Football Premier League Manager Betting 2009
Online betting fans with a understanding, knowledge and passion for the beautiful game can stretch and flex their punting muscles ahead of each new Premiership Betting season by potentially banking on what will happen on the managerial merry go-round when the campaign kicks off in August. Increasing numbers of virtual bets are taken year on year as to which Premiership managers will still be in their plum job by Christmas and who will have been shown the red card by their Chairmen before Guy Fawkes Night.
Before the current Premier League season was even ushered in, online bookmakers were busy compiling their football Premier League manager betting 2009-2010 hit-list; a comprehensive list of odds that unceremoniously suggest who will be the first managerial causalities of forthcoming campaigns. Rightly or wrongly, it's been a familiar story the past few close seasons, and at the end of the day it's seen by many to be nothing more than some harmless fun. Albeit at the expense of someone's livelihood. There's no arguing that betting on the short, medium and long term fortunes of the typical Premier League manager generates a deal of interest even before the opening weekend of games get under way, with the usual suspects being those unwitting gaffers at the helm of the teams that were promoted to the Premiership the season before. And of course those who only just managed to steer their charges on a course away from relegation at the tail end of May.
Have Liverpool finally had their fill of Rafa?
After another point was dropped against relegation fodder Wolves, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has now shortened to 3/1 in the Premier League manager sack race as it looks that the patience of both the fans and board may finally be starting to wear thin. By mid-January Liverpool had already dropped more points than they had in their entire 2008-2009 campaign, were out of the F.A. Cup, League Cup and Champions League and are more concerned with trying to secure a fourth place league finish than harbouring any realistic title aspirations.
In truth it is quite surprising to see him still sitting in the Liverpool dugout at this stage and with speculation linking him to the Juventus job on the increase it may be the right time for an amicable split. If he does leave then Jose Mourinho and Kenny Dalglish are the bookmakers favourites (both at 3/1) to take over with Guus Hiddink (4/1) next in the betting.
Gianfranco Zola is the other man who heads the next manager to leave betting but a vote of confidence from the new board and his popularity with the West Ham fans should keep him in a job for the remainder of the season at least, unless they become so deeply entwined in a relegation battle that there is no other option.
Barclays Premier League Strugglers Bolton Wanderers Part Company With Manager Gary Megson
'Tis the season of goodwill to all men it maybe, but someone should have tried 'psssstting' that and 'passing it on' to Bolton Wanderers' chairman and board before they dismissed under pressure manager, Gary Megson only days after Christmas. The former West Bromwich Albion gaffer was called before the Reebok Stadium firing squad shortly after the Trotters' 2-2 Barclays Premier League draw with fellow relegation-haunted side, Hull City, as Megson's team allowed the Tigers to claw their way back from two goals down to claim a share of the points. Never the fans' favourite, Megson himself knew that whatever he managed to achieve with limited resources at the Reebok still wouldn't win the vast majority of the home supporters over; and for the large part always seemed to be operating within the imposing shadow of the ever popular ex-Bolton head honcho, Sam Allardyce.
The cacophony of fans' calls for Megson's head at the final whistle of the Hull City game ultimately proved too much for the Wanderers' board to ignore, and in fairness to everyone concerned, his imminent departure was a long time coming. His fifth sacking of his managerial career tells its own sorry story, the story of a football man who has seen winning over club fans as an incidental wherever he's rolled up on his own footballing odyssey; sections of Nottingham Forest and Leicester City supporters echoing the opinions of Bolton fans in implying that he wasn't the man to take the team forward. So, with three Barclays Premier League managers already licking their wounds by Christmas – Paul Hart, Mark Hughes and now Gary Megson – just who's next in the football Premier League manager betting 2009 firing line as we look around the corner at 2010?
