Carver will know that if he can lead the team up the table over the next few weeks he will be in a good position to apply for the job on a full time basis but it has to be more likely that Phil Brown will be in pole position for the vacancy. Brown has experience at taking a team out of the Championship and that will be an attractive part of the CV for Trevor Birch and the board at Bramall Lane. Brown is a Manager that splits fans with his style of play but there is no doubting that he did a great job at Hull in taking them to the Premier League when no one gave them a chance, that is reflected in the Next Sheffield United Manager Betting and Brown looks like being a serious contender at this early stage.

Outside of the top two in the betting with VC Bet one of the most interesting candidates for punters to consider is Doncaster Manager Sean O’Driscoll who might see a move to Bramall Lane as a step in the right direction. O’Driscoll has done a cracking job at Doncaster on a shoe string budget while he also enjoyed some success at Bournemouth previously, he gets his team playing an attractive style of football and he is sure to be mentioned by the board over the next few days. At the moment O’Driscoll and Doncatser are above Sheffield United in the Championship but there has to be more scope to improve down the road at Bramall Lane, he looks to be the value in what is a fairly wide open betting market at the moment as the Managerial merry-go-round continues to gather pace.

There will be no shortage of candidates for The Blades that is for sure as they look to get back to the Premier League as soon as possible, they have a passionate fan base and the facilities to be back in the top flight which is sure to attract some top quality Managers to the role.

Next Sheffield United Manager Odds with VC Bet – 21/12/2010 – Click To Bet

Sean O’Driscoll – Evens
John Carver – 15/8
Mickey Adams – 11/4
Alan Shearer – 12/1
Andy Scott – 12/1
Gareth Southgate – 12/1
Chris Hughton – 12/1
Eddie Howe – 12/1
Phil Brown – 12/1
John Pemberton – 12/1
Dean Holdsworth – 12/1
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All markets supplied by VC Bet.com

The Swede could be heading for Wales

Lars Lagerback is the new favourite in the betting to become the next Wales Manager following a rush of money over the past couple of days, the former Sweden Boss looks like being in pole position for the job and would be the first foreign boss of the National Team. He is a hugely experienced Manager on the international scene and it is understood that the Welsh FA have identified him as the man they want to turn the fortunes of the country around, it will be a slightly controversial appointment though as the fans are sure to prefer a home grown appointment if at all possible. Brian Flynn has been in temporary charge since John Toshack left the role in September, but the team were less than impressive in losing to Bulgaria and Switzerland in October to hinder his chances of getting the job on a full-time basis.

Ian Rush had been the favourite in the Next Wales Manager Betting Odds with Victor Chandler but he has now been usurped by Lagerback who is looking for a new challenge, he spent a remarkable nine years in sole charge of Sweden so has vast experience of Managing on the International scene. Lagerback has been through successful and unsuccessful qualifying campaigns and that is an experience that should help the young Welsh side, he could be the ideal man to nurture the young talent in the squad as they look to finally end their long Major Championship drought. If he does take the job he will need to make sure he get the best out of Gareth Bale while bringing through the younger talent like Aaron Ramsey, it is a mouth watering prospect over the next few years especially with two huge games against England on the horizon.

Outside of Lagerback the betting is telling us that Chris Coleman is the other major contender, the former Coventry Manager has made it clear he is interested the job and he looks to be the best of the home grown candidates on the current list of contenders. He has had mixed success as a Manager with several different jobs on his CV but as the betting suggests he is a real contender should Lagerback turn away from the challenge.

Villa have had a fantastic season so far with a League Cup Final already in the bag, European football on the cards for next season as well as an FA Cup Semi-Final against Chelsea at Wembley to look forward to and this news has come as a shock to most in the game. However, the Aston Villa fans are notoriously fickle and there have been a few rumblings of discontent following their smashing at Stamford Bridge at the weekend with some pointing the finger at O’Neill. In fairness to the Manager the squad seems to have been hit with a number of injuries over the past month and their squad has been exposed as they fight for that crucial 4th spot and Champions League qualification.

It is thought that O’Neill clashed with Randy Lerner over the transfer budget for the January window with the Gaffer worried that a couple of injuries would undermine their push for that 4th spot which is what seems to have happened. O’Neill has been a huge success at Villa Park since taking charge with the club gradually improving both on and off the pitch, losing O’Neill would be disastrous for the cub as he looks to continue their push up the table over the next couple of years. It appears that Villa will be looking at Europa League football next season which should be used as a springboard for further European success in the Champions League rather than disregarded in the way it has been by Villa in recent times.

Villa will need to beware that O’Neill is a Manager in demand and could well jump ship to a bigger club given half the chance, he does currently feature in both the Next Liverpool Manager Odds as well as the Next Man United Manager Betting which most would consider as bigger jobs than the one he currently holds at Villa Park. We feel that those Villa fans wanting O’Neill to go should be careful what they wish for as he could well end up Managing in the Champions League sooner rather than later but it might not be at Villa Park.

In fairness to Ancelotti there is no doubt that the club seems to have suffered a dip in form since the John Terry scandal broke and he has faced a tough month or two in defending his captain, while publicly the players and staff are saying all the right things it is clear that results have dropped off since the John Terry issue arose.

