about his star midfielder as the boss revealed his liking of the player.

O’Neill has rejected the chance to make an official complaint about Wenger but it is clear that he is running out of patience.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill is unhappy with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger for his public pursuit of Gareth Barry

It is also likely that Rafael Benitez, who has been outspoken in his pursuit of Barry, too, will feel a cold shoulder when Liverpool visit Villa Park next week after the two had enjoyed a previously cordial relationship.

O’Neill said: ‘I’ve heard nothing from Arsene Wenger himself, so it is strange.

'I read his comments and I just thought they were strange.

'Bizarre, really.

‘I don’t know whether you can say there isn’t any honour among managers any more.

'What I would say is that Arsene Wenger doesn’t usually come out with comments like that.

'I accept he has made a bit of a slip, shall we say.

'I’m sure I will slip up myself in that way, one day.

'There are plenty of slips you can make as a manager, you know, like not winning games for a start.’

O’Neill was also on the front foot as he countered Fabio Capello’s accusation that Barry’s form has dipped because of the uncertainty about his future.

England’s coach suggested after the midweek draw with the Czech Republic that the midfielder had suffered following a summer of speculation linking him with a move away from Villa Park.

England boss Fabio Capello says Gareth Barry's form has dipped due the summer speculation over his future

But O’Neill said he had seen no deterioration.

‘If the England manager has that opinion of Gareth, he’s entitled to it,’ he said.

‘My own view from an Aston Villa perspective is that Gareth has played exceptionally well for us.

‘He did great when he came on against Odense.

'He wanted to play in Iceland against Hafnarfjordur and he did remarkably well.

'As he did against Manchester City.

‘In terms of his fitness, it’s getting there. It has been stop-start for him.

'The uncertainty of everything is there but it certainly hasn’t affected him in any of our games.’

Though Wenger was criticised by O’Neill, another manager was happy to do transfer business with him.

Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson explained why he allowed Mikael Silvestre to move to Arsenal, the first Manchester United to join the Gunners for 34 years.

Ferguson said yesterday he believed the 31-year-old was joining Sunderland or Manchester City on Tuesday afternoon before Arsenal came in with a late offer.

Ferguson said: ‘Mikael Silvestre came to see me at the end of the season and said he wanted first team football. I agreed with him.

‘He has given me nine years good service. There is no point in holding on to a player who has lost his position to Patrice Evra.

‘He is a really nice lad and a great professional.'