IN a week where Martin O’Neill’s position at Aston Villa has come under scrutiny — seemingly because of a bout of internet rumour — Owen Coyle believes it is getting harder than ever to eliminate fact from fiction in the Premier League.

Coyle fully expects the erudite Irishman to take his place in the dugout on Saturday, where both managers will be hoping to ease the pain of comprehensive defeats in their last outings.

Villa’s 7-1 drubbing at the hands of Chelsea was their heaviest concession of goals since 1964, and was described by O’Neill as the worst result of his 16-year managerial career.

But even with his experience, the 58-year-old must have been shocked when bookmakers slashed the odds of him leaving his job from 66/1 to 7/1 in 24 hours after a raft of television, radio and internet gossip had conjured up talk of a row between him and club owner Randy Lerner.

Coyle admits he was having trouble believing the reports, which started to emerge on Tuesday morning, but claims the fact they spread so rapidly, and were believed so readily, highlights a problem in the modern game.

“The nature of the Premier League is such that every little bit of news, whether there is anything to it or not, is magnified,” he said.

“If there was anything like that going on at Villa Park, then Martin O’Neill would be saying it, I have got no doubt about that.

“It’s the biggest and best league in the world and as managers, we all know that’s the case — but it can get a little bit silly.”

O’Neill is enduring perhaps the most difficult period of his four years in charge at Villa, who lost out to Manchester United in the Carling Cup final last month and now look set to miss out on Champions League qualification.

Some of the Villa squad have complained of fatigue — and there are fitness doubts over some of his key players as he heads to the Reebok.

James Milner, Richard Dunne and Emile Heskey (all Achilles), Gabby Agbonlahor (foot) and John Carew (back) are all being monitored this week, and it would be no great surprise to see a number of big names rested with the FA Cup semi-final to follow seven days later.

Coyle will be looking to prolong the misery a little while longer, as his side look to bounce back from the 4-0 home defeat to Manchester United.

The Wanderers boss does not expect that result to affect him or his side as they prepare for Villa’s visit, and he believes the same is true of O’Neill.

“He is a top manager with a squad to match and, yes, they got beaten heavily by Chelsea,” he said. “But it is how you manage it sometimes.

“I have had a few beatings like that in the Premier League, at Bolton and Burnley, and it might well set them straight.

“But I would rather concentrate on my own team. I know that there were enough positives to take from Saturday to go into the game with plenty of confidence.”