Next Coventry City Manager Odds: Frank Lampard Leads Way To Replace Mark Robins

Coventry sacked long-time manager Mark Robins last week and football betting sites are already speculating who will replace him at the Championship club.

Robins was shown the door after a 2-1 defeat at Derby left them 17th in the table.

The Sky Blues remain five places above the relegation zone despite overcoming a 2-0 half-time deficit to draw 2-2 at leaders Sunderland under caretaker manager Rhys Carr.

Coventry seemed to have turned a corner following back-to-back victories against Luton and Middlesbrough, but the loss to the Rams proved to be the final straw for club owner Doug King.

Robins was the third longest serving manager in England's top four divisions, after replacing Russell Slade in March 2017, when the club were fighting relegation in League One. 

The former Manchester United star took the club back to the third tier in his first full season and followed that up with another promotion two seasons later.

In May 2023, they were denied a place in the Premier League when Luton beat them in the play-off final at Wembley. 

Coventry also missed out on a place in last season's FA Cup final when they lost on penalties to Erik ten Hag's Manchester United side in the semi-finals in April.  

So, who are the favourites to be Coventry's next permanent manager? We take a closer look at the contenders.

Next Coventry City Manager Odds

Lampard Odds-On For New Managerial Challenge

Frank Lampard was 2/1 last week to fill the City vacancy, but the former England midfielder is now the 4/9 favourite with betting apps.

Lampard started his managerial career in the Championship with Derby, the team he led to the play-off-final in 2019.

Since then, the former England midfielder has managed in the top flight with Chelsea (twice) and Everton. 

Keane In The Frame

Robbie Keane scored 12 goals in 31 appearances in his one season at Coventry at the turn of the century, but he has taken his first steps on the managerial ladder.

The former Tottenham striker has been assistant boss of both Republic of Ireland and Middlesbrough, but his first job as the main man came in 2018 when he was appointed player-manager of Indian side ATK which lasted just one season.

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It took five years for his next appointment, a controversial move to Maccabi Tel Aviv which drew criticism from Sinn Fein TD Chris Andrews, although Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadker defended his right to work in Israel.

Keane won the league title and The Toto Cup in his only season in charge of the club, and is 3/1 to rejoin the Sky Blues as manager.

Matt Bloomfield Odds Lengthen

Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield is one of the early favourites to replace Robins.

Bloomfield took over from Gareth Ainsworth in February 2023 and this season his side sit top of League One on the back of six successive victories.

The former Colchester manager has a 47.3% winning percentage at Adams Park and it's no surprise to see other clubs look to him to fill a vacancy at a club in a higher division. 

When asked about rumours linking him with the job at Coventry, Bloomfield told the Bucks Free Press: “It is lovely to be linked with jobs higher up the food chain as it shows that the job you are doing is the right one.”

The former Colchester boss said all the right things about “speculation” and being committed to the club but he has drifted to 12/1 with betting sites.   

Carsley Could Return

Lee Carsley is preparing the England team for their next set of Nations League fixtures having been appointed interim head coach in August following Gareth Southgate’s decision to step down.

Carsley is expected to return to his England Under-21 role when Thomas Tuchel takes the reins in January, but could he return to Coventry?

The former defensive midfielder enjoyed two spells as both a Coventry player and caretaker manager, so he clearly has an affinity for the club.

Should Carsley decide to leave the international scene and return to day-to-day management, he is 12/1 to rejoin Coventry – this time on a permanent basis.

Eustace And Schumacher Outsiders

John Eustace started his career at Coventry where he spent five seasons as a professional and he has made an excellent start to his managerial career.

To pave the way for Wayne Rooney’s appointment in October 2023, Eustace was controversially sacked by Birmingham, who were well positioned in sixth spot in the Championship at the time.

However, Eustace has since bounced back as manager of Blackburn, who are just three points off the play-offs, so it would be a strange move should he decide to swap a potential promotion push for a relegation battle.

Eustace, though, is 16/1 for the Coventry job, the same price as Steven Schumacher, who was sacked by Stoke in September following two wins in his first five games.

The Liverpudlian led Plymouth to the League One title in the 2022/23 season, so his CV stands out as a successful one despite his troubles at Stoke.

Sheehan A Dark Horse

One of the most interesting contenders for the role is Swansea assistant coach Alan Sheehan, who is 20/1.

Sources told Football Insider that the Irishman was being considered for the job following the dismissal of Robins.

Sheehan holds the UEFA Pro Licence, the highest qualification in European football, and he has experience of coaching a club when he took the reins at Swansea on a caretaker basis following the dismissal of Michael Duff.

Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt, who spent nine years coaching at Old Trafford in various academy roles, is also 20/1.

Ex-Norwich and Huddersfield coach David Wagner, former Hull City manager Liam Rosenior and under-pressure Luton chief Rob Edwards are all 25/1.

Rhys Carr made a decent start to his role as caretaker manager over the weekend and he is 50/1 to be given the job on a full-time basis.

* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.