It may be City’s debut in the Champions League but with the gulf of talent at the club many predicted that they would qualify from the group stages of the competition without too many problems. However, this has not been the case as lacklustre performances against Napoli and Bayern Munich have severely dampened their prospects of reaching the next round. City must now beat runaway Group A winners Bayern in their final group match and hope that Napoli get no more than a draw against rock-bottom Villarreal, who are without a point in the competition.

Although Mancini’s job is not in danger in the slightest, we all know how matters in football can change very quickly. City’s owners expect the club to make an impact in each and every competition they enter and will no doubt be very disappointed with how the team have played in Europe this season. City’s below-par European displays have been in stark contrast to their blistering league form which has seen them collect a remarkable 34 points from a possible 36, leaving them five points points clear of rivals Manchester United and nine points ahead of third place Tottenham. Their unbeaten streak will be tested this Sunday when they travel to Liverpool, with the Merseyside club full of confidence after beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend. Ladbrokes have City as the 7/5 favourites while Liverpool can be backed at 15/8 to inflict the first league defeat on Mancini’s team this season. Alternatively a draw is available at 23/10.

All odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.

Mancini has found himself increasingly under-pressure since joining Man City. The club have spent a considerable amount of money since his arrival and the oweners demand results in each and every competition they enter. The heat has since cooled since the end of last season when Mancini won City their first major trophy in 35 years (FA Cup) and guided them into the Champions League with an impressive third place league finish. Combine that with an unbeaten start to the league this season and it’s safe to say that Mancini is a popular man in the blue half of Manchester. He has proven he has the credentials to make City a major threat in the league but after a dissapointing start in the Champions League tonight’s home match provides an excellent opportunity for the club to make their mark in Europe.

Man City take on Spanish side Villarreal tonight at the Etihad Stadium. City are yet to emulate their league form in Europe, picking up just one point in their group so far, but they will be looking to bounce back and get their first ever win in the competition. They are the odds on 1/3 favourites with Paddy Power, while Villarreal are priced at 8/1 to come away with the win, with a draw available at 4/1.

Man City Betting Specials – Follow the link to place a Bet: Manchester City

• 8/13 – No Trophies
• 2/1 – Premier League
• 4/1 – Carling Cup
• 11/2 – FA Cup
• 16/1 – Champions League
• 8/1 – Premier League/Carling Cup
• 10/1 – Premier League/FA Cup
• 22/1 – Premier League/Champions League
• 125/1 – Premier League/FA Cup/Champions League
• 16/1 – To stay unbeaten in Premier League 2011/12 season

All odds supplied by Paddy Power.

With huge funds comes huge pressure. Mancini is simply expected to deliver trophies this season and the last thing he needs is his own players throwing tantrums. Despite making a very impressive start in the league, City have come unstuck so far in the Champions League. In their first game they were surprisingly held by Napoli before being outplayed by a classy Bayern Munich. Thriving in the league is simply not good enough for City’s owners and Mancini must now work out a formula to get the club’s debut season in Europe’s elite competition back on track.

Sky Bet have slashed Mancini’s odds from 50/1 to 16/1 in the Next Premier League Manager To Be Sacked betting market but expect these odds to drop even further if the Tevez affair proves to have a negative effect on the team’s performances, and/or City continue to struggle in the Champions League. At the moment it seems like the players are overawed by the competition and Mancini must work his magic in order to get his band of superstars performing in Europe like they do in the league.

Man City Trophy Specials 2011/12

• 5/6 – Win Any Trophy
• 9/4 – Premier League
• 4/1 – Carling Cup
• 6/1 – FA Cup
• 12/1 – Champions League

All odds supplied by Sky Bet.

Blackburn remain one of the bookmakers favourites for the drop, with Victor Chandler pricing the club at 11/8 be relegated at the end of the season. The club now have the daunting task of facing in-form Manchester City on Saturday. Roberto Mancini’s side have got off to a flyer this season, picking up 16 points from a possible 18. Despite having home advantage the prospects don’t look good for Rovers and yet another defeat will be damaging for manager Kean and will throw his future with the club into even more doubt. Victor Chandler have Man City as the odds on 4/7 favourites to win at Ewood Park, while Rovers are 11/2 to claim their second victory of the season. A draw can be found at 11/2.

Former Rovers boss Mark Hughes remains the 7/4 in the Next Blackburn Rovers Manager Betting, with Rafa Benitez next in the running with odds of 3/1. Other names in the frame include Ole Gunner Solskjaer and Alan Shearer.

