Derby County boss Billy Davies admits he clashed with defender Claude Davis at half-time of last week's defeat by Aston Villa.

It has been a frustrating time for the Rams in the opening months of the season, never more so than at Aston Villa last weekend when Davies left the dug-out at half-time content, only for his mood to change dramatically when centre-back Davis revealed he could not continue due to an adductor muscle problem.

"Saturday at half-time was the angriest I have been this season," Davies revealed of his altercation with Davis, who is definitely out of the West Ham fixture.

"But I picked the wrong man, he was 6ft 4ins and I was two foot six.

"He was coming off at half-time and I was angry because I felt the change would cost us the game and had been a huge dent for us.

"There were words, I said a few things and I tried to grab him by the throat but he was too high!

"We had played so well for 45 minutes we could have done without the disruption. We had looked solid as a team and losing him was a big, big loss which unfortunately happened, so I lost the plot."