The year hadn’t fully come to a close, but a 5-1 defeat against Tranmere on Boxing Day was enough to lead the Salford board to remove Neil Wood from his managerial role. Having run the team since his appointment in May 2022, even taking them to the League 2 playoffs where they were beaten on penalties by Stockport, their current 23 point tally is substantially lower than last years and they sit 21st in the table, just a mere 4 goals away from being in the relegation zone. So without a win since October and a game against Forest Green just days away, where assistant coach Simon Wiles will have to run point, who are the leading contenders when it comes to the next Salford manager odds?
At BetVictor, at the time of writing, there are four names being touted as possible replacements for Wood, two of them former Manchester United players. In fourth place is Paul Ince, currently at 8/1* meaning a £10 bet would payout £90, who was released by Reading in April earlier last year. In third is Karl Robinson at 5/18, where a £10 wager would return £60, who is currently unattached after leaving Leeds at the end of last season. Second favourite, at present, is Ryan Giggs at 3/1, where £10 would pay £40 if correct, who has been out of work since stepping down from managing Wales in 2022. Leading the pack is Paul Hurst at odds of 2/1*, meaning a £10 bet would payout £30, who was most recently manager of fellow League 2 side, Grimsby Town until October 2023. Having secured a promotion back from the National League and taking the side to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in the 2022/23 season, his experience could be a good fit for a side looking to escape their close proximity to the relegation zone.
While the Ammies certainly have a lot of thinking to do, there are no shortage of potential managers looking to step up to the plate and help them through. With upcoming games against Forest Green and Crawley Town over the next two weekends, finalising a new managerial appointment would be a good step in the right direction for a club that will be eager not to return to the National League, something they have managed since their promotion in 2019. So, until a new name is touted or a permanent replacement is chosen to fill the vacancy left by Neil Wood, all that is left to do is to keep an eye on the Salford City next manager odds, or take a punt on some League Two football betting as Salford play at home, at the Peninsula Stadium this weekend.
*All odds are correct at time of writing and are subject to change.
