Aston Villa sources have dismissed reports which claimed manager
Martin O'Neill had quit the club after disagreements with Randy
Lerner.
Radio and internet reports suggested O'Neill had decided to
end his four-year reign at Villa Park following disagreements with
club owner Randy Lerner over his transfer budget for next season.
O'Neill's odds to be the next Premier League manager to leave
his post were slashed from 66-1 to 7-1.
Villa are unwilling to comment officially on reports which
they are adamant are wide of the mark.
But sources close to the club are adamant the claims O'Neill
has opted to leave are "pure nonsense".
O'Neill spent heavily last summer in bringing in the likes of
James Milner (£12million), Stephen Warnock (£7million),
Richard Dunne (£6million), Fabian Delph (£6million) James
Collins (£5million) and Habib Beye (£3million).
He recouped £12 million of this outlay from the sale of
Gareth Barry to Manchester City.
But in January O'Neill admitted he had to adhere to a "sell
to buy" policy if he was to bring in new players during that
transfer window.
And he did not add to his squad and sold midfielder Craig
Gardner to local rivals Birmingham for £3million.
O'Neill has admitted Villa do not have the strength in depth
of the established leading clubs in the top flight.
And his squad is now being stretched to the limit because of
injuries to Dunne, John Carew, Emile Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor,
James Milner and Stiliyan Petrov with several of them playing when
not 100% fit.
There has also been no public reponse from Lerner as to how
much money - if any - O'Neill will have to bolster his playing
strength this summer.
But chances of obtaining a Champions League spot - and its
financial riches - have floundered.
Villa are now seven points adrift of fourth placed Tottenham
after the 7-1 loss at Chelsea on Saturday - their first league
defeat of 2010.
