Former Leeds United boss ‘among favourites’ to replace Premier League manager

A former Leeds United boss could be in the running for the newest Premier League opening. We saw another sacking on Thursday night when Steven Gerrard was handed his P45 on the back of Aston Villa’s disappointing start to the season. The Midlands side spent a healthy chunk in the summer window, and while injuries have not helped, Villa have been poor, leaving them in the thick of the relegation battle at this early stage.

The Villa board decided to sack Gerrard after seeing Villa slip to a 3-0 defeat to newly promoted Fulham on Thursday night, and they will now turn their attention to finding a replacement. Villa are a well-backed club with a big upside, but it seems they will need a strong figure, with some very questionable individual performances from players this season.

Wages should not be too much of an issue, and that’s perhaps why former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is the favourite having left Paris Saint-Germain in recent months. Meanwhile, Villarreal boss and former Arsenal boss Unai Emery is second favourite. Villarreal are said to be working on a new contract for Emery despite a disappointing start to the season, though, the Spaniard did show some interest in taking the Newcastle United job last year.

A little further down the odds, at 16/1, is former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa, who has been out of work since leaving his Elland Road post earlier this year. Bielsa may well be keen on returning to the Premier League, but recent reports have suggested he won’t return to work until next season.

It’s claimed the Argentine feels he needs a full pre-season to have the desired impact at his next club.

Here is the full list of odds, courtesy of BetVictor.

Mauricio Pochettino - 3/1

Unai Emery - 4/1

Thomas Frank - 4/1

Michael Beale - 4/1

Sean Dyche - 6/1

Scott Parker - 12/1

Kjetil Knudsen - 16/1

Marcelo Bielsa - 16/1

Chris Wilder - 20/1