Football Premier League Manager Betting 2009 – The 'Sack Race' Continues
OK, time for another of our regular Free Betting Online Premier League manager 'status updates'. Not quite of the sunny variety uploaded by Facebook users, more the type that comes with the accompanying P45. Yup, the Barclays Premier League's official 'Sack Race' has taken another shock and cynical turn in December 2009, as the second high profile managerial casualty has been asked to clear his desk. Only this time – with all due respect to Paul Hart – he's someone befitting of the phrase high profile. And whilst the nature of his departure may be cynical, in reality it wasn't quite the biggest shock in football Premier League manager betting 2009 market circles. Indeed, news greets us all that Mark Hughes is no longer the man in charge at Manchester City. Not that he ever was officially 'in charge' of Sheik Mansour's multi-squillion pound fortune that Hughes has squandered, sorry, spent so wisely to date.
Manchester City Sack Mark Hughes And Recruit Roberto Mancini As Immediate Replacement
After a run of 2 wins in 10 Premier League games, Manchester City's wealthy Middle Eastern benefactors have decided enough is enough and called time on former Manchester United striker, Mark Hughes' managerial time at Eastlands. Sadly they don't seem to have taken into account that there's only been the 2 defeats in those 10 games, the rest being draws, whilst City sit in the top 10 of the Premier League and have reached the Semi-Finals of this season's Carling Cup where they're set to face arch rivals, United. Not exactly relegation form, but then we suppose when you've dished out over £200 million on players you might hope for a slightly better return on your investment. The problem Hughes faced was always going to be insurmountable to the neutral footballing observer, as it's the age old tale that copious amounts of wonga don't guarantee Premier League success. Not overnight anyway, as City's owners were expecting.
Premier League Manager Mark Hughes Pays The Price For Manchester City's Recent Patchy Run Of Form
It all takes time when you effectively purchase and attempt to get an entire new team of 11 or more players to gel out on the pitch and to second guess their team mates thoughts and actions. And as the great BBC Match of the Day philosopher-in-residence, Gary Lineker pointed out, money can't buy you time. Or love for that matter, as Hughes found out. Still, 'Sparkey' went out on a high, after presiding over his City charges winning a barn-storming 4 – 3 win over Sunderland in a typically pulsating Premier League encounter at the City of Manchester Stadium, which finished with him applauding the fans for a while longer than normal; suggesting that something was clearly afoot behind the scenes. That being the seamless departure of Hughes and arrival of Italian coach, Roberto Mancini, veteran of three successive Serie A titles with Inter Milan.
Mark Hughes and Manchester City aside, and our mid term football Premier League manager betting 2009 report turns its attention to Liverpool's under-fire Rafa Benitez, Hull City's hapless Phil Brown and West Ham United's out of his depth Gianfranco Zola. The current managers of the latter two teams must be enduring sleepless nights at the moment as both clubs are struggling to keep up appearances at the bottom of the Barclays Premier League, which will be giving their respective owners reason to question the capabilities of their employees to turn things around. Add to that the sudden coming onto the market of the semi-successful Mark Hughes in a few weeks time, and who knows. And then there's Liverpool. Still Benitez and his current squad of under-achievers are doing their utmost to embarrass Liverpool – with the exception of Gerrard, Carragher and Torres – and still the reds' owners keep faith with the Spaniard; although as we've already pointed out, that's got a lot more to do with them not being able to afford to offload him just yet rather than unswerving belief that he can turn things around at Anfield. Again, watch this space for way more football Premier League manager betting 2009 news as it breaks...........
Rafa Benitez And Phil Brown Next In Football Premier League Manager Betting 2009 Firing Line
Now is as good a time as any to see exactly where we are when it comes to Premier League manager betting 2009; or to be more pertinent, exactly where the online football betting bookies' managerial favourites for the early season chop are in terms of job safety. Surprisingly it's not – as predicted by many – those at the helm of the newly promoted teams that are currently seeing their positions as distinctly untenable as we go to press. On the contrary, Messrs McCarthy (Wolves), McLeish (Birmingham) and Coyle (Burnley) remain pretty much unscathed after the first few months of Barclays Premiership cut and thrust (especially so the latter, Owen Coyle as he's guided his Burnley troops to some massive wins and shock results thus far).
