Next Barrow Manager Odds: Ferguson Favourite For Holker Street Job
Barrow’s League Two campaign has slid into trouble, with the Bluebirds down in 18th and hovering only a few points above the relegation places after a run of underwhelming results.
As a result, the club sacked Andy Whing on December 10, less than 12 months after his appointment, and betting sites have created a market for who might replace the former Solihull Moors boss.
The decision to pull the trigger on Whing was made after a damaging 3–0 home defeat to Tranmere Rovers.
That downturn has come as a surprise, given that Barrow had firmly established themselves in the EFL since their National League title and promotion in 2020.
The owners now have an important decision to make about who to appoint to get the Bluebirds' season back up and running.
Here, we look at the main candidates for the role and the best odds in the next Barrow manager betting market.
Ferguson Free For Next Role
Darren Ferguson has long been associated with Peterborough United, but he became available again after being sacked in late October.
He has proved he can deliver in the EFL during his four spells with the Posh, and he’s managed enough games at this level to be viewed as a safe pair of hands.
The 53-year-old has a history of stabilising struggling teams, something that the Barrow hierarchy will want from any potential new manager.
At a price of 7/4 with UK bookmakers, it would seem like he has a strong chance of replacing Whing in the dugout.
McDonald To Step Up
Neil McDonald is already in the hot seat as Barrow’s interim head coach following Whing’s departure, and he’s a familiar face at Holker Street after previous coaching spells with the club.
A former Newcastle United and Everton defender, McDonald’s management CV includes spells in charge at Carlisle United and Blackpool, plus head-coach experience in Ireland.
With the board likely to value continuity and minimal disruption mid-season, promoting McDonald to a full-time role would be the obvious choice.
He is currently priced at 11/4 with some betting apps to get the top job.
Next Barrow Manager Odds:
Candidate | Odds | Probability |
Darren Ferguson | 7/4 | 36.4% |
Neil McDonald | 11/4 | 26.7% |
Noel Hunt | 11/4 | 26.7% |
Leighton Baines | 10/3 | 23.1% |
Garry Monk | 4/1 | 20% |
Jon Brady | 10/1 | 9.1% |
Mike Williamson | 12/1 | 7.7% |
Matt Taylor | 16/1 | 5.9% |
Chris Millington | 16/1 | 5.9% |
Hunt Could Fit The Bill
Noel Hunt is out of work after being sacked as Reading manager in October, but he did build a reputation quickly after stepping up from coaching into the top job at the Madejski.
As a player, he is best known for his time at Reading, and also had spells in Scotland with Dunfermline and Dundee United, giving him a broad grounding with struggling clubs.
There’s no obvious historic Barrow connection, but the logic would be that he’s a modern coach with recent first-team leadership experience and is immediately available.
The former Republic of Ireland international is 11/4 to land the job at Barrow.
Baines Would Be Brave Choice
Leighton Baines (10/3) is a left-field name as one of the main candidates to be the next Barrow manager.
Currently part of David Moyes’ first-team staff at Everton, the club where he spent most of his career as a player, he has gained experience after serving as caretaker at the club earlier this year.
The big question is whether Baines would be willing to step away from a Premier League coaching role for a League Two job.
Saying that, the former England international could be tempted to take up his first full-time managerial position.
Monk In The Mix
Garry Monk (4/1) has been out of work since leaving Cambridge United, but he has plenty of experience of managing at a much higher level from his spells in charge of Swansea City, Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday.
That makes Monk a strong candidate to take over at Barrow, but would the board take a chance on a manager whose career is in a downturn?
Jon Brady, meanwhile, is best known for his stint at Northampton Town, where he guided the Cobblers to promotion to League One and later left the role in December 2024.
At a price of 10/1 in the next Barrow manager odds, it would seem unlikely that he will replace Whing at this stage.
Other Outsiders
Further back in the market, Mike Williamson (12/1) is currently without a club after leaving his first-team coaching role at Rangers.
However, he has previous managerial experience from his time at MK Dons and Carlisle United, which could put him in the running to be the new Barrow boss.
Elsewhere, Matt Taylor (16/1) was sacked by Solihull Moors in September after a winless start to the season.
Chris Millington was the man to replace Taylor as Solihull Moors manager and has done a good job in turning things around at the National League club.
Also priced at 16/1, any move would involve a deal with his current club, making it unlikely that he will be appointed at Barrow.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
Who would you like to see replacing Whing as Barrow manager? Let us know in the comments below!
