Martin O'Neill: Liverpool are trying to unsettle Gareth Barry

Martin O'Neill last night accused Liverpool of trying to unsettle Gareth Barry.

He blasted them for making a £10million bid 48 hours before Aston Villa's vital game today. Villa received a fax from Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry on Thursday offering a combination of cash and the choice of Peter Crouch, John Arne Riise and Jermaine Pennant for England ace Barry.

O'Neill is livid the offer arrived in the build-up to UEFA Cup hopefuls Villa's game against Wigan.

O'Neill fears the timing may have been designed to sabotage Villa's hopes of qualifying for Europe, which will affect their prospects of keeping ambitious captain Barry.

And a fuming O'Neill insists the tactic, which could spark a bidding war as Chelsea and Arsenal are also interested, is not the way "the Liverpool of old" conducted themselves.

"It is particularly disappointing because we have two very important games left," stormed O'Neill, who plans to phone Parry direct to complain after rejecting the bid.

"I got a fax Thursday so it was on my desk in the afternoon and I haven't had time to formally answer it.

"It wasn't a £10m cash offer, it was a mish-mash of exchange of players so I basically disregarded it. I would have answered Liverpool in the proper fashion but it is tantamount to trying to unsettle Gareth.

"It is not the way Liverpool of old used to do business and to say I am disappointed is an understatement.

"It has been very disruptive when we have a game coming up and I am loathe to say it is a joke of a price because it implies we would accept a better bid.

"But we actually want to try and compete for the very best players - we don't want to be a feeder club and Gareth Barry is one of our very best players."

Privately, O'Neill even fears Liverpool may have tapped Barry up as the midfielder spoke last month of his desire for Champions League football.

And there is no doubt Barry, who has 18 caps, is tempted by the prospect of moving to Anfield to partner fellow England star Steven Gerrard after learning of the offer yesterday.

But O'Neill still hopes to persuade Barry, who has two years left on his £47,000-aweek deal, to pen a new deal at Villa Park this summer and help the club try to break into the top four next term.