Ten-time title winner in West Ham running
Chris Hughton is still the market leader at [3.1] but his price is gradually drifting as Betfair punters remain uncertain as to who West Ham will identify as the right man to succeed Avram Grant and guide them back into the Premier League at the first attempt.
The most interesting addition to the market in the last 24 hours is Walter Smith, who walked away from Rangers at the end of the SPL season after guiding them to another title and is rated an [18.0] outsider to become the Irons' 14th permanent manager.
The 63-year-old tactician's record in Scotland is spectacular having guided the Gers to ten league championships and 11 cup successes in a combined 12 seasons in charge, in addition to sparking the revival of the national team during a brief stint as boss of the Tartan Army.
His next move is likely to be to England having achieved almost everything in his homeland, however quite how prestigious a job he could attract is up for debate despite his impressive CV due to an unconvincing spell at Everton between 1998 and 2002 and a reputation for encouraging anti-football.
Gordon Strachan had to settle for a Championship club in Middlesbrough despite leaving Celtic as a three-time champion and Alex McLeish took over at relegation-threatened Birmingham even though he had done well at Rangers and Scotland, so it could be that he would consider the West Ham post.
Whether he would be a popular choice is also unclear as while a pragmatic approach is arguably what the east Londoners need right now, most fans would prefer to see the pass-and-move football promised by caretaker appointment Kevin Keen, whose odds to be hired full time have crept in to [8.0].
Would Smith be successful at the Boleyn Ground? Have your say below...
Published: 19 May 2011
cole (May 19, 2011 5:29 PM) said:
no