The top six favourites to become next Burton Albion manager has been revealed via Sky Bet following the departure of Jake Buxton.
The job is currently up for grabs following the 4-3 defeat against Wigan Athletic, with the Brewers bottom of the League One table with and winning just once in their last 19 games.
Goals coming from John-Joe O’Toole, John Brayford and Kane Hemmings were cancelled out by a stunning Kyle Joseph hat-trick along with a winner from Wigan’s Will Keane.
A caretaker manager will be in charge for the home game against Oxford United, that will be coach and sports scientist Chris Beardsley and physio Nick Fenton.
Right, time to take a look at the top six favourites to become next Burton Albion manager…
6) Simon Grayson
Grayson was last in charge of Blackpool, however a worrying start saw them pick up just one win in 12 games in all competitions.
A 3-2 defeat at home to Gillingham left them 15th in the League One table, despite being 4th in mid-December 2019.
Prior to that, he was with Bradford City (in League One at the time), though got the boot in May 2018, managing just 14 matches for them – winning 3, drawing 5, and losing 6.
He’s also managed Sunderland, Preston, Huddersfield, Leeds, and Blackpool.
His managerial honours have seen him win the 2015 League One final with Preston, win the 2012 League One playoff final with Huddersfield, promotion from the third tier of English football with Leeds in 2010, and another League One playoff final win with Blackpool in 2007.
Sky Bet odds: 16/1
5) Danny Cowley
Cowley was most recently was sacked by Huddersfield Town, despite beating second-place West Brom in his last game in charge, which all-but-confirmed the club’s survival.
It’s understood that owner Phil Hodgkinson wanted total control over transfers — but his manager was not willing to work that way.
Danny first grabbed the attention of the country when he and his brother took Lincoln City all the way to the FA Cup Quarter Finals in 2017, causing shocks against Ipswich, Brighton and Burnley along the way.
The Imps finished the 2016/17 season crowned champions of the National League and then in the 2017/18 season finished 7th, claiming a playoff place in their first season back in the Football League and also won the EFL Trophy at Wembley.
In the 2018/19 season, Danny and Nicky Cowley’s side finished top of the League Two table and won promotion to League One.
Danny Cowley left League One high flyers Lincoln to join the Championship strugglers in September, who at the time were 23rd in the table having failed to win any of their first six matches.
Sky Bet odds: 16/1
4) Phil Parkinson
Late November 2020 saw Sunderland announce that they sacked their manager Phil Parkinson after 13 months in charge of the third tier based club.
A draw at Fleetwood was a third league game without a win for the Black Cats, leaving them eighth in the League One table.
The ex-Bolton Wanderers boss, 52, replaced Jack Ross at the Stadium of Light in October 2019 and led them to eighth place last season.
Parky had a successful spell at Valley Parade between 2011 and 2016, enjoying a promising run in the Johnstones Paint Trophy, guided them to League Two safety, the League Cup final (lost 5-0 to Swansea), promotion to League One via the playoffs, a 4-2 FA Cup at Chelsea despite being 2-0 down – booking a place in the FA Cup quarter finals, reached the League One playoffs (lost to Millwall), but then left the club for Bolton.
He recently ruled himself out of the job at Bradford City.
Sky Bet odds: 12/1
3) Graham Alexander
Salford City sacked Alexender before appointing Swindon’s manager. He guided them to promotion from the National League, an 11th place finish in the fourth tier of English football (based on PPG), then had an unbeaten start to the 2020/21 League Two season, before being axed.
MANAGERIAL STATS:
Preston North End (caretaker) – 14 Dec 2011 until 16 Jan 2012 – 5 G, 2 W, 2 D, 1 L – 40.0 win %
Fleetwood Town – 6 Dec 2012 until 30 Sep 2015 – 145 G, 56 W, 35 D, 54 L – 38.6 win %
Scunthorpe United – 22 Mar 2016 until 24 Mar 2018 – 113 G, 53 W, 30 D, 30 L – 46.9 win %
Salford City – 14 May 2018 until 12 Oct 2020 – 112 G, 54 W, 27 D, 31 L – 48.2 win %
Total – 372 G, 160 W, 97 D, 115 L – 43.0 win %
Sky Bet odds: 8/1
Graham Alexander at Salford…
– 2018/19: Promoted
– 2019/20: Final of EFL trophy
– 2020/21: An unbeaten league start
Paul Scholes has been announced as interim head coach after The Ammies sack Alexander. pic.twitter.com/fzGBoIk876
— thesportsman (@TheSportsman) October 12, 2020
2) Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Hasselbaink’s last club was Northampton on 2 April 2018 after a loss to Peterborough made it nine games without a win and had the Cobblers in the relegation zone with five games remaining of the 2017–18 season.
His previous clubs he’s managed are Queens Park Rangers, Burton Albion (won League Two promotion with in 2014/15) and Royal Antwerp.
His playing career saw him for the likes of Cardiff, Charlton, Middlesbrough, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Leeds, Boavista and Alkmaar.
Royal Antwerp – 29 May 2013 until 11 May 2014 – 35 games, 13 wins, 10 draws, 12 defeats, 37.1 win %
Burton Albion – 13 November 2014 until 4 December 2015 – 54 games, 33 wins, 11 draws, 10 defeats, 61.1 win %
Queens Park Rangers – 4 December 2015 until 5 November 2016 – 47 games, 13 wins, 19 draws, 15 defeats, 27.7 win %
Northampton Town – 4 September 2017 until 2 April 2018 – 42 games, 10 wins, 13 draws, 19 defeats, 23.8 win %
Total – 178 games, 69 wins, 53 draws, 56 defeats, 38.8 win %
Sky Bet odds: 3/1
1) John McGrath
John McGrath attended Burton Albion’s match against Wigan Athletic on Tuesday night, and then emerged as the early bookies’ favourite for the vacant managerial job.
The former Brewers captain, now coming towards five years with Mickleover in the Northern Premier League, which they lead going into 2021, was as low as even money favourite recently with Bet Victor.
He spent three-quarters of the 389 matches he played with Burton Albion, as part of the team which won promotion to the EFL and then became established in League Two. He replaced Darren Stride as captain when the club’s longest-serving player ended his career.
McGrath briefly played for Alfreton Town following his departure from the Brewers in 2013 before being put in place with a role to sort Mickleover’s academy and first team structure under chairman Don Amott.
McGrath would seem an unlikely choice at this stage to be appointed various media reports claim, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
Sky Bet odds: 4/6
John McGrath, manager of @MickleoverSFC, would appear an unlikely choice as a new @burtonalbionfc boss but the bookies don’t think so… https://t.co/XxA5YecLjD pic.twitter.com/BKtvuVSjhY
— Burton Albion News (@BurtonAlbionBM) December 31, 2020
Now that you have seen the top six favourites to become next Burton Albion manager, who do you think should be their new manager? Let us know!
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