When Wigan appointed Chris Hutchings as their new manager in place of Paul Jewell who had managed to keep them in the Premiership with a last day victory, a lot of people were left asking Chris who? The fact that he is little known has him leading the race that no manager likes to win - the Premiership sack race for next season.

The Wigan boss is the 5/2 favourite and his side are a hugely improbable 2,500/1 to win the league and odds on at 5/6 to be relegated. Ladbrokes make him 6/4 to have parted company with the club from the JJB Stadium on Christmas Day and he is 7/1 to manage them longer than Jewell. They also make him 4/11 to leave Wigan before fellow North West new boy Sammy Lee leaves Bolton.

Fulham's Lawrie Sanchez is 4/1 second favourite to be the next manager to leave their club, with newly promoted Birmingham's Steve Bruce at 6/1.

Ladbrokes spokesman Robin Hutchison said: "Club's who have enjoyed a period of sustained success often chop and change in an attempt to re-create it when it ends. Hutchings may be the fall guy."

Gareth Southgate is a 20/1 shot despite a difficult first season at Middlesbrough while the managers of Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool are all 10/1 shots - who said the pressure on finishing in the top four was less than facing relegation?