ALAN PARDEW is the latest casualty in the managerial
sack race.
Despite taking West Ham into Europe last season, Pardew was axed on
Monday to make way for Alan Curbishley. But who will be the next
Premiership manager out of the exit door? Christmas is a crucial
period that can often decide the fate of teams struggling at the
bottom of the table.
Here The Sun assess four other reluctant candidates who face being
labelled this year's festive turkey. And Paddy Power have provided
the latest odds for the next manager to get the boot.
Les Reed (Charlton) 6/4
Reed had to wait until he was 53 to make his managerial debut and
about two weeks more before he was being tipped for the
heave-ho.
The fact is that Charlton have been a rudderless ship since
Curbishley left of his own accord at the end of last season. Iain
Dowie's revolutionary methods failed to lift results or morale,
leading to his swift exit. But surely Reed has to be given more
than a month to calm the storm?
Glenn Roeder (Newcastle) 11/2
The most repeated statistic this season has been that Roeder has
twice led a team into seventh place, only for the club to be
relegated the following term.
Newcastle's seventh-place finish last season and faltering start to
this campaign has had the doom merchants predicting that the
Geordies will go the same way as Roeder's Watford and West Ham
teams before them.
Gareth Southgate (Middlesbrough) 15/2
It was a brave gamble by chairman Steve Gibson to appoint the
club's captain as the new Boro manager when Steve McClaren stepped
up to his role as England coach. Southgate was not only untried as
a manager, he still does not hold the necessary coaching
qualifications. Should results not improve, Gibson may have to let
his head rule his heart and go for a more experienced
candidate.
Stuart Pearce (Manchester City) 11/1
Pearce's side are kings of their own domain, the City of Manchester
stadium, but struggle to produce any sort of meaningful statistics
away from home. If away wins came more than once in a blue moon,
Pearce's future would not be in doubt.
