RICKY SBRAIGA AND SAM ALLARDYCE FAVOURED FOR SUNDERLAND POST

Things are starting to heat up in the premier league managers market with Roy Keane vacating his position last week and Paul Ince's spot at Blackburn looking increasingly untenable. The Black Cats, headed by their chairman Niall Quinn, have not appointed a long-term successor to Keane yet, and have instead opted for head coach (and former Man United backroom staffer) Ricky Sbraiga to take the helm for the time being.LIKELY APPOINTMENTSSunderland have had some better luck under Sbraiga and a number of punters are now starting to think he could very well be the long-term answer to the problems at the Stadium of Light. Former Bolton and Newcastle boss "Fat" Sam Allardyce has been tipped as the most likely successor and his odds are listed on Betfred at 9/4- a clear favourite. Ricky Sbraiga is slightly behind Allardyce listed at 7/2. The dark horse in the competition to head Sunderland is former Chelsea top cat Avram Grant who is sitting at 11/2.IMPROBABLE NAMESBoth the Daily Mirror and the Daily Star have floated some almost unbelievable names as the real candidates for the Sunderland post. They include former Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini, ousted Real Madrid manager Berndt Shuster and Carlos Alberto Parreira- who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994. Other names being connected with the position are former Barca man Louis van Gaal, Leo Beenakker. There is also talk that it could be Gordon Strachan or even former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier. RECOMMENDATIONS:Back Sbraiga at 7/2- this is Sunderland we're talking about.