Most clubs would be satisfied a place in the play-offs turning into the New Year but Charlton have clearly set a goal of promotion or bust and the owners seem to be acting now to avoid the club slipping any further down the table. At the moment Brighton appear to be well clear at the top of the table meaning only one more automatic spot is on offer and Charlton believe they should be the ones to take advantage. At this stage though there is any number of teams in competition for promotion with just six points covering Southampton in 2nd and Colchester all the way down in 11. Charlton will be aiming to appoint a new Manager with that in mind over the coming weeks as they look to get back to the Championship, a run of two or three wins for any team in the top half will see them emerge as genuine promotion candidates over the second half of the season.

Parkinson had been in charge of Charlton since November 2008 but has failed to take them back to promotion and at this early stage the Sack Race understands that Dennis Wise is one name being linked to the vacancy at the Valley. The Wise link comes with Tony Jiminez who he worked with at Newcastle and is now a director on the board at Charlton, Wise has been out of the game for some time but he is a big name and would be able to attract a good standard of player to the club. If Wise is appointed to the hotseat at the Valley then he will be made aware that promotion is the minimum standard for the Addicks this season and he would need to hit the ground running as he looks to turn around the alarming dip in form that Charlton have suffered over the past month.

Next Charlton Athletic Manager Odds with VC Bet – 05/01/2011

Dennis Wise – 2/7
Gus Poyet – 5/1
Steve Clarke – 11/1
Kevin Blackwell – 12/1
Chris Hughton – 12/1
Eddie Howe – 12/1
Paul Tisdale – 12/1
Paulo Sousa – 12/1
Kevin Blackwell – 12/1
Keith Peacock – 12/1
Paulo Di Canio – 14/1
Gareth Southgate – 14/1
Alan Curbishley – 16/1
Brian Laws – 16/1
Phil Brown – 16/1
Darren Ferguson – 16/1
Andy Scott – 20/1
Gary Megson – 20/1
Mark McGhee – 20/1

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Could O'Neill be heading to Tyneside?

After weeks of rumours swirling around St James Park Chris Hughton has finally parted company with Newcastle United today to end a turbulent start to the season, he is a popular man in the north-East but Mike Ashley ahs decided to act after the team slipped to a poor defeat to West Brom on Sunday. Hughton has been without a long term contract since he joined the club with many believing the owner saw him as a temporary stop gap, that has proven to be the case and the club will now embark on the search for a new Manager. Hughton did a fantastic job in taking the team back into the Premier League when the club was in turmoil, and he will no doubt point to the fact that despite a dip in form they are in mid table and most promoted teams would be delighted to find themselves in that position in December.

Hughton is widely considered to have done an excellent job at Newcastle over the past couple of season’s and the Sack Race believes he can count himself unlucky to be heading down the Job Centre, he handled himself with dignity when he was in caretaker charge and he will always remain a popular figure with the players and fans.

The problem for Hughton has come with the teams form at home with just two wins to their names this season, one of those was a brilliant win against Sunderland but he has payed the price for one or two lacklustre performances in recent weeks. The players have firmly behind the Manager in recent weeks and it will no doubt be an unpopular decision to sack Hughton at the training ground, it is clear though that Mike Ashley is looking for a more experienced man to take the club into the top half of the Premier League as soon as possible. The Next Newcastle Manager Betting is likely to be a hot market over the coming weeks and there is sure to be a number of names linked to the vacancy on Tyneside.

The name always mentioned by Geordies will always be Alan Shearer but after his acrimonious exit from the club and his lack of experience means he is unlikely to be the value in the market, Martin O’Neill will be much more likely having left Aston Villa in August and he has bags of experience. O’Neill will surely be on the shortlist but it does remain to be seen if he is looking for a return to the game quite yet, he would be a popular choice with the fans and he is being well backed to head to the north east. Another name for punters to consider here is Alan Curbishley who has made it clear he is ready for a return to the game, he does have the experience Newcastle are looking for and he will be one to watch in this competitive market.

Next Newcastle Manager Odds with VC Bet.com – 06/12/2010

Martin O’Neill -4/1
Ala Curbishley – 5/1
Alan Pardew – 6/1
Alan Shearer – 8/1
Paul Lambert – 9/1
Lee Clark -10/1
Frank Rijkaard – 10/1
Martin Jol – 10/1
Gianfranco Zola – 12/1
Dave Jones – 14/1
Steve Clarke – 16/1
Slaven Bilic – 16/1
Didier Deschamps – 16/1

All betting markets supplied courtesy of Victor Chandler

The FA have made it clear that they will be looking for an English Manager next time around which would help the cause of a Redknapp, if he is still at Spurs and doing well in 2012 then it will be hard for the FA to ignore the claims of a man who has had an excellent Premier League career. Redknapp led Tottenham to the Champions League last season which is a feat that should not be underestimated, he is clearly a passionate man and a Manager that the fans and most importantly the players would identify with. Of course it is difficult to predict what the situation will be in two years time and it may also count against Redknapp if the FA decide to look for a younger man but at this stage he is the clear and justified favourite.

