ALAN SHEARER BOOKMAKERS CHOICE FOR NEXT NEWCASTLE MANAGER

Alan Shearer has now emerged as a slight favourite ahead of Joe Kinnear to take the reigns at Newcastle in the new year. Much remains tenuous considering the possible sale of the club by owner Mike Ashley, especially as Kinnear will likely stay on as interim manager until the sale of the club is approved. 78 CANDIDATESA number of extreme long shots are listed on Betfair's list of 78 possible candidates. However, one stands out as a notable name with significantly shorter odds than many others. Alan Shearer's price has been cut to 4.4, which places him ahead of Kinnear himself, who is sitting at 4.9. Compare that to Kevin Keegan (remember him?) who is currently listed at 7.4. Over 2.5 million pounds has been matched on the next Newcastle manager, and it has steadily been one of Betfair's most high-profile wagering markets. With no real end in sight, we are left wondering whether this is going to be a short-term or long-term scenario. I would say that the longer this drags on, the likelier it will be that Alan Shearer will finally take the reigns at the Toon. The other massive variable is what, specifically, the new regime will want to accomplish. OTHER NOTABLESOther notable bets that actually have a reasonable probability of becoming Newcastle manager are Avram Grant (who is rumoured to have already applied) listed at 50, Steve Bruce who is paying 20, and former Fulham manager Chris Coleman (a surprisingly long 34).