Jose Mourinho would appear to be the man Liverpool fans would like to see take over from Rafa Benitez, reports online bookmaker PaddyPower. Whilst Kenny Dalglish, the 11/4 favourite, is also proving a popular football bet given the ease in which he could move across from his current role at the club, it is Mourinho that punters and fans appear to want to see taking over from Benitez.
The Inter Milan boss, currently 9/2 second favourite, accounts for 1 in 5 of the bets placed to date at the online bookmakers 'next Liverpool manager betting' as the rumour mill is yet to kick in for any name being officially lined up. Jurgen Klinsmann, who appears to be openly courting for such a move in recent years, is the third most popular name in the running by bets placed and currently 8/1.
Darren Haines, spokesman for paddypower.com, said: “Rafa clings on but for how long? Punters are already looking to life post Rafa at Liverpool and Mourinho seems to be the name they are either expecting or wanting to see take over.”
Meanwhile, following Fernando Torres’ plea for new players to boost Liverpool’s malfunctioning squad PaddyPower are betting on the first likely name to arrive in the transfer market. Bordeaux’s Marouane Chamakh is the 9/2 favourite with the recently linked Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Emile Heskey at 8/1. Other Premier League strikers in the running include Kenwyne Jones at 10/1 with Carlton Cole at 12s – the same price as a return for former red Peter Crouch. The much missed Xavi Alonso is 25/1 with Wayne Rooney the 100/1 outsider.
9/2 Chamakh
8/1 Van Nistelrooy
8/1 Heskey
8/1 Silva
10/1 K Jones
12/1 C Cole
12/1 Crouch
12/1 Upson
12/1 Rodallega
14/1 Guti
14/1 Bentley
16/1 D Bent
18/1 Villa
20/1 Saha
20/1 Parker
25/1 Dzeko
25/1 Alonso
33/1 Keane
100/1 Rooney
11/4 Dalglish
7/2 Mourinho
9/2 Hiddink
8/1 O’Neill
8/1 Klinsmann
12/1 Laudrup
16/1 Hodgson
20/1 Rijkaard
25/1 Van Basten
25/1 Schuster
28/1 Lippi
28/1 Nicol
33/1 Eriksson
33/1 Hughes |