Other names mentioned at this early stage of the market include Roy Hodgson who is in a similar vain to Redknapp but does have the added experience of Managing at International level before, that is sure to be taken into consideration but his availability will depend very much on how he fares in his new job at Liverpool. Sam Allardyce has made it clear in the past he would love to Manage the National team at some stage and should not be ruled out, he though would perhaps not be the most popular choice with the fans with his direct style of football often criticised in some circles. While it is hard to ignore  Stuart Pearce who has been involved in the England set up for some time now, he has done a good job with the U21 team and his passion or England cannot be questioned, his tough spell at Man City though would be a concern and he may be overlooked for an experienced man like a Redknapp or Hodgson.

It is clear though that until capello leaves his role we will be facing constant speculation about his potential successor, the FA will have time to consider the options as they look to make a crucial appointment for the England Team so they in particular will be under pressure to get the decision right.

Next Permanent England Manager Odds with Victor Chandler – 10/09/2010

H Redknapp – 5/4
R Hodgson – 7/1
S Pearce – 8/1
M O’Neill – 10/1
S Allardyce – 16/1
G Hoddle – 16/1
S Bruce – 16/1
D Beckham – 20/1
G Hiddink – 20/1
M Lippi – 20/1
S McClaren – 20/1
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John Toshack looked a broken man after the defeat on Friday night and in truth he has struggled to take the team forward since taking charge for the second time in 2004, he has been talking about bringing through the younger crop for some time now but the results on the pitch have failed to improve. The former Liverpool Striker now appears to have decided he cannot take the team forward and has decided to resign, there are some bright talents in the team and any new Manager will need to get the best out of them during the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

Brian Flynn is the favourite for the job but there is also some feeling that a younger man should be brought into revitalise the squad in the same way that Mark Hughes did a few years ago, if that is the direction the FAW go in then the two obvious candidates would be Chris Coleman and Ryan Giggs. Both of these feature near the top of the betting with Giggs in particular the name of interest, he is of course a legend of Welsh football and if he has half an eye on Management then he may see this is as a good starting point. At the moment though Giggs is still playing at the highest level with Man United and it seems highly unlikely that he would have the time or desire to take on the role part-time, Sir Alex Ferguson is also likely to have some reservations about one of his star players spending so much time away.

Chris Coleman looks to be the value in this market at the moment, he is out of work at the moment after leaving Coventry at the end of last season and would surely be interested in the job having represented his Country with some pride. He is a respected and young Manager despite having mixed success during his career so far as a Manager, he may be able to get the best out of the younger players like Aaron Ramsey and Gareth Bale who are the future of the squad. It will be a tough job for whoever is appointed as they look to make a Major tournament for the first time in years, but there is the small matter of two games against England coming up which are sure to raise the pulses of Welsh fans and players.

Next Permanent Wales Manger Betting with VC Bet as of 07/09/2010 – Click to Bet

Brian Flynn 2/1
Chris Coleman 7/2
Ryan Giggs 6/1
Ian Rush 10/1
Dean Saunders 10/1
Phillipe Troussier 12/1
Paul Trollope 16/1
Gary Speed 16/1
Simon Davey 20/1
Tony Pulis 20/1
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All markets are supplied by Victor Chandler

It is understood that Hart has been approached by Southampton and is one of the names on the shortlist for potential replacements for Pardew, the next appointment for the Saints will be absolutely crucial as they look to get back to the big time and Hart will be eager to land the role.

Paul Hart is an interesting character with a mixed record in Management, he is most famous for his stint at south coast rivals Portsmouth last year as he oversaw the early part of their Premier League campaign, it was a season that would end in relegation though Hart was working in tough conditions. After leaving Pompey Hart moved onto a short lived spell at QPR which ended after just five games with him walking out, it was a bizarre turn of events but he was not out of a job for long as he took on the challenge of keeping Crystal Palace in the Championship. It was his third job of the season but he did manage to keep the Eagles in the Championship on the last day of the season, he should be praised for his job at Selhurst Park but it was not enough to keep the job on a permanent basis and is now back at the Job Centre.