Chelsea have won just five games in their last 11 on a run that included a disappointing Champions League exit at the hands of former boss Jose Mourinho and Inter Milan, the style of the performance against Inter is a worrying sign for the club as the team were comprehensively outplayed. The team looked an ageing outfit against Inter and Ancelotti must surely realise that the squad will need to be overhauled over the next couple of seasons if is to bring success to the Bridge. That worrying defeat was followed with a lacklustre draw at Blackburn which saw the club slip off of the top of the table and hand the Premier League initiative to Man United and Arsenal.

The Sack Race understands that Ancelotti’s position will be reviewed at the end of the season so a strong finish for Ancelotti will be essential if he is to convince Abramovich he is the man to take the club forward. They remain the biggest club remaining in the FA Cup and will fancy their chances of winning the competition which may well soften the blow. They are still very much in the title race at the moment with an upcoming game against Man United which may well prove crucial to the destination of the title as well as going a long way to deciding the future of Carlo Ancelotti. A poor run to the end of the campaign could see the Blues finish behind both Man United and Arsenal which is unlikely to be good enough for Ancelotti to extend his stay in Englaand past one season with the clubs owners and fans desperate for success.

There has also been regular speculation surrounding Hughes with a return to the Premier League with West Ham, Gianfranco Zola is under big pressure at Upton Park with the club struggling both on and off the pitch at the moment and many are linking Hughes with a rescue mission at Upton Park. The Sack Race understands that should Zola be given the elbow by the new owners at Upton Park then Mark Hughes is the man at the top of the shortlist to come in, Hughes only lost two matches at Man City and had a successful period at Blackburn previously meaning there will be plenty of clubs like the Hammers who will be willing to take a risk on him.

That brings us to Blackburn who themselves are not having the best season under Sam Allardyce which is reflected in the Next Premier League Manager To be Sacked Odds, Allardyce rescued Rovers from relegation last season but they have not really kicked on and at the moment sit just above the drop zone. There are a few rumblings of discontent coming out of Ewood Park right now and most of the fans and no doubt the board would jump at the chance to bring Mark Hughes back to the club where he made his name as a Manager.

At the moment Hughes will be sat back enjoying his time off assessing his next move and he appears to have his options open at this stage, both Gianfranco Zola and Sam Allardyce will be aware that Sparky is lurking in the background waiting to swoop in at a moments notice at either Ewood or Upton Park. A Premier League job seems the most likely at this stage but the Turkey opportunity is an interesting one as he may like a fresh challenge in the Steve McLaren mould who is rebuilding his career successfully in Holland.

McLeish has turned Birmingham into an extremely tough outfit that none of the top teams like to play home or away, they have registered wins against the likes of Man United as well as picking up a point at Anfield on this fine run. The Sot has managed to get the experienced players in the squad like Lee Bowyer and Barry Ferguson playing to a high level which others have been unable to do, that has been the key that has turned the team into a physical outfit that also have a bit of flair about them. We all know that McLeish had formed a fine reputation in his native Scotland with the likes of Rangers and Scotland but he now appears to be making his name in the big league down south, if he carries on in this fashion then he could well be heading to one of the big money teams in the top six in the future.

There have been a few rumours doing the rounds about McLeish being a possible replacement for Sir Alex Ferguson at Man United when he finally decides to retire, McLeish played under Ferguson at Aberdeen and very much comes from the same mould which will appeal to the United board and fans. The Sack Race would certainly not rule out such a move at this stage and that will be a major incentive for the Scot as he continues on his journey with Birmingham, new owner Carson Yeung looks set to pump some money into the club and it will be interesting to see how he takes the club to the next level.

Mario Bolatti celebrates his 84th minute winner which secured Argentina and Maradona a place at the 2010 World Cup.

Maradona and Argentina’s blushes were saved by an 84th minute winner in the final game of the South American World Cup qualifying group on Wednesday when substitute, Mario Bolatti, came off the bench to clinch a 1-0 victory for Argentina and secure automatic qualification to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

It has been a less than convincing qualifiying campaign for Diego Maradona’s team, losing six of their 18 games, a sequence of results which had seen mounting pressure on the man who captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 and is a national legened in his home country. However, a 92nd minute winner against Peru on Saturday and another late winner against arch rivals Uruguay in the final group game was enough for the ‘Albicelestes’ to confirm their place in South Africa and a tenth consecutive appearance at the World Cup finals. They join Brazil, Chile and Paraguay as South America’s representatives in at the tournament.

It would be expected that Maradona would now be given the chance to lead Argentina into the World Cup but rumours are still rife that his job in not safe and the ‘Asociación del Fútbol Argentino’ could well be looking for a replacement to deliver World Cup glory for the first time since 1986 based on Maradona’s indifferent results in qualifying.

Regardless of what opinion is of Maradona, there is no questioning his great ability as a player and whilst that may not translate into being a successful manager, nobody can argue that his appearance on the touchlines in South Africa would make the World Cup all the more interesting and he is sure to have a point to prove on the World stage after his last appearance as a player in the competition in 1994 ended in disgrace after just two games following a failed drugs test. The bookmakers certainly think he can make as big an impact as a coach as he did a player, with Bet365 cutting the odds of Argentina winning in South Africa from 10/1 into 13/2 overnight!