Caretaker manager Neil Redfearn is also in the running

Reports reveal that Davies is believed to be tempted by the prospect of managing the Championship club and will definitely listen if an approach is made. Another name in the frame is caretaker boss Neil Redfearn who led the club to a 3-0 win away to Bristol City last Saturday as they moved to within two points of the top six. Other managers in the mix include Dave Jones, Roberto Di Matteo and Steve Bruce.

Leeds are next in action on Saturday when they play fellow promotion hopefuls Brighton at Elland Road. Both clubs are locked on 45 points after 29 games and, depending on results elsewhere, the winner of the match could move into the play-offs. When they met earlier in the season they played out a thrilling 3-3 draw, with Brighton recovering from two goals down to take the lead, only for Ross McCormack to score a last gasp equaliser. Leeds are priced at evens with Stan James to get the three points, while Brighton have been handed odds of 13/5 to come away with the win, with a draw priced at 23/10.

All odds supplied by Stan James.

Leeds sacked Simon Grayson on Wednesday following an embarrassing 4-1 home defeat to Birmingham City. The club’s hierarchy stated their promotion ambitions at the start of the season and ultimately decided a change was needed in order to get back into the play-offs. Leeds are currently 10^th in the Championship and four points outside the top six. The Whites have not been in the Premier League since the 2003/04 season and recently sank down to League One. Their quest for a return to the top flight has been hit by inconsistent performances this season but due to the open nature of the league they still have every chance of making the play-offs.

Neil Warnock is also in contention

Neil Warnock, who was sacked by QPR back in January, was immediately installed as the hot favourite for the job due to his success with guiding both QPR and Sheffield United up to the Premier League. However, it is now Clark who leads the way. He is one of the hottest young managers in English football and previously caught the eye of Sunderland when they sacked Steve Bruce back in December. Huddersfield will be desperate to hold onto their man as they have promotion aspirations themselves. The Terriers are currently second in League One, 10 points behind leaders Charlton.

Other potential candidates for the job include Chelsea’s assistant manager Roberto Di Matteo, Steve Bruce and Barnsley boss Keith Hill. Caretaker manager Neil Redfearn, who is also in the frame for the vacancy, will be in charge for Leeds’ match away to Bristol City on Saturday. City have been installed as the 7/5 favourites for the win, while Leeds have been handed odds of 9/5, with a draw available at 9/4.

Odds provided by Stan James.

O’Neill will have to work his magic fast as back-to-back defeats have seen Sunderland drop to 17^th, just one point above the relegation zone. They are now five games without a win and have just two wins from 14 league matches this season. O’Neill watched from the stands on Sunday as his new side threw away a one goal lead at Molineux as they were defeated 2-1 by fellow strugglers Wolves, who move above them to 15th. O’Neill will have to install belief and confidence into his players and will already be looking ahead to the January transfer window for potential new recruits. On Sunday Sunderland learnt that they will travel to Championship side Peterborough in the FA Cup third round, and O’Neill will no doubt be looking to inspire his side to a cup run. The Black Cats are priced at 40/1 with Paddy Power to win the competition for the first time since 1973.

O’Neill will be back on terrace on Saturday as Sunderland host fellow strugglers Blackburn Rovers. Paddy Power have Sunderland available at 5/6 to win O’Neill’s first game in charge, while Rovers are priced at 11/4 to win their first away match of the season. Meanwhile, a draw is available at 11/4.

Odds available from Paddy Power.

O’Neill has been out of management since he sensationally quit Aston Villa just days before the 2010/11 season. He has since been linked with numerous high-profile jobs but has opted to remain in the wilderness until now. The 59-year-old has a vast amount of experience having been in charge of the likes of Villa, Leicester City and Celtic and is believed to be a popular choice among the Sunderland supporters. If the deal falls through then Mark Hughes will be waiting in the wings. Hughes has experience of working on a small budget and is reportedly very interested in the vacancy.

The immediate focus for the new manager will be to snap Sunderland out of their recent slump and get them moving back up the table. The Black Cats have just two wins to their name all season, which has seen them drop to 16th, just two points above the relegation zone. They have some crunch upcoming games against fellow strugglers Wolves and Blackburn, whose managers are currently under-fire in the Next Premier League Manager To Be Sacked Odds. Sunderland travel to Molineux to play Mick McCarthy’s Wolves on Sunday, which is live on Sky Sports 1 at 4pm. With home advantage Wolves are the 13/10 favourites with Paddy Power, while Sunderland can be backed at 21/10, with a draw available at 23/10.

Odds provided by Paddy Power.

Bruce was widely expected to be given one last chance to prove himself this weekend as Sunderland prepare for their crunch match away to fellow strugglers Wolves. However, as we all know football is a results driven business and chairman Ellis Short has decided to act now. In the meantime assistant manager Eric Black will take charge of the Black Cats in the interim period.

Odds supplied by Stan James.

Sunderland have now only scraped together two home wins since New Year’s Day, a shocking run that subjected Bruce to a torrid of abuse from many home supporters during and after the defeat to Wigan. The club’s owners provided Bruce with a considerable amount of dosh in the summer as he splashed out over £20m to bring in 10 new faces. Prospects were high as the club went into the new campaign looking to improve on last season’s standing of 10^th in the league. However, 13 matches in and the team simply haven’t jelled, with Bruce’s tactics and strategy leaving many fans frustrated. Sunderland have a couple of crunch matches coming up against fellow strugglers Wolves and Blackburn and if Bruce hasn’t been axed before the weekend, he certainly will be in the next couple of weeks if the Black Cats  fail to perform in these two games.

