Football Betting

Man City Manager

Mark Hughes would do well to listen to the parable of Big Sam. Sam Allardyce was one of the most promising managers in English football and one of the leading contenders for the national team job at one point until he decided to leave his club Bolton for a team who finished lower in the table and had an impatient chairman. Now poor Sam finds his reputation in tatters.

For Hughes, a wrong move could prove even more costly because right now his future looks even more promising than Allardyce’s did. He’s a leading contender for the Chelsea job, and second favourite to take over at Old Trafford when Sir Alex Ferguson retires. Would he really throw it all away by going to their local rivals?

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Mark Hughes
Could Mark Hughes be playing with Manchester City in an attempt to force Roman Abramovich into making a move? Sparky has now taken over as favourite for the Chelsea job for the first time but remains the odds-on favourite to take over at Eastlands too.
Verdict: Far from a done deal

Zico
Fenerbahce are letting the Brazilian legend go but he achieved a fair amount while he was there – being the only club to beat Chelsea in the Champions League this season over 90 minutes and winning every home game in the competition.
Verdict: A big name with potential

Sam Allardyce
Still boasts a decent CV despite failing to make the most of his shot at Newcastle but Shinawatra may be too proud to consider a man who got sacked from a club who finished below Manchester City.
Verdict: A very slim chance

Slaven Bilic
Bilic has made no secret of his desire to get involved in English football again but he has also pledged his allegiance to the Croatia national team until 2010 and appears to have his heart set on managing his country at the World Cup.
Verdict: Very unlikely

Roberto Mancini
Even if he does miss out on the Chelsea job, it’s difficult to imagine the man who has led Inter Milan to three straight league titles would take over at a mid-table Premier League club with a chairman just as impatient as his Inter boss Massimo Moratti.
Verdict: Would be a step backwards

Frank Rijkaard
Slightly more likely than Mancini to take the job if spurned by Chelsea if only for the fact the former Barca job is recovering from failure while Mancini is on a winning streak, meaning the Dutchman could have less offers on the table.
Verdict: A slight chance but a big outsider

Luis Felipe Scolari
Scolari’s odds on becoming Chelsea manager have lengthened and given his lack of European club football experience then Manchester City might be a better starting point, with Shinawatra in a position to offer a competitive pay packet.
Verdict: In the running

Avram Grant
After having a taste of English football, Grant may be desperate for more and for the opportunity to show Chelsea they were wrong to sack him. However would Shinawatra value the job Grant did at Chelsea and would the Israeli want to work with another trigger-happy chairman?
Verdict: Could be a contender

02/06/08

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