Newcastle United have begun the search for a fifth manager in eight years after dismissing Sir Bobby Robson yesterday.
Robson’s position had become increasingly precarious after an indifferent start to the season had left the Magpies with just two draws from their first four games, lodging them in sixteenth place in the Barclays Premier League.
A 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday, for which Robson declined to start Tyneside legend Alan Shearer, was the final straw for Robson.
No sooner had Ladbrokes opened a book on Robson’s successor than a gamble developed on Shearer. From an initial 11-4, the former England striker was quickly trading at 13-8.
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The local rumour mill had Terry Venables pencilled in for a position as Shearer’s mentor, but Venables has been a big mover in the betting on his own account. Ladbrokes have him at 7-1, backed in from 50-1.
Gerard Houllier, the former Liverpool manager, was an early drifter, from 2-1 to 4-1, as was Steve Bruce, manager at Birmingham, from 5-2 also to 4-1. Birmingham will feel they can hang on to Bruce as he has recently signed a five-year contract.
Other early movers were Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren, 6-1 from 25-1, and Gordon Strachan, 6-1 from 14-1. Sam Allardyce, who has done such a good job at Bolton, is 14-1.
Martin O’Neill, always one of the usual suspects in these managers’ markets, is 20-1 to leave Celtic for St James’ Park, a price he shares with David Moyes (Everton) and Alan Curbishley (Charlton).