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Steve Bruce sacked: The contenders to become the next manager of Aston Villa
Steve Bruce has become the first Championship managerial casualty of the season after he was axed by Aston Villa 11 games into the 2018/19 campaign.
The West Midlands outfit were held to a 3-3 draw by struggling Preston on Tuesday night, despite being 2-0 up in the second-half.
The 57-year-old has left his position after near two years in charge. He guided the club to the play-off final last season where they were beaten by Fulham.
Bruce posted a 45.1% win ratio at Villa with 46 wins from 102 games.
We look at some of the contenders to replace him, alongside odds from EFL title sponsors Sky Bet.
Dean Smith
Sky Bet odds – 5/2
He’s managed to get the best of out his Brentford side despite a high turnover of key players season after season. Smith likes to play attacking football, moving the ball out from the back and working through gaps in opposition defences.
Given the talent that Villa possess in the forward positions, the Bees boss could have a lot of success with the system that he will implement. This would be an appointment that wouldn’t need drastic change during the January transfer window.
Brentford sit 5th in the Sky Bet Championship standings despite dropping points in recent outings, with Neal Maupay at the top of the goalscoring charts.
His performances at Walsall highlight how it’s no fluke that Brentford are regarded at the second division’s entertainers. He guided the Saddlers to their first appearance at Wembley and was labelled the ‘Ginger Mourinho’ by the Bescot faithful.
Paulo Fonseca
Sky Bet odds - 11/4
Unless you pay close attention to Portuguese domestic football or what's going on in the Ukraine, then you won't know too much about Paulo Fonseca.
The 45-year-old went into management back in 2005 and after a superb spells with Aves and Pacos de Ferreira, who he guided to their first Champions League qualification spot in 2013, he bagged his first big job at Porto.
Despite starting off by winning the Portuguese Super Cup - his first honour as a coach - his tenure with the champions didn't last long as he was sacked in March 2014 with the club in third place.
He went on to win the domestic cup at Braga following another spell with Pacos de Ferreira before getting the job at Shakhtar Donetsk in 2016.
Still there now, Fonesca has won back-to-back national titles in the Ukraine as well as the double in 2016-17, so now he could be ready for a step into English football.
Thierry Henry
Sky Bet odds- 4/1
The former Arsenal and Barcelona striker was linked with the job during the summer, with new owners potentially bring a new manager. Villa decided to stick with Bruce though, and it’s only natural that Henry is fancied this time around.
A novice in terms of managerial experience, Henry could come in on the back of a successful summer with Belgium. He was a part of Roberto Martinez’s staff as the Red Devils wrapped up third place at the World Cup in Russia, working with some of the best footballers in the world.
A former Sky Sports pundit, the rumours were rife when he announced he was leaving his role to explore managerial options.
In August, he commented on the Villa talk on Twitter: “Since announcing my decision to leave my full time role in broadcasting to pursue my ambition of becoming a manager, I have subsequently been linked with a number of positions both domestically and internationally.
“Contrary to misleading reports people may have read at this moment neither myself nor my advisers have held any discussions with any club or national association. My intention has always been to be patient and I will take my decision in good time.”
John Terry
Sky Bet odds – 11/2
John Terry has been backed after playing a vital role in their near-promotion last season, although he has no managerial experience and it would be a huge gamble for a club with aspirations of returning to the top division.
The former England captain is regarded as a leader on the pitch and could follow Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard’s recent moves into management having turned down a move to Spartak Moscow during the off-season.
The Chelsea legend won the Premier League on five occasions, with eight domestic cups going alongside that. He also won the Champions League in 2012 and the Europa League the following season, alongside picking up a runners-up medal in Europe’s elite competition in 2008.
An appointment such as this would likely signal a change in attitude from Villa, starting a new project which may take more than one season to bring successful results.
Sam Allardyce
Sky Bet odds – 8/1
A name well known amongst English football fans, Allardyce implements an effective style of football which may be what is required at Villa if they are to secure promotion this season.
The 63-year-old guided Everton to a top-half finish last season despite flirting with relegation during the early part of the campaign, before the Toffees elected to hand Marco Silva the job in the summer.
Allardyce has success at this level on his CV after guiding Bolton to the top flight in 2001 and more recently West Ham in 2012 – both through the play-offs. He would go onto manage Sunderland and Crystal Palace in the Premier League alongside a short stint as England boss.
He is someone who has been heavily praised by former players for his preparation for matches and his use of sport science to try and get the best out of players – but Jose Mourinho did label his football ‘from the 19th century’ when his Chelsea side faced the Hammers in January 2014.
The outsiders
Former Swansea and Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal finds himself at 12/1 in the market after he took the Owls to the play-offs twice during his three seasons at the club.
Mick McCarthy is available at the same price with his wealth of experience at this level while Olof Mellberg is also in the market having made 232 appearances during a seven-year stint at Villa Park, his only managerial job so far is with Swedish side Brommapojkarna.
Odds correct at 1730 BST (03/10/18)