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.

The League Two side have endured a nightmare couple of weeks where they have gone without a win in their last nine matches. In their first match after Johnson’s departure they were trounced 7-2 at home by Shrewsbury before being embarrassed 4-1 by bottom club Plymouth last weekend. The poor results mean they currently sit 21^st in the league, just three points above the relegation zone.

Boothroyd, 40, has plenty of experience for his age having previously managed Watford, Colchester and most recently Coventry. He has been out of work since March when he was sacked by Coventry after less than a year in charge following a torrid run of just one win in 16 games. His stand out managerial achievement was without a doubt guiding Watford to the Premier League in 2006 and without question he has the hunger and desire to transform Northampton’s fortunes and propel them up the table.

Boothroyd now has a bit of time to settle as Northampton’s next game isn’t until Saturday 10^th December when they host Crewe at the Sixfields Stadium. The Cobblers aren’t involved in the FA Cup second round this weekend having lost 1-0 to Blue Square Bet Premier side Luton Town in the previous round. The club currently have odds of 4/1 with Paddy Power to be relegated at the end of the season.

Blackburn supporters were again left fuming at the weekend after a lacklustre 3-1 loss to Stoke City, who themselves had headed into the match on the back of four straight league defeats. The disappointing defeat leaves Rovers rock-bottom with just one win in 13 league matches this season and you would think that time must surely be running out for the determined Scot. From now until Christmas Blackburn have four pivotal matches against teams in the bottom half of the table. Next up in the league is a match at home to Swansea (who have yet to win on the road this season), followed by a trip to fellow strugglers Sunderland and then back-to-back home matches against West Brom and Bolton. Poor results from these upcoming fixtures would certainly signal the end of the road for the battling Kean.

The Carling Cup has been a welcome distraction for Rovers this season and they head to Wales on Tuesday night to play Cardiff City in the quarter-finals. Cardiff have enjoyed a decent start to the season and are currently flying high in third place in the Championship, in stark contrast to Rovers’ woeful Premier League campaign. Stan James have installed Cardiff as the 7/5 favourites to win the match in 90 minutes, while Kean’s Blackburn can be backed at 9/5, with a draw priced at 7/5.

Odds provided by Stan James.

Ireland were only beaten once in 10 qualification games, finishing second behind Russia in Group B.  Trapattoni found himself under pressure heading into the play offs as defeat could possibly have ended his four year spell as Ireland boss. However, the 72-year-old’s popularity is now sky high following Ireland’s 5-1 aggregate win against Estonia. Not only has he installed confidence in the team but has he made them very difficult to beat. Their defence in particular has been outstanding, with 10 clean sheets in the last 12 games, conceding just two goals in that period.

Trapattoni has told his players to take inspiration from Greece’s shock Euro 2004 win, as Ireland turn their attention to the upcoming draw for the finals. Ireland have been seeded in Pot 4 and will discover their fate on Friday 2^nd December when the group stage draw is held. Ireland have a one in four chance of facing England in the groups (who have been placed in Pot 2) which would definitely be one the most eagerly anticipated matches of the tournament. Ireland currently have odds of 66/1 with Bet465 to win the tournament.

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.

In terms of his ‘experience’ Pearce started off his managerial career with a brief spell at Nottingham Forest before managing Manchester City for two years. He then took over the England U-21s in 2007, leading them to the Euro 2009 final, and in July he signed a new two-year contract. Pearce may have ruled himself out of the England job for the time being but he is still the favourite to manage the Great Britain football team at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Just about everyone in England has an opinion on who the next England manager should be with a majority wanting an Englishman in charge. Harry Redknapp remains the odds on 5/6 favourite with Paddy Power in the Next England Manager Betting, with the Tottenham manager admitting that he would love to manage his country at some point in the future. Also in the running are the former Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill and West Brom boss Roy Hodgson who are both priced at 8/1. Jose Mourinho is available at 11/1 while David Beckham is priced at 18/1.

All odds supplied by Paddy Power.

