Home / Football / Former Villa Manager Heads The Betting To Replace Mark Hughes

Odds make Martin O'Neill favourite to be next Fulham manager

Martin O'Neill has emerged as the bookmakers' favourite to take over from Mark Hughes and be the next Fulham manager. Paddy Power price the former Aston Villa manager as an industry best 11/4 favourite in the odds as he looks to make a return to the game, although the likes of Martin Jol, Steve McClaren and Alan Curbishley are also thought to be in the mix.

Hughes quit his post at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night as he activated a release clause in his contract and it was thought that he would be moving on to become the next Aston Villa manager. However, he has said that no clubs have contacted him and while it was felt that Hughes was expecting to be offered the job at Villa Park, Villa officials have indicated that they are not interested.

The situation could well leave Hughes without a job for the forseeable future and former Villa man O'Neill could be the man to benefit. O'Neill has been out of the game since leaving Villa just days before the start of the 2010/11 Premier League season and has been without a club ever since. He reportedly left over a perceived lack of funds and has since been linked with the West Ham job but pulled out due to the way his potential arrival was leaked.

It was felt that O'Neill wanted to move to bigger club, potentially with Champions League football, but the way he left Villa has meant he has had to lower his expectations and Craven Cottage could well be his next stop.

Martin Jol is also well fancied to replace Hughes and he was heavily linked with the job when Roy Hodgson left Fulham last summer. His club at the time, Ajax, refused him permission to talk to the club though, but he is now out of work and would no doubt relish a return to the Premier League after his successful stint with Tottenham. He is available at a tempting 5/2 with PaddyPower.com.

Another man keen to make a return to the English game is Steve McClaren as he continues to be linked with several vacant posts and he can be backed to take over at Craven Cottage at odds of 7/1. McClaren was sacked by Wolfsburg last season after a successful spell as FC Twente manager and it is well known he is holding out for a Premier League job.

Elsewhere, Alan Curbishley is still waiting for his chance to return to top flight football since he acrimonious split from West Ham in September 2008 and he is an attractive 10/1 punt at this stage. Former Fulham midfielder Lee Clark joins Curbishley at 10/1 and the current Huddersfield manager could well be looking for a change after his side lost out to Peterborough in the League One play-off final.

There are a clutch of contenders at 12/1, including Carlo Ancelotti, although he is rumoured to want to manage a club in the Champions League, Rafa Benitez and Chris Hughton, who could relish the challenge of building on a relatively successful 2010/11 season for Fulham.

Next Fulham Manager Odds

11/4 Martin O'Neill
5/2 Martin Jol
7/1 Steve McClaren
10/1 Alan Curbishley
10/1 Lee Clark
12/1 Carlo Ancelotti
12/1 Rafael Benitez
12/1 Chris Hughton
14/1 Roberto Martinez
16/1 Dave Jones
16/1 Chris Coleman
16/1 Walter Smith
16/1 Roberto Di Matteo
18/1 Alex McLeish
20/1 Neil Warnock
25/1 BAR

Odds supplied by PaddyPower.com, bookmakers, who provide a variety of football odds and specials betting markets.

Posted: Friday, 3rd June 2011
Author: Chris James
Tags: fulham, martin o neill, martin jol, paddypower,

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