Aston Villa chairman Doug Ellis will consider his next move today as he attempts to unravel the tangled web of accusations and denials that have emanated from the Midlands over the last 48 hours.

But the bottom line of another troubled weekend at the Villa is that manager David O'Leary could be drawn into matters regarding the alleged 'players' revolt'.

One Sunday newspaper opined that the Villa manager's job is on the line if Ellis can prove O'Leary is in any way connected with the statement released supposedly on behalf of Villa's unhappy dressing-room on Friday afternoon.

Villa's head of media and communications Phil Mepham said in a statement released by Villa on Friday night that "the chairman is furious, because he has had no indication from any member of the playing or coaching staff of any dissatisfaction at the training ground".

Then, despite two reporters being invited down to Villa's Bodymoor Heath training ground to interview supposedly discontented players, the club further responded by issuing another press release saying that "Villa's players did not release a joint squad statement criticising chairman Doug Ellis.

"There is no evidence any such squad statement exists and players remain furious they have been portrayed in this way."

Since then, without naming names, Ellis has told one reporter from a Sunday newspaper: "You can guess who has instigated all this". Another Sunday tabloid yesterday suggested that Ellis was set for a showdown meeting with O'Leary this morning to try to get to the bottom of the matter. That is unlikely, as Ellis is not expected to be in Birmingham for the next few days - he prefers to handle these matters face to face.

But the only fact of the matter which really counts is that Ellis is fuming at what has undoubtedly been a public relations disaster for the club.

Despite Villa's attempts to limit the damage, and however many players are involved, the dressing-room appears to have become split between those senior players behind the statement and those who have distanced themselves from it.

One short-term solution to the whole thorny issue could be found if O'Leary, who still has a house in north Yorkshire and is a serious target for Sunder-land, made the move to the Stadium of Light to link up with his old Arsenal and Ireland team-mate Niall Quinn.

But there is also the far from inconsequential matter of 82-year-old Ellis's private admission that he would like to relinquish control of Villa.

In terms of interested parties out there waiting for Ellis to lower his asking price, the good name of the club being dragged through the mud in this way will have upset more than just the Villa chairman.

O'Leary has already this summer been temporarily left without his No 2 Roy Aitken, still a fortnight away from a return to work, but thankfull well on the way to recovery following a cancer scare.

He has permanently lost his chief scout Ian Broomfield, poached last month for a small fee by Premiership rivals Portsmouth.

But, whichever Villa play-ers were most responsible for Friday night's statement, their moans highlighted the mood at the club.

The knowledge that no new players can be bought until star asset Milan Baros is sold - and a deal with SV Hamburg is no nearer a conclusion - has cast an added air of gloom over Bodymoor Heath.