Newcastle managers normally get off to a strong start

Maybe Alan Shearer won’t be a complete disaster after all

Newcastle are 11 points shy of the magic 40 points mark that has been enough to survive in all but one of the last 13 seasons. To help figure out what chance Alan Shearer has of achieving that total, chickendinner decided to look at how well the last few Magpies bosses have settled into the role:

The positive sign is that seven of the eight took at least ten points although it is notable that the one exception was the big hearts-over-head appointment heralded as the return of a messiah to St James’ Park. In terms of the betting, Newcastle are now 2.3 on Betfair to be relegated, having been 2.12 before rumours of Shearer’s impending appointment started to circulate.

Posted: April 2nd, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Are Blackburn really going to welcome Graeme Souness back with open arms?

Former boss is the 11/10 favourite to return with Ladbrokes

Paul Ince has today become the sixth Premier League manager to leave their post this season, in the process saving what was in danger of being a chronically slow news day. Here are the leading contenders to replace the Guv’nor at Ewood Park:

Graeme Souness (best price: 5/2 with Paddy Power)
Souness took the club back into the Premier League and won the League Cup during his first spell as manager between 2000 and 2004 and starts as the early favourite to regain the position after newspaper reports over the last few days linked him to the post. He walked out of the club four years ago for Newcastle after a winless start which left Rovers in the relegation zone and at the time it was rumoured that Souness had jumped before he was pushed.

Sam Allardyce (best price: 3/1 general)
In case you haven’t read a newspaper since January, Sam Allardyce is pretty interested in finding himself a job and having previously overachieved without spending much money at Bolton, he is a strong candidate. However, Blackburn opted for Ince over more experienced candidates like Allardyce and Steve McClaren in the summer so Big Sam may bear a grudge.

Alan Curbishley (best price: 10/1 with Paddy Power)

Posted: December 16th, 2008 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment