The Tenner Bet
IN one of those little quirks of fate, Brendan Rodgers was both the seventh favourite to become the next manager of Manchester United – prior to Ralf Rangnick this week moving into pole position for the job – and simultaneously third favourite to be the next Premier League manager to be sacked.
His positioning near the head of the market to take on the Old Trafford post was hardly a surprise given that he is shortlisted each time one of the big jobs in English football becomes vacant. What’s more surprising, though, is the presence of the Leicester City boss’s name at the top of the list of managers under pressure. Let’s face it, there’s a fair chance he won’t hold either position in the near future, certainly not if Leicester’s results – and current plans in the
Old Trafford boardroom – are anything to go by.
Take a stroll through Leicester
City social media and it soon becomes clear that the natives are restless. Despite winning the club’s first ever FA Cup, there are those who have not forgotten that
Leicester blew the chance to qualify for the Champions League on the final day of last season having spent more days than any other club in the top four. That was a mirror of events the previous season when Rodgers’ side surrendered a healthy lead during the run-in to pass up entry into Europe’s elite competition.
Instead, they found themselves entering the Europa League – a tournament in which they have struggled despite Thursday’s 3-1 win over Lech Poznan – and it has had a detrimental effect on their season thus far. In the four matches that have come in the immediate aftermath of Leicester’s European forays this season, they have won just once, drawing two of the others and losing another to Brighton. Furthermore, the pressure of playing in front of the King Power crowd seems to be getting to them. They have one home victory to their name in the league since beating Wolverhampton Wanderers on the opening day of the season, albeit they have hosted Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea during that miserable run.
Their game tomorrow promises to be an emotional one, with
Claudio Ranieri, the previous manager to win a major trophy with Leicester and then find himself under untenable pressure the following season, due back in town and that might present an opportunity for the visitors.
The Italian has breathed some life into Watford since taking over from Xisco Munoz last month and has orchestrated wins over Everton and Manchester United while losing narrowly to Arsenal in the three games since he was appointed. The upturn in fortunes added to Leicester’s poor form in games that follow Europa League action is enough to make me think that Watford are worth a look at 27/20 to win or draw.
Elsewhere tomorrow, Chelsea should have too much for a Manchester United side who were fortunate to come away from Villarreal in midweek with a victory while Thomas Tuchel’s impressive side walloped Juventus. Chelsea are averaging 2.5 goals per game * this season and have kept 19 clean sheets since Tuchel’s arrival while United have lost five of their last seven, albeit the club’s board took decisive action last week by sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. It’s unlikely to prevent another defeat, though, in what will be just Michael Carrick’s second match in charge as interim manager.
The final pick is Fulham who travel to Preston off the back of three successive away wins during which they have scored 12 consecutive goals and not conceded once while the Lancastrians – who enjoyed a 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough in midweek – have had trouble winning back-to-back games all season. Selection: Watford double chance (27/20), Chelsea (11/17), Fulham (8/9) Treble pays: 6.31/1
Season’s total: -£80.