All odds courtesy of Victor Chandler.

This summer City have once again spent heavily, acquiring the immensely talented striker Sergio Aguero from Athletico Madrid for £38m, Gael Clichy from Arsenal for £7m and the Serbian international Stefan Savic for £6m, with talk of a big money move for Arsenal’s Samir Nasri still on the cards. Mancini now has all the ingredients to mould together a pehnomenal team but high among his concerns will be keeping every player happy as the last thing he needs is more player unrest. Player tantrums disrupted City’s rhythm last season and the Carlos Tevez saga has been a constant thorn in City’s pre-season preparations.

Ever since his arrival in December 2009 Mancini has continuously been criticised by the media for his inability to control his expensively assembled collection of players and mould them into an all conquering machine. Following their FA Cup win and Champions League qualification last season Mancini quietened many of his critics…but only for the time being. Anything other than a top 4 finish could spell trouble for the Italian, who is currently priced at 16/1 in the Next Premier League Manager To Be Sacked Odds. City must also perform well in Europe, even though they are making their debut in the competition a lot is expected of them and they are the fifth favourites at 16/1 to win it.

Man City kick of their 2011/12 Premier League campaign on Monday with a home game against new boys Swansea City, which is live on Sky Sports 1 at 8pm. Paddy Power have installed City as the odds on 1/4 to win the game and 9/2 to draw, with Swansea handed odds of 12/1 to come away with an unlikely victory. Big things are expected of City this season. Enough money has been spent, now its about time they show the world their true potential.

Manchester City Season Specials 2011/12 – with Paddy Power

• 1/4 – Mancini to be in charge for last league game
• 5/2 – Mancini not to be in charge of the last league game
• 9/1 – To beat Man Utd in both league matches
• 4/1 – Premier League
• 13/2 – FA Cup
• 13/2 – Carling Cup
• 16/1 – Champions League

All odds supplied by Paddy Power

Swansea’s manager Brendan Rodgers has been largely credited for guiding the club to the top flight after transforming their fortunes since his arrival in July 2010. His brilliant man-management skills combined with his determination to succeed has raised his profile considerably. Despite his unquestionable talent his relative lack of managerial experience could be called into question in the Premier League. Swansea, of course, start out as huge underdogs. The bookmakers haven’t given the South Wales club much of a chance of staying up and they are the 8/15 odds on favourites to get relegated. History reminds us that promotion play-off winners do not stand much of a chance of staying up, yet Rodgers will be looking to buck that trend with a solid debut season in the Premier League, which is easier said then done.

The target is very simple: avoid relegation. If Swansea are successful in this seemingly improbable task then they can look to the future and aim to establish themselves as a Premier League team. However, the immediate focus must be staying up. This is a club with limited funds who lack strength in depth and Premier League experience. This makes the form of star striker Scott Sinclair crucial to their success. Swansea have snapped up the likes of Wayne Routledge, Leroy Lita and Danny Graham to bolster their attack and they have even been linked with a shock move for veteran striker David Trezeguet. The new additions will improve their chances of scoring goals but they need to ensure they have a tight back line otherwise they will quickly be found out.

At the moment Rodgers has long odds of 33/1 to become the Next Premier League Manager To Be Sacked, with these odds likely to slide if Swansea get off to a poor start. However, the more likely scenario is that Rodgers could be tempted into a move away from the club. He has built up a reputation as one of the brightest young managers in the country since bursting onto the scene in 2008 and if Swansea start the new season with a bang then the board may struggle to keep their main man if an offer from an established Premier League club comes in.

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The past three winners of the award have been Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011, former Fulham boss Roy Hodgson (2010) and Everton’s David Moyes in 2009. Fergie gained plaudits last year for winning a remarkable 12^th league title with United, and for reaching the Champions League Final for the third time in four seasons. He side also had decent runs in both The FA Cup and Carling Cup. The legendary Scot is the 2/1 favourite to retain the LMA award and win it for an unprecedented fourth time. However, you feel that in order to do this, he will not only have to win yet another Premier League trophy but go one better than last year and win the Champions League, both of which are harder said than done, even for a club like United and a manager of Ferguson’s expertise.

