Guus Hiddink is the favourite once more for the Chelsea job

Click here for all the latest odds on who will succeed Scolari

Anyone who followed chickendinner’s coverage of the next Chelsea manager market in the summer will remember how volatile it is and that about a dozen different men spent time as favourite before Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed. This time round it’s no different.

Guus Hiddink and Avram Grant started as joint 2/1 favourites and since then Sven-Goran Eriksson’s odds were briefly suspended, Gianfranco Zola closed as favourite last night and Frank Rijkaard emerged as the frontrunner early this morning. However, Hiddink has now re-emerged as favourite closely followed by Grant after claims from Sky Sports that Chelsea will decide between one of them in the next 24 hours.

Posted: February 10th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Will Grayson drop down a division to manage Leeds?

Blackpool boss is 1/20 with Sky Bet to succeed McAllister

When chickendinner were informed that Gary McAllister had been sacked as Leeds manager yesterday, the name Gus Poyet immediately sprung to mind as to who was most likely to succeed him. However, while the former Elland Road number two was the initial frontrunner, he has been overtaken in the betting by Blackpool boss Simon Grayson, who is now 1/20 with Sky Bet.

If Grayson took the job it would mean stepping down a league after taking Blackpool into the Championship two seasons ago, where they now lie 16th. chickendinner could think of plenty of players who have stepped down a league or two in an attempt to prolong their carrers - Chris Coleman, Lee Carsley and Kevin Phillips for example - but it’s not so common for managers to make such a move.

Posted: December 22nd, 2008 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