Next Bournemouth Manager Odds: Gary O’Neil Heavy Favourite For Cherries Job

Almost two months has passed since Bournemouth and Scott Parker parted company, and betting sites have significantly tweaked their markets to reflect the latest developments. 

The pre-season favourites for relegation might not be as dead and buried as previously thought. 

Bournemouth have picked up four draws and three wins so far, and now have 13 points to their name after 12 rounds of fixtures.

That is more than Aston Villa, Leeds, Wolves and Leicester who are all considered superior teams to Bournemouth, so maybe it's not as bad a start to the season as people think. Reports of Bournemouth’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. 

So, who will succeed Parker on a permanent basis? You can find the latest odds below, followed by our analysis of the situation. 

O’Neil Heavy Favourite To Take Charge 

O’Neil has done his chances of landing the job on a full-time basis no harm whatsoever. 

Significant wins against Nottingham Forest and Leicester were backed up with impressive draws at St. James Park and Craven Cottage which has given Bournemouth an early foothold in the Premier League.

O’Neil is now the clear favourite with football betting sites at 1/4 to land the job, and Bournemouth may ultimately entrust the former midfielder with the role if they are unable to land their first or second choices.

The question now is whether or not the club should give O’Neil the job beyond his interim period. The 39-year-old has steadied the ship but is this a purple patch under a new manager or a sustainable style that can work throughout the season?

It would be a slight risk given O’Neil is a managerial novice, but the clamour will only grow stronger if Bournemouth can get a result against Tottenham on Saturday.

Chris Backed At A Wild Price

Chris Wilder has seen his price drift from 9/4 to 4/1 with betting apps in the past week or so. 

The Middlesbrough head coach had publicly distanced himself from the vacancy on the south coast, insisting that he is not going anywhere right now. 

Wilder had been available at odds as big as 33/1 previously, though that price has since crashed significantly to 9/4, but he is friendless in the market again and he is now the 4/1 second-favourite for the role.

Middlesbrough are currently just above the relegation zone of the Championship with just 17 points after 16 games and after such a poor start, Wilder may be tempted to jump ship and get back to the Premier League while the opportunity is there.

Dyche on the Drift

Now that the Premier League Sack Race has its first few casualties of the season, Sean Dyche is the 11/1 third-favourite to take over from Parker at Bournemouth. 

He remains in a good position to get the job although Bournemouth’s recent revival may actually have decreased their chances of appointing Dyche. 

The former Burnley boss did fantastic work over an extended period at Turf Moor. He does not appear to be in a huge rush to get back into management and has indicated that he intends to wait for the right opportunity to present itself.

Dyche may have half an eye on the Leeds and Southampton jobs though, as at least one of those could become available this season. 

However, if Bournemouth can convince Dyche that they have a genuine chance of staying in the Premier League, that could be enough to tempt him back in.

Luton Boss Jones Remains On Their Radar 

Nathan Jones is a 25/1 shot with William Hill to take the reins at the Vitality Stadium. 

The Welshman did superbly in guiding Luton Town into the Championship play-offs last term, but repeating the feat will be difficult this time around.

Things did not go particularly well for Jones when he briefly left Luton for Stoke - he lasted for less than a year and was sacked after winning just two of the club’s first 14 matches in the 2019/20 season.

There is thus a degree of doubt over whether Jones, who has managed Luton with distinction across two spells, can thrive elsewhere, and that question mark may count against him. 

Kjetil Knutsen, who led Bodo/Glimt to the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League last term, is listed at 16/1, but it seems improbable that Bournemouth will turn to him at this juncture. 

Terry Now Seems Unlikely

John Terry is a distant outsider at 33/1 with BetVictor to claim the position. 

The former England captain is keen to follow his old international team-mates Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Parker into management, but it would be a huge gamble to appoint someone who lacks any sort of frontline experience.

Terry was part of Dean Smith’s team at Aston Villa and currently works in the Chelsea academy, but that alone is not adequate preparation for a tough Premier League job.