Friday 12 June 2015 16:28, UK
Sheffield Wednesday have begun the search for a new manager after parting company with Stuart Gray.
We look at the favourites to fill the vacancy according to Sky Bet’s next Sheffield Wednesday manager odds.
Carlos Carvalhal has attracted the majority of the money at Sky Bet, prompting his odds to plummet from as long as 50/1 when the market opened. The Portuguese coach - who was a centre-back during his playing days - has managed the likes of Braga, Sporting Lisbon and Beskitas during a 17-year managerial career
If the Owls made their decision based on the availability of managers with Premier League pedigree then Allardyce will surely be top of their list. ‘Big Sam’ successfully guided both Bolton and West Ham to promotion from the Championship, while also managing Newcastle and Blackburn without facing a single relegation. Allardyce has all too often been tarnished with suggestions that his sides play unattractive football, but the Hillsborough faithful are unlikely to complain if he can lead them back into the top flight for the first time since the turn of the century.
Lambert has been available since his disappointing reign at Aston Villa was brought to an end in February, with the club languishing in the relegation zone. That spell at Villa Park has blemished a previously blossoming reputation, having led Norwich to back-to-back promotions, from League 1 to the Premier League, before steering the Canaries to safety. Lambert initially also enjoyed success with Villa but struggled to take the club forward, with his third campaign in charge ending prematurely, leaving Tim Sherwood to reverse the club’s fortunes.
Few would have been surprised back in October to hear that little known Jokanovic would not be in charge come the summer break when he became Watford’s fourth boss of the season. However, his departure from the Hornets came as a significant shock given their promotion to the Premier League. It eventually emerged that a breakdown in contract talks prompted the severing of ties, so while the availability of a man fresh from promotion looks an ideal fit for the ambitious Owls, it may well take more than lofty aspirations to attract the 46-year-old to the club.
If a club legend is what the owners are after then Sheridan fits the bill, having made nearly 200 appearances for the club between 1989 and 1996, scoring the winner in the 1991 League Cup final. Sheridan is also available after leaving Plymouth Argyle following their Sky Bet League 2 play-off semi-final defeat, with an interest in moving back to north of England cited.
Warburton’s exit from Brentford was another surprising one, with his impending departure announced in March despite the club challenging for an unprecedented promotion to the Premier League. While the Bees eventually fell short in their top-flight dream, Warburton left with his stock high, having led them to promotion from League 1 and then into the Championship play-offs at the first attempt. However, that success seems to have attracted the interest from elsewhere, with the Warburton currently just 1/2 on becoming Rangers’ next manager.
Find Sky Bet’s full list of next Sheffield Wednesday manager odds here.
