Sack Race: Latest Odds

It’s becoming increasingly tricky to pick which Premier League manager will be first out the door in 2012 with Steve Kean grimly hanging on for dear life. The Blackburn boss is still the strong favourite, now at a best price of 11/10 (Sportingbet), but he was considered a certainty for the boot a fortnight ago.

After the 2-1 home defeat to Bolton on 20 December, Kean was being offered at 1/8 by some firms. It looked like something miraculous had to happen to keep the Scot in his post at that point, and that duly occurred when a point for Rovers at Anfield was swiftly followed by a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford! However, the 44-year-old was brought back down to earth on Monday when his side slumped to a 2-1 home defeat to Stoke. Results at Ewood Park, and his relationship with the fans there is still the major cause for concern.

Owen Coyle is next in the betting at 7/2 (StanJames). The Bolton manager had drifted out to 7/1 by Christmas after that big win at Blackburn had seemingly eased the pressure. But now the Trotters find themselves back rooted to the bottom of the league after claiming just one point in total from home clashes with Newcastle and Wolves.

Of course there is a man under similar pressure towards the other end of the table. Chelsea’s Andre Villas-Boas (9/2 WilliamHill) endured a nightmare festive period after four winless games culminated in a humbling 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. Three points at Molineux on Monday will have helped temporarily, but Roman Abramovich is famed for his lack of patience with managers.