Worthington’s contract runs out at the end of the year on the 31^st December and he has stated that he has no intention of quitting. Sanchez, who is currently manager of League Two side Barnet, is open about managing Northern Ireland again should Worthington be axed. Sanchez was manager from 2004 – 2007 and was widely credited with changing the country’s fortunes, taking them from 124th to 27th in the FIFA World Rankings. He also oversaw fantastic wins against the likes of England and Spain.

It is worth keeping an eye on the Next Northern Ireland Manager Betting Market as it could open up in the near future. The Shamrock Rovers manager Michael O’Neill is rumoured to be the frontrunner to replace Worthington should his four-year reign come to an end. Other potential candidates include Sanchez, Iain Dowie, Jim Magilton and Kenny Shiels.

Chelsea have been on the prowl for a new manager ever since Ancelotti was sacked at the end of the 2010/11 season due to his failure to win any silverware. They have since been linked with a number of candidates, including, Turkey boss Hiddink, Villas-Boas, Harry Redknapp and Mark Hughes. The latest news comes as a huge shock as Chelsea were widely expected to appoint Guus Hiddink as manager this week after a month of heavy speculation but, it now appears the tides have turned and that Villas Boas is now the man set to take over at Stamford Bridge. The 33-year-old shot to fame last season due to his remarkable exploits with treble winning Porto. The Portuguese giants not only romped to victory in the league but tasted success in the Europa League and Portuguese cup.

Villas Boas has drawn numerous comparisons with Jose Mourinho, with whom he has worked under at Inter Milan and Chelsea. The media have thus dubbed him “the next Mourinho” due to his confidence, vast knowledge of football and his pragmatic approach to the game. However, he is keen to distance himself from these comparisons and carve out his own identity. If he does in fact make the move to Chelsea it will be interesting to see how much time Abramovich gives him to make an impact, and judging on recent durations it is not a long time at all. It could therefore be a risky career move for the coach but one that is sure to raise his profile, good or bad.

McLeish’s surprise decision to quit the Blues has also infuriated the club’s owners, Carson Yeung and Peter Pannu, who believe they had shown a lot of faith in him during his time at the club. They are also adamant that they provided him with generous amount of funds in order to allow him to purchase players of his choosing. However, they are now eager to move on and find an immediate replacement, with the likes of Alan Curbishley and Chris Hughton (both 6/1) and Roberto di Matteo (8/1) also in the frame.

Billy Davies has also been linked with Birmingham

Despite a list of big names being linked with the vacancy it is Portsmouth boss Steve Cotterill who is the leading candidate, with Paddy Power pricing him at just 2/1. The 46-year-old joined the south coast club last June and in his first season in charge took the club to a 16th place finish in the Championship, a respectable standing considering the club had been in administration for the first part of the season. Birmingham’s owners have reportedly been impressed with the former Burnley and Notts County manager and are due to hold talks with him in the next few days.

All odds courtesy of Paddy Power

Martinez today emerged as the frontrunner after Villa decided to turn their backs on the likes of Steve McClaren, Mark Hughes and Rafa Benitez. The former Swansea boss has gained numerous plaudits this season for managing Wigan on a tight budget and for keeping them in the Premier League, after the club strung together an impressive end of season run in. He has also refused to alter his attractive style of football, despite the club’s inconsistent form. Dave Whelan may have given Martinez permission to speak to Villa but he has also made it abundantly clear that he will be offering Martinez a contract extension in order to tempt him to stay at the club. However, Wigan are resolved to losing a number of their star players, including Charles N’Zogbia who played a key role in the club’s survival this season.

Since Houllier’s departure Villa have been linked with a catalogue of managers as they aim to install a new manager before their pre-season training starts on July 7th. Owen Coyle has also been recently put in the frame for the Villa job and as a result has had his odds cut to 5/1. Since he joined Bolton from Burnley in January 2010 Coyle has managed to transform the club’s style of play by employing a more attractive, high-tempo level of football.

All odds courtesy of Victor Chandler