No, those Premier League managers looking closely over their shoulders as the vultures begin to circle overhead are less obvious. Well, excepting perhaps Phil Brown at Hull City and Paul Hart at Portsmouth say, who were mentioned by many of the game's observers (ourselves included) to be in precarious positions as the current campaign got under way. Rafael Benitez is in theory the man with most to loose (or gain, depending on which schools of thought you subscribe to), as his perennially faltering Liverpool have in recent weeks seen the already rickety wheels well and truly fall off their Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League wagon after a run of defeats both home and away, despite the massive victory over arch rivals, Manchester United t'other week.
Paul Hart Leaves Portsmouth As Avram Grant Looks Likely Replacement According To Online Football Betting Bookies
Paul Hart has become the first managerial casualty of the 2009-2010 Barclays Premier League season after parting company with struggling Portsmouth, which of course paves the way for Avram Grant to try the Pompey hot-seat for size in the coming days. Cynical as that may sound, it will surprise no-one to learn that the Israeli-born ex-Chelsea boss is only hours away from having his work permit application cleared, and looks all set to become the south coast club's fourth manager inside 13 months. However before we get too carried away, other possible contenders have suddenly had their odds shortened by the Football Premier League Manager betting 2009 price compiling internet bookies, so there could be a last minute sting in the tail for Grant-ites who believed all along that his imminent elevation to Pompey's Director of Football position served purely as a smoke-screen to the inevitable.
Although trading as William Hill's prime Portsmouth Next Permanent Manager virtual betting pick, former Peterborough United coach and highly thought of son of Manchester United boss, Darren Ferguson is a close second favourite to land the Fratton Park job, with ex-Charlton Athletic and former Reading head honcho – Alan Curbishley and Steve Coppell respectively – also said to be in the frame. Portsmouth stalwart Joe Jordan, Croatia national team coach, Slaven Bilic and even BBC Match of the Day pundit and eternal Newcastle United will-he-or-won't-he man, Alan Shearer have all been linked with the vacant role by William Hill in the last week of November 2009. and then there's the usual names that are bandied around at times like this; David O'Leary, Glenn Hoddle, Roberto Mancini, Sven-Goran Erikkson, Kevin Keegan, Terry Venables, Harry Redknapp, Santa Claus and Old Tom Cobley.
Mourinho, Dalglish And Hiddink Still Linked To Benitez' Job At Liverpool Say Paddy Power And SkyBet
Someone still very much in the throes of still looking over their shoulder – despite everyone and their dog insisting that he's only just signed a five year contract that his team couldn't afford to buy out so he's not going anywhere in a hurry so there – is Liverpool's under fire manager, Rafael Benitez. The architect of their recent UEFA Champions League downfall, the Reds' top man must surely be feeling the icy breath of Messrs Mourinho, Dalglish, Hiddink, Mancini, O' Neil and Klinsmann on the back of his neck as we write. All of whom are currying a deal of favour with both Paddy Power and SkyBet who have extended their Liverpool Next permanent Manager books to welcome some much stranger suggestions for those football Premier League manager betting 2009 fans hoping to cash in on the turmoil and unrest at Anfield this November.
Aside from Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten (so far, so good still), silly season has evidently started in earnest when you note the names Didier Deschamps, Manuel Pelligrini, Gerard Houllier, Martin Jol, Steve McClaren, Phil Scolari, David Moyes, Ruud Gullit, Kevin Keegan, Alan Hansen, Jamie Redknapp and God help any Liverpool fan, John Barnes. No hang on a minute, we forgot David Beckham and Robbie Fowler, the 500/1 shots that bring up the rear of the aforementioned online football betting bookies' wish list. Behave yourselves Paddy Power and SkyBet, this is tantamount to blasphemy.
