Although Brian McDermott remains the favourite to be our next manager, intriguingly the odds on Dominic Matteo have shortened to just 6-1. Despite a flurry of sentimental bets last week on Matteo's old boss David O'Leary making a sensational return to ER, the Irishmans's odds have lengthened to 25-1 the same as Roberto Di-Matteo.

I think dear reader we can categorise the next incumbent into the Don's chair at ER into two types, those who would jump at the chance such as O'Leary and maybe Owen Coyle and those, who like many of us are unconvinced by the ownership and direction of the club such as Brian McDermott and Martin O'Neill who is quoted at 14-1 on Skybet.

Even as a season-ticket holder, I am somewhat at a loss to explain the surge in interest in Matteo's stock. Although I understand he helping in the running of some "soccer schools" for kids, since retiring he has mainly focused on opening a bar, being a sponsors ambassador and writing columns for the YEP?

With Neil Redfearn doing a passable impression of Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh after Charlton, it has been suggested that Leeds maybe need an inspirational figure to breathe some life into the players and make them realise what an honour it is to pull on the white shirt. Why not swop Redders for Richard Naylor if this is the case? Despite Redfearn adamant he does not want the job and the owners confirming he isn't short listed, Skybet will still take 40-1 on him and are offering the same odds on Nayls.

Gus Poyet has slipped to 10-1, the bookies obviously cottoning on to the fact that even if he doesn't get Brighton promoted it would be unlikely Leeds could stump up the reported £2m compensation bill to bring him north. At the weekend, the Mirror gave us two candidates in Sam Allardyce and Jamie Carragher, the latter apparently endorsed by Terry Yorath.

Allardyce is 12-1, his contract at West Ham expires this summer. It is well known that Big Sam is not universally liked by the so-called artisan fans at Upton Park but he has a good record of getting teams promoted even if his style is a little dour.

At 14-1 you can have Mark Hughes, Martin O'Neill or Steve McClaren. Hughes was at the centre of a bitter spat involving Neil Warnock last week who apparently urged us to appoint him to "destroy" another of his teams, Hughes having succeeded Old Big Gob at QPR. However in his Independent column the weekend, Mr Warnock no doubt mindful of the adverse impact such comments may have on sales of his new book may have in the Leeds area clarified he meant to say "dismantle" but got his words mixed-up!

For O'Neill, in the unlikely event the 61-year-old came to Elland Road it would be third-time lucky. Leeds unsuccessfully pursued him in 1998 when he was Leicester boss. In 2003, Peter Ridsdale claimed to have captured O'Neill on a pre-contract agreement whereby the Ulsterman would leave Celtic for us that summer. Alas the deal went pear-shaped when Ridsdale quit Leeds when the extent of our overspending became public. I would have thought O'Neill would need to be convinced of GFH's spending plans and as they seem desperate to hawk the club off in segments or to the highest bidder this seems a no-goer.

As for Steve McClaren, I'm sure many Leeds supporters would join us in telling GFH where they can stick him and his trusty brolly despite his York links and one-time admission he was a boyhood Leeds fan!

Other names in the frame? Nigel Pearson, Paul Lambert, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, Karl Robinson all 50-1, Stuart McCall or Michael Appleton at 66-1 and at 100-1 you could get Alex McLeish, Lucas Radebe and David Moyes!

Photo: Action Images

cafcat added 19:06 - Apr 8 How about going North of the Border for our next choice. Paul Hartley at Alloa or Allan Johnston at Queen of the South. I have to admit, I am not really excited by the choices being bandied about in the press. especially after Di Canio and Adkins have gone.
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