Hart would not necessarily be the most popular appointment amongst the Southampton fans but VC Bet.com have been watching the betting market closely and have cut the chances of Hart being appointed in to around the 7/1 mark at the moment. Favouritism at the moment in the Next Southampton Manager Odds lies with Phil Brown and Eddie Howe, Bournemouth fans will be getting worried with their young Manager once again being linked with a big vacancy. Howe is just down the M27 at Dean Court and will surely be tempted should he be approached by Southampton, he has worked wonders at Bournemouth on a shoe string budget and that has not gone unnoticed at St Marys.

Phil Brown should not be ruled out at this stage either, he is a man with Premier League experience and has led Hull to promotion from the Championship, that should stand him good stead in a pressure situation like the one he would face at St Marys. Any manager taking on the roll will know that automatic promotion is the bare minimum this season with the club desperate to get back to the Championship, they have spent big as a club and the owners and board will demand that the squad delivers this term. It is an attractive job though for an ambitious Manager looking to make the climb up the Ladder, they have everything in place to be back at the top of the game so there is sure to be no shortage of top candidates a the betting suggests.

Next Southampton Manager Odds with VC Bet – 08/09/2010

Nigel Adkins – 1/4
Phil Brown – 5/2
Jeff Kenna – 12/1
Gianfranco Zola – 12/1
Eddie Howe – 14/1
Paul Buckle – 18/1
Rolf Fringer – 20/1
Martin O’Neill – 20/1
Paul Tisdale – 20/1
Paul Hart – 20/1
Iain Dowie – 20/1
Others On request

All markets supplied by Victor Chandler

At this stage it remains unknown the reasons for Turner’s decision but it will come as a surprise to some fans of the Monkey Hangers who hold the former Manchester United goalkeeper in high regard following his successful first spell in charge of Hartlepool between 1999 and 2002 which resulted in him leaving to take up the managers job at Sheffield Wednesday. However, after avoiding relegation on the final day of last season,  fans may now welcome a change in at the North East club.

First team coach, Mick Wadsworth, has been placed in temporary charge for Hartlepool’s trip to Yeovil on Saturday, becoming the twelfth club that Wandsworth has managed. Whether he will be handed the job on a full time basis remains to be seen and may depend on results over the next few games.

Next Hartlepool United Manager Odds with VC Bet.com - 20/08/2010

Mick Wadsworth – 2/1
Mark Venus – 9/1
Mark Proctor – 10/1
Martin Foyle – 10/1
Dave Penney – 11/1
Martin Allen – 12/1
David Holdsworth – 12/1
Jim Magilton – 12/1
John Trewick – 12/1
Peter Jackson – 14/1
Alan Buckley – 14/1
Mick Tait – 16/1
Nicky Law – 16/1
Steve Fallon – 16/1
Ian Bogie – 16/1
Others on request

All markets supplied by Victor Chandler

Two years ago Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League after a torrid season but Hughton managed to steady the ship in the Championship, he got his team back to winning ways and they showed they were clearly the best team in the League to pick up the Trophy back in May. The problem for Hughton is that Newcastle will not accept going back to the Championship, if there is any threat of a relegation battle looming at St James Park then the thought is that Hughton would be on his bike pretty sharpish. Outside of Hughton there are a number of interesting names featuring at the top of this fascinating market with Roberto Mancini being the biggest name of all, the Man City Manager is spending money like its going out of business again and will be expected to produce the results  on the pitch.

Steve Bruce is an interesting name near the top of this market and the Sack Race believes he could well be in for a tough season at the Stadium Of Light, the problem for Bruce is that he needs the team to show some marked improvement from their finish last season. Sunderland have spent a fair amount of money to push themselves into a top half team but they may struggle to kick on, Bruce is a Manager that has proven in the past that he does like to move on if things are not going his way and punters should take note of that.

This is a market that will run and run right throughout the season by this time of the year it does offer great value so punters should be looking to get involved at this stage, the Premier League is the best league in the world but the pressure on Managers is intense so this is a fast moving and exciting market right the way through the season.

Next Premier League Manager To Be Sacked Odds with VC Bet - 15/07/2010

C Hughton – 2/1
R Mancini – 5/1
R Di Matteo – 6/1
R Martinez – 6/1
S Bruce – 7/1
A McLeish – 8/1
A Grant – 8/1
S Allardyce – 8/1
M McCarthy – 8/1
I Holloway – 12/1
H Redknapp – 20/1
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The team could only manage a goalless draw against Algeria on Friday night which means that they now face a solid Slovenian team needing three points, if they do claim the win there is every chance they could top the group but if they do fall at the first hurdle then it the Sack Race understands that the Italian will quickly resign his position. This is the crucial match for Capello with the draw opening up for them if they are to progress towards the latter stages, before the tournament the Italian was aiming for the Final but the fans would be happy to see the team just scrape through against Slovenia.

