Special features

Wednesday market moves

Last updated: 4th June 2008

Allardyce: All the rage for Rovers job

Following the departure of Mark Hughes from Ewood Park, Sky Bet customers were quick to back the former Newcastle and Bolton Wanders boss Sam Allardyce for the vacant Blackburn position.

Sky Bet were originally offering evens for Allardyce to take over at Ewood Park but weight of money has seen his price plummet to 1/3.

Big Sam led Bolton to a League Cup final and guided them to UEFA Cup qualification for the first time in their history and Sky Bet customers seemed to think he is the perfect man for the Blackburn job.

Alan Shearer who was linked with the Newcastle job before King Kev went back is available at 8/1 along with the former England and Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren.

With the news that Sir Alex Ferguson will retire within the next three years, Sky Bet are offering a book on who will take over in the Manchester United hot seat.

The current Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill who is constantly talked about in the news as possibly Ferguson's replacement is the 6/1 favourite along with the newly appointed Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho.

Former players Roy Keane, Mark Hughes and Steve Bruce would no doubt prove popular with United supporters and are available at 8/1, 12/1 and 14/1 respectively.

Gunning for a double

Arsene Wenger has said that believes Arsenal are capable of winning the Premier League and Champions League next season and Sky Bet have responded by offering the Gunners at 50/1 to do the double.

The Gunners finished last term without any silverware after suffering a dip in form at a crucial period, winning just one league game between February 23 and April 13 and crashing out of Europe to Liverpool.

Swede dreams

Former England and Manchester City coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is 1/10 with Sky Bet to guide Mexico to the 2010 World Cup finals.

Eriksson's appointment was announced by the Mexican Football Federation president Justino Compean after the committee of the owners of Mexico's 18 top-flight teams unanimously approved the employment of the 60-year-old Swede.

City slicker

Following the news that Mark Hughes has been appointed as the new manager of Manchester City, Sky Bet are offering 4/7 for City to finish above Hughes's former club Blackburn Rovers (5/4 to finish below) in the 2008/09 Premier League season.

Former Wales boss Hughes guided Rovers to seventh in the Premier League last season, led the club to its first FA Cup semi-final in 40 years and also guided Rovers into Europe twice.

Sky Bet are offering 25/1 for City to lift the UEFA Cup next season, 7/1 to finish in the top six, 33/1 to finish in the top four, 25/1 to lift the FA Cup and 10/1 to win the Barclays Premier in betting without the Big Four.

City finished last season with a total of 55 points and also did the double over bitter rivals United. Sky Bet are offering 5/6 for the Blues to finish next season with over 54.5 points (5/6 under 54.5 points) and 28/1 to again do the double over United.