Manager Merry-Go-Round Starts Already.
We’re only a couple of weeks into the season and already two Premier League managers have decided to call it a day and have resigned. Alan Curbishley has left West Ham and Kevin Keegan has resigned as Newcastle boss, with both mangers citing interference in the running of the team and in the transfer markets as a factor on their decision to quit.
So who will be taking over in the hot seat at the two clubs?
West Ham have already started interviewing for the vacant position and if reports can believed had around forty applications for the post. Ex-West Ham player and current Manager of Croatia Slaven Bilic would be a popular choice of many West Ham supporters. He has an ever growing reputation at International level as one of the best young managers in the game and his passion for the game (and West Ham) makes him an obvious choice. He was the favourite to get the job in the initial betting but is now an 11/2 (Skybet) shot. This move in the betting is probably down to the fact that he wants to lead Croatia to the 2010 World Cup Finals and that may be a major stumbling block in his decision to join the Hammers.
Gianfranco Zola is the current favourite at 5/4 (Coral) after reports that the West Ham board were impressed by his interview which took place on Friday. Zola doesn’t have a lot of management experience but he has been in charge of the Italian under 21 side and although it could be seen as a risk to appoint a manger with no experience of managing a top class club, he cannot be discounted.
Other candidates in the frame include Roberto Mancini 14/1 (Ladbrokes). He has won three Serie A titles as a manger and has the credentials to do well with a club like West Ham. He may not want to move to a club that isn’t in a European competition however and we’re not convinced he will be a live candidate.
Sam Allardyce is 50/1 (Skybet) but he could be a lively outsider as he has the Premier League experience that West Ham say they are looking for. One criticism of Allardyce has been the way his teams play and West Ham fans are well known for wanting their teams to play attractive football, so that’s a negative as far as Allardyce is concerned, but we think he’ll still be seriously considered by the West Ham board.
We’re favouring Zola to get the job but Slaven Bilic does make a lot of appeal at the price if the West Ham board can persuade him to leave his post with Croatia.
Up in the North it’s chaos as usual at Newcastle. Claims and counterclaims by Keegan and the Newcastle board about why he resigned have been issued and it just shows how much turmoil there is at the club. The Newcastle fans are far from happy with owner Mike Ashley about the way Keegan has appeared to be treated and it hard to see how the board will be able to appease the fans, no matter who they decide to appoint as manager.
Gus Poyet is favourite to get the job at 11/10 (Betfair). He is well respected as a coach in footballing circles, but it’s his relationship with Dennis Wise-who is seen as the villain in Keegan’s departure by most Newcastle fans-that would make this an unpopular choice.
Alan Shearer would be the most popular choice and although he is only 12/1 (Skybet) there’s little chance he will be interested in the position at present.
Many Newcastle fans think Dennis Wise has been angling to get the job since his arrival at the club and he is a 14/1 (Ladbrokes) shot. If he were to be appointed the backlash from the Newcastle fans could be crippling to the club and we don’t think Mike Ashley would be silly enough to alienate the fans totally by appointing Wise as manager.
We don’t think David Moyes 16/1 (Skybet) would be willing to come to a club without having total control of team affairs and that could be said for many of the candidates being touted for the job.
That’s the main reason we think Gus Poyet will indeed be given the job, as he has worked with Dennis Wise before and they seem to have a good relationship both on and off the field, but he will have an extremely tough job on his to win over the Newcastle fans.