The media interest around the squad has been huge with 24 coverage picking away at every decision that Capello has made, and that coupled with injuries to Rio Ferdinand, Ledley King and Gareth Barry have meant that things have not gone to plane after such an impressive qualification campaign. The fans and media are expecting Capello to make wholesale changes to the team for the game against Slovenia with a change of formation a distinct possibility, he will be mulling over the make up of his midfield as well as who if anyone will partner Wayne Rooney up top.

If Capello makes th wrong choices on Wednesday evening then they could well be the last decisions he ever makes as England Manager, and that just comes a couple of weeks after he signed a new contract as the FA tried to ward of interest from Inter Milan in their man. It would be a remarkable turn around in fortunes it Capello were to leave his job so shortly after committing his future to the FA but if England do fail to qualify from Group C then he would have no choice but to fall on his sword.

Fabio Capello to be England Manager On August 1st 2010 Odds with VC Bet.com

Yes – 1/3
No – 9/4

Next Permanent England Manager Odds with Victor Chandler - 21/06/2010

Harry Redknapp – 2/1
Roy Hodgson – 5/1
Guus Hiddink – 7/1
Martiin O’Neill – 10/1
Jose Mourinho – 12/1
Stuart Pearce – 12/1
Arsene Wenger – 14/1
Sam Allardyce – 20/1
Martin Jol – 20/1
Steve McClaren – 20/1
Mark Hughes 20/1
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Coventry have struggled to make any impression on the Championship for a number of years despite a succession of Managers coming through the door and Chris Coleman can now be added to that list of Managers who have failed. The club have a fantastic stadium but the football on the pitch has failed to live up to that standard of late with the team falling away at the end of the season for the second season in-a-row.  The search will now begin for a successor to Coleman at Coventry and the Sack Race understands that there is no one lined up immediately meaning it could be a lengthy search during the Summer.

A number of Managers have failed to improve the on-field fortunes of Coventry in recent season so the next appointment will be absolutely crucial for the Sky blues, they are likely to look for an experienced Manager at Championship level. The transfer budget will be minimal so any new Manager will need to be able to get the best out of the players already at the club as well as having an eye for a bargain or two if he is to move the club into the top half of the Championship table next season. As for Chris Coleman, well his career has been on the slide for some time now and he may need to take a step back before assessing his next move in football after a promising start to his Managerial career at Fulham.

Next Permanent Coventry City Manager Odds with VC Bet.com - 04/05/2010

David O’Leary – 3/1
Steve Cotterill – 7/2
Tony Mowbray – 9/2
Gary McAllister – 8/1
Sean O’Driscoll – 11/1
Phil Brown – 12/1
Gareth Southgate – 12/1
Peter Taylor – 12/1
Paul Tisdale – 14/1
Gary Megson – 12/1
George Burley – 14/1
Others on request

All markets are supplied by Victor Chandler

The Sack Race understands that Millen could well put himself into pole position for the job if he can take the team on a good run over the next few games, at this stage though it is Coppell who is the bookies favourite and he is currently odds-on to take the job on a full time basis. Victor Chandler have been following developments at Ashton Gate very closely and they are convinced that Coppell is the man to take the job after a while out of the game. Coppell had a successful spell at Reading which included a stint in the Premier league and Bristol City would love to have a man of that experience to take them to the next level.

Bristol City are an ambitious team with a new stadium on the way and the Premier League has to be their long term aim, they have spent the last few seasons in and around the top half of the table but they have been unable to quite make that leap to the Premier League. Gary Johnson led them to the Play-Off Final in 2008 when they lost out to Hull in the tightest of games, things started to go down hill following that defeat which eventually led to the downfall of Johnson. Aside from Coppell and Millen there are still some other big names in the frame for the Ashton Gate hot seat, Tony Mowbray is now out of work after leaving Celtic and may want to get straight back into the game. Mowbray has had a tough time at Celtic but knows how to take a team to the Premier League having done it with West Brom which could prove invaluable experience at a club like City.

Next Bristol City Manager Betting with VC Bet.com - 30/03/2010

Steve Coppell – 8/11
Alan Curbishley – 3/1
Keith Millen – 5/1
Tony Mowbray – 9/1
George Burley – 10/1
Sean O Driscoll – 10/1
Paul Tisdale – 12/1
Phil Brown – 14/1
Gary Megson – 16/1
Gareth Southgate – 16/1
Eddie Howe – 18/1
Steve McClaren – 20/1
Jim Magilton – 20/1
Derek McInnes – 20/1
Others on request

Latest odds supplied by VC Bet.com