Horton -- even though Horton insists he doesn't hold Sunday's verbal and physical attack on him against the player.

Horton was attacked by Anderson, a substitute, during the vital league match against PHC when the coach asked the player to warm up a second time in the second half.

Anderson responded by dumping a bucket of iced water on his coach, most of which missed. The outburst continued for several minutes causing referee Stuart Crockwell to stop the match.

Horton said he tried his best to diffuse the situation by not challenging the player.

"I felt he had lost it and there was no point in me being aggravating towards him any more than he felt I was already,'' said Horton yesterday, speaking publicly for the first time on the matter.

"He had enough respect that he didn't really hit me. He did verbally abuse me and called me all kinds of names but it was a half-hearted throw of the bucket. I just got a little bit of ice on my sleeve.'' Horton said he didn't notice that the player was particularly unhappy, despite being unable to command a regular place in the team.

"I never had a run-in with him and he's always been very respectful to me before,'' said Horton.

"It wasn't like we had had conflicts. But obviously there were things inside him that he was not saying, although he had only played sporadically.'' Horton said he would welcome the opportunity to speak with the player, though he stands by the decision he made and his own feelings about what form of discipline should be meted out.

"In my view, if there is that kind of reaction there is no way that player can play and there still be proper discipline in the team. He's been around and seen other things that have happened and how I've handled them.

"I haven't been able to reach him but I would like to talk to him, although that's not going to make me let him play. He was one of the few players who would call my house if he couldn't come training, that's why it was a shock to me.

"A lot of times you have spectators or friends saying `you should be playing' and that doesn't help. I know he was coaxed on a little bit because of the comments when he was warming up.'' Horton, who pulled the team out of the Second Division last season, is facing a tough job trying to keep the side in the top flight. On Sunday, after a string of bad results, he made some changes to the team.

In comments he was overheard to make, Anderson eluded to favouritism on the part of Horton whom he also blamed for the team's current plight.

"I make decisions based on what is best for the team, that's why I am the coach,'' said Horton.

"Lots of guys think they are much better than they are and that they should be playing, but if I'm not playing somebody then it's because I think the people who are playing can help the team better than them.

"I don't have anybody that I play because I like them. I play them because I think they are going to be the best people to help the team win, bottom line.

If I make a substitution then it's to help the team do better.'' One player who has lost his place recently after a promising start is midfielder Jalani Scott. Horton praised the teenager for the way he had conducted himself since being dropped.

"He's a prime example of what we need to see in our young people and their attitude towards the game.'' Somerset president Reggie Pearman declined comment on the matter yesterday, only saying that it was an internal issue that would be dealt with.

"We'll deal with it when we get all our reports in,'' said Pearman. Somerset, presently three points ahead of the bottom two teams in the standings, face another crucial game on the weekend when they meet champions Devonshire Colts.

"I think our biggest problem is the difficulty for guys to believe in themselves,'' said Horton.

"We have lost some heart-breakers...the game against Hotels when they tied right at the end and then against Cougars when we were hard done. So when you are not getting the results it's difficult for the guys.

"The only team that really hammered us was Vasco who are the best team in Bermuda when they click. They gave us a clinic the other night and played some of the best football I've seen when they beat us 4-1.''