Portsmouth boss John Mousinho and Lincoln City head coach Michael Skubala are the bookies’ current favourites to take over as Bristol City’s new manager.
The Robins continue their hunt for Roy Hodgson’s successor.
Hodgson’s Interim Role and Departure
Former Inter Milan, Liverpool and England boss Hodgson was appointed on an interim basis at Ashton Gate in late March. The 78-year-old’s remit was to oversee the final seven games of the season, after the decision was taken to relieve Gerhard Struber of his duties.
Hodgson made it clear he didn’t intend to take on the role long term. With his contract expiring at the end of last week, the Reds now find themselves without a head coach.
The Search for a New Manager
The Robins’ yet-to-be-named new sporting director will be tasked with leading the search for a new manager ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. Supporters will be hopeful that some progress will be made in that hunt sooner rather than later, with the off-season now more than a week old.
Supporters’ attention has been focused on off-field matters. As a result, fans have begun to share their picks for the next City boss, as have the bookmakers.
Mousinho and Skubala Emerge as Frontrunners
Replacing Russell Martin as the current favourite, Pompey head coach Mousinho is currently priced at 4/6. The now 40-year-old retired from football in January 2023 to take up the manager’s position at Fratton Park, and in his first full season in charge on the south coast, he guided Portsmouth to the League One title.
Despite operating with one of the second tier’s smaller budgets, Pompey – under the management of Mousinho – will now be heading into their third straight season of Championship football, having finished a relatively comfortable eight points clear of the bottom three this term.
Lincoln manager Skubala now finds himself as the bookmaker’s second favourite at 2/1. The 43-year-old joined the Imps from Leeds United in November 2023, and having missed out on the play-off places last term, they won the League One title with 103 points this season.
Other Potential Candidates
Former Rangers coaches Martin and Steven Gerrard, are priced at 6/1 and 8/1, respectively. When the bookies first published odds last week, the two Englishmen were the early favourites, but their odds have become stretched in the week since.
The odds then start to get even longer with Stockport County’s Dave Challinor, former Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior and England Under-21s head coach Lee Carsley sitting at 10/1, 16/1 and 20/1, respectively.
Finally, there are a whole host of names that feature in both the 25/1 and 33/1 brackets. Names well known to City fans, such as Carlos Corberan, Steve Cooper, Tony Mowbray, Gary Rowett and Marti Ci