Jones & Pearce backed for Blackburn job

A week on from Sam Allardyce's fairly unexpected sacking, it's no clearer who will replace him on a permanent basis at Blackburn after Alan Shearer ruled himself out of contention and caretaker manager Steve Kean failed to make a winning start at Ewood Park against bottom club West Ham.

Rovers were held to a 1-1 draw despite taking the lead and the response of the home supporters was to jeer at full-time, while their anger at owners The Venky's Group was vented through chants of "there's only one Jack Walker" in reference to the man who bankrolled their 1994-95 title triumph.

Kean remains the [5.4] favourite to receive the job - on Betfair an interim boss who survives ten league games is considered the successor - but judging by the murmurings of "we'd have won this one under Allardyce" from some fans after the match, it wouldn't be a hugely popular decision.

Shearer is out to [50.0] after distancing himself from the position on Match of the Day and Betfair punters have backed in Cardiff manager Dave Jones to [8.8] and England Under-21s coach Stuart Pearce to [10.0] as they search for other potential candidates.

It would be a bit of a surprise if either was appointed as Jones has endured a disappointing few weeks in which Cardiff have gone from near-certainties for a top-two finish to being pushed out of an automatic promotion-paying position by Leeds and Pearce has the European Under-21 Championship to look forward to next summer.

There are no obvious contenders beyond the three frontrunners though, with former boss Mark Hughes next in line at [17.5], followed by unemployed duo Martin O'Neill and Alan Curbishley at [18.5] and [23.0] respectively.

Who do you fancy to be given the opportunity? Let us know below...

Published: 20 Dec 2010

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