Tony Pulis narrow favourite for Brighton vacancy

Brighton & Hove Albion have started the search for their fourth manager in 18 months following Monday's resignation of Sami Hyypia. The Finn threw in the towel after a very disappointing six months at the AMEX Stadium, during which he recorded only three wins from 22 Championship matches, leaving the club 22nd in the table.

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The Seagulls will no doubt be keen to make a swift appointment as they bid to arrest their slump and avoid relegation down to League One. Attention has immediately turned to Hyypia's successor in the dugout and the betting is predictably tight at this early stage in proceedings. As things stand the Next Brighton Manager Market reveals that a whole host of top contenders are in the frame, including the likes of Tony Pulis, Nigel Adkins, Tim Sherwood, Chris Hughton and Uwe Rosler, while Sven Goran Eriksson has drifted out to 14/1.

Out of the above list of candidates it's the 7/4 priced Pulis who currently leads the way at the top of the pile, courtesy of Sky Bet. The in-demand manager has had no shortage of suitors since his shock exit from Crystal Palace just 48 hours before the 2014/15 season, however the 56-year-old has so far refrained from making his comeback to the dugout. Pulis would undoubtedly be a popular choice on the south coast, despite his history at rivals Palace, but whether he is keen to hurl himself into a second-tier relegation dogfight remains to be seen.

Hot on the Welshman's tail is the former Tottenham gaffer Sherwood who has been eager to return to the management arena for some time. The 45-year-old, who enjoys a close relationship with Brighton chief executive Paul Barber, is available at 7/2 to embark on his first job since leaving the Lane, while the recently sacked Nigel Adkins is just behind at 4/1.

Elsewhere the unemployed duo of Hughton and Rosler can be found at 6/1 and 8/1 respectively, whereas the long-serving MK Dons gaffer Karl Robinson could be worth considering at 12/1. Meanwhile Hyypia's assistant Nathan Jones, who is a 16/1 outsider, has been placed in charge of the first team for their clash at home to Reading on Boxing Day.