Liverpool's Benitez At Greatest Risk Of Losing Premier League Managers Job
Having won just once in ten games in all competitions already means there's expected unrest from certain quarters of Liverpool supporters, past players, football pundits and hacks, and conjecture as to just how long Benitez can keep everyone else on side as the Reds plunge from one mini-crisis to another. Increasingly reliant on the oft-fragile fitness of their two best players – Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard – the Spaniard has enjoyed an almost untouchable managerial status, chiefly thanks to would-be critics acknowledging his day-to-day managerial frustrations with a club who's behind the scenes mis-management and financial issues would test the strongest character.
But patience is finally running out, and sympathy is tellingly coming in short supply lately as Liverpool have seemingly rolled over to perceived 'inferior' teams of late, and consequently falling well off the Premier League pace as a result. Of course, the small matter of Liverpool's owners having to fork out millions of pounds to Benitez in compensation should they call time on his Liverpool tenure - as he's only recently put pen to paper on a lucrative five year contract - would surely be the stumbling block to replacing the Spaniard; plus just who's managerial services could they muster thereafter.
Are Hull City Running Out Of Patience With Phil Brown?
Elsewhere, Phil Brown at Hull City could be out of a job before we finish writing this sente.... as an appalling run of results on the pitch (and a an equal amount of uncertainty of the financial variety off it) leave the Tigers in a perilous position before Christmas. Little under 12 months ago Hull City were riding on a crest of a Premier League wave as secured safety from relegation by about this time. Which was just as well given that they barely won after a game after that; which as it was formed the catalyst of the maelstrom of despair they now find themselves in the epicentre of.
Newly Promoted Teams To Be The First To Loose Faith With Manager
The current season wasted no time in flagging-up some football Premier League manager betting 2009-2010 fair game, as it introduced three new Premier League outfits who according to the bookies might be immediately considered prime suspects to return to whence they came. Some before Christmas if you really take what they say to heart. Birmingham City are a renown yo-yo team of recent times, flitting between the lower reaches (and the ultimate trap door) of the Premiership and the dizzying heights of the Coca Cola League Football Betting with a keen regularity it has to be said. Therefore current managerial incumbent, Alex McLeish must surely be in with a shout for the accolade of being the first Premier League manager to be show the exit door during the 2009-2010 season. This is no slight on his character we'll have you know, just raising questions over his ability to piece together a team capable of slugging it out with those that have been there, done that and bought the T-shirt and collecting the requisitional points tally to remain in English football's top flight come May 2010.
Wolverhampton Wanderers of course are the perennial underachievers of the English domestic game, historically and somewhat romantically labouring under the tag of the definitive 'sleeping giants' for as long as we care to remember. A succession of rich benefactors, ambitious chairmen and thrusting managers (well, turnip-headed Graham Taylor, personality-lite Mark McGhee, former care worker Dave Jones, faith healing-devotee Glenn Hoddle and latterly the laconic Mick McCarthy) later and they've finally awoken in the promised Premiership land. And once they've finished rubbing the sleep out of the eyes they might be ready to welcome the collective footballing superpowers of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal to Moulinex; a Premiership-standard stadia that finally gets to host the best teams in the country. Truth of the matter is McCarthy has bought well and nurtured the player's at his disposal even better during his tenure and have a fight and determination that mean Wolves have a real chance of staying put. Which effectively should rule out his name being mentioned in football Premier League manager betting 2009 circles with any luck.
The third of the new boys is Burnley. In Owen Coyle they've an exciting young manager who masterminded the cup downfalls of Chelsea and Arsenal as well as putting Spurs to the sword twice and is well thought of in the game with a bright managerial future ahead of him. However whether he'll realise any of it whilst at the reigns of Burnley is anyone's guess as the club's resources are limited and the talent pool from which he has to carefully select his starting eleven from isn't exactly what you might call exhaustive. Sadly the vultures might start circling around Turf Moor sooner than we think if results don't go the Claret's way early doors.
