Villa sources dismiss O’Neill quit rumours

ASTON VILLA sources yesterday dismissed reports which claimed manager Martin O’Neill had quit the midlands club.

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 Barclays Premier League manager to leave his post were slashed from 66-1 to 7-1.

Villa were unwilling to comment officially on reports which they are adamant are wide of the mark.

And 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 (£12m), Stephen Warnock (£7m), Richard Dunne (£6m), Fabian Delph (£6m) James Collins (£5m) and Habib Beye (£3m).

He recouped £12m 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.

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, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Milner and Stiliyan Petrov.

There has also been no public response 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.

Carew, meanwhile, is sweating on his chances of being fit for Aston Villa’s FA Cup semi-final showdown with Chelsea on April 10.

He is suffering with a back injury that saw him leave Stamford Bridge in pain on Saturday.

“The pains can come and go, and now they seem to be back,’’ Carew said.

“I will be examined and treated in Birmingham, and the next 48 hours will determine how long I will be out.”