At 7/2 the new Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is also in the running, as is Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini at 5/1. Although he is desperate to distance himself from comparisons to Jose Mourinho, Villas-Boas would love to repeat The Special One’s achievements at Chelsea, and what a statement it would be if he was to guide Chelsea to their fourth Premier League crown in eight years. However, we all know it is the Champions League that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich craves, although a trophy of any means will be a confidence booster for Villas-Boas and will be well recieved by the Chelsea faithful. Following their impressive third place league finish and FA Cup win last season, Man City are finally looking like a force to contend with, and they will certainly be major contenders in all competitions in the 2011/12 season. If Mancini can guide his troops to Premier League glory then the award would most certainly be his.

Outside of the major contenders for the award, available at a temping 14/1 each are the Premier League new boys Neil Warnock, Brendan Rodgers and Paul Lambert. In the past, Reading and Wigan Athletic have enjoyed fantastic first season’s in England’s top flight following their respective promotions from the Championship, and the three new promoted club’s will be looking to follow in their lead. They will also take inspiration from the fantastic starts from Hull and Blackpool in recent years. If Warnock, Rodgers or Lambert can masterclass a top ten finish and perhaps string together a decent run in one of the domestic cup competitions, then they can count themselves as real contenders for the award.

Elsewhere, under pressure Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is priced at 8/1 and Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is available at 10/1.

2012 LMA Manager of the Year Outright Betting – correct as of 14/07/2011

• 2/1 – Sir Alex Ferguson
• 7/2 – Andre Villas Boas
• 5/1 – Roberto Mancini
• 8/1 – Arsene Wenger
• 10/1 – Harry Redknapp
• 12/1 – Kenny Dalglish
• 12/1 – David Moyes
• 14/1 – Martin Jol
• 14/1 – Paul Lambert
• 14/1 – Neil Warnock
• 14/1 – Brendan Rodgers
• 14/1 – Roy Hodgson
• 14/1 – Tony Pulis
• 16/1 – Owen Coyle
• 20/1 – Mick McCarthy
• 20/1 – Steve Bruce
• 20/1 – Alex McLeish
• 20/1 – Roberto Martinez
• 25/1 – Steve Kean
• 25/1 – Alan Pardew
• 25/1 – Gus Poyet
• 33/1 – Sam Allardyce

All odds courtesy of Victor Chandler

Arsenal’s failure to grind out victories and preserve a lead has become a reoccurring theme that, at present, shows no sign of changing. There is no denying that their style of football is aesthetically pleasing and exciting to watch, however, the last few seasons have proved beyond doubt that they cannot always play the silky way. Wenger must now reconstruct his side’s style in order to suit the physical nature of the Premier League, and install a winning mentality to ensure that his player’s remain calm under pressure and see out games.

There were countless moments last season when a crucial lapse in concentration cost Arsenal dearly. From the calamitous defensive mix-up in the last minute of the Carling Cup Final, to conceding a last gasp equaliser against Liverpool after taking the lead seconds before, which all but ended their title charge. Arsenal obviously have an abundance of talent and flair at their disposal, and on occasions have proved they have the nerve – they were one of only a few team’s to beat Barcelona last season – but the key is consistency.

The recent loss of Gael Clichy to rivals Manchester City has come as a blow. His decision to leave The Gunners marks an end of an era, as he was the last remaining member of The Unbeatables of 2003/04. Many critics believe that Clichy’s departure confirms that Arsenal are no longer major contenders and have thus declined into a selling club. This view is further strengthened with the seemingly inevitable departures of their influential captain Cesc Fabregas and playmaker Samir Nasri, with the later set to join either Chelsea or Manchester United

It is now critical that Arsenal hold onto, and build a steam around, the likes of Robin van Persie and young guns Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey. The fans crave new signings and it has now come to the point where it is essential that the club spends money. At the moment it looks like they have lost the ability to compete for the signature of top players, with the transfer window coming to an end in less than 50 days Wenger must act soon. While Arsenal are pottering about, their rivals are spending. Manchester United have snapped up Phil Jones and Ashley Young, Liverpool have invested their faith in Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam , Manchester City have prized Clichy away from Arsenal and have just signed the highly rated Stefan Savic, while Chelsea spent heavily in the January transfer window and can’t be ruled out from adding another marquee signing this summer.

Although Arsenal cannot compete with these teams financially, they will receive a hefty sum of money if Fabregas and Nasri do leave this summer. They must use this money to find some solid centre backs – they are reportedly after Gary Cahill of Bolton and Chris Samba of Blackburn – who will provide them with some much needed stability at the back. A top class goalkeeper is needed, as is an experienced and powerful midfielder who can work in conjunction with Wilshere. Furthermore, they desperately need a strike partner for Van Persie, with Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema a possible target.

