It was made perfectly clear at the start of the season that the Champions League would be the priority for a team that spent in excess of £250million in the Summer, the team were dubbed the ‘new Galacticos’ after signing Kaka, Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso for huge transfer fees. Ronaldo has settled in well in Madrid but maybe looking on enviously at his former Man United teammates as they were crushing AC Milan at the same time as Madrid were being knocked out by Lyon. Publicly at least the powers that be have backed Manuel Pellegrini who has another year to run on his contract but behind closed doors it is understood that they have already started their search for a successor.

There will be two names who will jump to the top of the list for potential replacements in the Summer and they will be Arsene Wengerand Rafa Benitez who have both been linked to Madrid in the past. The Sack Race understands that Arsene Wenger and Arsenal have been approached several times in recent years to take over at Real Madrid but that their advances have been rebuked each time. Wenger is clearly the man they want long term but the Arsenal Manager will know that he will not get the same power at the Bernabeu as he enjoys at the Emirates, at Arsenal he is in control of the entire playing side of the club but at Madrid he would have to accept being just the first team coach with no say on transfers.

The logical choice would be Rafael Benitez who is a well known Real Madrid fan having played and coached there in the past as well as being born and bred in the City, he is under huge pressure at Liverpool and may see this as the ideal chance to jump ship. Liverpool are reluctant to sack Benitez due to the huge contract pay-off he would recieve but an approach from Madrid may well be welcomed by both sides as the board at Anfield look for a reason to get rid of Rafa. One sticking point in this deal for Benitez would be similar to Wenger’s in terms of control at the club, Rafa has total control at Anfield currently in terms of the playing side and he would have to be prepared to give that up if he went to the Bernabeu.

That search will begin now as Pellegrini is a dead man walking at the moment having lost the dressing room, the support of the fans not to mention Florentino Perez, the Club President was expecting success in Europe with his investment and that has not been forthcoming. The £60 million Kaka was substituted on Wednesday night after having a poor game and was clearly unhappy with the decision showing dissent as he left the pitch and that is just another nail in the Manager’s coffin.

They are now in the last eight of the Champions League meaning attentions will now turn back to the Premier League with the Gunners lurking dangerously behind the more fancied Man United and Chelsea. Arsenal have the easiest run-in of the three with their toughest match left being a trip to White Hart Lane to face Spurs, outside of that game they look more than capable of winning every match which could see them pick up the Premier League. Over the last year or two there have been a few dissenting voices amongst the Gunners fans worried about the lack of silverware, through the tough period though Wenger has maintained his belief in his squad and has consistently resisted the temptation to add big money signings to the thin looking squad.

He now appears to be vindicated with the team playing as well as they have done for a number of years although they now face a crucial couple of months in their development. The season could end with the team decorated with Champions League and Premier League medals or it could all go wrong again leaving the team without a trophy once again. The Champions League will be the tougher of the two competition to win for Arsenal as you have to question their ability to beat United or Chelsea over two legs should the draw pan out that way,the same can be said of Barcelona who are the team to beat in this years tournament looking at the Champions League Odds. The Premier League though looks very much a possibility with a straight forward run-in on the cards and they have to be good value to win the title for the first time in seven years.

If Arsenal are able to pick up one or two trophies this season then it would have to be considered Arsene Wenger’s greatest achievement as the Arsenal Manager after the team were all but written off before Christmas. They are a side capable of going on a winning run and the Sack Race believes that this could well be  a pivotal year for Arsene Wenger as the Manager of Arsenal as he embarks on the most important period he has faced since he arrived at Highbury back in 1997.

Champions League football now seems a long way off with all of the teams around them now in a better position to claim that vital 4th spot, Man City now lie ahead of Liverpool with two games in hand and the big spenders from Eastlands have to be in pole position to make Europe’s premier club competition for next season. The manner of the defeat against Wigan is the real worry for Liverpool supporters with the whole team looking disjointed and devoid of any attacking intent. Even the likes of Steven Gerrard who is normally the man to lead the troops into battle seemed off the pace and frustrated through most of the match which is a big issue for both the fans and of course Rafa Benitez who needs his leader to be on form.

The Liverpool fans have very much backed Rafa Benitez through this terrible season but there are now signs that he is starting to lose the support from the punters on the Kop who expect the team to be performing better. The Next Liverpool Manager Odds have been in full flow this season and there are several big names in the frame should Benitez leave his post at Anfield. The likes of Kenny Dalglish and Jose Mourinho are being well backed by punters to be the next permanent boss at Anfield and there will be plenty of Managers lining up to replace Benitez should the former Valencia Manager be given the boot. The powers that be at the club have long been supporting their Manager with repeated claims that Benitez is under no pressure but surley there has to come a time when the owners say enough is enough and Rafa is sent packing.