Online Football Fans Keep Track Of Football Premier League Manager Betting 2009 Latest Odds And Prices
Of the existing Premiership outfits who staved off relegation last season, Hull City look the most likely to part company with gaffer Phil Brown early on in the 2009-2010 season unless he pulls something out of the hat. Like a decent striker and a shored up defence for starters. Portsmouth are still rudderless as we go to press, yet whoever comes in will look vulnerable in his managerial position unless Pompey get off to a good start under the stewardship of their newly-acquired multi-millionaire owner. Sunderland lost their way a bit last time around and were lucky to stay up, yet with revered Geordie Steve Bruce orchestrating on-field events they shouldn't flirt with disaster so closely next time around.
West Ham's Gianfranco Zola might feel threatened (and that's nothing to do with his diminutive stature) if the Hammers concede a few early losses whilst Wigan Athletic have installed Roberto Martinez as their new manager in place of the departing Steve Bruce, yet the successful former Swansea City head honcho is working in a completely different league, literally, this time around and will be on the shortlist for the early chop if he doesn't make his mark in the first month or so of the campaign.
Last season's surprise package - Stoke City – and their industrious boss Tony Pullis will guide the Potters to a safe berth again according to many pundits, yet both Bolton and Blackburn Rovers will have to dig deep into their reserves (of the character-building ones that is and not the fiscal) if they're to keep their respective managers Gary Megson and Sam Allardyce in the hot-seats this side of Halloween. 'Arry Redknapp will have paved over the cracks that limited Tottenham Hotspurs's progress up the league last time around so shouldn't be overly worried either.
Online Punters Acknowledge That Even The Big Four Managers Aren't Safe From The Boot
Of course at the other end of the table – quite literally, or rather numerically – managers positions are hardly cast in stone either, and need to be constantly looking over their backs. The owners, chairmen, board, shareholders and supporters of the select few are known to voice disapproval at their manager just as frequently as their counterparts associated with clubs in the lower half of the Premier League table, as pressures to deliver the title, land the UEFA Champions League Football Betting 2009-2010/ and secure the FA Cup Betting or Carling Cup Football Betting 2009-2010 prey on their minds and have been known to effect both physical and mental health.
Joe Kinnear formerly of Wimbledon (as was) and Newcastle United and Gerrard Houllier at Liverpool know only too well were the daily trials and tribulations of pursuing glory/or fighting a losing battle could end up. On a ward, in a hospital in their cases. A survey in the last few years alluded to the role of football manager being one of the most stressful occupations out there.
Albeit with his health in tact, ex-Chelsea boss Avram Grant parted company with the Blues after just the one season in charge after making the fatal mistake of reaching the 2008 Champions League Final and finishing runners up to Manchester United in the same year. This obvious underachievement spelt his imminent demise. Likewise Arsenal's master tactician Arsene Wenger have latterly been singled out for unjust criticism of the way he manages the Gunners from certain quarters and Liverpool's Rafa Benitez hasn't been averse to issuing some thinly veiled threats regarding his future if funding and support wasn't forthcoming. There's only really Sir Alex Ferguson who apparently seems to walk on water and is perceived untouchable as Old Trafford's ring master.
Success Brings Upheaval For Some Premier League Managers
The flip side of the coin is the being the victim of your own successes. Not a problem most of us have to deal with, however if you're a Premier League manager who's forged a reputation, winning mentality and filled your bosses trophy cabinet then be prepared to clear your desk sooner rather than later as a host of 'bigger' clubs whisper sweet nothings in your ear.
To our mind mid table obscurity seems to be the safest bet if your a Premiership manager, counting your blessings (if not the transfer war chest), keeping your head down and getting what's considered a decent amount of points come May, ruffling no feathers and not making promises you know you cant keep to either Chairmen or supporters, hoping you will generate enough cash to keep the owners happy with a useful cup run in the process.
As a footnote, Crewe Alexander's long-serving manager never had this dilemma to deliberate over, although bringing relative success to the Cheshire club by guiding them out of the old Fourth Division and steadily up to what's now League One during his 24 year consecutive spell in charge before moving upstairs in 2007 to safeguard his health as he put it.