Martin O’Neill lit the blue touchpaper ahead of tomorrow’s CSKA clash by delivering a damning response to Zico’s claims Villa are one-dimensional.

The Moscow coach raised the stakes ahead of tomorrow night’s UEFA Cup return leg last 32 clash in the Russian capital by suggesting the claret and blues were overly reliant on Ashley Young during the 1-1 draw at Villa Park last week.

The Brazilian legend said: “We were not surprised by the way Villa played. It was very seldom they had the ball on the ground making passes.

“They get Ashley Young to put the ball into the box a lot. We expected this sort of game and we were ready for it.”

Villa will be without Young for the Luzhniki Stadium clash after he was one of eight first teamers left behind in what was a clear message from the Villa boss reaching the Champions League tops his agenda.

But that has not stopped O’Neill hitting back at the South American’s slur.

“I knew what way CSKA were going to play,” said O’Neill. “I knew exactly what they were going to do because I’ve seen them all play, a few of them in the flesh.

“But I wouldn’t be running round telling them how they play or what they play is good, bad or indifferent.

“We won – we being Nottingham Forest – the league championship and two European Cups, which I don’t think CSKA Moscow have won yet, by getting it out wide to a world class winger (O’Neill’s Villa assistant John Robertson).

“He beat a couple of players, put his foot on it for 10 minutes, did a wee bit of dribbling, whipped it in and Garry Birtles or Tony Woodcock headed it or volleyed it into the net.

“I was coming in at the backpost and I witnessed all this from another angle!

“Zico would also have played in sides that could get it wide and beat players. I thought this was all part of the game. Somebody should tell me then that that’s not allowed.

“I don’t know whether it was a criticism that they knew what we were going to do.

“The fact that they were unable to stop a world class player like Ashley Young from doing what is allowed on the pitch might tell me something.”

And O’Neill rubbished suggestions Villa only have a predictable Plan A.

“Are we one-dimensional? Absolutely not, far from it,” he added.

“It’s a cop out to tell you the truth. If getting it wide and somebody beating three or four players exhilarates the crowd I don’t see a great deal wrong with it.”

Meanwhile, Villa’s rested stars will be allowed to put their feet up until Friday, O’Neill revealed today. None of Gareth Barry, Ashley Young, Gabby Agbonlahor, Brad Friedel, James Milner, Emile Heskey and Stiliyan Petrov have travelled to Russia.

The Villa players will report back to training on Friday to prepare for Sunday’s Stoke clash before linking up with the remainder of their returning team-mates on Saturday.

And O’Neill hopes the break will give them a chance to recharge their batteries following signs of fatigue in recent games.

“The players who have stayed behind will be resting for a few days,” said O’Neill.

“It will give them a chance to just get away from things. Then we will regroup when the rest of us come back again.

“The boys will be in on Friday, we won’t be back until Friday afternoon so it will be Saturday before we all get together again.

“I said that about four of the lads who were injured last week wouldn’t be travelling anyway.”

And Carlos Cuellar and Nigel Reo-Coker will continue building up their fitness following hamstring problems.

“Even though Carlos Cuellar played against Chelsea at the weekend, we felt it would be better for him to do some work back home, the same goes for Nigel Reo-Coker,” added O’Neill.