The last couple of months of the season are looking crucial for Benitez’s future at Anfield as they look to try to recover their faltering season. They are still in the Europa League which may prove some consolation for fans and players if they are able to go all the way and win the tournament, that will give Benitez the boost he needs at the moment with his team not progressing.  At the moment though it looks as though Rafa has lost the players and when that happens at a football club there is normally only one way the situation can be resolved.

There was speculation earlier in the season linking Martinez to a return to Spain and Espanyol and a defeat here could well weaken his position at Wigan, those reports were played down by the Spaniard but he knows he must keep Athletic in the top flight this season. He is a bright young Manager and Dave Whelan is known to stick by his Managers which is a good sign for Martinez but he will be looking over his shoulder somewhat with all the teams down there scrapping for their lives. The bookmakers have been watching the events at the DW Stadium very closely all season and the Next Premier League Manager To Be Sacked Odds are telling punters that Roberto Martinez is in trouble, he maybe very good value in this market with the relegation battle hotting up but a win against Liverpool could change all of that.

The match against Liverpool will be the first at the Stadium with a new pitch relaid over the last week, ironically though this could have an adverse affect against a good footballing side like Liverpool. The DW stadium turf has turned into a mud bath in recent weeks which may have helped Wigan against the top sides but that will no longer be the case, a new carpet has been laid which will be easier to play a good style of passing football on. Liverpool themselves are desperate for the three points on offer as they bid to resurrect their season by claiming that 4th spot on offer, they are in a four-way battle with Spurs, Man City and Aston Villa for that crucial money spinning league position.

This match could have a big affect on both ends of the table with the two Managers in for a squeaky bum night at the DW Stadium, Roberto Martinez in particular knows that defeat here will see Wigan slip further towards the trap door and a relgation dog fight.

The goals have dried up since then with star Striker Darren Bent looking short of confidence in front of goal having started the season like a house on fire, any hopes he had of making to the World Cup seem to be going down the drain with Sunderland’s form. Steve Bruce knows that the next few weeks will be crucial for their survival chances as they play three home games on the bounce against Bolton, Man City and Birmingham, the home fans will be expecting the team to pick up a win or two in these home fixtures as Steve Bruce looks to stay in the hot seat at the Stadium of Light.

The game against Bolton could well be the most crucial of the three games at home for Sunderland with Wanderers also in a relegation battle, Bruce will know that a couple of quick wins here will see them shoot up the table and on the way to safety. Winning is easier said than done though at the moment with Steve Bruce struggling to motivate his team to claim the win that they so desperately need having gone on a terrible run in the Premier League.

Bruce is a Manager that has seen a few clubs in his Managerial career having developed a reputation for moving on every few years, he was expected to take Sunderland to the next level this season having spent big in the Summer but at the moment there has been no improvement. The bookmakers are certainly monitoring the situation very closely and that is reflected in the Next Premier League Manager To Be Sacked Betting, Bruce is continuing to be the source of speculation and he is now a short price to be the next Gaffer for the high jump. Relegation for a club like Sunderland is unthinkable but if their poor form continues over the next three games then it will become a real possibility leaving Steve Bruce in a perilous position.

The Ivory Coast have for a long time been tipped to be the top African team at the World Cup but following the draw they face a mammoth task just to qualify for the last 16, they will face Brazil, Portugal and North Korea in the so-called ‘Group of Death’. They will need to be at their very best to qualify for the knock-out stages and they believe that Hiddink’s experience will help them along the way. Hiddink has a great record at the world Cup having Managed the Netherlands, South Korea and Australia to the latter stages of past tournaments, his greatest achievement was perhaps leading the South Koreans to the World Cup Semi-Final back in 2002. He may well feel that if the Ivorians get the rub of the green and with african support at their back then he might be able to achieve a similar feat with the Elephants.

The powers that be at the Ivory Coast FA have made it clear that they would love to have Hiddink on board for the World Cup before making a more permanent appointment following the tournament, they only reached the quarter-finals of the African Cup which was well below their expectations causing them to act quickly before they go to South Africa. They have a talented squad and with Dider Drogba leading the line they have one of the very best strikers in the world in their arsenal, if he can perform to his best then Hiddink will have a good chance of taking the team through the group stages. They will be pin pointing their Portugal match as the one they need to win to put themselves in with a shout of doing well and Hiddink has shown himself to be adept at pulling big results out of the bag.

The Sack Race understands that this is a deal that suits all parties as it will give Guus Hiddink the chance to keep himself busy during the World Cup before heading to Turkey, also the Ivory Coast will perhaps get the most experienced International coach on the market for their strong and ambitious team.