Remarkably there has yet to be a Premier League managerial casualty this season – the first time a manager hasn’t been sacked before December this century. However, debate has already started on who will replace Bruce, with Martin O’Neill the early favourite with Stan James in the Next Sunderland Manager betting market. Other names in the frame include Rafa Benitez, Mark Hughes, Alan Curbishley and Carlo Ancelotti.

All odds provided by Stan James.

Bolton had lost six matches on the trot since their moral boosting win away to Wigan the previous weekend. However, that result now appears to have offered false hope to the Bolton faithful following their lacklustre performance against Sunderland. Coyle was left cursing his side’s mental strength after they leaked in two late goals after the match appeared to be petering out into a goalless draw. The clearly disgruntled home support vented their frustration at the final whistle as loud boos rang out inside the Reebok Stadium. Coyle can currently be found with odds of 8/1 in the Next Premier League Manager To Be Sacked betting market, while Saturday’s win did little to clamp down the speculation surrounding Steve Bruce’s future, with the Sunderland manager still among the favourites for the chop with odds of 7/2 with Paddy Power.

Bolton travel to Swansea City in their next league outing on Saturday. Swansea have had a better start then most predicted in their first ever season in the Premier League and they remain unbeaten at home. However, a win for Bolton will draw them level with Brendan Rodgers’ side on nine points. Paddy Power have installed Swansea as the 6/5 favourites for the time, while Bolton are available at 23/10 to come away with a valuable three points. A draw may be the way to go at 21/10.

All odds are provided by Paddy Power.

Top of the list in the Next Premier League Manager To Be Sacked Betting is Blackburn Rovers boss Steve Kean. The Scot has been under-pressure since the first day of the season and, with Rovers picking up just a single win from their opening eight league games, you can see why. October is priced at 3/1 in the When Will The Next Premier League Manager Leave His Post betting market and if Kean’s side lose at home to Tottenham on Sunday then he could well be out. In expectation a Next Blackburn Rover Manager betting market has opened up with former Rovers boss Mark Hughes the early 11/8 favourite.

With odds of just 7/4 Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is the second favourite to be given the chop. His side may have put on a much improved display away to Arsenal in their last outing, but they still came away empty handed. A defeat to fellow strugglers Bolton on Saturday could be the final nail in the coffin for Bruce, with former Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill currently leading the way in the Next Sunderland Manager Betting.

Bolton’s win at Wigan last weekend may have brought some respite for manager Owen Coyle but it doesn’t hide the fact that they had previously lost six league matches in a row, conceding a record number of goals in the process. However, Bolton have without a doubt had the toughest start to the season having already played both Manchester clubs, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa, but with those games out the way their supporters will be looking for some vastly improved performances over the next couple of weeks.

During the last week Mick McCarthe has had his odds slashed from 40/1 to just 5/1 in the betting following Wolves’ woeful run of five defeats on the trot. Similarly Wigan have lost all of their last five games putting boss Roberto Martinez under pressure too. It is unlikely that either club will dispose of their manager yet but if their poor form continues then November could just be the month.

When Will The Next Premier League Manager Leave His Post?

• 3/1 – October 2011
• 9/4 – November 2011
• 2/1 – December 2011
• 11/4 – January 2012 Or Later

Odds supplied by Stan James – To place your bet click ‘Football’ on the Stan James homepage, then click the drop down menu bar at the top of the page and scroll down until you find ‘Manager Specials’.

With just six points to their name this season the warning signs are already signalling around the Stadium of Light. Big things were expected of Sunderland this season following a busy pre-season where they splashed the cash to bring in a host of new players. However, they simply haven’t performed consistently with the club finding themselves lingering down in 17^th in the league. Sunderland put in a much improved display away to Arsenal at the weekend but came away empty handed as their woes on the road continued.

Sunderland travel to struggling Bolton in their next match, followed by a home fixture against Aston Villa and then a trip to Old Trafford with the daunting prospect of playing Manchester United. These represent three tricky matches but if Bruce is to have any hope of staying you feel that he must win one of those encounters at the very least. The Next Sunderland Manager betting market has opened up in anticipation of a potential sacking, with Martin O’Neill the current 9/4 favourite, followed by Mark Hughes who is priced at 7/2.

In the Next Continental Manager To Get A Premier League Job betting market Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is the current 2/1 favourite. ‘The Special One’ has not been shy in expressing his desire to return to England but for the time being he is focused on his job in Madrid. With odds of 11/4 Pep Guardiola is next in the running although it is unlikely that he would leave Barcelona anytime soon. Didier Deschamps is priced at 10/3 while Jurgen Klopp is available at 6/1.

Sir Alex Ferguson is the early favourite for the LMA Manager of the Year award. Manchester United have had a fantastic start to the season, winning six of their seven opening games, including an emphatic win against Arsenal and victories against Chelsea and Tottenham.  The fiery Scot is no stranger to winning the award having collected it in 2011, 2008 and 1999. Following Manchester City’s impressive start Roberto Mancini is next in the running with odds of 2/1 while Chelsea boss Andre Villas Boas is available at 7/1.

Number of Premier League Managers To Leave Their Post in 2011/12 Season

• 9/4 – 3 Managers or less
• 11/8 – 4 or 5 Managers
• 13/8 – 6 Managers or more

Next Continental Manager To Get A Premier League Job

• 2/1 – Jose Mourinho
• 11/4 – Pep Guardiola
• 10/3 – Didier Deschamps
• 6/1 – Jurgen Klopp
• 7/1 – Slaven Bilic
• 7/1 – Quique Sanchez Flores

LMA Manager of the Year

• 11/8 – Sir Alex Ferguson
• 2/1 – Roberto Mancini
• 7/1 – Andre Villas Boas
• 10/1 – Kenny Dalglish
• 12/1 – Arsene Wenger

All odds supplied by Victor Chandler.