Bookmaker Victor Chandler are offering odds on who will be the third Npower Championship manager to find himself out of work in the 2010/2011 season. Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies heads the betting after a slow start to the season together with the Scotsman’s outspoken views that his team is still without the required quality he feels would see his side compete for the play-offs, which has resulted in reputed unrest between the manager and the board of directors and that’s enough to see Chandler make Davies 3/1 favourite to be next for the chop.

Gordon Strachan is the 4/1 second favourite behind Davies to be the next to get the boot after his Middlesbrough side have not started the season the way many expected of pre-season title favourites. However, it is difficult to see the normally loyal Boro Chairman, Steve Gibson, wielding the axe less than 12 months after appointing Strachan, especially after splashing the cash in an attempt to make a return to the Premier League at the second time of asking.

Reading’s Brian McDermott and Portsmouth’s Steve Cotterill are both 8/1 chances after both teams remain win-less after three games but it is hard to see either being potted with both being appointed only recently. Darren Ferguson of Preston North End and Bristol Cit’s Keith Millen are two other managers only just finding their feet after recent appointments but still face the raft of the bookies odds and are unconvincingly priced at 9/1 to be the third dismissal in the Championship.

Dave Jones and Neil Warnock are seemingly the safest two managers in the division, outsiders of the pack at 25/1 given their teams good starts to the season and in Jones’ case, a stroke of luck with the recent acquisition of Craig Bellamy, a signing that should only help Cardiff’s quest for promotion. However, in boasting the best squads in the division comes expectation and should either QPR or Cardiff not continue their upward curves, you can be sure that Jones and Warnock will begin to feel the pressure!

Predicting who will be the next Championship manager to leave his post is as tough as predicting the winner of any game in the league but one manager who we at The Sack Race believe could be about to come under scrutiny is Derby County boss Nigel Clough. In charge at Pride Park for over 18 months now, winning just 25 of his 79 games at the helm. Clough must show signs that his side is making progress but that has yet to seen and if results don’t begin to improve, the 14/1 about Clough leaving Derby could look a big price.

Third Championship Manager to leave his club during the 2010/2011 Season
Billy Davies (Nottingham Forest) 3/1
Gordon Strachan (Middlesbrough) 4/1
Steve Cotterill (Portsmouth) 8/1
Brian McDermott (Reading) 8/1
Keith Millen (Bristol City) 9/1
Darren Ferguson (Preston) 9/1
Paulo Sousa (Leicester) 10/1
Malky Mackay (Watford) 12/1
Mark Robins (Barnsley) 14/1
Nigel Adkins (Scunthorpe) 14/1
Nigel Clough (Derby) 14/1
Simon Grayson (Leeds) 16/1
George Burley (Crystal Palace) 16/1
Nigel Pearson (Hull) 16/1
Aidy Bothroyd (Coventry) 18/1
Gary Speed (Sheffield United) 18/1
Kenny Jackett (Millwall) 20/1
Sean O’Driscoll (Doncaster) 20/1
Paul Lambert (Norwich) 20/1
Roy Keane (Ipswich) 20/1
Brian Laws (Burnley) 22/1
Brendan Rodgers (Swansea) 25/1
Neil Warnock (QPR) 25/1
Dave Jones (Cardiff) 25/1
Odds supplied by VictorChandler.com

Nottingham Forest manager, Billy Davies, is the clear favourite with Coral to be the next manager in the Championship to leave their post at 9/2 and following a summer of no incoming transfers at the City Ground and continued rumours of unsettled relations between Davies and the board anything less than a flying start for Forest may see the two part company.

Victor Chandler, who sponsor Nottingham Forest’s shirt, thus may be better informed take a different view and make Davies an 8/1 chance to be the first to leave, putting  Malky Mackay (4/1) and Kevin Blackwell (5/1) at the head of the betting. Mackay is just beginning his second season in charge at Watford and with the lack of funds at his disposal, it would be harsh to see him sacked early on in the season. Equally, Blackwell at Sheffield United has not had huge amounts to spend in the close season but the Blades should be equipped to make a solid start to the season and an early departure seems unlikely at Bramall Lane.

One manager who is sure to be under pressure to start the season well is Burnley’s Brian Laws, who had a baptism of fire when taking over the Turf Moor club in the Premier League last season which saw fans calling for his sacking at the end of the season. The Burnley board gave him the dreaded vote of confidence following relegation but anything less than a promotion push from the outset could see the former Sheffield Wednesday manager uner pressure and he knows all too well about that following his dismissal from Hillsbrough less than twleve months ago and could be a good bet at 10/1.

Other managers who must prove their worth include Nigel Clough at Derby County, Roy Keane at Ipswich and Gordon Strachan at Middlesborough.

Next Championship Manager to leave Odds
Billy Davies 9/2
Kevin Blackwell 10/1
Malky Mackay 10/1
Brian Laws 10/1
Roy Keane 10/1
Brian McDermott 10/1
Steve Cotterill 16/1
Aidy boothroyd 16/1
Nigel Clough 16/1
Neil Warnock 20/1
Nigel Adkins 20/1
Paul Lambert 20/1
Brendan Rodgers 20/1
Dave Jones 20/1
George Burley 20/1
Gordon Strachan 20/1
Paulo Sousa 25/1
Steve Coppell 25/1
Darren Ferguson 25/1
Simon Grayson 25/1
Nigel Pearson 25/1
Kenny Jackett 33/1
Sean O’Driscoll 33/1
Mark Robins 33/1
Odds supplied by Coral

Reading are on a great Cup run at the moment having knocked Liverpool out at Anfield before taking care of Burnley at the Maejski Stadium in the 4th Round, McDermott who is the former Chief Scout at the club will be looking to translate that form into league points as he tries to plot their way out of trouble.  Reading have some key fixtures upcoming starting with a home match against Barnsley this Saturday and McDermott will be desperate to get his reign off to a winning start to start as they try to claw back the four points they need to climb out of the bottom three.

It is interesting to note that McDermott has only been offered a 12-month rolling contract which basically means that the Chairman can get rid of the new Manager at any stage that he likes, McDermott will be only too aware of that and will be eager to earn himself a more secure long-term contract at the club, the only way to do that is to start winning games and to stabilize the club in the Championship