All of the talk in the build up to the match has been on the return of Kris Boyd to the squad who made himself unavailable for selection under Burley after a very public falling out with the former boss, Levein has managed to change his mind and they will certainly need his goals over the next couple of years if they are to achieve their dream. Scotland have not reached a major championships since France 1998 and Levein knows that he will need to end that drought if he is to be deemed a success in the job. Top class Managers such as Walter Smith and Alex McLeish have tried and failed in recent years to take Scotland to a major tournament and that is the task facing Craig Levein over the next couple of years.

The key man for the Scots both tonight and during qualification will be Darren Fletcher of Man United who has been in great form this season, he looks to be the man who can make a difference and if Kris Boyd can start scoring then things will be looking up for Craig Levein. They will face a tough Czech side at Hampden who although they missed out on the 2010 World Cup still have a strong squad that are capable of turning over an out-of-sorts Scotland side. Levein knows that he needs to get the public interested in the National team once again and the best way to do that is with a win and a good performance starting tonight.

Hart had an unsuccessful five-game spell at Loftus Road over Christmas and the new year and now he and Neil Warnock have swapped jobs, all eyes will be on the two Managers when the teams meet on the 10th April in a relegation six pointer. It is understood that Hart had a falling out with former QPR owner Flavio Briatore which was the reason for his quick exit from Loftus Road, that could well be a worry for Palace fans who are looking for some stability on the pitch. Hart though will just be concentrating on Palace as the club look to survive both on and off the pitch, he has inherited a squad that should have enough to remain the Championship but morale is sure to be low at the club leaving Paul Hart with a tough task on his hands.

Palace fans have been through a turbulent season with former Chairman Simon Jordan unable to keep the club out of administration, they had a good Cup run before going out to Villa and they are now left to fight a relegation battle. If Paul Hart can keep the club up then he is likely to earn himself  a longer term deal at the club, Hart has had mixed success at a Manager and may well see Selhurst Park as the ideal venue to rebuild his reputation.

Qpr themselves though have not been the model of stability in recent years following several Managers going in and out of the club following a big injection of money from the previous owners, there is now a new chairman in place and Warnock has been given a three-and-a-half-year contract as they look to settle the club down. It appears to be a good deal for all parties with Warnock gaining the job stability that he desires and Crystal Palace receiving a decent size compensation pay-out from QPR in their time of financial need. Palace will now be turning their attentions to a search for a successor and it will be a crucial appointment for the Selhurst Park Club, they are desperate to stay in the Championship and whoever takes the reigns will need to hit the ground running with just a couple of months of the season left.

One name being banded around over the past few days is Gareth Southgate who would surely be welcomed with open arms by the Crystal Palace fans, Southgate had a good stint at Middlesbrough and may see his former club as the ideal place to get back into Management. At the moment though he is making his way as a top class pundit on the TV and may want to continue down that route rather than join a struggling club who are looking to survive on a week-to-week basis. The search for Palace is still at an early stage but it is already understood that former hero Steve Coppell has turned down the chance to return to the club he loves, Coppell is a big fans favourite at Selhurst Park but he appears to have  shut the door on a potential return. Ironically, it could well be Paul Hart who left QPR recently who could be the front runner for the Crystal Palace job as he and Neil Warnock look to swap jobs in London, it would be Hart’s third club this season after Portsmouth and QPR and he would be charged with keeping the side in the Championship.

Benitez had not seen that type of match in Spain and has been unable to fathom the way Allardyce sets his teams up ever since and that was the case on Sunday. Blackburn could conceivably have had two men sent off at Anfield over the weekend and Rafa was once again enraged, he mocked Allardyce following the match saying that Barcelona would look to copy that style soon! It was a scrappy match that Liverpool just edged but the Blackburn boss may have felt his side deserved a point looking at the balance of play, Allardyce is renowned for playing a direct style of football against the big teams and it has proven relatively successful over the years. His Bolton side were famous for turning over Arsenal a number of times and he is employing the same tactics with Blackburn.

Allardyce immediately jumped to the defence of his team as expected but there is clearly no love lost between the two, there seems to be somewhat of a culture clash in terms of style and at the moment neither man looks willing to back down from their beliefs.

The most important part of the day though for Benitez was the three points which were crucial with Man City and Spurs  also picking up three points, the chase for Champions League Football looks set to go down to the wire but with Fernando Torres fit again then Liverpool will fancy their chances. Blackburn meanwhile will need to be careful over the next couple of months as they could well find themselves in a relegation battle, Allardyce knows that the fans will tolerate his style of football while the team are winning and should results dip then he will find himself in trouble. He is reasonably safe in his seat at the moment according to the Next Premier League Manager to be Sacked Betting but a couple of bad results and Big Sam could find himself in a touch of trouble.