Steve Cooper now odds-on favourite to be next Premier League manager for the chop

Scott Allen
4 October 2022

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper stands on the brink of joining the managerial dole queue after the 4-0 hammering at Leicester City, while Brendan Rodgers breathes a sigh of relief.

Despite gaining a suprise promotion to the Premier League last season - and signing nearly four hundred players (probably) in the summer transfer window - the knives are out for Cooper, according to the bookies.

Cooper's odds of being the next Premier League manager to be sacked have dropped to a best price 2/9, while previous favourite Rodgers has drifted to 10/1 following Leicester's much-needed Monday night victory.

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is still second favourite at 8/1, with Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard still lurking in the danger zone at 12s.

Cooper has now overseen five straight Premier League defeats, which included defeats to fellow promoted sides Bournemouth and Fulham. However with games against fellow strugglers Aston Villa and Wolves next up, he has a good opportunity of turning his fortunes around.

Forest chief Evangelos Marinakis might be tempted to hold fire on pulling the trigger until after the World Cup, and has clearly put a lot of trust in Cooper after allowing him to bring in 21 new players. A squad that size does need time to gel.

Defeat to Arsenal in the North London derby has seen Antonio Conte's odds of being next manager to get the elbow shorten slightly to 25/1.

Meanwhile, West Ham boss David Moyes and Leeds manager Jesse Marsch, who had started to rise up the market after recent poor performances, have also given themselves a bit more breathing room and have been pushed back up into the 20s.