Livingston Next Manager Odds: Main Contenders To Replace Marvin Bartley

Marvin Bartley’s decision to resign as Livingston manager means there is a vacancy to be filled at Almondvale Stadium.

Bartley was unhappy he was asked to reapply for his position following the club’s relegation from the Scottish Premiership.

The former Bournemouth midfielder, who ended his playing career at Livingston, took the reins at the end of January, moving up from an assistant position when David Martindale was appointed sporting director.

He oversaw just one win in his 11 games in charge of Livi, whose fate was sealed when Kilmarnock beat Dundee United.

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Ex-Rangers player Scott Arfield will lead the team for the final three games of the season and he is one of the contenders to land the job on a permanent basis.

However, Celtic legend Scott Brown is the frontrunner on betting sites for the Lions post, although there are plenty of others in the frame.

Here, we take a look at potential candidates and the latest next Livingston manager odds.

Brown Leads Livi Field

Former Scotland international Brown left Ayr United at the end of March following a nine-game winless run, but it should not be forgotten how he rescued them last season.

Brown joined the club at the start of 2024, steering the Honest Men away from relegation danger and into the play-offs thanks to a third-place finish. 

The highs turned to lows in the current campaign which saw Brown, who won 22 domestic trophies with the Hoops, criticise his players for lacking a big-game mentality.

Out of loyalty to Ayr, Brown actually turned down a move to an SPL club earlier in the season, possibly Livingston, but now he is free could he finally get his wish?

He told the Scottish Sun: “We could have had an opportunity for a few months, but it would have been hard because the team were probably going to come down anyway.”

Brown is the 5/6 favourite to be back in the Championship with Livingston next season.

Next Livingston Manager Odds:

Lennon Ready And Waiting

Danny Lennon has been a successful manager in the lower leagues of Scottish football and is available following a short stint as Airdrieonians boss last year.

He failed to win any of his eight games in charge and was sacked in October, but that was a rare blip for a man that has promotions and trophies on his CV.

Lennon famously led Cowdenbeath to back-to-back promotions and he had similar success with Clyde, although his greatest triumph came when leading St Mirren to their first Scottish League Cup in the 2012/13 season, beating Celtic in the semis and Hearts in the final.

The former Raith and Partick midfielder, who took charge of a Scotland U21 friendly win against Hungary in 2015, can be backed at 6/5 with one of the betting apps.

Opportunity Knocks For Arfield

Arfield is coming towards the end of his playing career and hopes his temporary appointment will lead to bigger and better things in the future.

The 37-year-old midfielder only joined the club on a short-term deal from Falkirk in January, but has been placed in caretaker charge for the last few games.

Arfield has ambitions to be a coach one day, passing his UEFA B licence and planning to work on his A licence this year.

He has already worked with Falkirk’s reserve team and would relish the chance to show what he can do in the dugout.

Arfield is 2/1 to transform a caretaker role at Almondvale into a permanent position.  

Imrie Has Good Reputation

Dougie Imrie failed to lead Raith to the Scottish Championship play-offs after replacing the sacked Barry Robson in November.

Just like last season, The Rovers finished fifth in the second tier, six points off the top four.

They were just a point adrift of fourth-placed Dunfermline when Robson was shown the door, so in a sense Raith have been treading water.

However, Imrie overachieved in his four years as Greenock Morton manager on a small budget, so the real test will be how he performs for a whole season.

Imrie signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Raith in autumn, so compensation would be due unless the club decided to pull the plug, which seems unlikely.

That said, Imrie is 4/1 for the Livingston job.

Livi To Give Gallagher A Go?

Glasgow-born Paul Gallagher spent the whole of his playing career in England at Blackburn, Leicester and Preston, but could he return to Scotland?

The 41-year-old former midfielder had a horrible short-lived stint as manager of League Two club Barrow, who sacked him in February after he lost all five games in charge.

Nine days later, Gallagher was appointed first-team coach at Leyton Orient where he remains.

Gallagher took caretaker charge of Stoke for two games in 2023 when Alex Neil left, overseeing two draws against Swansea and West Brom.

He is in the infancy of his coaching career and may decide to get more experience before jumping in with both feet as he did in Cumbria, but he is 5/1 to be appointed Livingston boss.

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Rennie Leads Outsiders

Martin Rennie has spent most of his managerial career in North America, although he was in charge of Falkirk for a short spell in the 2021/22 season.

He returned to the USA where he is assistant manager at Notre Dame women’s team in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Rennie is viewed as a potentially left-field appointment at 6/1. 

Elsewhere, Brechin City coach Ray McKinnon, who made 22 appearances for Livi at the turn of the century, is 7/1.

An experienced coach, McKinnon oversaw Dundee United’s Scottish Challenge Cup success in the 2016/17 season and four years later led Queen’s Park into League One as champions.

Darren Ferguson has enjoyed multiple promotions with Peterborough, where he has had four managerial spells, and is 8/1 to join Livi.

Jimmy Thelin won the Scottish Cup in a rollercoaster 18 months with Aberdeen. The Swede is 10/1 to return to Scotland with Livingston.

Experienced manager Steve Bruce is 14/1.

* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.

Livi fans! Who do you want as your next manager? Let us know in the comments below or vote in our poll above!