At the moment the future does not look particularly bright for Arsenal. However, if they start to take a few risks and bring in some exciting new signings then they can start to swat away their doubters and do their talking on the pitch.

Arsenal 2011/12 Specials:

• 1/5 – No Trophies
• 50/1 – Premier League and Champions League
• 50/1 – Premier League and FA Cup
• 66/1 – FA Cup and Carling Cup
• 100/1 – Premier League and Champions League
• 150/1 – Carling Cup and Champions League
• 150/1 – FA Cup and Champions League

All odds supplied by Betfred

However, Eyre does have an abundace of experience at youth level having spent a successful 21 years as youth team coach at Manchester City, where he helped guide City’s young guns to five league titles and two FA Youth Cup finals during his time at the club. Making the step up to senior level is a big challenge but one that he is very much looking forward to. Eyre will reportedly have money available to strengthen the squad and he is currently on the prowl for some summer bargains.

Hill left Spotland earlier in June to become the new Barnsley boss after a successful four-and-a-half-seasons as manager of Rochdale. The 42-year-old joined The Dale in 2007 and in 2010 he won promotion to League One with the club, ending a record 36–year stay in the bottom tier of the Football League. He built on that success last season by guiding Rochdale to an impressive ninth place finish in the league, their best position in 84 years. So, Eyre certainly has his work cut out for him at Spotland as he looks ahead to the new season.

Rochdale are 33/1 with Victor Chandler to win League One next season and 14/1 to get promoted.

Although no one can doubt Mourinho’s credentials as a manager, his style of football is not always the most attractive. He has been labelled cautious, defensive, anti-football, the evil genius and so on. High profile names linked with the club have expressed their anger at Mourinho’s philosophy and criticised his temperament, for example the club’s former president, Ramon Calderón, has accused the 48-year-old of ‘harming’ the club. There have also been reports of an icy relationship with Mourinho and Perez and Jorge Valdano. Everyone seemingly has an opinion when it comes to Jose Mourinho.

Despite the fierce criticism Mourinho has faced, he has in fact brought silverware to the club in his first season (in the form of the Copa del Rey) and he has also taken the club through to a Champions League semi-final for the first time since 2003. The major problem Mourinho faces is that Madrid are simply not in the same category as Barcelona. But then no club is. Barcelona are widely regarded as one of the best teams of all time and have the trophy cabinet and exquisite style of football to back it up. Although it is more than likely that Mourinho will be given another year to bridge the gap between Madrid and Barcelona, his odds to leave at the end of the summer have been slashed. Victor Chandler now have Mourinho available at 2/1 to not be in charge of Real Madrid at the end of the season.

Since Mourinho announced back in March that it was his ‘destiny’ to return to English football – newspapers, journalists, fans and anyone with an opinion on football began chatting voraciously about what club he would choose. Following the manner of Madrid’s Champions League departure, these rumours have heightened and it is being speculated that the Portuguese manager will now leave a season earlier than expected. If the hype has any validity then he may in fact have difficulty persuading England’s top clubs to opt for his services. Although his former club Chelsea are currently the favourites to land him, it appears that Carlo Ancelotti’s late season surge has saved his skin. Sir Alex Ferguson is unlikely to leave Manchester United even if he does win the European and domestic double. Manchester City’s owners look to be sticking with Roberto Mancini as the Italian has effectively guided them to the Champions League. Kenny Dalglish is more than certainly staying at Liverpool and Harry Redknapp at Tottenham.

At 12/1 Mourinho to Arsenal may well be worth a punt. It has now been six years since Arsene Wenger brought silverware to the club, and although Wenger is more than likely to stay at Arsenal, he could be tempted by a lucrative contract from Madrid. The Spanish club are known admirers of Wenger’s attacking philosophy and if they do in fact sack Mourinho, don’t rule out Wenger and Mourinho switching clubs. What is certain is that wherever Mourinho does end up, the club is guaranteed a rollercoaster ride.

Jose Mourinho Next English Club To Manage Odds

• 4/6 – Chelsea
• 4/7 – Manchester United
• 2/1 – Manchester City
• 10/1 – Liverpool
• 12/1 – Arsenal
• 14/1 – Tottenham
• 16/1 – Any Other

All odds courtesy of Victor Chandler