Next Liverpool Manager Betting: Hodgson to Anfield?

Premier League / Mike Norman / 11 June 2010 / Leave a Comment

Roy Hodgson is the man everyone is talking about regarding becoming the next manager of Liverpool

"Roy Hodgson is also gathering a lot of support from within the football world after guiding Fulham from the brink of relegation to a high of seventh in the Premier League, and just this season, leading them to the final of the UEFA Europa League."

The dust is beginning to settle on Rafa Benitez's departure from Liverpool, whilst the search to find the next Anfield boss might not be a long one says "Mystic" Mike Norman.

After six seasons of being in charge of Liverpool, Rafa Benitez last week paid the ultimate price for being dull, barmy, and quite frankly, a rubbish football manager - all things considered of course.

You get the feeling that Rafa's departure should have been a lot sooner, and that somehow, his Champions League success in 04/05 - Xabi Alonso apart, achieved with a largely inherited squad - won him another five years of trying to be successful. FA Cup and UEFA Super Cup successes in 05/06 perhaps weaken my harsh assessment of Benitez, but the reality is that he took Liverpool from the brink of what should have been another spell of greatness, to a club that failed miserably in the Champions Leagues this season, and one that could only manage seventh in the Premier League.

Benitez looks like walking straight into another top job by succeeding Jose Mourinho as Inter Milan's new boss (which is a bit like me and my karaoke mates having to perform after Take That at the MEN in Manchester), but over at Anfield, it means one of the greatest jobs in world football is up for grabs. Who'll take it?

If Betfair's Next Liverpool Manager market is anything to go by then it's increasingly looking like a two-horse race between Fulham boss Roy Hodgson - available to back at [2.92] - and Aston Villa's Martin O'Neill ([4.3]).

Hodgson looks a strong candidate to be the first manager approached by Liverpool given that the Reds - who had to shell out £6m to get rid of Benitez - wouldn't have to pay the Cottagers too much in compensation because of Hodgson's 12 month rolling contract. On top of this, Hodgson has strong credentials as a boss. He has managed big names before when in charge of Inter Milan, and through his spells at Blackburn and Fulham has plenty of experience of top-flight football in England.

Hodgson is also gathering a lot of support from within the football world after guiding Fulham from the brink of relegation to a high of seventh in the Premier League, and just this season, leading them to the final of the UEFA Europa League. Surely, if the job is offered to Hodgson, it will be impossible for this likeable figure to turn the vacancy down.

Like Hodgson, O'Neill is also on a 12-month rolling contract, though having just signed an extension to that in May he would cost Liverpool around £3m in compensation to Villa if he were the man the Anfield club wanted. Prising O'Neill away from Villa Park could prove troublesome also, as the Northern Irishman has been promised considerable finances to bolster his squad for next season, and that's a promise Liverpool almost certainly can't make at the moment.

A sting in the tail here however could be the James Milner saga. Newspaper reports suggest O'Neill is ready to quit should his star midfielder be sold against his wishes to Man City. If this were to happen then O'Neill would become a free agent, and surely then Liverpool would make their move.

The only other managers in this market that are available to back below [20.0] are Sven Goran Eriksson ([12.0]), Kenny Dalglish ([12.0]), and Mark Hughes ([19.0]), though in the latter's case I think it's highly unlikely that Liverpool would appoint an ex-Manchester United legend as their new boss.

Eriksson has publicly admitted his love for Liverpool and his desire to manage them - though with his track record of late, you get the feeling that he is a fan of any club that has a vacancy. I can't see him getting a call either.

Dalglish on the other hand is slightly more interesting. Now the club's ambassador, he won three league titles and two FA Cups during his six years at the helm some 20 years ago, and a return as manager would be very popular amongst players and fans. It would also be comparable with Walter Smith's return to Rangers after he'd left the Scottish giants with his reputation intact, only to return a decade later following other jobs and a brief spell out of the game - a return that has been extremely successful.

Recommended Bet

Back Roy Hodgson @ [2.92]