Ralf Rangnick has emerged as the shock new favourite in the Next West Brom Manager betting market. The former Schalke boss had his odds slashed on Tuesday after rumours surfaced that Birmingham City had rejected an approach from the Baggies for their manager Chris Hughton. Hughton had been the hot favourite ever since it was announced that Roy Hodgson would be leaving for England but the £2.5million in compensation that the Blues were demanding was simply too much.
To see Rangnick as the new frontrunner may come as a surprise to many West Brom supporters. The German has never managed in the Premier League and has been out of work since leaving Schalke last September. However, the German has over 20 years of coaching experience and is well known in the Bundesliga where he has managed the likes of Schalke (twice), Hoffenheim, Hannover 96 and Stuttgart. The 53-year-old is most famed for leading Schalke to the semi-finals of the Champions League last season after masterminding an impressive 7-3 aggregate win over holders Inter Milan in the last eight.
Meanwhile former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri is no longer in the running for the vacancy after he was today named as the new Monaco manager. Elsewhere Ray Wilkins odds have lengthened, while former Baggies coach Michael Appleton and Blackpool boss Ian Holloway have also been distanced.
