Next Bristol City Manager Odds & Betting: Wellens & Edwards on Robins Radar | OneFootball

Bristol City are on the hunt for a new manager after Liam Manning left the club to become the new boss of Norwich City in the last week, with the 39-year-old signing a four year contract at Carrow Road.

Manning had taken over at Ashton Gate in November 2023 and guided the Robins into this season’s Championship play-offs, finishing sixth in the regular season before a disappointing 6-0 aggregate loss to Sheffield United in the semi-finals.

Norwich were willing to pay the Robins a sum to secure Mannings services after their own 13th-placed finish last season, but Bristol fans will be wondering where that leaves them ahead of the 2025/26 season starting in August.

The City board will be eager to secure a new manager as soon as possible with pre-season preparations set to get underway later this month, so we’ve taken a look at the leading contenders on betting sites to take over the mantle at Ashton Gate.

Next Bristol City Manager Odds

Ex-Premier League Bosses in The Race

Former Luton Town manager Rob Edwards is the current joint-favourite to take over at Ashton Gate, with the 42-year-old having been sacked in January after a run of defeats in the Championship.

Though the Hatters ended up getting relegated, Edwards’ reputation is still solid having guided Luton to an unlikely promotion to the Premier League in 2023 and he’s currently a coach in demand with bookmakers making him the favourite in the next Middlesbrough manager odds betting.

Edwards would likely be more favoured than Richie Wellens, who is also currently 1/1 on football betting sites to take the Bristol job.

Wellens took Leyton Orient to the League 1 play-off final this season, though the defeat to Charlton coupled with the loss of several key players could mean that he looks to depart Brisbane Road.

Ex-Aston Villa and Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is next on the list at odds of 5/1, with the former Liverpool midfielder having left Saudi side Al-Ettifaq in January.

Gerrard won the Scottish title with Rangers in 2021, but has seen little success since then and left Villa when they were near the relegation zone in October 2022.

The Englishman is among four former Premier League bosses who are supposedly in the running, with ex-Wolves manager Gary O’Neil at 20/1 and former Leicester and Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper offered at 16/1.

Lower League Managers Ready to Step up?

Several managers from teams and divisions below Bristol City are in the running for the Ashton Gate hotseat, led by Wellens.

Former Notts County and Swansea City boss Luke Williams has been touted at 8/1, though his name has appeared infrequently in local press and he has been out of work since leaving the Swans in February.

Stockport manager Dave Challinor is another 8/1 candidate as it stands, with the 49-year-old leading his side to the League One play-offs last season, having taken them from non-league football in three seasons.

Within the Championship, John Mousinho is another name that has popped up, with the 39-year-old Englishman offered at 12/1 on some betting apps having attracted interest after managing to keep Portsmouth in the division after their promotion the season beforehand.

Outside bets

It is seen as unlikely that either O’Neil or Cooper join the Robins, with the latter having expressed an interest in working abroad and O’Neil out of work since leaving Wolves in December.

Marti Cifuentes and Ruben Selles are the two bosses with Championship experience who are seen as outside shouts for the job, with the former priced at 16/1 and Selles at 20/1.

Cifuentes is currently on gardening leave after guiding QPR to 15th last season, and while he was supposedly on the shortlist to take over as West From manager, former Spurs midfielder Ryan Mason has now taken over at the Hawthorns.

As for Selles, he presumably did not instil much confidence in prospective suitors when he was sacked by Hull having almost fallen to relegation.

That leaves one other candidate at 20/1 – former Norwich caretaker boss Jack Wilshere. The ex-England and Arsenal midfielder took charge of the Canaries for the final matches of the season but left the club after being informed that he wasn't being considered for the full-time job, and despite plenty of time as an assistant, it may be seen as too much of a jump to give someone so inexperienced a top role at this stage in his career.

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