Premier League sack race: Steve Bruce the early favourite with Man United boss Solskjaer third despite Chelsea thrashing
STEVE BRUCE has been installed as the favourite with Ladbrokes to win the Premier League sack race, with Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in third.
Bruce took over from Rafa Benitez at Newcastle during the summer, and currently has the shortest odds to face the sack despite sitting at the helm for just under a month.
The 58-year old saw his Magpies side lose 1-0 to Arsenal in his first game in charge amid boycotts from supporters in protest against owner Mike Ashley and his new appointment.
And it doesn’t get any easier for Bruce, who must prepare for trips to Tottenham and Liverpool in two of his next four Premier League encounters.
Ladbrokes make the Newcastle manager a 3/1 frontrunner to lose his job first, with Roy Hodgson of Crystal Palace close behind in second at 5/1.
Ladbrokes: Premier League sack race
Steve Bruce 3/1
Roy Hodgson 5/1
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 7/1
Javi Gracia 9/1
Frank Lampard 10/1
Manuel Pellegrini 10/1
Palace were held to a goalless draw by ten-man Everton on the opening day following a relatively quiet transfer window in which they nearly parted ways with star performer Wilfried Zaha, after the Ivorian submitted a transfer request to join the Toffees.
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And despite his side’s 4-0 win over Chelsea at the weekend, United boss Solskjaer is 7/1 third-favourite in the betting – with shorter odds than Frank Lampard, who was on the receiving end of that demolition job at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer is undergoing his first full season in the hot seat at United after an impressive spell as caretaker manager earned him the post on a permanent basis in March.
But the Red Devils trundled to the end of last campaign, failing to win any of their final five Premier League games, and lost key players in the summer in Romelu Lukaku and Ander Herrera despite strengthening considerably in defence with the additions of Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
According to the bookies, though, those new recruits may not be sufficient to keep Solskjaer in the job as many believe United could be in for a difficult season.
Watford boss Javi Gracia is also under fire after his side’s emphatic opening day defeat to Brighton, with odds of 9/1 to get the sack first.
And Lampard rounds off the top five at 10/1.
Another new appointment, the humiliating defeat to United was hardly an ideal start to life as Chelsea manager for the Blues legend.
The 41-year old takes charge of his first Premier League season after guiding Derby County to the Championship playoffs in May.
Taking into account Lampard’s affinity with Chelsea and the predicament the club are in – unable to sign any players until next summer due to a transfer ban – he is likely to be granted margin for error, but is nevertheless the bookies' fifth-favourite to be axed next.
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