Considering that Sunderland left it late into Saturday night to publicise the fact that Martin O’Neill was in charge, the bookies have yet to catch their tails.
By Declan Whooley
You may have been out, or even watching Premier Soccer Saturday, when the surprising news broke that the former Celtic boss had parted ways following the 1-0 home reversal defeat to champions-elect Man. Utd. With just a few games to go, the timing is strange, but all the cool kids are at it – Southampton, Reading etc – so the powers that be in the North-East felt a change was necessary to turn around the club’s fortunes. But who will take over?
Not all the bookies have prices yet – it was a Bank Holiday after all – but of those that do, there appears to be one clear front runner.
Paolo Di Canio is favouriteat this early with a couple of the English bookies and if the Black Cats thought life was getting a little dull under O’Neill’s stewardship, that certainly wouldn’t be the case with the Italian in charge. He is 5/1 in some cases, and despite only a short – yet successful – stint in charge of Swindon, Ellis Short may be willing to give him a go.
Is the mad-cap Italian set for a Premier League return?
Roberto Di Matteo is a similar price and out of work since his time at Stamford Bridge, like every other manager, came to a premature end. He will have had his pockets lined, but will surely be itching to get back into the game. Had experience with West Brom of battling in and around the lower echelons of the league before the Baggies gave him the bullet.
Another out of work manager with Chelsea links in Mark Hughes. He is at 6s with some bookies and the way he turned Blackburn into such a solid team under his stewardship will be a good string to his bow. One criticism levelled at the Welshman is that he has spent a nice bit of wedge in the clubs he has been at, perhaps not as much at Fulham, but Sunderland have been known to splash the cash themselves in recent times.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Gus Poyet and Alan Curbishley – remember him? – are the best placed of the rest, but if you were looking at a dark horse, Diego Maradona is 150/1 to take over the Black Cats. Now that would bring excitement back to the club in spades.
