Next Stoke Manager: Poyet, Benitez and Di Matteo make the early running

"The early Betfair market for next Stoke manager has a distinctly Chelsea flavour at the top, with Roberto Di Matteo, Rafael Benitez and Brighton boss Gus Poyet (currently suspended from the club) all trading at sub 10.09/1 prices."

Betfair has opened a market on the next Stoke manager after it emerged that Tony Pulis is to depart the Britannia following a meeting with chairman Peter Coates this morning.

The Welshman spent a total of ten years at the Britannia Stadium. He first took the job in 2002 before spending a season at Plymouth Argyle in 2005/6 but then returning to Staffordshire to lead the Potters into the Premier League for the first time. 

Pulis did well to establish Stoke as a top flight outfit, taking them to an FA Cup final in 2011 and into Europe, playing a brand of football that was unloved by the purists, but undoubtedly effective.

However, after five years in the Premier League and heavy investment in the transfer market - only Manchester City and Chelsea have a higher net spend over that period - Stoke have failed to push on, leading to some supporter unrest and Pulis' time in the hotseat has come to an end.

The early Betfair market for next Stoke manager has a distinctly Chelsea flavour at the top, with Roberto Di Matteo, Rafael Benitez and Brighton boss Gus Poyet (currently suspended from the club) all trading at sub 10.09/1 prices.

The market also features young managers such as Eddie Howe as well as familiar names like Harry Redknapp and Mark Hughes.

Who's your money on?

Check out our end of season report on Stoke.

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Chelsea Manager Betting: Hiddink's chances are alive and kicking

Premier League / Michael / 01 June 2011 / Leave a Comment

Still got it. Guus Hiddink during a training session with the Turkish national side.

One Betfair next manager market was resolved on Wednesday morning as West Ham confirmed the appointment of Sam Allardyce, and the Chelsea one also looks to be moving closer to a conclusion.

Early frontrunner Guus Hiddink is once again the favourite at [2.78] and has gone out of his way to confirm that his enthusiasm for club football remains undimmed despite, having spent the majority of the last five years working as a national team coach at first Russia and now Turkey.

In his most open declaration of interest in a return to Stamford Bridge yet, he said: "I feel energetic, so a club role is more preferable - and that's what I like, working every day. I feel I need to do more.

"There is no official offer yet, but I can't guarantee anything. I haven't told the Turkish Football Federation chairman what I thought yet, but he's an intelligent man. I am sure he follows the world media. I never told anybody I was going to continue working here. The team is focused on me - I would affect the team negatively if I answered the speculation."

Attention will now turn to Turkey's Euro 2012 qualifier in Belgium on Friday night - in which they are [3.3] outsiders - as the Euro 2008 semi-finalists don't have a match for three months after that, so it would seem to be the obvious point for a decision to be made over Hiddink's future. The Dutch tactician had suggested before that he would resign if they lose the game, as such a result would do severe damage to their chances of making it to Poland and Ukraine next summer.

Hiddink's main rival to succeed Carlo Ancelotti as Blues boss is perceived to be Harry Redknapp at [4.8], even though Roman Abramovich has shown no interest in hiring an English manager in the past, let alone one whose only major silverware claimed in a 28-year coaching career is one FA Cup.

Whoever takes on the challenge is expected to face a tough task dethroning this season's Premier League champions Manchester United, as Chelsea are rated [4.1] second favourites to regain top spot in 2011-12.

You can't replace a player like Paul Scholes but Manchester United have to try and do the best they can. There are two early candidates to come in and fill the void......

This summer will see some big names available on a Bosman free transfer, but as Dan 'The Betting Man' Fitch explains, these signings aren't without risk and don't come cheap....

Paul Scholes has confirmed the rumours - he is retiring. The champions will struggle to find another like him, says Ralph Ellis...

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